By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world, Black unemployment peaked at 16.8 percent in the U.S. Now, White House officials have reported that 2023 was the lowest year for Black joblessness on record. It currently sits at 5.3 percent. Officials say the recovery was jump […]
Category: Baltimore News
Posted in!Front Page Baltimore News
Baltimore County police officer indicted on excessive force and other charges
By Lea SkeneThe Associated Press BALTIMORE (AP) — A Baltimore County police officer is accused of using excessive force when he pepper sprayed a handcuffed man in the face and closed him inside a hot patrol car, even as the man repeatedly said he couldn’t breathe. In addition to excessive force, Cpl. Zachary Small has […]
Posted inBaltimore News
An AFRO salute to Larry Gibson: Celebrating 50 years at UM Law
By Sean Yoes, Special to the AFRO During the course of a half-century of instruction at the University of Maryland’s School of Law, Larry Gibson’s influence upon the school’s Black students may be unparalleled. This week, the AFRO will begin a two-part series honoring Gibson, who truly shaped the generations with his dedication and hard […]
Posted inTechnology
BEYA STEM DTX Conference Returns to Baltimore Bringing Thousands of Visitors to the Area
The 2024 conference returns to its birthplace of Baltimore, Maryland to celebrate the achievements of minorities in STEM fields. By: Career Communications Group, Inc. BALTIMORE – Feb. 14, 2024 – PRLog — The highly anticipated BEYA STEM DTX Conference (www.beya.org), a flagship event dedicated to celebrating the achievements of minorities in STEM fields, is making its return to Baltimore, Maryland at […]
Posted inBaltimore News
J.D. Howard moves on to a new assignment
By Rev. Dorothy Boulware, AFRO Special Projects Editor Often when I saw J.D. Howard at the front counter of the AFRO building on Charles Street I would duck into my office and wait for his voice to go away. I rarely won that battle because before I knew it, he’d be in my office trying […]
Posted inPolitics
Meet Baltimore City mayoral candidate Don Scoggins
By Tashi McQueen, AFRO Political Writer, tmcqueen@afro.com As candidacy filing deadline for Maryland’s primary was Feb. 9, the AFRO is sitting down with said candidates to ensure residents know their options. Don Scoggins is one of multiple candidates running for Baltimore City Mayor this year. Q: What was your childhood like? A: My father lived […]
Posted inNational News
Experts urge senators to act in the fight against financial fraud
By Katharine Wilson, Capital News Service Americans are reporting fewer frauds since a peak in 2021. However, experts at a Jan. 31 Senate hearing said scammers are only getting better at extracting more money from their victims. Witnesses and senators agreed that action is needed to fight this issue – but they differed on what […]
Posted inBUSINESS
Violet Apple leaves CEO position with Girls Scouts of Central Maryland
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com Violet Apple, the first Black CEO of Girl Scouts of Central Maryland, stepped down from her post on Jan. 31. Apple has led the organization, which serves more than 35,000 girls and adults, since 2014. Her exit marks the first time in her career that she has not […]
Posted inMaryland Government
Maryland Comptroller’s Office relocates to Baltimore’s Central Business District
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com Comptroller Brooke Lierman kicked off tax season on Jan. 23 at the ribbon-cutting of her new Baltimore office at 7 Saint Paul Street. The new Office of the Comptroller is the first Maryland agency to move from the State Center Complex to downtown Baltimore. The space will accommodate […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Mayor Brandon M. Scott signs formerly stalled housing legislation, bolsters city’s goal for equitable housing
By Tashi McQueen, AFRO Political Writer, Tmcqueen@afro.com Baltimore City Mayor Brandon M. Scott officially signed the formerly stalled CB 23-0195, “Inclusionary Housing for Baltimore City” and the CB 23-0369, “High-Performance Inclusionary Tax Credit” into law on Jan. 22. Both laws will ensure there are more affordable homes available in Baltimore as soon as next year. […]
Posted inSports
CIAA tournament set for return to Baltimore
By Ariyana Griffin, Special to the AFRO It’s tournament time. The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), the nation’s oldest historically Black athletic conference, will return to Baltimore from Feb. 26 to March 3 at CFG Bank Arena. Last year, CIAA and city officials announced that the tournament will call Baltimore home until 2026. This comes […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Baltimore man confesses to multiple murders during live stream on social media
By Chrisleen Herard, Special to the AFRO A Baltimore man was found dead in his home on Jan. 20 following a hostage crisis, a police standoff and a video that captured chilling confessions to several murders. Baltimore authorities responded to a domestic call during the early morning of Jan. 20. Around 7:40 a.m., officers were […]
