Despite Sean Combs’ long status as a controversial public figure, the Netflix documentary “Sean Combs: The Reckoning” has struck a nerve across Black America, dominating conversations about power, violence, and abuse in hip-hop. The series is prompting broader soul-searching about the culture that enabled Combs’ rise and the limits of accountability in the music industry.
Category: ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Posted inArts & Culture
HBCU Honors celebrate Black excellence
By Patricia McDougall The 3rd Annual HBCU Honors, presented by BET, brought an unforgettable celebration of culture, legacy and achievement to the Duke Ellington School of the Arts as the 2025 production taped in Washington, D.C. This year’s ceremony paid tribute to three towering figures whose influence spans generations: Pastor Shirley Caesar (Lifetime Achievement Award), […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Baltimore Museum of Art celebrates evolution of portraiture with ‘Amy Sherald: American Sublime’
By Chianti MarksAFRO Intern The Baltimore Museum Of Art (BMA) recently opened the “Amy Sherald: American Sublime” exhibition and honored the artist with the 2025 Artist Who Inspires award. The exhibit, which will be on display until April 5, 2026, highlights the evolution of Sherald, an artist who has made a name for herself as […]
Posted inBaltimore Community
Rooted in community: Coppin State University’s ‘tiny but mighty’ theatre program
Coppin State University’s small but powerful theatre program blends artistic training with community engagement, using productions and post-show discussions to address issues that impact West Baltimore. Students and alumni say the program nurtures their growth, offering interdisciplinary opportunities, close mentorship, and a strong sense of belonging.
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Jimmy Cliff, reggae giant and star of landmark film ‘The Harder They Come,’ dead at 81
Jimmy Cliff, the legendary Jamaican reggae musician and actor who starred in the landmark film “The Harder They Come,” has died at 81. Known for hits like “Many Rivers to Cross” and “You Can Get It If You Really Want,” Cliff’s music and performances spread messages of resilience and joy worldwide, earning him Grammys, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, and global acclaim as a reggae ambassador.
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Youth bands set to compete during Go-Go Awareness Week in D.C.
By D. Kevin McNeirSpecial to the AFROkmcneir@afro.com Go-Go Awareness Week kicked off Nov. 17 with a press conference held at the Go-Go Museum & Café in Southeast Washington, D.C. And while legends, including Rare Essence, E.U., Trouble Funk and “the godfather of go-go,” Chuck Brown, were essential in the evolution of the regional music style into […]
Posted inDMV News
Local Black actors transcend racial barriers in stellar performances as Ebenezer Scrooge in holiday classic, ‘A Christmas Carol’
By D. Kevin McNeirSpecial to the AFROkmcneir@afro.com For those who are diehard fans of the stage and anxiously await the holiday season every December, enjoying a production of the Charles Dickens classic, “A Christmas Carol”: counts as a family tradition. Over the past decade, two Black actors, Gregory Burgess and Craig Wallace, portraying Ebenezer Scrooge […]
Posted inMusic
Salt-N-Pepa blaze the stage and Outkast reunites in style at 2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony
Salt-N-Pepa celebrated their trailblazing legacy with a high-energy performance and message of empowerment, while Outkast reunited to reflect on their Atlanta roots during a star-studded 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction that also honored Cyndi Lauper, Soundgarden, and the White Stripes.
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
‘Michael’: The King of Pop’s story returns to the big screen
Lionsgate has released the trailer and set an April 24, 2026, premiere date for “Michael,” the long-awaited biopic about Michael Jackson directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring the pop icon’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson. The film promises to honor Jackson’s artistry and humanity, tracing his rise from child prodigy to global legend while focusing on his creative legacy beyond controversy.
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
At Morgan State theater, ‘Ain’t No Mo’’ mixes comedy with painful honesty
Morgan State University’s theater department staged the 2019 play “Ain’t No Mo’” on Oct. 28, transforming the Murphy Fine Arts Center into a space filled with laughter, tension and reflection. Set in an alternate America where the U.S. government offers Black citizens one-way plane tickets to Africa, the play used scenes that ranged from grief to parody to explore race, identity and survival.
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Lena Waithe brings ‘The Peculiar Patriot’ to Baltimore Center Stage, spotlighting love, loss and mass incarceration
By Ericka Alston BuckSpecial to the AFRO Baltimore Center Stage is taking audiences from the comfort of their seats straight into a prison visiting room. “The Peculiar Patriot,” presented by Emmy-winning storyteller Lena Waithe and written and produced by Liza Jessie Peterson, isn’t just a play; it’s a powerful and unfiltered look at the realities […]
Posted inWord In Black
Inside Gucci Mane’s battle for mental health
Rapper Gucci Mane (Radric Davis) is using his memoir and public platform to speak openly about his diagnoses—bipolar disorder, paranoid schizophrenia—and his recovery journey, highlighting the role of family caregiving and destigmatizing mental health in Black communities. With his wife Keyshia Ka’Oir deeply involved in his care, the couple emphasizes early intervention, accountability, and reshaping masculine norms around seeking help.
