By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com No Boundaries Coalition’s Fresh at the Avenue, in its seventh year of operation, is continuing strong with its core mission of addressing the food deserts of Baltimore and providing fresh fruits and vegetables to the community. On Feb. 25, a kale cook off and live cooking demonstrations from […]
Author Archives: Megan Sayles AFRO Staff Writer
Megan Sayles is a business reporter for The Baltimore Afro-American paper. Before this, Sayles interned with Baltimore Magazine, where she wrote feature stories about the city’s residents, nonprofits and initiatives. Her love of music inspired her to be a writer. At a young age she realized it was not the melody that she was so infatuated with, but the lyrics that made up the song and connected with listeners. Sayles grew up in Pasadena, Maryland, and is a 2021 graduate of the University of Maryland, where for her senior capstone project she reported on how the coronavirus and inequality intersected in Baltimore. She also worked as a staff writer and copy editor for campus publications, including Stories Beneath the Shell and The Black Explosion. Sayles teamed up with a partner to report on how the pandemic had put many more responsibilities on the oldest child in families. The Associated Press and other news organizations picked up her story.
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Allyson Browne McKithen becomes first African-American woman to lead the World Trade Center in Washington, D.C.
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com Allyson Browne McKithen is now the first Black woman to lead the World Trade Center in Washington, D.C. (WTCDC). Since mid-December, she has been executive director and vice president of international programs at Trade Center Management Associates (TCMA), which is owned by the Drew Company, overlooking the Ronald […]
Posted inPrince George's County News
Maryland Board of Public Works approves $400 million for Prince George’s County Blue Line Corridor development
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com The Maryland Board of Public Works on Jan. 25 approved $400 million in bond funding for the Maryland Stadium Authority’s (MSA) economic development of the Blue Line Corridor, which will result in the construction of sports and entertainment facilities in Central Prince George’s County. The memorandum of understanding […]
Posted inBaltimore News
East Baltimore Development Initiative honors AFRO publisher with Joe Manns Black Wall Street Award for Community Impact
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com Nonprofit East Baltimore Development Initiative (EBDI), in partnership with BmoreNews.com, recently awarded 18 East Baltimore leaders with the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Award for Community Impact. AFRO publisher, Frances “Toni” Draper, was one of the honorees and was recognized for her service to the faith community in […]
Posted inArts & Culture
PBS and Kennedy Center honor the legacy of literary and cultural icon Zora Neale Hurston
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com Both PBS and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Kennedy Center) celebrated acclaimed anthropologist and author Zora Neale Hurston this January. On Jan. 17, PBS released “Zora Neale Hurston: Claiming a Space,” a biographical documentary about the late writer whose work defied the notions of […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Pigtown’s Groundwork Kitchen reopens its doors after pandemic hiatus
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com After nearly a year-long hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Groundwork Kitchen is gearing up to reopen its doors in Southwest Baltimore’s Pigtown neighborhood. During the break, the restaurant gained two new members to its team, executive chef Jonathan Hicks, “The Uneek Chef,” and general manager Melanie Molinaro. […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Baltimore County Public School superintendent declines to renew contract, Randallstown NAACP calls for national search to find replacement
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com Baltimore County Public Schools’ (BCPS) superintendent Darryl Williams announced on Jan. 23 that he would not renew his contract with the school district. Williams has oversaw the system’s educational program since May 2019. The Randallstown National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is asking the Baltimore […]
Posted inNEWS
Apiary in the Sky works to beautify Newark neighborhoods, improve quality of life for residents
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com When the COVID-19 pandemic inundated the world with uncertainty, Newark, N.J. native Marcellis Counts became a beekeeper. A recent graduate of Seton Hall University, Counts wanted to create an enterprise that would not only support him but the community. He subsequently created Apiary in the Sky, a beekeeping […]
Posted inBUSINESS
Macy’s to hold month-long donation campaign to benefit United Negro College Fund
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer msayles@afro.com To celebrate Black History Month, Macy’s on Feb. 1 will launch Black History. Black Brilliance., a month-long donation campaign in stores and online to support the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), which provides scholarships to African-American students and funding to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The retail […]
Posted inBaltimore News
City of Baltimore battles cigarette manufacturers in first-of-its-kind lawsuit for million-dollar cleanup costs associated with toxic cigarette litter
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com The City of Baltimore recently launched a first-of-its-kind lawsuit against cigarette manufacturers. Mayor Brandon M. Scott and the Baltimore City Law Department are suing six major tobacco companies, including Philip Morris USA, Altria Group, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, British American Tobacco P.L.C, Liggett Group LLC and The George […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Baltimore City Public Schools incorporate entrepreneurship into curriculum
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com In 2021, Baltimore City Public Schools’ Office of College and Career Readiness released its latest strategic plan, which emphasized the importance of students having access to work-based learning and exposure to avenues for in-demand jobs that yield a living wage. The plan was forged from 120 stakeholders meetings […]
Posted inBUSINESS
AFRO spotlight on Black excellence: six organizations with a social justice mission
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com The age-old adage tells us to put our money where our mouth is. Rather than spend money with businesses that are just looking to turn a profit, civil rights activists and other social change agents say it’s critical that consumers look to fund nonprofits and companies that are […]