Herbie Hancock’s 70s oeuvre is a series of masterworks hanging on the wall of our mental museums, A Theme in Variations of browns and blues, brilliant, vibrant and prosaic. (Courtesy photo) By Darin Atwater Special to the AFRO The 70s arrived bronzed and honey glazed, slow roasted from the heat of 10 turbulent summers turning […]
Category: National News
Posted inNEWS
Juneteenth must be marked with action
WASHINGTON— Wade Henderson, interim president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, released the following statement on President Biden signing the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, ahead of the 156th anniversary of Juneteenth: “It is fitting that Juneteenth is now a federal holiday. It is an important day to […]
Posted inNEWS
How to celebrate Juneteenth this week
(Photo/nysenate.gov) By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer Report for America Corps Member Msayles@afro.com On June 19th, 1865, the enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, Texas, were finally told they were free. The day was officially labeled Juneteenth, and Black Americans have been celebrating ever since with cookouts, parades, pageants, block parties, concerts and education. This year […]
Posted inCoronavirus
Black community has new option for health care: The church
In this photo taken May 5, 2021, Melanie Paige closes her eyes as she gets her first COVID-19 vaccination at her church, St. Matthew Christian Methodist Episcopal, in Milwaukee. It’s one of the churches that was part of an effort with Pastors United, Milwaukee Inner City Congregations Allied for Hope, Souls to the Polls and […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Cruise ships and COVID: Know before you go
Only 48% of Texans were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of last week, compared with 71% in Vermont, according to the New York Times tracker. (susannp4/Pixabay) By Roz Brown, Texas News Service via MD News Connection HOUSTON — To vaccinate or not to vaccinate is a pending dilemma for passengers expecting to be welcomed aboard […]
Posted inReligion
Black spirituality seen as breaking from organized religion
Young Black people are reorienting toward person spiritual observation rather than formal religious practice, experts say. (Photo courtesy Unsplash.com) By Akira Kyles The Fayetteville Observer/ The Associated Press The shift, mainly within younger generations, toward spirituality rather than religiosity can be seen in Fayetteville. The Rev. Kelli W. Taylor, chaplain and vice president of religious […]
Posted inNEWS
Justices consider Harvard case on race in college admissions
In this Nov. 5, 2020, file photo the Supreme Court is seen in Washington. With abortion and guns already on the agenda, the conservative-dominated Supreme Court is considering adding a third blockbuster issue—whether to ban consideration of race in college admissions. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) By Mark Sherman The Associated Press With abortion and […]
Posted inNEWS
Florida bans ‘critical race theory’ from its classrooms
In this April 30, 2021, file photo surrounded by lawmakers, Florida Gov.Ron DeSantis speaks at the end of a legislative session at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. Now that the pandemic appears to be waning and DeSantis is heading into his reelection campaign next year, he has emerged from the political uncertainty as one of […]
Posted inNEWS
Southern University’s library tells stories of former slaves
By George Morris The Advocate/ The Associated Press The outrages Henrietta Butler suffered as a slave — forced to have a White man’s baby, then forced to nurse her mistress’s baby when her own infant died — lasted to the very end. “My damn ol’ Missus was mean as hell,” Butler said in 1940. “You […]
Posted inNEWS
Racial tensions simmer as Southern Baptists set to elect new leadership
Dwight McKissic, pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church, speaks during services in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday, June 6, 2021. One of the Southern Baptist Convention’s most prominent Black pastors, McKissic said his church will quit the SBC if either of two leading conservative candidates wins the presidency: Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, […]
Posted inCoronavirus
#WordinBlack: FDA talks vaccinations for younger students ahead of next school year
(By Drazen Zigic_Shutterstock) By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO Though Pfizer-BioNTech received permission to lower the age threshold for their COVID-19 vaccine last month, pharmaceutical companies have yet to present an option for millions of school-aged children younger than 12. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, more than 5.2 million pre-kindergarten students […]
Posted inPOLITICS
Infrastructure investments help grow small and minority owned businesses
Congressman Kweisi Mfume (Courtesy Photo) The American Jobs Plan can rebuild our nation’s physical infrastructure while creating opportunities for small and minority owned businesses to employ more people By Congressman Kweisi Mfume As each day passes, we feel closer to the moment when we can finally say this pandemic is behind us. While we are […]
