By Vladimir Isachenkov, The Associated Press The Kremlin said Aug. 5 that it’s open to talking about a possible prisoner exchange involving American basketball star Brittney Griner but strongly warned Washington against publicizing the issue. Griner, a two-time U.S. Olympic champion and an eight-time all-star with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, has been detained in Russia […]
Category: News
Posted inINTERNATIONAL
Tiny African kingdom has skiing as Europe sweats summer heat
By Jerome Delay, The Associated Press While millions across Europe sweat through a summer of record-breaking heat, they’re skiing in Africa. Don’t worry. This isn’t another sign of climate change but rather the fascinating anomaly of Lesotho, a tiny mountain kingdom completely surrounded by South Africa. Lesotho has an obscure geographical claim to fame: It’s […]
Posted inAfro Briefs, National News, NEWS, News, Stop Killing Us
Lawyer: Arbery shooter fears he’ll be killed in state prison
By Russ Bynum, The Associated Press The White man who fatally shot Ahmaud Arbery after chasing the running Black man in a Georgia neighborhood says he fears he will be killed by fellow inmates if he’s sent to a state prison to serve a life sentence for murder. Travis McMichael, 36, faces sentencing Aug. 7 […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Girl, 14, shot and killed on porch in Baltimore
By The Associated Press A 14-year-old girl was shot and killed as multiple kids gathered on a porch in Baltimore. WJZ-TV reports that officers began receiving reports of a shooting at about 8 p.m. Aug. 6. When police arrived, they found the girl unresponsive. Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said detectives are trying to determine […]
Posted inNEWS
DOJ Charges Officers in Death of Breonna Taylor
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent, @StacyBrownMedia Say her name. Breonna Taylor’s family may finally get justice after the Department of Justice charged four current and former police officers in Louisville, Kentucky, who were involved in the fatal March 2020 raid on her apartment. The DOJ accused the officers of lying to […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Lupita Nyong’o Surprises 40 NAACP Students with $10,000 Scholarships at 113th Convention
(Black PR Wire) – Oscar award-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o surprised 40 NAACP youth members on stage at the NAACP 113th Convention, awarding each student a $10,000 scholarship. The students received the scholarships during the ACT-SO award ceremony in Atlantic City, N.J., as part of the NAACP’s convention. ACT-SO is a year-long program targeted at high school students […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Shawn Cosby co-directs ‘33rd and Memphis’
By Cara Williams, Special to the AFRO Shawn Cosby decided the premier for 33rd and Memphis her latest independent film about the crossroads demanded by life’s decisions, had to premier in the Washington, D.C. area. “33rd and Memphis” is layered with dance, excitement, turmoil, self-awareness, love, and forgiveness and premieres at the American Film Institute’s […]
Posted inReligion
#FaithWorks: Maryland pilots with a higher calling sponsor Youth Day at Fort Meade
By H.R. Harris, Special to the AFRO While Michael McFadden flies between San Diego and Seattle Washington as a flight attendant for Southwest Airlines, Air Force pilot Todd O’Brien is often busy escorting government officials in a Cessna-17 overseas. This past weekend, however, both men reported for duty on a mission of love as the […]
Posted inCommentary
To Be Equal #30 – NBA Great Bill Russell Paved the Way for Two Generations of Social Activist Athletes
By Marc H. Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League “Racism cannot just be shaken out of the fabric of society because, like dust from a rug, it dissipates into the air for a bit and then settles right back where it was, growing thicker with time. Police reform is a start, but it is […]
Posted inBUSINESS
Baltimore-based Hocker Dental Lab, boasts over 50 years in business
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, Report for America Corps Member msayles@afro.com Born and raised in West Baltimore, Frank Hocker never imagined he would end up working in the dental field for over 50 years. Five decades in, his passion for the work has endured– even when running his own dental lab was considered a […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Homelessness in Baltimore on the decline according to 2022 Point in Time Count
By AFRO Staff Baltimore has reduced the number of homeless residents struggling on the streets of Charm City in the past year, according to information from the Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services (MOHS). The homeless population counted in 2020 numbered 2,193 people. That number was 1,597 when the count took place earlier this year, continuing […]
Posted inBUSINESS
Inside look: the AFRO speaks with Black businesses inside Baltimore’s new and improved Lexington Market
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, Report for America Corps Member, msayles@afrocom The Transform Lexington Market project has been underway since 2019, and soon, the new South Market and open-air, urban plaza will be open to the public. The revitalized space is set to open its doors this fall, and a community meeting to discuss […]