The extreme partisanship that has plagued Washington, D.C., for the past four years is dragging America to the brink of disaster—again. Republicans and Democrats currently are engaged in high-stakes negotiations over the 2014 budget, and if they don’t agree on how the U.S. will pay its bills over the next week, the federal government will […]
Author Archives: Zenitha Prince
Special to the AFRO
Posted inAfro Briefs
Republican Robert J. Brown Known as Maverick in Politics and Business
Robert J. Brown is fighting mad. Last month, during a Republican National Committee luncheon commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington, Brown lambasted Washington leaders for cuts to programs that help minorities, including some he helped create during his time as a special advisor to President Richard Nixon. “When funding is cut, […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Library of Congress to Hold National Book Festival in D.C.
The Library of Congress continues its “Celebration of the Book” with the 2013 National Book Festival, scheduled for Sept. 21 and 22, between Ninth and 14th streets on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. More than 210,000 people attended the annual book fair in 2012, and similar crowds are expected on the Mall this year, […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Sudan President’s Visa Request Triggers Outrage, Calls for Arrest
Sudanese President Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir’s request for a visa to travel to the United Nation General Assembly’s 68th session, currently underway in New York, has prompted global outcry and calls for him to be arrested and handed over to the International Criminal Court. U.S. Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.), a senior member of the Senate […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Texas Voter ID Law Faces New Legal Challenge
A new Texas law requiring voters to present photo ID faces a new challenge after the Texas State Conference of the NAACP and the Mexican American Legislative Caucus of the Texas House of Representatives, or MALC, filed a complaint in federal court Sept. 17 to block implementation of the law. The measure, the suit alleges, […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Former CBC Chair Rep. Barbara Lee Joins World Leaders at U.N.
Former Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) chair Rep. Barbara Lee is among the dozens of international leaders who convened at the United Nation’s 68th General Assembly Session in New York this week. Earlier this month, President Obama nominated the California Democrat to represent the United States at the annual gathering, where the 193 member states deliberate […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Gray Veto May Carry Steep Price Tag, Say Critics
Mayor Vincent Gray’s veto of a living wage bill aimed at big box retailers—and the D.C. Council’s failure to override that decision—could come at a great political cost, critics say. On Sept. 12 Gray vetoed the {Large Retailer Accountability Act} (LRAA), which would have required retailers with stores larger than 75,000 square feet and whose […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
CBC Annual Conference Convenes at D.C. Convention Center
The 43rd Annual Legislative Conference of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation was scheduled to convene under the theme “It Starts With You” from Sept.18-21 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. About 10,000 persons were expected to attend the yearly gathering of Washington power players, industry leaders and ordinary men and women […]
Posted inNational News
Black Caucus Annual Conference to Meet Under ‘It Starts With You’ Theme
The 43rd Annual Legislative Conference of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation will gather under the theme “It Starts With You” from Sept.18-21 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. About 10,000 persons are expected to attend the yearly gathering of Washington power players, industry leaders and ordinary men and women in the […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Voting Rights Advocates Quietly Mount Challenge to Wis. Voter ID Law
The first legal challenge to an elections law under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), since the U.S. Supreme Court shot down preclearance protections under Section 5 of the VRA in June, is underway with little to no fanfare. On Nov. 4, 2013, U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman will hear a challenge to […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Parent Wants KKK Founder’s Name Removed from Fla. Black High School
A Jacksonville, Fla. father is waging a campaign to change the name of a school that was named after Nathan Bedford Forrest, a slave trader and the first “grand wizard” of the Klu Klux Klan. Omotoya Richmond is the originator of the fast-growing petition on Change.org that has amassed more than 77,000 signatures at last […]
Posted inHealth
AmeriHealth’s Rashid Named to Key HHS Minority Health Advisory Panel
Michael A. Rashid, a pioneer in the Medicaid managed care industry, has been appointed to the National Advisory Council on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius this week appointed Rashid to the council, which advises and assists the secretary and the directors […]
