By Reginald L. Allen II, Special to the AFRO At 6:17 a.m. on Feb. 1, Morgan State University alerted its students to shelter in place and conduct classes remotely in response to a bomb threat that was received. Morgan State becomes another name added to the ongoing list of HBCUs that have received a bomb […]
Author Archives: Reginald Allen II Special to the AFRO
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Kanye West’s ‘DONDA’ release sets streaming records, stirs trouble with artists
Rap artist and entrepreneur Kanye West. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File) By Reginald L. Allen II Special to the AFRO Rap artist and entrepreneur Kanye West’s 10th studio album ‘Donda’ raised the bar for music streaming in 2021 with over 94 million streams globally on Spotify within the first week. The long-awaited album release was […]
Posted inBaltimore Community
GEDCO helps to combat homelessness in Baltimore
By Reginald L Allen II Special to the AFRO Baltimore Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services reported 2,294 homeless individuals in their 2019 point-in-time count, pre-COVID. With a high rate of unemployment due to the pandemic, there has been another layer added to the city’s homelessness problem. Nevertheless, a nationwide eviction moratorium has helped protect some […]
Posted inNEWS
Real Talk: Virtual conference educates students on paying for college
For more help, students and families are reminded to ask counselors at their school, financial aid counselors at colleges, and organizations hosting financial aid events such as scholarship or FAFSA nights. (Courtesy photo) By Reginald L Allen II Special to the AFRO Queenstar Akrong and College Board hosted another ‘Real Talk’ virtual conference virtual conference […]
Posted inBaltimore Community
Cicadas emerge
A cicada nymph moves in the grass on May 1 in Frederick, Md. Within days, a couple weeks at most, the cicadas of Brood X (the X is the Roman numeral for 10) will emerge after 17 years underground. There are many broods of periodic cicadas that appear on rigid schedules in different years, but […]
Posted inD.C. Community
DMV Trails Tour promotes health, wellness in Black community
The Jafe Cycling DMV Trails Tour will feature several routes to help riders at all skill levels navigate and have a safe trip. (Courtesy Photo) By Reginald Allen II Special to the AFRO Bright and early on May 1, the second annual DMV Trails Tour will be hosted by Jafe Cycling at several locations in […]
Posted inHBCU
Local HBCUs have their eyes on the Retool Your School prize
Local HBCUs such as Howard, Bowie State, Coppin State, Morgan State and Maryland Eastern Shore are in the running for the Retool Your School program offered through The Home Depot. (Courtesy Photo) By Reginald Allen II Special to the AFRO The Home Depot announced that it will double its donation to $1 million towards the […]
Posted inBaltimore Community
The Monument Project repurposes empty confederate pedestals in Baltimore
(Courtesy photos) By Reginald Allen II Special to the AFRO Four years ago in 2017, Catherine Pugh, former mayor of Baltimore, ordered four confederate statues in Baltimore to be removed. Séamus Miller, a director at the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company (CSC), with the assistance of CSC actors, took photos on top of former confederate statue pedestals […]
Posted inBUSINESS
Innovation program targets systemic racism
Barry Givens, Techstars managing director. (Photo: 2020 Hand-out | Credit: Cox Enterprises) By Reginald L Allen II Special to the AFRO The Cox Enterprises’ 2021 Social Impact Accelerator class has been selected. The Atlanta-based program, powered by Techstars, is an annual three-month program that will go virtual for this season due to in-person gathering restrictions […]
Posted inBaltimore Community
Tech company advocates for Farewell to digital equity
Fearless, a tech company headquartered in Baltimore, plans to close the digital inequity gap in Maryland with the help of the Digital Connectivity Act of 2021. By Reginald Allen II Special to the AFRO The digital divide has left rural and low-income Maryland residents in the dark. John Foster, partner and chief operating officer of […]
Posted inLIFE & STYLE
Facebook group becomes official restaurant relief fund
By Reginald Allen II Special to the AFRO Dave Seel, president of the Baltimore Restaurant Relief Fund, created a Facebook group to support restaurants and their workers in response to the city-wide restaurant restrictions. Now, the former Facebook group is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the local restaurant and hospitality industry. The […]
Posted inBUSINESS
Baltimore Station, Crowne Plaza partner to provide housing in pandemic
By Reginald Allen II Special to the AFRO Founded in 1987 to support local homeless veterans, Baltimore Station had the challenge of supporting their residents in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. John Friedel, executive director of Baltimore Station, said the issue was their dormitory-style accommodations would pose a vulnerability during the pandemic. Friedel said that […]