In a historic display of legislative dissent, a coalition of more than 80 lawmakers bypassed the official presidential address to convene an “alternative union” on the National Mall, framing their absence as a rejection of executive rhetoric. The atmosphere inside the Capitol remained volatile, punctuated by the forced removal of a congressman protesting racial imagery and verbal clashes over the domestic consequences of immigration enforcement.
Category: National News
Posted inBlack Press
Two legacy Black newspapers close, citing financial pressures
The Richmond Free Press and Portland Skanner have shut down as leaders warn of a broader funding crisis in Black media.
Posted inNational News
In Memoriam: Eternal salute to the Rev. Dr. Jesse L. Jackson Sr.
NNPA NEWSWIRE — On behalf of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) representing the Black Press of America, we extend our sincerest condolences to the Jackson family. Leadership matters. Jesse Jackson’s leadership in the Civil Rights Movement in America and the human rights movement throughout the world was outstanding. Jackson uttered a strong, penetrating voice for the voiceless. His courage on the battlefield for freedom, justice and equality was unparalleled.
Posted inNational News
Blizzard warnings cascade across East Coast with winter storm’s approach
A major winter storm began hitting the East Coast on Feb. 22, bringing heavy snow, strong winds, and blizzard conditions from Maryland to Massachusetts. Officials issued blizzard warnings, travel restrictions, and states of emergency as residents prepared for potentially historic snow accumulations and widespread disruptions.
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Black Women’s Roundtable announces 15th Annual Women of Power National Summit
The Black Women’s Roundtable will host its 15th Annual Women of Power National Summit March 11–15, 2026, in Arlington, Va., and Washington, D.C. Hundreds of Black women leaders and allies will convene for five days of organizing, policy advocacy, strategy, healing, and collective action to build political, economic, and community power.
Posted inNational News
Georgia teacher Linda Davis killed in car crash as man flees ICE
Dr. Linda Davis, a special education teacher at Hesse K-8 School in Savannah, Ga., was killed Feb. 16 after a man fleeing Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents crashed into her vehicle during a traffic stop attempt. The driver, Oscar Vasquez-Lopez, faces multiple charges, including first-degree homicide, as community members and officials mourn Davis’ death and debate ICE enforcement practices surrounding the incident.
Posted inBlack History
Vernon AME Church absorbed the terror of the Tulsa Race Massacre. Now it will ‘teach truth.’
By Shaunicy MuhammadThe Oklahoma Eagle (NNPA Newswire) – More than a century after the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, members of Greenwood’s Vernon AME Church are determined to tell their own stories. Archivists, archeologists and elected officials lined the pews of the church Feb. 12 for the unveiling of The Vernon Witness, a multi-year project to […]
Posted inMaryland Government
Gov. Wes Moore signs emergency legislation to ban state, local cooperation with ICE
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed emergency legislation banning local cooperation with ICE, ending 287(g) agreements on Feb. 17. Supporters say the move protects immigrants and upholds constitutional policing, while opponents warn it may limit jail cooperation.
Posted inBaltimore News
On the line with Jesse Jackson: Lessons from a voice that changed history
By Alexis TaylorAFRO Managing Editor I never imagined Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. would pick up the phone. It was 2012. On June 14 of that year, Adidas, the international shoe and sports apparel company, boldly unveiled a pair of sneakers that came complete with a pair of orange, plastic ankle bracelets. After public backlash to […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Remembering Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. The man who stopped
By Dr. Frances “Toni” Murphy Draper More than forty years ago, in a crowded corridor in Nassau, Bahamas, I watched Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. do something small that revealed something immense: he stopped. My mother, Frances L. Murphy II—then publisher of the AFRO-American Newspaper—and I were attending a conference where he was the keynote […]
Posted inNational News
Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. dies at 84
The Rev. Dr. Jesse Jackson Sr., civil rights leader, Baptist minister, and founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, has died at 84. A protégé of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and a two-time presidential candidate, Jackson spent his life fighting for racial, economic and social justice— inspiring generations of leaders and activists.
Posted inNational News
Video evidence undercuts ICE accounts in multiple recent shootings
Federal authorities are investigating two immigration officers accused of making untruthful statements under oath in a January 2026 Minneapolis shooting after video evidence contradicted their account. The case is the latest in a series of at least five incidents in which initial descriptions by immigration officials were later challenged or undermined by video footage, leading to dismissed charges and heightened scrutiny.