All Paris High School senior Joquan Wallace wanted was to go to the restroom. He got his teacher’s permission to leave class and decided to go to one some distance away because he wanted more privacy. A school police officer apparently followed him and later questioned Wallace about going to the restroom, authorities said. In […]
Author Archives: Zachary Lester
AFRO Staff Writer
Posted inAfro Briefs
Judge Orders Los Angeles Grandmother Released from Prison
Mary Jones was in her early 40s when she went to prison. She was 74 when she was released from the Central Regional Detention Center in Lynwood, Cal., a suburb of Los Angeles, on March 24, after doing 32 years for first-degree murder. Jones had been imprisoned in connection with the 1981 murder of a […]
Posted inPrince George's County News
Prince George’s Harlem Renaissance Festival Set
The Prince George’s Harlem Renaissance Festival, an annual event that draws children, adults and families together in a celebration of the county’s arts and cultural programs and history, has been scheduled for May 3. This year’s event marks the 15th annual festival, which is put on every year by the Prince George’s Harlem Renaissance Remembrance […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
D.C.’s Cherry Blossom Festival Progresses as Enthusiasts Await Blossoms
Spring has arrived in the nation’s capital and with it, the annual obsession with the beloved cherry blossom. The National Cherry Blossom Festival kicked off March 20, the first day of spring, and has already drawn legions of people from all corners of the United States and around the world. The three-week celebration, which will […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
D.C. Ballou High Senior Tai’Lon Jackson Wins Full Ride to GW
Ballou High senior Tai’Lon Jackson reacted first with shock, then joy, when he was presented a full scholarship to George Washington University in a surprise assembly March 25 at the Southeast Washington school. The scholarship, valued at $200,000, will cover tuition, room, board and books for four years at GW. The life-changing scholarship was presented […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Poor Working Mothers, Children Scheduled to March for Minimum Wage Hike
Tena Weedon’s daughter, Jeanae, an aspiring school principal, received scholarships to pay for all but $2,000 per year of her tuition to Spelman College. However, even covering the balance is difficult for Weedon. As a worker who has always made minimum wage or only a little more, she is constantly facing financial challenges. Each month, […]
Posted inHealth
National Walk for Epilepsy Expected to Draw Thousands to D.C.
Little Eric “Deuce” Eaddy was 14 months old when his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he grew taut and still one Saturday morning, two years ago. “When paramedics got here and put him in the they were trying to put an IV line in him…His body, from having the seizure, was […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Black Connecticut Pastor Suffers Fatal Heart Attack after Allegedly Confessing Adultery to Congregation
It is often said in religious circles that confession is good for the soul. But for the long-time pastor of a Bridgeport, Conn. church, confession proved deadly. Bishop Bobby Davis was the pastor of the Miracle of Faith World Outreach Church. On March 9, Davis allegedly spoke to members of his congregation about cheating on […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Lupita Nyong’o Linked to Somalian Rapper K’Naan
Black actress Lupita Nyong’o went from near-anonymity to tremendous celebrity after she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar earlier this month for her role in 12 Years a Slave. Since her win, she’s been interviewed dozens of times, seen her fashion style analyzed and been praised for her grace and beauty. With the celebrity has […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Bill Cosby Celebrates Opening of Ben’s Chili Bowl in Arlington, Va.
Ben’s Chili Bowl, the iconic fast-food restaurant founded on U Street in D.C., expanded into Northern Virginia with a grand opening celebration on March 6 at its new location on Wilson Boulevard in Arlington. The ribbon was cut by Bill Cosby and owner Virginia Ali, who stood proudly with her sons as their family restaurant […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
D.C. Reports 24 Homicides in First Two Months of 2014
Twenty-four people were slain in the District in the first 60 days of the year, a dozen more than were killed during the same time in 2013. The first to die was Claudia Hall, 51, of Northeast Washington, who was found dead Jan. 3 about 2:20 p.m. inside her home in the 300 block of […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Maryland House Votes Down Governor O’Malley’s Effort to Tie Minimum Wage to Inflation
The Maryland House of Delegates March 5 voted down a plan by Gov. Martin O’Malley to tie increases in the minimum wage to inflation. O’Malley had hoped to connect the minimum wage to the Consumer Price Index. Instead, Del. Heather Mizeur (D-Montgomery County), a candidate for governor, tried for an increase in the minimum wage […]