President Barack Obama will award the National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal to 24 outstanding American individuals and organizations, including eight African-Americans on Sept. 22 during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House. In this Jan. 6, 2016, file photo, actor Morgan Freeman participates in the “The Story of God” […]
Author Archives: Zenitha Prince
Special to the AFRO
Posted inInstantArticles, National News
Fox News’ O’Reilly: “Every African-American I Know has an ID”
Fox News host Bill O’Reilly this week dismissed charges that African Americans and other voters of color are disenfranchised by voter identification laws, saying he hasn’t seen evidence of that among his circle of Black acquaintances. Fox News host Bill O’Reilly (Screengrab) O’Reilly made the remarks during the Sept. 13 taping of the “O’Reilly Factor,” […]
Posted inNational News
USDA Awards $19 Million in Grants to HBCUs
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently awarded $18.9 million in grants to 19 HBCUs with an eye toward further developing agricultural and food science research facilities and equipment on the campuses. Historically Black land-grant institutions first gained support under the 1890 version of the Morell Act, which Congress passed after the Civil War […]
Posted inBaltimore News
4th Cherry Hill Gang Caught in Law Enforcement Dragnet
Law enforcement authorities have thrown a wide net in Baltimore’s Cherry Hill neighborhood. And, this week, they netted another gang, bringing to four the number of criminal enterprises prosecuted in that area. Since 2013, federal prosecutors have convicted at least 35 members of three other drug-dealing organizations that operated in Cherry Hill: “Up da Hill,” […]
Posted inNational News
Good News in HBCU Enrollments
The last few years have been an upward climb for the nation’s HBCUs as falling enrollments took many to the brink of a financial chasm. This fall, however, brings good news, as several Black institutions have reported upticks in enrollment, signaling a possible reversal in fortunes, as demonstrated by a compilation of data by the […]
Posted inNational News
Report: Black Students Badly Lag in College Preparedness
An alarming rate of African-American students in the high school graduating rate of 2016 are not “college-ready” in the areas of math, English, reading and science, according to a new report by the American College Testing Program. Among the 272,363 Black students in the 2016 high school graduating class who took the ACT test, only 6 percent […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Black-Centered Housing at Cal State Provokes Debate–Is It Segregation-in-Reverse or Not?
A new housing enclave aimed at Black students on the campus of Cal State University Los Angeles has become a source of contention–some argue it’s an agent of racial segregation while others say it offers support amid discriminatory environments. The Halisi Scholars Black Living-Learning Community is a set-aside of about 20 spots in the university’s […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Tuskegee University to Eliminate 100-Plus Positions
(Updated 9/9/2016) Tuskegee University is among the latest HBCUs to announce a significant cut in their workforce due to “right-sizing” efforts. The Alabama university recently announced its commitment to reducing its annual operating costs by $15 million to $20 million over the next three years. And, payroll expenses will play an integral role in the […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Univ. of Md. Names New Director of School of Music
An African-American music scholar and young piano prodigy has been named the new director of the University of Maryland School of Music. His tenure began July 1. Jason Geary Jason Geary comes to Maryland after a 12-year stint at his alma mater, the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, where he served […]
Posted inNational News
Military Veterans Back Kaepernick’s Anthem Protest
U.S. veterans are taking to social media to support beleaguered San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has been pilloried for his decision to not stand for the national anthem during NFL games in protest of racial injustice. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick walks off the field after warm ups before an NFL preseason […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Kansas Woman Claims Neighbor Sent Racist Letter Objecting to Biracial Grandchildren
A grandmother of nine from Wichita, Kansas, claims she received a racist letter aimed at her six biracial grandchildren from a neighbor. “I hope this never happens to anyone else,” Nancy Wirths told local NBC affiliate KSNW-TV. Among other claims, the Benjamin Hills resident said the anonymous letter stated that Black people belong “on the […]
Posted inNational News
Black Caucus Foundation Set to Hold 46th Annual Legislative Conference
About 10,000 policy makers, activists, business executives, and others are expected to gather Sept. 14-18 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 46th Annual Legislative Conference. The yearly conclave is one of the premier platforms for examining critical issues facing the Black community and setting an […]