Autherine Lucy Foster became a civil rights pioneer when the University of Alabama rescinded her 1952 admission after learning she was Black. With legal backing from Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP, she won the right to enroll in 1956, but violent protests led to her suspension and expulsion. Decades later, the university reversed its decision, and Foster earned her master’s degree in 1991. She was later honored by Morgan State University for her role in desegregating higher education.
Category: Black History
Posted inMaryland Government
Then and now: Black History Month underscores the ongoing battle to protect the ballot
As Black History Month is underway, Maryland lawmakers are championing bills to strengthen voting rights and protect minority voters. The proposed legislation aims to safeguard ballots and ensure legal recourse against voter intimidation or suppression.
Posted inTech
Black tech leaders call for ownership, access and leadership
Black tech leaders in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., are urging greater ownership, access and representation as artificial intelligence reshapes industries and daily life. Through community-building, entrepreneurship and AI governance, they say Black professionals must move from consumers of technology to architects of the systems shaping the future.
Posted inBlack History
Black leaders highlighted in ‘Strong Men and Women in Virginia History” exhibit
By Alexis TaylorAFRO Managing Editor An attorney, a U.S. Army officer, a civil rights pioneer and a public health advocate are all honored in the 14th annual “Strong Men and Women in Virginia History” exhibit. Presented by Dominion Energy and the Library of Virginia, the leaders were recognized this Black History Month alongside scholars who […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Elders call for ownership, mentorship and mindset shift to secure Black progress
Community elders say sustaining Black progress will require mentorship, economic literacy and resilience amid shifting diversity efforts. They urge the next wave of leaders to focus on ownership, mindset and long-term impact to strengthen future generations.
Posted inBlack History
Forgotten firsts: Black athletes who paved the way
Long before modern sports stars like Simone Biles and Coco Gauff, Black athletes such as Moses Fleetwood Walker, a catcher for the American League Association in 1884, broke barriers for future generations.
Posted inBlack History
Black history is in Maryland’s economic future
By Harry Coker Jr. Every February, we pause to celebrate Black History Month—a time to honor the giants upon whose shoulders we stand. Recently, during a visit to the Banneker-Douglas-Tubman Museum in Annapolis, and while walking past the future home of the AARCH African American Heritage Center in Frederick, I was reminded that Black history […]
Posted inBlack History
AFRO Book Corner: Good reads for Black History Month 2026
By Victoria MejicanosAFRO Staff Writervmejicanos@afro.com From picturebooks to powerful nonfiction, Black authors continue to tell stories that educate, inspire and affirm. This Black History Month, take time to turn off the screen and pick up a good book. With offerings for all age groups and walks of life, there is sure to be something special […]
Posted inNational News
In Memoriam: Eternal salute to the Rev. Dr. Jesse L. Jackson Sr.
NNPA NEWSWIRE — On behalf of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) representing the Black Press of America, we extend our sincerest condolences to the Jackson family. Leadership matters. Jesse Jackson’s leadership in the Civil Rights Movement in America and the human rights movement throughout the world was outstanding. Jackson uttered a strong, penetrating voice for the voiceless. His courage on the battlefield for freedom, justice and equality was unparalleled.
Posted inOPINION
Spiritual homicide: The American president and the death of a nation’s conscience
By Rev. Stacy Swimp As a person of half-Nigerian heritage, I carry within me the Igbo philosophy that a person is only a person through their relationship with others. In this tradition, human dignity—Mmadụ—is not an individual possession but a communal bond; to insult one is to fracture the spirit of the whole. As we […]
Posted inBlack History
Vernon AME Church absorbed the terror of the Tulsa Race Massacre. Now it will ‘teach truth.’
By Shaunicy MuhammadThe Oklahoma Eagle (NNPA Newswire) – More than a century after the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, members of Greenwood’s Vernon AME Church are determined to tell their own stories. Archivists, archeologists and elected officials lined the pews of the church Feb. 12 for the unveiling of The Vernon Witness, a multi-year project to […]
Posted inBaltimore News
On the line with Jesse Jackson: Lessons from a voice that changed history
By Alexis TaylorAFRO Managing Editor I never imagined Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. would pick up the phone. It was 2012. On June 14 of that year, Adidas, the international shoe and sports apparel company, boldly unveiled a pair of sneakers that came complete with a pair of orange, plastic ankle bracelets. After public backlash to […]