By Deborah Bailey, AFRO D.C. Editor District of Columbia officials reported the highest number of monkeypox cases per capita in the United States this week. The news comes as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and District officials are still grappling with the roll out of testing and vaccination for the virus. At a […]
Category: NEWS
Posted inHBCU
Morgan alum invested as first African-American president of Pittsburgh Technical College
By Tinashe Chingarande, Special to the AFRO Harvey-Smith began her role in 2019 Pittsburgh Technical College made history in June as it inaugurated its first ever Black president. Morgan State University alum, Alicia Harvey-Smith, Ph.D., assumed her role in 2019 but challenges onset by the COVID-19 pandemic delayed her inauguration until this year. Alicia Harvey-Smith, […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Diane Bell-McKoy, CEO of Associated Black Charities, steps down from role
By Kara Thompson, Special to the AFRO On July 1, Diane Bell-McKoy announced that she will be stepping down as president and chief executive officer of Associated Black Charities (ABC). She has served in these roles for the past 16 years. “At that time 30 some years ago there was a […]
Posted inPolitics
Wes Moore wins Democratic primary race, secures party nomination for governor
By BRIAN WITTE, Associated Press ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Bestselling author Wes Moore won the Democratic primary for Maryland governor on Friday, setting up a general election contest against Republican Dan Cox, a hard-line conservative endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Moore, the author of the book “The Other Wes Moore” and the former CEO of […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Baltimore prosecutor Marilyn Mosby defeated in primary
By BRIAN WITTE, Associated Press ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Marilyn Mosby, a high-profile prosecutor who aligned herself with criminal justice reformers but ended up with legal problems of her own, has lost the Democratic primary for Baltimore state’s attorney to Ivan Bates, a defense attorney. Baltimore is heavily Democratic, and there is no Republican candidate […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Vernon Simms, seasoned advisor and chief of staff for the late Elijah Cummings dies
By Kara Thompson, Special to the AFRO Vernon L. Simms, longtime advisor and chief of staff to the late Elijah Cummings, passed away on July 16. “Vernon loved the AFRO and the AFRO loved him,” said Diane Hocker, director of the Community & Public Relations for the AFRO. “He would open doors and use his […]
Posted inPolitics
Wes Moore among potential winners
By H. R. Harris, Special to the AFRO Tashi McQueen, AFRO Political Writer Report For America Corps Member Army veteran, author, TV producer and former CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation, Westley Watende Omari Moore is moving closer to the Democratic nomination for Governor in the State of Maryland. But not yet. As of 8:30 […]
Posted inNational News
Texas school shooter left trail of ominous warning signs
By Bernard Condon, The Associated Press The Uvalde, Texas, gunman gave off so many warning signs that he was obsessed with violence and notoriety in the months leading up to the attack that teens who knew him began calling him “school shooter.” He was once bullied as a fourth-grader in one of the same classrooms […]
Posted inD.C. Community
Heat Emergency in D.C. Until Monday – Cooling Stations, Pools, Spray Parks Open Extended Hours
By Deborah Bailey, AFRO D.C. Editor It is going to be HOT this weekend. With anticipated weekend temperatures ranging between 95 and 100 degrees, Mayor Muriel Bowser has declared a heat emergency through Monday. District officials do not want you to try and “tough this one out.” Cooling Centers and Pools will be open for […]
Posted inNational News
We were there: How AFRO war correspondents kept Black America informed
By Sarah E. Crest, Special to the AFRO The Afro-American Newspapers sent correspondents to all theaters of war during World War II. This is Our War, published in 1945, is a collection of dispatches filed by AFRO correspondents. The men and women chronicled the experiences of African-American military personnel. Correspondents provided a boots-on-the-ground view of […]
Posted inWord In Black
#WordinBlack: Black parents are more involved in their children’s education than ever
By Maya Pottiger, Word in Black School buses stopped running, classrooms turned virtual, and the traditional education system turned upside down. In the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the days of parents and guardians sending kids off to school and not reuniting until dinnertime were over. Instead, many families were holed up inside, 24 […]
Posted inWord In Black
#WordinBlack: What happens to Black kids when record numbers of teachers quit?
By Maya Pottiger, Word in Black The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every aspect of our lives, but there’s one that has taken an incredibly dramatic hit: schooling. First, there was the shift to virtual learning, which had its own ups and downs. Then came the debates over how soon students should return to in-person learning, […]