By Edmond Davis Let me be clear from the start: what follows is not an attempt to defend Charlie Kirk, nor to sanitize the asinine theatrics that have surrounded his campus appearances. This is a critique of a false narrative—one orchestrated not only by Kirk’s team but also by traditional media outlets, AI-altered news feeds, […]
Author Archives: Special to the AFRO
Posted inCommentary
Coppin State University: Rewriting the narrative on male enrollment and retention
By Dr. Anthony L. Jenkins I believe the continuing decline of male enrollment in higher education is one of the greatest crises of this century. Their declining absence from higher education has significant political, innovative, medical, social equality and civil rights implications. The correlation is undeniable: a decline in Black and Brown male enrollment in […]
Posted inOPINION
Hot, humid, and getting worse: Why Maryland must step up on climate
Critics question why Maryland has not joined other states suing to preserve stronger clean car standards and why costs of climate damage remain unmeasured. Maryland records 30 heat-related deaths through mid-August, the second-highest number in modern history, along with record ER visits in July.
Posted inOpinion
What do Black Americans have to lose under the 47th president? Everything
Angela Hanks and Jeremy Edwards of The Century Foundation argue that while the 47th president once asked Black voters “What do you have to lose?”, his current presidency has left them with worsening unemployment, rising debt and greater economic vulnerability. They warn that Trump’s economic and social policies — from tariffs to cuts in healthcare, education, and food assistance — are disproportionately harming Black Americans and risk eroding hard-won progress.
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Let America read: Banned Wagon Tour to stop in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia
By Penguin Random House The Banned Wagon will hit the road during Banned Books Week, beginning Oct. 5, for its third annual tour to celebrate the freedom to read and express ideas, highlight the value of free and open access to information, and confront the harms of censorship. Powered by Penguin Random House and presented […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
‘Black Diary 1887’ expands to D.C. with GPS walking tours
Black Diary 1887 is a revolutionary, GPS-enabled mobile app that connects users with overlooked narratives from the African Diaspora through interactive maps and audio storytelling, and is now available in 30 US cities, including Washington, D.C.
Posted inOPINION
Upset about your electric bills this summer? Get to know PJM.
Lyle Rawlings, president of the Mid-Atlantic Solar & Storage Industries Association, and Andy Wall, a board member, argue that skyrocketing summer electric bills across the PJM region are the result of flawed market rules and artificially inflated prices, not a true shortage of power.
Posted inOPINION
Block by block: How communities are torn apart
Steven Kappen, a staff attorney with Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service who focuses on estate planning, probate and property issues, explains how Baltimore’s neighborhoods are hollowed out block by block through tax sales, foreclosures, and discriminatory housing policies. Using a study of the 500 block of N. Carrollton Ave., he shows how family homeownership has dropped sharply, fueling displacement and community loss.
Posted inOPINION
A sober voice in a buzzed world: Why THC drinks don’t belong in recovery
By Derrick Robinson I’ve been in recovery for six years. Every day, I choose not to drink, one day at a time. Every day, I navigate a world determined to offer alternatives—some dressed up as “healthier” or “natural.” The latest? THC-infused beverages, now lining shelves next to hard seltzers and craft beers, promising a “buzz […]
Posted inOPINION
Child care doesn’t have to be this terrible
By Brea Harris At three months old, my son was kicked out of his daycare. I had spent my pregnancy navigating my city’s brutal child care landscape — posting on social media looking for nanny shares, adding my name to year-long waitlists, and wondering how I was going to pay the astronomical daycare fees. So, […]
Posted inOpinion
From federal overreach to local betrayal: The double threat to Black freedom in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Kevin Beckford and Yasmin Salina, co-founders of The Hustlers Guild, argue that both federal and local policies in Washington, D.C. are undermining Black freedom by reinstating cash bail and expanding pretrial detention under the guise of public safety. They call for rejecting punitive measures and instead investing in restorative justice, community supports and policies that protect pretrial freedom.
Posted inOPINION
Too many clinics, too little healing: Rethinking addiction treatment in Baltimore
Baltimore’s opioid crisis is exacerbated by an oversupply of behavioral health clinics with little oversight, leading to a moratorium on new enrollments for certain services to evaluate provider quality and rebuild oversight.