Category: Afro Briefs

(March 28, 2010) – WASHINGTON, D.C. – Moments after completing a call with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, President Obama, accompanied by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Joint Chief of Staff Chairman Michael Mullen, announced that an agreement with Russia on the terms of a new nuclear arms disposal treaty […]

The doctor charged in the death of pop star Michael Jackson now faces a suspension of his medical license over his alleged involvement in the singer’s final hours. California Attorney General Jerry Brown filed a petition in Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of the state’s medical board requesting that a judge restrict Murray’s license […]

Bluewater Productions, creator of the comic book “Female Force: Michelle Obama,” is gearing up to release a follow up to that story entitled, “Michelle Obama: Year One.” The comic, which was scheduled to be released on March 24, is written by Robert Schnakenberg and resumes Obama’s story from her husband’s presidential inauguration. Also covered in […]

An African-American Republican congressional candidate called President Obama “Buckwheat” during a speech denouncing the president’s health care reform bill on March 22. However, Florida congressional hopeful Corey Poitier said his comment has been blown out of proportion. “The press has run amok with this, and turned me into a racist,” Poitier told wire service UPI. […]

A 45-year-old old Michigan woman with a cocaine habit repeatedly permitted a 67-year-old man to have sex with a 10-year-old girl she was caring for in exchange for the drug, the Associated Press reported.   Angela Blackwell of Saginaw Township, Mich. is charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct pandering. Blackwell remained in jail Wednesday awaiting […]

A school board in Raleigh, N.C. is facing backlash from angry residents who say school officials are trying to reverse desegregation in their schools, Blackvoices.com reported.  A policy approved by the school board in a 5-to-4 vote and allows students to attend schools closer to home, leading to what some critics call resegregation in the […]

Prosecutors dropped misdemeanor domestic battery charges against former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders NFL player Warren Sapp on March 24 after finding inconsistencies between the evidence and the victim’s statements. Miami Beach police arrested the former defense tackle on Feb. 6 after a woman claimed she was battered in Sapp’s hotel room. According […]

Former baseball star Dwight Gooden has been charged with driving under the influence of drugs and leaving the scene of an accident following an incident in New Jersey, the Associated Press reported. According to the AP, Franklin Lakes police Capt. Joseph Seltenrich said Gooden, 45, had a child in the vehicle at the time of a two-car crash at approximately 9 a.m. […]

Mikki Taylor, ESSENCE magazine’s longtime beauty and cover director, recently announced she will retire after 30 years at the storied publication, according to a statement issued by the magazine. As of March 31, Taylor will contribute to ESSENCE as editor-at-large and will work with Greg Monfries, creative director, on magazine cover concepts, photo sessions and […]

The U.S. Senate approved a bill to reduce the disparities in sentences given to people convicted of crack and powder cocaine charges last week. But according to BlackAmericaWeb.com, some legislators are questioning whether the bill fully addresses the problem. “What we have is progress, it’s not justice,” Jennifer Bellamy, criminal justice legislative counsel of the […]

Civil rights legend Dorothy L. Height celebrated her 98th birthday on March 24 while recovering from a brief illness at Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C., BlackAmericaweb.com reported.  Deemed as the “godmother of the civil rights movement,” Height has received many significant national honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom award, the Congressional Gold Medal […]

Self-proclaimed tea party demonstrators, infuriated by President Barack Obama’ health care legislation, shouted “nigger” at Georgia Congressman John Lewis as he walked into the U.S. Capitol building on March 20. Lewis is a civil rights icon who was severely beaten during an Alabama march in the 1960s. According to a report from McClatchy Newspapers, lawmakers […]