By Fatiha Belfakir, Special to the AFRO For centuries sports have been an essential part of African-American culture. The role of athletics in the Black community is crucial, as some Black youths- like many of every race- perceive sports as one way of seeking self-identity and belonging. While today’s athletes enjoy a range of freedoms […]
Category: NEWS
Posted inSponsored
Top Questions You Need Answered Before Buying a Home
Buying a home is a huge milestone, and it is important to educate yourself about the process of buying a home before you dive in headfirst. After all, this is likely the largest investment that you will ever make. It is important to choose a house and a mortgage that you don’t regret. Does Homeownership […]
Posted inBUSINESS
The AFRO at 130: six generations of Black excellence
By Maya Pottiger, Special to the AFRO Some families have recipes they pass down, others have jewelry or furniture. In the Murphy family, the AFRO American Newspaper has been passed down through generations for 130 years. Currently at the helm is Dr. Frances “Toni” Draper, the great-great-granddaughter of the paper’s founder, John Henry Murphy Sr. […]
Posted inCoronavirus
Pandemic blues: how the Black community weathered a global pandemic – again
Compiled by AFRO Staff In March of 2020 the activities of day-to-day life came to a grinding halt as the coronavirus pandemic began. No country has been left untouched by COVID-19, the condition caused by the virus. Communities across the globe have struggled to combat an enemy you can’t see- a coronavirus moving at uncontrollable […]
Posted inNational News
Feminine Front: how the AFRO covered women in wartime
The AFRO has always prided itself in giving a voice to the backbone of Black society- the women who serve as daughters, sisters, aunts, mothers, church leaders, educators and yes– even soldiers. Shown here, AFRO coverage of the challenges and triumphs of Black women in the military. Help us Continue to tell OUR Story and […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
AFRO on the move: how traveling reporters kept readers informed from coast to coast
By AFRO Staff Black Americans experienced a new level of freedom as automobiles and public transportation evolved over time. Though it was dangerous to be a Black American on the wrong road at any time of day, the AFRO had courageous reporters who sent in updates on politics, education and the everyday lives of Black […]
Posted inNational News
Moses Newson: Black journalist extraordinaire and AFRO all star speaks at 95
By Kara Thompson, Special to the AFRO When the Freedom Riders risked their lives in 1961 to protest the segregated bus system in the American south, Moses Newson was there. When the University of Mississippi, a segregated college, admitted its first male Black student in 1962, Moses Newson was there. And when Martin Luther King […]
Posted inNational News
The AFRO at 130: a word from Publisher Frances “Toni” Draper
The not-so secret of success: “Believe in yourself, in God and the present generation.” “A newspaper succeeds because its management believes in itself, in God and in the present generation. It must always ask itself: whether it has kept faith with the common people; whether it has no other goal except to see that their liberties […]
Posted inReligion
AFRO News: 130 years of documenting the Black Church
By Fatiha Belfakir, Special to the AFRO Intertwined at the core, the AFRO will never cease coverage of the Black church. In fact, the AFRO American Newspaper was born in 1892 when John Henry Murphy Sr. merged three church publications in Baltimore. The former slave and Union soldier combined his Sunday School Helper, George F. […]
Posted inNational News
Congressman Kweisi Mfume reflects on the AFRO at 130
By U.S. Representative Kweisi Mfume (MD-7), Special to the AFRO For 130 years, the AFRO-American Newspaper has been the eyes, ears, and voice of our community. On the anniversary of its founding, we celebrate the irreplaceable role this publication has played in documenting our history, telling our story, and speaking truth to power. The newspaper was […]
Posted inNational News
Building on John H. Murphy Sr.’s legacy of truth in our Black history
By Maxine Johnson Wood, Ed.D., Special to the AFRO The founding of the AFRO-American Newspaper 130 years ago on August 13, 1892 is being widely celebrated, lauded and applauded. Of particular significance to many interested in its origin is the life, activity and motivations of its founding publisher, John Henry Murphy, Sr. A perusal of […]
Posted inBooks
PRESS ROOM: Autism influencer Jeremiah Josey releases a new book about his experience as a Black man with autism
By NNPA NEWSWIRE An important addition to autism literature and a much-needed voice for autistic people of color. (NNPA NEWSWIRE) — Autism influencer Jeremiah Josey’s new book, “Here’s What I Want You to Know 2,” brings the autistic perspective to the BLM movement with heart and passion. In simple and powerful terms, Jeremiah opens up about […]