By Reginald Williams, Special to the AFRO The youthful energy inside of Baltimore’s famed Senator Theatre was infectious. Applause, “ooohs,” “ahhhs” and occasional laughter rang out inside the the building. More than 300 students and staff from Baltimore City Public Schools and historically Black college institutions filled the historic theater for a private screening of […]
Category: NEWS
Posted inHealth
Mental health professionals suggest more effective approach to stemming suicide
By Mylika Scatliffe, AFRO Women’s Health Writer, mscatliffe@afro.com Mental health professionals say it’s time to screen more effectively to identify those at risk of committing suicide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide increased 30 percent between 2000 and 2018 in the U.S. While declining in 2019 and 2020, the rates […]
Posted inWord In Black
Shopping for ACA health insurance? Here’s what’s new this year
By Julie Appleby, Word in Black It’s fall again, meaning shorter days, cooler temperatures, and open enrollment for Affordable Care Act marketplace insurance — sign-ups begin this week for coverage that starts Jan. 1, 2023. Even though much of the coverage stays the same from year to year, there are a few upcoming changes that […]
Posted inBUSINESS
Millions of women left the labor market during COVID-19. What are they doing now?
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, Report for America Corps Member, msayles@afro.com In March 2020, Chantal Potter was seven months pregnant with her first child. At the time, she was a project manager leading a team focussing on a Department of Defense (DOD) contract at the Defense Health Agency (DHA). When she gave birth to […]
Posted inBUSINESS
Lyft provides free and discounted rides to remove transportation barriers for job seekers
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, Report for America Corps Member, msayles@afro.com For low-income communities, transportation is a significant barrier to employment. It’s generally impossible to secure a job and keep it without having the means to get there In Washington, D.C., the unemployment rate was 4.7 percent as of September 2022, according to the […]
Posted inWord In Black
STEM is the future. How do we get more Black kids involved?
By Maya Pottiger, Word in Black Last year, an elementary school principal in rural Mississippi wanted to get her students excited about science. So, after receiving grant funding, she bought robots for third and fourth graders to assemble and then held a white coat ceremony for them, complete with their names embroidered on the jackets. […]
Posted inNational News
To Be Equal #44: Rev. Calvin Butts Took His Ministry To The Streets
By Marc H. Morial, President and CEO National Urban League “Reverend Butts worked more effectively than any other leader at the intersection of power, politics, and faith in New York. He understood the role of faith in our lives, especially in the Black community. But he also understood power and how to wield it and […]
Posted inReligion
Barbara Hatcher reflects on a lifetime of service
By Hamil R. Harris Barbara Hatcher was a registered nurse working on her nursing doctorate at George Mason University when she learned that the 115th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital of the D.C. National Guard was being mobilized for duty in the Persian Gulf. “When we were called up, I thought it would backfill and support the […]
Posted inReligion
The Moore Report: What Is All Souls Day and why was it just observed?
By Ralph E. Moore Jr., Special to the AFRO All Souls Day is observed on November 2 of each year in the Catholic and other Christian traditions. It is a day of remembrance with prayer, meals and visits to cemeteries. Those who have gone before us are honored fondly for the lives they led; they […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Black men of Baltimore respond to election of first Black governor in Maryland
By Tashi McQueen, AFRO Political Writer, Report For America Corps Member, tmcqueen@afro.com The day after the historical win for then-Democratic candidate Wes Moore, Black male Baltimoreans weighed in on the monumental achievement. “Wes Moore seems authentic, genuine and he shakes up the normal political landscape,” said Hasani James, a 47-year-old Baltimore native. “It’s impressive that […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Marijuana ballot initiative passes in Maryland
By Deborah Bailey, Contributing Editor Maryland voters responded positively to a ballot measure on Nov. 8 that legalized recreational use of marijuana for residents 21 and over. The law reform will go into effect across the state starting July 1, 2023. The fourth Maryland ballot question was approved by slightly more than 65 percent of […]
Posted inMaryland Government
Historic election yields first Black governor, attorney general and female comptroller
By Catherine Pugh, Special to the AFRO The ballroom at the Waterfront Marriott hotel in downtown Baltimore could not have been more jovial on Nov. 8. It was teeming with campaign volunteers, well-wishers, people who wanted to be a part of history and those who made the trek just to get a glimpse of Gov.-Elect […]