By Tashi McQueen, AFRO Political Writer, Report For America corps member, tmcqueen@afro.com Many know Ivan J. Bates as the Baltimore City State’s Attorney candidate, but that’s not all he is. He is the doting father of a 6-year-old daughter, London, and a husband to wife Lana Bates Ph.D. As Bates avidly expressed, his wife and […]
Category: NEWS
Councilwoman Odette Ramos responds to NACA’s cease and desist order
By Tashi McQueen, AFRO Political Writer, Report For America corps member, tmcqueen@afro.com The Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (NACA) has threatened to take legal action against Councilwoman of District 14, Odette Ramos, for alleged false and defamatory claims against NACA. NACA provides services that many impoverished communities and lower-income families need like homeownership assistance and […]
The Moore Report: Althea Gibson was a role model for the GOAT, Serena Williams
By Ralph E. Moore Jr., Special to the AFRO, rmoore@afro.com Sports history buffs will recall, as we bask in this era of Serena Williams magic, that once upon a time a star broke the color line in tennis just as Jackie Robinson broke it for Ken Griffey Jr. in baseball and Lee Elder broke it […]
Baltimore teens killed in shootings just hours apart
By AFRO Staff Jeremiah Brogden had just finished up the first week of the 2022-2023 school year on Sept. 2. when he lost his life. He had the entire Labor Day weekend and a life full of promise ahead of him. Then he became a victim of gun violence. Like more than 240 Baltimoreans before […]
Sen. Van Hollen talks Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 with Baltimore faith leaders
By Marnita Coleman, Special to the AFRO, mcoleman@afro.com On Sept. 6, Senator Chris Van Hollen spoke in depth about the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 before a group of faith-based leaders gathered at the Gospel Tabernacle Baptist Church on Walbrook Avenue in Baltimore. This stop was the first of three sessions, sponsored by the Maryland […]
Black men are still disproportionately affected by prostate cancer– it’s time to act
By Kai Li, MD September is Prostate Cancer Awareness month, a perfect occasion to focus on prostate cancer risk factors and prevention. This is particularly urgent for Black men, who are 1.7 times more likely to develop prostate cancer and more than twice as likely to die from it than all other racial or ethnic […]
New poll shows one in five Americans have been affected by gun violence
By Mylika Scatliffe, AFRO Women’s Health Writer, mscatliffe@afro.com Gun violence wasn’t something 33-year-old Jasmine Ramsey thought too much about–at least in terms of affecting her. On Feb. 27, 2021, that changed when her then 10-year-old daughter, Kaelin Washington, was shot in the chest while walking to her godmother’s house. She was simply leaving a neighborhood […]
Here’s why you should try cold exposure therapy
By Anissa Durham, Word In Black Black folks are talking about mental health more often, but the price and access to talk therapy and medication are common barriers for our community. Cryotherapy, or any kind of cold exposure, is becoming a low-cost option for stress relief, anxiety, and depression. Submerging yourself in an ice bath, […]
Public Welfare Foundation restores the nation’s first Black designed, constructed, and owned building
By Robyn F. Barnes, Special to the AFRO The True Reformer Building at 1200 U Street Northwest in D.C.’s Shaw District is at once, a glimpse of the past, an oasis for today, and a window into the future. The building sits in the heart of the U Street corridor just steps away from the […]
Father and son team up for mental health podcast, ‘Black men vent too’
By Reginald Williams, Special to the AFRO rwilliams@afro.com Kelly Edwards stands about six-foot-one. He weighs north of 300 pounds and for many, Edward’s physical presence comes off as a little intimidating. Though in a workshop filled with behavioral health specialists, his voice didn’t align with his girth, or so, the facilitator thought. The facilitator said, […]
Youth curfew announced for minors in Prince George’s County
By Deborah Bailey, Contributing Editor, dbailey@afro.com Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks has announced a youth curfew for Prince George’s County, following a deadly Labor Day weekend and one of the deadliest months for the county in years. On Sept. 5, Prince George’s County implemented a curfew for those under 17 years old from 10 […]
Library of Congress National Book Festival highlights Black authors
By Samuel Williams, Jr., Special to the AFRO and Deborah Bailey, Contributing Editor dbailey@afro.com Black authors were featured front and center at the first in-person National Book Festival held by the Library of Congress since Labor Day weekend in 2019. The award-winning festival, which started as a pet project by former first lady and librarian […]

