By Mekhi AbbottSpecial to the AFROmabbott@afro.com A final vote to decide the future of The Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys will take place on Jan. 14. The vote will be live streamed and comes after a second public hearing, held on Jan. 8, at the Baltimore City Public Schools District Office. The all-boys charter school […]
Category: NEWS
Posted inPrince George's County News
Madison Scott: From the DMV to the WNBA
By Sabreen DawudSpecial to the AFRO Madison Scott learned she had secured her very first spot on a girls basketball team while sitting in her fourth grade at Ardmore Elementary School in Prince George’s County, Md. Now a Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) player for the Washington Mystics, Scott remembers the moment well. “The head […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Baltimore transportation employee Gregory Turnipseed honored for a life of service and style
Family, friends, and Baltimore City leaders gathered on Dec. 17 at Morgan State University’s Murphy Fine Arts Auditorium to honor the life and service of Gregory Turnipseed. Turnipseed was a 14-year civil servant with the Baltimore City Department of Transportation (DOT). He died from injuries sustained in a physical assault. Attackers are identified as Kiannah Bonaparte, 49, and her 15-year-old daughter. Bonaparte is facing first- and second-degree assault charges for the case.
Posted inBaltimore News
Morgan State University celebrates student excellence at the annual MLK Scholarship Breakfast
Morgan State University hosted the 41st annual Martin Luther King, Jr. scholarship breakfast on Jan. 10 at the Calvin and Tina Tyler Ballroom. The event focused on a theme of “empowering the dream of growing our future,” and featured a keynote address by the Rev. Dr. Robert Richard Allen Turner of The Empowerment Temple African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church.
Posted inMaryland Government
Maryland comptroller appoints Andrea Brown as director of the Office of the Taxpayer Advocate
Director of the Office of the Taxpayer Advocate Excerpt: Maryland Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman (D) has appointed Andrea Brown as director of the Office of the Taxpayer Advocate. Brown brings nearly two decades of experience and will work to improve taxpayer accountability and access to a fair tax system.
Posted inNational News
Poor communities threatened by aging sewers see crucial aid slashed under 47th president
Poor and mostly Black communities across the U.S. face serious health risks from failing sewer and wastewater systems, but federal aid meant to address these long-standing problems has been cut or eliminated under the 47th president. Advocates warn that slashing environmental justice and infrastructure funding leaves vulnerable residents exposed to sewage, flooding and disease, with few resources to fix systems they cannot afford on their own.
Posted inPrince George's County News
Prince George’s County Council selects Wala Blegay to fill vacancy
Prince George’s County Council member Wala Blegay (D) will fill the recently vacated at-large seat, bringing her experience with various countywide initiatives. The seat will be up for election in November 2026.
Posted inMaryland News
A second chance after rent debt: Why shielding matters
By Shyia Clark An eviction filing – even one that never leads to eviction – can follow a tenant for years. In Maryland, Failure-to-Pay-Rent cases often remain publicly accessible long after rent is paid or a case is dismissed, creating lasting barriers to housing, employment and financial stability. That’s where shielding comes in. Shielding is […]
Posted inWord In Black
A year after the Eaton Fire, Black Altadena is fighting to stay
By Anissa DurhamWord in Black For decades, Altadena functioned as a rare constant in the Los Angeles area: a place where Black families owned homes and passed something on to their descendants. That all changed with the Eaton Fire. One year after the fire tore through Altadena and neighboring communities, destroying thousands of homes and […]
Posted inMaryland Government
New Maryland laws to take effect on Jan. 1
As 2026 begins, several Maryland laws take effect, including new rideshare reporting requirements, domestic violence training for barbers and cosmetologists and expanded coverage for heart disease testing, aiming to improve safety, transparency, and health access statewide.
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Doing the work: How the Black men of 100 Fathers Inc. are leading the next generation to greatness
For the second year in a row, the men of 100 Fathers Inc. are doing the work of positively influencing young Black boys at Friendship Collegiate Academy. Community mentors emphasize fatherhood, trust and accountability as tools to help Black boys navigate social pressures and avoid risky behaviors, such as vaping and smoking.
Posted inHealth
Dr. Janell Green Smith, Black maternal health advocate, dies in childbirth
Dr. Janell Green Smith, a respected midwife and maternal health expert, tragically died in childbirth at the age of 31, highlighting the issue of America’s maternal mortality crisis and the need for accountability in the healthcare system.