Racial justice tops the opening of the Supreme Court’s new term. When Justice Antonin Scalia was found dead in Feb. conservative Republicans vowed to stall President Barack Obama’s nomination of Judge Merrick Garland. The eight-member Court is limping forward with race questions involving the death penalty, voting districts, jury deliberations, and the name of the […]
Category: NEWS
Posted inWashington D.C. News
HistoryMakers Showcases Successful Black Women Leaders in Schools
Chicago based non-profit, The HistoryMakers, recently organized classroom visits from influential African Americans across the country to schools across the nation. Designed to showcase a model for success among African-Americans, more than 400 “HistoryMakers” encouraged and empowered D.C. students to aggressively reach for their goals. History Maker standouts community leader Peggy Cooper (left), and public relations […]
Posted inBaltimore News
White Officers in Freddie Gray Case Comforted by Right Wing Group
Lt. Brian Rice, officers Edward Nero and Garrett Miller, the three White officers charged, but not convicted, in the death of Freddie Gray were given a rousing hero’s welcome at a gala awards ceremony in their honor last month in Washington, D.C. Rice, Nero and Miller were greeted with thunderous applause by nearly a thousand […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Muriel Clarke Hill, 102
Muriel Clarke Hill, a Baltimore native, died on Oct. 2 at the age of 102. Muriel Clarke Hill was born on June 29, 1914. She was the third of five children born to Jesse Benjamin Clarke, Sr. and Sadie Jeter Clarke. Jesse was a printer trained at Hampton Institute and Sadie was a self-taught poet. […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Baltimore Man Sentenced in ‘Jealousy’ Killing of Half-Brother
A Baltimore man who has been convicted in the murder of his brother after setting him up for a robbery was sentenced to life plus 30 years in prison this week, said prosecutors. Brandon Wilder, 29, was found guilty in July of fatally shooting his half-brother Ramon Wilder in May 2014. During his trial, it […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Santelises Vows to Raise Baltimore’s PARCC Scores
Baltimore City Public Schools student scores on recently released 2016 PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career) exams failed to reveal the boost students, parents, teachers and school administrators hoped to see. Students across Maryland outperformed Baltimore City Public School students at all grade levels. But there is good news. A deeper […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Baltimore Voter Registration Effort Targets Ex-Offenders
With Election Day quickly approaching, advocates for the ex-offender community in Baltimore are ramping up to get the city’s share of more than 40,000 newly enfranchised citizens registered to vote. “There is an intense effort from re-entry organizations, Maryland Justice Project, Out for Justice, Communities United, Marion House and others. I don’t think the numbers […]
Posted inInstantArticles, National News
Black Millennials Remain Largely Uncovered by Health Insurance
Whether it is a sense of youthful invincibility or the cost of health care premiums and service charges, overwhelmingly, African-American millennials remain without health insurance; a reality that baffles health officials, especially in the wake of President Barack Obama’s Affordable Health Care platform. According to statistics from a recent Harris Poll survey, 1 in 5 […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Allen Pushes Automatic Voter Registration Through DMV
D.C. Council member Charles Allen wants to make sure that all District of Columbia residents have the chance to register to vote for future elections. So he is working on a way they can do it at a heavily used city government agency. Charles Allen represents Ward 6 on the D.C. Council Allen, a Democrat […]
Posted inInstantArticles, National News
Civil Rights Groups Launch Voter Protection Program
Against a backdrop of changing voting laws, incendiary campaign rhetoric and diminished federal election oversight, efforts by civil rights and civic engagement groups to protect the rights of voters are more important than ever, activists said this week. A coalition of more than 100 organizations, led by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, […]
Posted inPrince George's County News
Bowie President Burnim Opens Up About Legacy as Retirement Looms
Bowie State University President Dr. Mickey Burnim is set to retire in June 2017. He is proud of his accomplishments during his tenure, saying he left the institution in a better position than when he arrived. Burnim made the announcement on Sept. 14. On Sept. 29, Burnim spoke with the AFRO about his legacy as […]
Posted inInstantArticles, National News
Jacqueline Ellis, Veteran Hill Staffer, Remembered
Jacqueline Ellis, a longtime Capitol Hill staffer who served as a mentor for many African Americans, died recently. She is being remembered by congressional leaders and her colleagues as dedicated to her work and passionate about Black issues. Jacqueline Ellis, a longtime Capitol Hill staffer (Courtesy Photo/obits.al.com) Ellis died Sept. 21 of a stroke, and […]