By Maya Pottiger, Word in Black When Jania Otey started researching public schools in 2008 to enroll her son, she was disappointed with her options. She started connecting with people in her church community who were homeschooling, and she and her husband decided to give it a try. “There are some really good schools out […]
Category: Afro Briefs
Posted inWord In Black
Why these five diseases disproportionately affect the Black community– and how to avoid them
By Mylika Scatliffe, AFRO Women’s Health Writer The United States is generally considered to be one of the most powerful nations in the world both economically and in terms of military power. It’s also generally known to lag behind most other developed countries when it comes to health and health care– leading to significant racial […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Kindergarten readiness- is your child prepared?
By Ama Brown, Special to the AFRO This week, the AFRO took a look at Kindergarten readiness for new students in the Baltimore City School System (BCPSS). We spoke with a few of the city’s early education teachers, Karan Greene, an early learning teacher at DaySpring Headstart’s Dukeland site, and Baltimore City Public Schools Teacher, […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Guaranteed income pilot puts Baltimore at forefront of nation’s fight against poverty
By Fatiha Belfakir, Special to the AFRO This week Mayor Brandon Scott announced that Baltimore’s Guaranteed Income pilot program was officially depositing money into eligible bank accounts. A total of 200 families are participating in the Baltimore Young Families Success Fund’s initial cohort. Baltimore now joins the growing group of U.S. cities such as Chicago, […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Inflation slamming Blacks in US- here’s how to slam back
By ReShonda Tate, Defender News Network With prices rising to the highest rates the U.S. has seen in more than 40 years, Black families are bearing the brunt of inflation. Researchers say Black families will suffer the worst because they lag behind their White counterparts in income, wealth, financial savings and home ownership. However, with […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Moore says he will support ‘critical voices of community leaders’ pushing for West Baltimore food market
By Tashi McQueen, AFRO Political Writer, Report For America Corps Member Wes Moore addressed community leaders’ concerns over food deserts in Charm City this summer, agreeing to help them tackle the issue in West Baltimore and beyond. “Food deserts,” a long-established challenge for Baltimoreans, describes a community with little or no access to fresh and […]
Posted inNational News
U.S. median age for giving birth hits 30 years old
By Raquel Rogers, Houston Defender For Allyson Jacobs, life in her 20s and 30s was about focusing on her career in health care and enjoying the social scene in New York City. It wasn’t until she turned 40 that she and her husband started trying to have children. They had a son when she was […]
Posted inWord In Black
America’s school lunch program is failing Black students
By Maya Pottiger, Word In Black From mushy fish sticks and fries to mystery meat burgers and soggy broccoli, public school lunches in the United States aren’t exactly known as a culinary delight. But these free and reduced-price school lunch meals — as well as a breakfast to start the day — keep millions of […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Here’s How We Bring Black Students Back to School
By Maya Pottiger, Word In Black Between mass shootings, anti-LGBTQ bills, burned-out teachers, diverse books being banned, and the school-to-prison pipeline, as well as drill-and-kill standardized-test-driven instruction, is it any wonder some students aren’t feeling like showing up to school anymore? Sprinkle the educational disruptions from COVID-19 on top, and it’s understandable that thousands of […]
Posted inNational News
How anti-LGBTQ legislation will impact Black students
By Maya Pottiger, Word In Black As students around the country begin heading back to school, they’re being told that this year will be “normal” again, referring to classes being in-person and likely mask-less. But it won’t be normal for LGBTQ students. In fact, it will likely be one of the furthest from normal school […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
How the AFRO has covered social justice
By Kara Thompson, Special to the AFRO For 130 years the AFRO has been a giant in the Black press, advocating for social justice in every form and giving voice to many movements. From civil rights to women’s liberation and LGTBQ+ freedoms, the AFRO has continuously strived for equality. When the AFRO was founded in […]
Posted inTech
Patent prosecutor launches first-of-its-kind app to connect entertainment professionals and protect them from exploitation
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, Report for America Corps Member, msayle@safro.com Growing up, patent attorney Jean-Que Dar loved the arts. He was raised by immigrant parents from Haiti, and he was not allowed to have friends, so he turned to music. Dar could play every instrument that used the treble clef, and when the […]