By DaQuan Lawrence, Ph.D. Candidate at Howard University On Jan. 16, Baltimore’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade will reconvene for the first time since 2020. The parade was cancelled the previous two years due to local and national health restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mayor Brandon M. Scott announced that the parade […]
Category: Arts & Culture
Posted inBaltimore News
Former AFRO photographer Irving H. Phillips Jr. dies at 79
By Kara Thompson, Special to the AFRO Legendary photographer Irving H. Phillips Jr. died Dec. 22 of end-stage renal failure at Loch Raven VA Medical Center in Baltimore. He was 79 years old. Phillips was born in Baltimore to I. Henry Phillips Sr. and Laura Mackay Phillips. He got his start in photography through the […]
Posted inBUSINESS
Black Sands Entertainment gets boost from Hart, ‘Shark Tank’
By Craig Horleman, Delaware State News via The AP Six years ago, Manuel and Geiszel Godoy were only looking to fill a need for their daughter and children like her. But they ended up exceeding those expectations. Mr. and Mrs. Godoy, owners of Delaware-based Black Sands Entertainment, were unable to find children’s books and comics […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Bob Marley immersive experience to land in US this year
By Mark Kennedy, AP Entertainment Writer A massive immersive experience celebrating Bob Marley is heading for its U.S. premiere early this year, complete with photographs, lots of music and even a pair of the reggae giant’s footwear. The multi-room exhibit “Bob Marley: One Love Experience” will open in Los Angeles on Jan. 27 at Ovation […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Octavia Spencer shines bright, gets star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
By AFRO Staff As a young woman, Octavia Spencer drove from Alabama to California with $3,000, a 48-inch TV, a suitcase and “a heart filled with dreams.” A quarter-century later, the award-winning actress realized another of those dreams when she received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. “To be forever cemented in the […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Harry and Meghan slam British tabloids in new Netflix series
By Danica Kirka and Jill Lawless, The Associated Press Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, stick to a familiar script in a new Netflix series that chronicles the couple’s estrangement from the royal family, chastising Britain’s media and the societal racism they believe has fueled coverage of their relationship. The first three episodes of “Harry […]
Posted inArts & Culture
PRESS ROOM: Malick L. Manga and Bill Haley, Jr., Alex Haley’s grandson, will be visiting the Gambia to celebrate and acknowledge the award-winning book, “Roots.” The seven milestone anniversaries surrounding the book and its ongoing cultural phenomenon is being revisited through a series of initiatives.
By Black PR Wire (Black PR Wire) LOS ANGELES, CA – Malick L. Manga and Bill Haley Jr., Alex Haley’s grandson, will be visiting The Gambia to celebrate and acknowledge the awarding winning book, “Roots.” The seven milestone anniversaries surrounding the book and its ongoing cultural phenomenon is being revisited through a series of initiatives. […]
Posted inMusic
Rapper Young Thug to go to trial in gang, racketeering case
By Kate Brumback, The Associated Press Rapper Young Thug, accused by prosecutors of co-founding a criminal street gang responsible for violent crimes and using his songs and social media to promote it, is set to go to trial starting Jan. 9. The Atlanta-based artist, whose given name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, was charged along with […]
Posted inNational News
Crime worries underpin celebration as New Orleans’ Carnival season begins
By Kevin McGill, The Associated Press New Orleans kicked off its annual Carnival season Jan. 6, a weekslong celebration of joyous street parties, lavish balls and colorful parades — complicated this year by concerns over crime and a depleted police force that last year forced a shortening of Mardi Gras parade routes. City officials marked […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever inspires youth to see themselves and their futures in a new light
By Bianca Crawley, Special to the AFRO The latest installment of Marvel Studios’ Black Panther saga, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” did more than just sell out theaters– it positively influenced millions of young, Black audience members across the country. The film put Black excellence on the big screen in full display for Black children, looking […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
AFRO’s Arts and Culture highlights from 2022
2022 will go down in the history books as a wild ride for those who follow the latest happenings on the arts and culture scene. From Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg taking over the Super Bowl to slap heard around the world, courtesy of actor Will Smith, the unpredictable world of entertainment did not disappoint. […]
Posted inNational News
Notable Deaths
As the AFRO prepares to end the year, we also remember those who have died in 2022. This is a compiled list of individuals who made a great impact in the world. From Charles McGee, a member of the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of the first African American fighter pilots which formed during World War […]