The long and arduous fight for increased autonomy for the District of Columbia received a setback this week when House Republicans denied D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton a vote in the Committee of the Whole. The privilege, which allows Norton and the chamber’s five other non-voting delegates to vote on amendments and other legislative measures […]
Author Archives: Zenitha Prince
Special to the AFRO
Posted inAfro Briefs
Black Lawyer Loans Furnished House to Homeless Family
Felicia Dukes and her children received a New Year’s present they aren’t likely to ever forget: The destitute family will live in a fully-furnished home in 2013, thanks to the generosity of Los Angeles lawyer Tony Tolbert. Dukes had been sharing a room with three of her children at Alexandria House, a shelter for homeless […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Chicago Neighborhood Campaigning to Become Home of Obama Presidential Library
Bronzeville, the renowned African-American enclave on Chicago’s South Side, is rich in the histories of Black writers and entertainers such as Richard Wright, Louis Armstrong, Lorraine Hansberry and Muddy Waters. Now, the community wants to be known as the home of the Barack Obama presidential library. The president has not publicly commented on his plans […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to Step Down
Lisa Jackson, the first African-American administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, is stepping down early next year, she announced Dec. 27. Jackson, 50, a chemical engineer by training, did not give any reasons for her departure, saying only that she would leave President Obama’s cabinet after his State of the Union speech. “I want to […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Spike Lee: “Django Unchained” Disrespectful to Black Heritage
Quentin Tarantino’s slavery revenge film, “Django Unchained,” has been critically acclaimed and garnered three Golden Globe nominations. But not everyone is so enamored. Famed Black director Spike Lee has called the Civil War-era Western “disrespectful” and said he will not go to see it. “I can’t speak on it ‘cause I’m not gonna see it,” […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Obama: TIME’s Person of the Year 2012
TIME Magazine named President Obama “Person of the Year” for 2012, characterizing the president as a central player in the nation’s evolution. “We are in the midst of historic cultural and demographic changes,” said TIME managing editor Richard Stengel in announcing the choice on Dec. 19, “and Obama is both the symbol and in some […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Newark Mayor Corey Booker Eyes Senate Run
The much-anticipated matchup between New Jersey heavyweights Gov. Chris Christie and Newark Mayor Cory Booker is not to be. Many political observers have salivated over the possibility of a showdown between Christie and Booker in the 2013 gubernatorial election. But Booker dashed those hopes Dec. 20 when—perhaps bowing to the political reality of Christie’s overwhelming […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Rush Re-Introduces Bill to Curb Unlicensed Gun Ownership
In the wake of the Newton, Conn., massacre, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) Dec. 18 reintroduced a bill aimed at establishing a nationwide system for prohibiting unlicensed gun-ownership. H.R. 6680, the Blair Holt Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2012, would implement a system similar to that used to license drivers and register cars. […]
Posted inNational News
Anti-Gun Momentum Builds in Massacre’s Wake
On Dec. 17, Newtown, Conn., began to bury its dead. There was Noah Pozner, an avid reader and taco enthusiast, who loved the dish so much that he had talked about becoming a manager in a taco factory to forever satisfy his craving and Jack Pinto, a devoted New York Giants fan and a whirling […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Black Meteorologist Fired After Responding to Criticism of Natural Hair
An African-American meteorologist who was fired after she responded to criticism of her short Afro hairstyle on her news station’s Facebook page has seen an outpouring of support from her Louisiana community. Ronda Lee was terminated Nov. 28 by Shreveport, La. ABC affiliate KTBS-TV, but since then has appeared on several news shows and has […]
Posted inNational News
UN Ambassador Rice Withdraws as Candidate for Secretary of State
UN Ambassador Susan Rice, once considered the frontrunner to become the next secretary of state, has withdrawn her name from consideration for the post. After weeks of Republican threats, Rice told President Obama in a letter Dec. 13 that she didn’t want a contentious confirmation process to distract from his legislative agenda. “I am highly […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
“Django,” Washington, Among Golden Globe Nominees
The Hollywood Foreign Press on Dec. 13 announced the Golden Globe nominees for achievement in film and television over the past year. “Django Unchained,” the much-anticipated, Quentin Tarantino-helmed story about a slave on a mission of revenge, was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and twice for Best Supporting Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio and Christoph Waltz). […]
