The Heroes Pay Act of 2021 is set to be a one time payment to thousands of essential workers that risked their lives and their health during the pandemic. This includes transportation drivers, grocery store employees, doctors and more. (Courtesy photo) By Joshua Moore Special to the AFRO The Metro Washington Labor Council, along with […]
Category: Coronavirus
Posted inAfro Briefs
Pfizer announces development of booster shot in light of contagious Delta variant
By MSR News Online As concerns over the Delta variant continue to mount, Pfizer and BioNTech announced Thursday they are working on a booster shot of their vaccine aimed at providing better protection against it. The highly contagious Delta variant has quicky become the most dominant in the U.S. and in other areas across the […]
Posted inCoronavirus, National News, NEWS
Newswire: Ending virtual-school oppression: Black students disproportionately punished for harmless behavior at home during zoom classes
As Black students shifted from the classroom to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, harsher disciplinary measures that had been carried out against them at school followed them home. Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from the Southern Poverty Law Center via NNPA (TriceEdneyWire.com) – Isaiah Elliott was suspended from seventh grade for holding […]
Posted inMaryland Government
Circuit court judge rules to continue Maryland’s pandemic unemployment benefits
(stock photo) By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer Report for America Corps Member msayles@afro.com Baltimore Circuit Judge Lawrence Fletcher-Hill issued a temporary restraining order, July 3, to stop Governor Hogan’s decision to terminate unemployment benefits. The ruling took place just hours before the state of Maryland planned to officially pull the plug on the payments […]
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Tuskegee relatives promote COVID-19 vaccines in ad campaign
In this June 4, 2021 photo provided by the Ad Council, former Mayor Omar Neal, left, speaks during an interview in Tuskegee, Ala., as part of an ongoing multimillion-dollar education campaign aiming to encourage confidence in COVID-19 vaccination. Neal is a nephew of Freddie Lee Tyson, a hard-working family man of deep faith who unwittingly […]
Posted inCoronavirus
As summer evictions loom, MD group boosts prevention program
United Way of Maryland helped more than 900 households in the state avoid evictions in January through its Strategic Targeted Eviction Prevention Program. (Adobe stock) By Diane Bernard, Maryland News Connection BALTIMORE, Md. – With the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s eviction moratorium now set to end July 31, and with Maryland’s to expire […]
Posted in!Front Page
#WordinBlack: Advocates say expansion of child tax credit and continued pandemic assistance could pull 4 million students out of poverty
Parents can choose to begin advancing half of their child tax credit as early as July 2021, or elect to receive a lump sum when taxes are filed in 2022. (Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash) By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO As the true impact of the coronavirus pandemic comes into focus, early […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Seniors can protect health, finances during pandemic
Since the pandemic began, there have been numerous resources available to help seniors stay safe and healthy. (Courtesy photo) By Ronnie Blair From the AFRO archives Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, health officials have been clear and consistent in their message to seniors: while anyone can fall victim to COVID-19, those who are 65 and older […]
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Report: MD lawmakers need to keep spotlight on child well-being
The number of Maryland fourth graders who were not proficient in reading increased to 65% in 2019, according to a new report. (Adobe stock) By Diane Bernard, Maryland News Connection BALTIMORE — Advocates said Maryland lawmakers need to focus more than ever on helping children, as a new report shows the state dropped from 21st […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
CDC Director extends the eviction moratorium for 30 days
The Centers for Disease Control announced it awarded a $12 million to help improve chronic health disease at facilities throughout Prince George’s County and southern Maryland. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky has signed an extension to the eviction moratorium further preventing the eviction of tenants who are unable to make rental payments. The moratorium that […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Grassroots Engagement: Barber and Hair Shop Talk Is Setting the Stage for Vaccination Education in Our Communities
(Screengrab from video/https://blackcoalitionagainstcovid.org) Making It Plain: What Black America Needs to Know about COVID-19 and Vaccines By Josephine Reid There are trusted voices unique to the Black community. Black barbers and salon stylists are two such trusted voices that have been prominent in Black communities for several decades. Community leaders have been working vigorously to educate their […]
Posted inCoronavirus
#WordinBlack: Covid, Maternal Mortality and Black Women
(Photo courtesy of serenawilliams on Instagram) By Maya Pottiger and Word In Black More than 73,000 Black lives were lost during the pandemic, making up 15% of all COVID-related deaths, the highest of any race, according to The Atlantic’s COVID Tracking Project. This disparity was seen further in a CDC study looking at how COVID-19 impacts pregnant women. Black women made […]