By Lenora Howze, Special to the AFRO On Feb. 23, the co-owners of Baltimore’s Blk Swan were proud to honor Morgan State University alum Dia Simms at the restaurant’s first Black excellence recognition ceremony. Outkrowd Restaurant Group’s co-owners, Chris Simon and Jada McCray, say that Blk Swan derives its name from the Black Swan Theory, […]
Category: NEWS
Posted inAfro Briefs
Black man wrongly imprisoned for decades declared innocent
By The Associated Press An African-American man who spent more than 38 years behind bars for a 1983 murder he did not commit was declared innocent by a judge in Los Angeles on March 1. Maurice Hastings was released from prison last year after long-untested DNA evidence pointed to a different suspect. The judge in […]
Posted inNational News
In Selma, Biden says right to vote remains under assault
By Aamer Madhani and Kim Chandler, The Associated Press President Joe Biden used the searing memories of Selma’s “Bloody Sunday” to recommit to a cornerstone of democracy, lionizing a seminal moment from the Civil Rights Movement at a time when he has been unable to push enhanced voting protections through Congress and a conservative Supreme […]
Posted inMaryland Government
Del. Amprey defends Maryland rap artists in recent bill
By Tashi McQueen, AFRO Political Writer, tmcqueen@afro.com On Feb. 28, Del. Marlon Amprey (D-Md-40) introduced HB0940, Criminal Procedure – Evidence – Admissibility of Creative Expression. “HB0940 is a bill to ensure that artistic expression cannot incriminate someone unless the court of law can prove that the lyrics and visual expressions are directly tied to an […]
Posted inCoronavirus
Coronavirus origins still a mystery three years into pandemic
By Laura Ungar and Mary Clare Jalonick, The Associated Press A crucial question has eluded governments and health agencies around the world since the COVID-19 pandemic began: Did the virus originate in animals or leak from a Chinese lab? Now, the U.S. Department of Energy has assessed with “low confidence” that it began with a […]
Posted inMaryland Government
Congressional Black Caucus announces agenda for 118th Congress
By Tashi McQueen, AFRO Political Writer, tmcqueen@afro.com The Congressional Black Caucus on March 2 announced its agenda for the 118th Congress during the House Democrats 2023 Issues Conference held in Baltimore City at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore Inner Harbor. Under the theme of “delivering for our communities, housing, jobs and justice,” CBC Chairman Rep. Steven […]
Posted inMaryland Government
Democrats tout wins, outline agenda at issues conference
By Tashi McQueen, AFRO Political Writer, tmcqueen@afro.com As the 118th Congress entered its third month, House Democrats held their annual issues conference March 1-3 at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore Inner Habor hotel in Baltimore, Md. President Joe Biden, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott joined congressional Democrats and a host of […]
Posted inWord In Black
Only seven percent of teachers are Black– this project plans to change that
By Maya Pottiger, Word in Black It had been a crazy summer. And, at the end, Sharif El-Mekki was in tears. He was watching students perform in their end-of-the-year showcase, showing off the singing, dancing, and cultural skills they had learned during the summer of 2019. El-Mekki had worked in schools, both as a teacher […]
Posted inHealth
Eight unique ways ADHD affects Black people
By Black Health Matters The symptoms of ADHD may be the same for many demographics, but you may be surprised to learn how this behavioral disorder affects the African-American community differently. From difficulties in diagnosis and treatment to underrepresentation in scientific studies, ADHD looks very different for African Americans, and many children are the ones […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
One-woman show brings brilliance of Pearl Bailey, Moms Mabley and Josephine Baker to spotlight
By Deborah Bailey, Contributing Editor D.C. playwright and director Andy Evans wanted contemporary audiences to get reacquainted with the gifted comedic artistry of D.C. resident and international Black comedian, Jackie Moms Mabley. So he wrote a play about Mabley’s years at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. As Evans conceptualized the play about Mabley, who was […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
JPMorgan Chase continues Northern Virginia expansion; partners with More Than Peach to increase financial literacy in youth
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com JPMorgan Chase celebrated the grand opening of its first branch in Leesburg, Va. on Feb. 17, helping to satisfy the firm’s ongoing commitment to expanding its footprint in Northern Virginia. The financial institution now has three branches in Loudoun County, and by the end of 2023, it will […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Spotlight on Black excellence: meet Katina Williams, chief financial officer and vice president of finance for Johns Hopkins Hospital
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com When North Carolina native Katina Williams won the job of vice president of finance and chief financial officer for the Johns Hopkins Hospital (Johns Hopkins) in 2021, she and her family relocated for the first time outside her home state. They landed in Howard County, Md. For Williams, […]