By Congressman Kweisi Mfume Washington, DC – Congressman Kweisi Mfume (D-MD) issued the following statement on the July 16, 2022, passing of Mr. Vernon Simms, a congressional staffer for three decades who served under Congressmen Mfume and Elijah Cummings. “It was devastating to hear of the passing of my friend and former colleague Vernon Simms, […]
Category: Baltimore News
Posted inPolitics
41st District’s Jill P. Carter and other Black politicians are outraged by Schleifer’s all White slate
By Tashi McQueen, Report For America Corps Member, Political Writer for The AFRO On June 11th, 2022 Democratic State Central Committee candidate Evan L. Serpick posted to Twitter announcing Sen. Jill P. Carter’s (D-41) slate, which he is a member of. It was reposted by Sen. Antonio Hayes (D-40) and Sen. Carter (D-41) herself a […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Formerly segregated plaza now redeveloped with help of HBCU
By Kara Thompson, MDDC Intern Northwood Plaza used to be a segregated shopping area located next to Morgan State University, a historically Black college. Starting in the early 1950s, hundreds of Morgan State students participated in sit-ins and other peaceful protests in the name of equal rights, culminating with the arrest of more than 415 […]
Posted inNEWS
Baltimore clergy unite to increase Black voter participation
By Mylika Scatliffe, AFRO Women’s Health Writer A small, yet mighty and determined clergy cohort recently gathered for a press conference at New Shiloh Baptist Church in Baltimore. They had a singular focus – to get the vote out. Early voting has begun, and this group of clergy wants to make sure that the Black […]
Posted inBUSINESS
Community banking to community building
By Byna Elliott, Head of JPMorgan Chase Advancing Black Pathways Last month we celebrated Juneteenth. It is both a celebration of freedom and a reminder of the work that still must be done to bring about a more equitable society. We should recognize Juneteenth each year as a time to harness what unites us and […]
Posted inPolitics
Black candidates look to make history, and make political returns, in Maryland primary elections
TheGrio is closely watching the Maryland gubernatorial and attorney general contests and the race for the 4th Congressional District, where former congresswoman Donna Edwards is looking to win back her old seat. By April Ryan, TheGrio There are a number of important primary contests this upcoming election Tuesday. Two races theGrio is closely watching are […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Cherry Hill honors native Leon Bailey, the man who integrated Navy wrestling
By Nicole D. Batey, Special to the AFRO Leon Bailey, a trailblazer in U.S. Navy Wrestling, was the first African American to integrate Navy wrestling and win an individual title at the AAU New England Six-State Championship in 1964. His life story and accomplishments are shared in his self-published book, Leon Bailey: The Dream. Born […]
Posted inBaltimore News
The life and legacy of Elizabeth Murphy Moss
By Kara Thompson, AFRO MDDC Intern Elizabeth “Bettye” Murphy Moss, a granddaughter of John Henry Murphy, began her journalism career when she first started working at the AFRO at age 13—around 1929. She would later go on to be the first African-American female war correspondent during WWII. Moss was born March 11, 1917, to Carl […]
Posted inBUSINESS
Good Green Grant Program awards funds to nonprofits creating opportunity in Black and Brown communities impacted by the War on Drugs
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, Report for America Corps Member, msayles@afro.co Green Thumb Industries, a national cannabis retailer and consumer packaged goods company, recently opened applications for its Good Green Grant Program, which awards unrestricted funding to nonprofit organizations that create change in education, employment and expungement for underserved communities. The program is open […]
Posted inHealth
Google to erase more location info as abortion bans expand
By The Associated Press Google will automatically purge information about users who visit abortion clinics or other places that could trigger legal problems now that the U.S. Supreme Court has opened the door for states to ban the termination of pregnancies. The company behind the internet’s dominant internet search engine and the Android software that […]
Posted inBaltimore News
BUILD calls on city officials and federal agencies to invest $1 billion into addressing blight across Baltimore
By Nicole D. Batey, Special to the AFRO With new leadership at its helm, Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development, Baltimore (BUILD) has called on elected officials and federal agencies to make a $1 billion public investment to address more than 15,000 vacant and abandoned properties in Baltimore City. Since the passing of their beloved leader […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Cherry Hill’s biggest outdoor summer festival returns
By Nicole D. Batey, Special to the AFRO The 6th annual Cherry Hill Arts & Music Waterfront Festival at Middle Branch Park took place on July 4 from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Veterans from Cherry Hill were honored during a special ceremony at the event. The festival was free, family-friendly and open to the […]
