By Kara Thompson, Special to the AFRO As August draws to a close, back-to-school preparations are kicking into high gear. Teachers and school systems across the country are making arrangements to welcome students back to the classroom, including Baltimore County and Baltimore City. At the start of the last school year, school systems in the […]
Category: Baltimore News
Posted inWord In Black
School Discipline in Black and White
By Maya Pottiger, Word In Black Even in a school year derailed by a pandemic, Black students were disciplined at higher rates than white students across the country. Using statewide discipline data from the 2019-2020 school year, Word in Black analyzed which students in California, Georgia, Maryland, Texas, and Washington state were facing higher rates […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Kindergarten readiness- is your child prepared?
By Ama Brown, Special to the AFRO This week, the AFRO took a look at Kindergarten readiness for new students in the Baltimore City School System (BCPSS). We spoke with a few of the city’s early education teachers, Karan Greene, an early learning teacher at DaySpring Headstart’s Dukeland site, and Baltimore City Public Schools Teacher, […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Guaranteed income pilot puts Baltimore at forefront of nation’s fight against poverty
By Fatiha Belfakir, Special to the AFRO This week Mayor Brandon Scott announced that Baltimore’s Guaranteed Income pilot program was officially depositing money into eligible bank accounts. A total of 200 families are participating in the Baltimore Young Families Success Fund’s initial cohort. Baltimore now joins the growing group of U.S. cities such as Chicago, […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Moore says he will support ‘critical voices of community leaders’ pushing for West Baltimore food market
By Tashi McQueen, AFRO Political Writer, Report For America Corps Member Wes Moore addressed community leaders’ concerns over food deserts in Charm City this summer, agreeing to help them tackle the issue in West Baltimore and beyond. “Food deserts,” a long-established challenge for Baltimoreans, describes a community with little or no access to fresh and […]
Posted inBaltimore News
AFRO Gala draws elected officials, community leaders and Murphy descendants to 130th anniversary celebration
By Tinashe Chingarande, Special to the AFRO Mayor Scott, Congressman Mfume among those in attendance Elected leaders and supporters of the AFRO-American Newspaper convened for a lavish gala on Aug. 13 in Greenbelt, Md. to celebrate the publication’s 130th anniversary. The soiree included live entertainment and was hosted by comedian Tommy Davidson. All in attendance […]
Posted inBUSINESS
Chase Business Banking mentorship program offers one-one coaching to local minority entrepreneurs
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, Report for America Corps Member, msaylesafro.com JPMorgan Chase’s senior business consultants in Baltimore, Beth Hehir and Hans Petit-Homme, hold more than 40 years of combined experience in commercial banking, business banking and financial services. Now, using their expertise, the pair has combined forces to mentor minority businesses across the […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Mayor Brandon M. Scott takes fight against ‘ghost guns’ directly to build-kit manufacturer, Polymer80
By Tashi McQueen, AFRO Political Writer, Report for America Corps Member As murders continue to rise in Baltimore, so persists the polarized view on guns. The impact of gun violence has taken a toll on the city, prompting elected officials to take action. Recently, Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott began to take the fight directly […]
Posted inBaltimore News
The Moore Report: The SEARCH continues: part three
By Ralph E. Moore, Jr., Special to the AFRO This Is the third and final installment (for the moment) of a fictional account of three Black grads of Loyola High School (1970) looking for their classmate, Vic Thomas, in New York City. “Sure, when we check out,” I said. He gave us three keys and […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Black members of Gen Z take to the 2022 political stage
By Tashi McQueen, AFRO Political Writer, Report for America Corps Member If there is doubt that young people are interested in advocating for the improvement of American values, the worry is over. Young Black politicians have put in their bids this political season. Korey T. Johnson, a Baltimore native candidate for the House of Delegates, […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Baltimore City Fire Department helps young girls prepare for future service
By Kara Thompson, Special to the AFRO After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, Baltimore City Fire Department’s Camp Spark returned this summer. The two-day camp took place on July 30 and 31 this year, and is aimed at exposing girls ages 12 to 16 to careers in the fire department and the skills […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Here’s How We Bring Black Students Back to School
By Maya Pottiger, Word In Black Between mass shootings, anti-LGBTQ bills, burned-out teachers, diverse books being banned, and the school-to-prison pipeline, as well as drill-and-kill standardized-test-driven instruction, is it any wonder some students aren’t feeling like showing up to school anymore? Sprinkle the educational disruptions from COVID-19 on top, and it’s understandable that thousands of […]
