By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, Report for America Corps Member msayles@afro.com Dallas County Criminal Court Judge Shequitta Kelly used to be a self-professed penny pincher. Being a single, teenage mother, she lived her life on a strict budget to be able to provide for her family while putting herself through law school. Her lifelong […]
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 in!Front Page
Covered Bliss allows women to dress modestly without sacrificing beauty
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, Report for America Corps Member, msayles@afro.com Ethiopian native Sara Sheikh holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a master’s degree in cyber security, but her career revolves around modest fashion design. Sheikh is a Muslim woman, and although modest clothing is most commonly associated with Islam, members of […]
Posted inHealth
Over 3,000 Marylanders are waiting for a transplant, register as a donor today during National Donate Life Month
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, Report for America Corps Member, msayles@afro.com Currently, there are over 106,000 people in the U.S. on the national transplant waiting list, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration. Every nine minutes, another person is added to that list, and every day, 17 people die while waiting for an […]
Posted inBUSINESS
Generational Equity Movement fights for D.C.’s Black-owned cannabis community, identifying legal sales of the drug as an opportunity to build generational wealth
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, Report for America Corps Member msayles@afro.com Washington D.C. is the only place in the United States where marijuana “gifting shops” exist, and they derive from a 2014 voter initiative. Seventy percent of voters approved Initiative 71, which permitted the use of up to two ounces of marijuana and the […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
African Americans paid the price for the war on marijuana, now they’re fighting to access the billion-dollar legal cannabis industry
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, Report for America Corps Member, msayles@afro.com The American Civil Liberties (ALCU) estimates that between 2001 and 2010, there were over eight million marijuana arrests across the U.S., and 88 percent of those arrests were for simply having the drug. Although marijuana use is almost equal among Blacks and Whites, […]
Posted inTechnology
AT&T automation expert turns cryptocurrency creator by attaching coins to upcoming book
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, Report for America Corps Member, msayles@afro.com Ask David C. Williams and he’ll tell you he grew up in what he characterizes as, “the poorest corners of Dallas, Texas.” The son of a man who took his own life, Williams came from the humblest of beginnings in South Dallas, where […]
Posted inBUSINESS
The Momference, the first and only conference dedicated to celebrating Black mothers nationwide, returns this May
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, Report for America Corps Member msayles@afro.com Washington, D.C. nonprofit District Motherhued’s premier event celebrating Black mothers across the country, The Momference, will make a complete return to an in-person gathering this spring. Unlike prior years, The 2022 Momference will take place over three days starting May 20, and this […]
Posted inPrince George's County News
Bowie State announces BIONIC initiative to combat malign misinformation and disinformation campaigns
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, Report for America Corps Member, msayles@afro.com Bowie State University (BSU) alongside The Maryland Center at BSU announced on Wednesday the establishment of a new innovation center that will execute research and develop projects centered in countering misinformation and disinformation, as well as their consequences. The Bowie State University Influence […]
Posted inBUSINESS
RGN Sport rids your chafing woes with no-slip athletic wear in bold African prints
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, Report for America Corps Member, msayles@afro.com Tiffany Brown has played sports all her life. Her favorite of all being soccer. At Colorado College, she played for the Division I women’s soccer team, and after, she joined the D.C. United Women soccer club, now known as the Washington Spirit. Although […]
Posted inBUSINESS
Baltimore tax expert helps clients improve financial health
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, Report for America Corps Member, msayles@afro.com At one time, Baltimore native Andrea Scott was paying a small fortune for mainstream companies to manage her tax preparation. Now, she is a tax and finance expert who owns Brownstone Tax and Financial Services, which provides more affordable options for tax preparation, […]
Posted inBUSINESS
All-natural feminine care brand GNTLE defies stigmas surrounding vaginal health
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, Report for America Corps Member, msayles@afro.com In college, Leda Toussaint’s favorite subjects were anatomy and physiology, which makes it no surprise that she’s now running her own feminine care company. GNTLE, launched in 2018, is an all-natural feminine care brand that heals, balances and protects women’s vaginas and vulvas. […]
Posted inBUSINESS
Jacq and Joe’s Coffee builds legacy for Maryland native’s family
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, Report for America Corps Member, msayles@afro.com The pandemic caused many people to feel stuck. The uncertainty combined with orders to stay inside and social distance led to feelings of isolation, stress, anxiety and depression. At the start, Maryland Native and veteran Teresa Meade struggled to navigate her emotions. Typically, […]