Oliver Patrick “Pat” Scott, an artist, educator and civil rights activist who helped shape Baltimore’s cultural and political landscape, died May 3 in Zephyrhills, Florida. A member of the Baltimore Goon Squad of civil rights pioneers, Scott spent decades advancing desegregation efforts while insisting he be remembered first and foremost for his work as a visual artist.
Category: Civil Rights
Posted inCongressional Black Caucus (CBC)
Six years after George Floyd’s death, a push for federal policing reform begins anew
By Ashlee BanksSpecial to the AFRO Six years ago today, a cellphone video recorded on a Minneapolis street corner fundamentally shook the conscience of the nation. May 25 marks the sixth anniversary of the murder of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man whose dying breaths under the knee of a White police officer ignited a […]
Posted inCivil Rights
Maryland Park Service dedicates Montgomery County’s Freedman’s State Park in honor of Howard Family
Freedman’s State Park, a new Maryland state park dedicated to the African American Howard family, was established to honor their journey from enslavement to emancipation and their contributions to the Civil Rights Movement.
Posted inCivil Rights
In the birthplace of Civil Rights Movement, groups rally to defend Black political representation
Thousands gathered in Montgomery, Ala., on May 16 to defend Black political representation and voting rights amid ongoing legal battles over congressional redistricting and recent Supreme Court decisions that activists say have weakened protections for Black voters. Speakers, including U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, civil rights veterans and community advocates, warned that rollbacks to the Voting Rights Act threaten decades of progress secured during the Civil Rights Movement and urged renewed activism to protect fair representation.
Posted inCommentary
The blood that bought the ballot
Before the Voting Rights Act existed, before the Civil Rights Movement had a name, Black Americans were fighting — and dying — for the right to vote. The AFRO was there keeping the record. Here’s what it cost to get to 1965.
Posted inHBCU
70 years later: Xavier alumnae reflect on education and life in segregated New Orleans
For 93-year-old Verlie Decay and 91-year-old Hortense Reine, attending Xavier University of Louisiana was more than a chance at a degree—it was a gateway to opportunity in a segregated city. The two alumni recall creating their own social and cultural spaces, forming lifelong friendships and finding purpose in careers shaped by the barriers of their time.
Posted inCivil Rights
Baltimore pastor completes 40-mile march to Raleigh, calling for justice and reparations
Rev. Dr. Robert Turner completed a 40-mile march from Warren County to Raleigh, N.C. to raise awareness for the environmental justice movement and to call for reparations for the injustices of the past.
Posted inCommentary
Commentary: As the Old Guard of civil rights finish their march, ours must continue
By Steven Ragsdale This past weekend, thousands gathered in Alabama for the annual Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee Celebration, retracing the famous steps across the Edmund Pettus Bridge where civil rights marchers once faced violence for demanding the right to vote. As the nation reflected on that history, many of today’s and yesterday’s activists also mourned […]
Posted inMedia
Civil Rights TV launches in Selma as the world’s first 24/7 Civil Rights Television Network
Civil Rights TV, the world’s first 24-hour television network dedicated to civil rights history, education, and future equity, has launched on the Connect To Your City OTT platform, powered by Connect2OTT, offering documentaries, news analysis, live discussions, educational programming, global civil rights coverage and cultural storytelling.
Posted inBlack History
Autherine Lucy Foster’s courage opened doors at the University of Alabama
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.
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 […]
