By Victoria MejicanosAFRO Staff Writervemejicanos@afro.com After announcing more than $4.6 million in emergency aid for food, rent and child care during the government shutdown on Oct. 28, 2025 Baltimore officials are still working to distribute the funds to the individuals and organizations selected to receive them. Michelle Suazo, director of The Food Project in Southwest […]
Category: Baltimore Community
Posted inBaltimore News
Mayor Scott reflects on historic crime drop and looks toward 2026
Baltimore ended 2025 with a record low of 133 homicides, the fewest in nearly 50 years. Mayor Brandon M. Scott (D) and city leaders highlighted strategies to sustain reductions and announced a new five-year violence plan, which will be released later this year.
Posted inBaltimore News
YouthWorks opens 2026 summer job applications for Baltimore youth
By Victoria MejicanosAFRO Staff Writer YouthWorks, the program within the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office of Employment Development that provides a five-week summer job opportunity to thousands of Baltimore City youth and young adults will return in 2026. The program, which began in 1973 as “Blue Chip,” creates employment opportunities each year for people ages 14 […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott named 2025 AFRO Person of Year
For Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott, 2025 was a year of pressure and progress, from record-breaking reductions in violent crime to major investments in youth, education and neighborhood revitalization. As 2026 begins, Scott says he plans to build on those achievements while continuing his focus on public safety, economic development and changing the national narrative about Baltimore.
Posted inBaltimore News
Building, thriving, celebrating: Charm City Wins from 2025
2025 was a year of growth, creativity, and empowerment across Baltimore. From new Black-owned businesses and parks to wellness events and neighborhood projects, these highlights showcase the people and initiatives strengthening the city’s communities.
Posted inBaltimore Community
The Steppin’ Out Bunch hosts 2025 toy drive
By AFRO Staff The Steppin’ Out Bunch held its annual toy drive on Dec. 1 at Colin’s Seafood & Grill, located on the 1700 block of East Northern Parkway in Baltimore. The group of retired Black women educators, who formed the “Bunch” in 2009, demonstrated their enduring love for children as they sought to make […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Baltimore launches new housing partnership to support youth and families at risk of homelessness
By Victoria MejicanosAFRO Staff Writervmejicanos@afro.com Baltimore City Mayor Brandon M. Scott announced a partnership between the Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services (MOHS), the Baltimore City Department of Social Services (BCDSS) and other local nonprofits Dec. 4, to ensure families who are at risk or currently facing homelessness can be rapidly placed in permanent housing with […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Youth Wealth Summit empowers students with hands-on financial skills
The Youth Wealth Summit returned for its fourth year with a new youth-led format and expanded partnership with Baltimore City Public Schools, offering hands-on financial education to middle and high school students. Through interactive workshops on entrepreneurship, budgeting and investing, students gained practical tools to help them think differently about money and leadership.
Posted inMental Health
New study shows improvement on mental health of college students
Mental health has become a focus for college students across the nation seeking to balance the pressures of campus life. On the campus of Morgan State University, the counseling center is just one way the institution supports its students.
Posted inBaltimore News
How Baltimore mentorship programs are closing the racial income gap for Black boys
By Victoria MejicanosAFRO Staff Writervmejicanos@afro.com Eighteen-year-old Kenneth Dorsey of Cherry Hill hopes to attend college to study mechanical engineering and establish his own home renovation business, spending hours studying trades on YouTube. But statistics show that he’ll grow up to earn less than his White peers because of his race, even if they come from […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Greater Baltimore Urban League announces new board chair and return to full standing with the National Urban League
The Greater Baltimore Urban League has announced Kevin Seawright as the new chair of its board of directors as the organization returns to full compliance and good standing with the National Urban League. Leaders say the appointment marks a new chapter focused on strong governance, transparency and expanded community impact across Greater Baltimore and Maryland.
Posted inBaltimore News
Cherry Hill celebrates Madeline Wheeler Murphy Day
Cherry Hill’s second annual “Madeline Wheeler Murphy Day” honored the late journalist, activist, and AFRO columnist whose fearless voice and community leadership continue to inspire new generations. Attendees, including her son attorney Billy Murphy and local youth leaders, celebrated her enduring legacy of Black empowerment, cultural pride, and social justice.