It has been almost five months since Baltimore blogger and activist Apollos Frank James MacArthur, more popularly known as the Baltimore Spectator, was arrested in a spectacular display that was broadcast in real time over the Internet. Now, two weeks before his May 8 trial date, supporters are questioning the official handling of the case, […]
Author Archives: Zenitha Prince
Special to the AFRO
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Jada Pinkett Smith Responds to Rumors of Open Marriage
For years there were whispers—amused, condemning, even envious—about the supposed “open” marriage of entertainment super couple Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. Some have theorized that the arrangement is the secret to their near-16-year union, which began after they met on the set of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” But on April 14 , Jada […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
NAACP, NABJ Criticize Erroneous Media Descriptions of Boston Marathon Bombing Suspect
The NAACP and the National Association of Black Journalists each reprimanded the mainstream media for its characterization of a supposed suspect in the April 15 bombing at the Boston marathon. CNN’s John King was the first to break the news that police had identified a suspect in the bombings which killed three people and injured […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” to Receive Commemorative Marker
On April 16, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. sat in a Birmingham, Ala., jail, penning words that would stir the nation’s conscience and resonate with meaning for years to come. King was arrested for violating a court injunction against mass public demonstrations in the southern city which had become a nucleus of the civil […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Author Wes Moore Replaces Dr. Ben Carson as Johns Hopkins Commencement Speaker
Wes Moore, a bestselling author and Johns Hopkins University alum, will be the guest speaker at that university’s School of Education commencement in May, officials said April 17. Moore replaces Ben Carson, the world-renown neurosurgeon who recently came under heavy criticism for his controversial statements on same-sex marriage. Carson stepped down from his commencement duties […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Hope Fading for Strict Gun Laws
Hopes for robust new gun-control laws are withering away. Though a bipartisan group of 67 senators voted April 11 to break a filibuster, allowing a slate of proposals to reach the Senate floor for debate, support for the actual measures remains fragile. Efforts to garner the required 60 votes will be hard-fought, especially with the […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Anita Bonds, Leader of D.C. Council Contenders
On April 23, Washington, D.C., voters will decide between contestants in the special election to fill the council seat that was left vacant when at-large member Phil Mendelson (D) was elected chairman. Leading the pack of six contenders are At-large Councilwoman Anita Bonds, who was elected to temporarily fill the seat by the D.C. Democratic […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Minority Enterprises to Benefit from New Law
The enactment of legislation that shifts not-for-profits from Maryland’s Minority Business Enterprise procurement program to another preference provider program will open the door of opportunity for more Black businesses and other MBEs, supporters say. The House of Delegates, earlier this month, voted 137-0 in favour of the legislation (HB48) after amendments by the Senate, which […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Survivor of 1963 Birmingham Church Bombing Wants Money, Not a Medal
By Zenitha Prince, Special to the AFRO The message and impact of the August 1963 March on Washington were still resonating around the globe when an act of violence tore into the American psyche and acted as an impetus for the civil rights movement. On Sept. 15, 1963, Klansmen bombed the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Jay-Z Pushes Back Against Criticism of Cuba Trip
Hip-hop mogul Jay-Z has released a scathing response to politicians who criticized the rapper and his superstar wife Beyoncé for spending their fifth wedding anniversary in Cuba. Scandal erupted in the past few days after the pair were photographed dining at local Cuban restaurants and touring historic sites in the country, which has been under […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Maryland’s Congressional Delegation Wants FBI HQ in P.G. County
Maryland’s congressional lawmakers are lobbying hard to make Prince Georges’ County the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s next home. Led by Sen. Ben Cardin, the entire Maryland congressional delegation, including Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, Reps. Steny H. Hoyer, Elijah E. Cummings, Chris Van Hollen, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, John P. Sarbanes, Donna F. Edwards, John Delaney and […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
National Urban League Sees Money Gap, Despite 50 Years of Gains
Black Americans are better off than they were 50 years ago but are still far behind White America in income and employment, the National Urban League concluded in its annual assessment of African Americans. The 37th annual “State of Black America” report, which commemorates the 50th anniversary of the August 1963 March on Washington for […]
