In a visit to Bladensburg Elementary School today, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan praised Prince George’s County for its commitment to improving school performance. “What they’ve done here in Prince George’s County has been great example of the type of applicants we’d like to see more of,” said Duncan in a call with reporters after […]
Category: NEWS
Posted inBaltimore News
Baltimore Surpasses 2000 Census Count
As of April 27, Baltimore City census participation was 66 percent. Two weeks prior, the mayor congratulated residents for a 61 percent return rate, beating the 2000 census return rate by one percentage point. Still, city officials are pushing for all residents to return their forms. “We had the lowest turnout of any major city […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Norton Wants District Inmates Closer to Home
Since the 2001 closing of the D.C. Correctional Facility at Lorton, Va., convicted felons from the District have been serving their sentences in facilities hundreds of miles away from their loved ones, who sometimes find it hard to visit. “In fact, over 20 percent of these felons are housed more than 500 miles from their […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Books Come Alive for D.C. Students
The event was part of Reading is Fundamental’s DC Initiative, which provides more than 15,000 free books to students at 47 public and charter schools in the District. The MLK students enjoyed a read-aloud of This Next New Year by Janet S. Wong participated in a cultural exchange event via Skype with fifth-grade students at […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Best in Flight
Under sunny blue skies on May 15, the National Capitol Squadron unveiled the commutative aircraft, Vultee BT-13, at the Andrews Air Force Base’s 2010 Joint Service Open House and Air Show. This aircraft was used in training at the Tuskegee Army Air Field in 1943. Unlike other commutative aircrafts, this aircraft was dedicated in honor […]
Posted inPrince George's County News
Industrial Teams With Ebenezer To Increase Financial Literacy
Ebenezer Church believes its financial situation was misrepresented in a Reuters story earlier this year. This is part two of AFRO coverage about the mischaracterization. When the perfect storm of economic disaster and real estate collapse happened, citizens, businesses and financial institutions were all searching for answers and assistance. Local communities and churches weren’t spared […]
Posted inHealth
Author Promotes Black Health By Any ‘Greens’ Necessary
Traditional Black American cuisine, often dubbed “soul food,” was birthed during an era when enslaved African Americans relied on high-fat, high-calorie foods for sustenance and survival. While soul food is not inherently unhealthy, foods like collard greens, turnips and okra are often stewed in lard, bacon fat and other greasy products. But Tracye McQuirter, a […]
Posted inPrince George's County News
Six Flags Stages a ‘Lock Out’
Six Flags America may be facing a lawsuit over what two women say are discriminatory hiring policies. Janet Bello and Jackie Sherrill are crying foul because theme park representatives allegedly said they could only work there if they changed their dreadlocked hairstyle. Bello said she went to the park to pick up an application for […]
Posted inPrince George's County News
County Executive Candidate Pledges to Clean Up Prince George’s Politics
Former State Del. Rushern Baker, candidate for Prince George’s County Executive has released his proposed plan for ethics reform in the county. Baker’s “Raising Our Standards Ethics Initiative” was put in place to mitigate the political corruption that has marred the tenures of some of the county’s elected officials. “I’m going to move this government […]
Posted inNational News
Official: Voter Intimidation Probe an Obama Vendetta
WASHINGTON — An ongoing investigation into the Justice Department’s handling of a voter intimidation case involving a Black militant group is less a quest for justice and more a “witch hunt,” said one official. “It’s all about people trying to continue the lie that there’s a double standard for Whites and Blacks under an Obama […]
Posted inNational News
Civil Rights Groups Sue Arizona
The American Civil Liberties Union and a collection of other civil rights organizations on May 17 filed a class action lawsuit that counters Arizona’s imminent law targeting illegal immigration. The National Immigration Law Center, The National Day Laborer Organizing Network and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People are among the many groups […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Legislative Black Caucus Chair Returns to Baltimore
Maryland State Sen. Catherine Pugh will soon head the country’s third largest assembly of African-American lawmakers. She was recently elected the new chair of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland (LBCM) and will take office on July 1. Pugh has been an active member of the caucus since 2005 and previously served as the first and […]