By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia The failure of Congress to pass legislation like the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act have frustrated African Americans. With new voter suppression laws, the leaked Roe V. Wade opinion, and the assault on many other rights, […]
Category: NEWS
Posted inWord In Black
#WordinBlack: Is the redistricting process taught thoroughly enough in schools?
by Kara Thompson, MDDC Intern Most Americans know the basics of the election process by the time they reach age 18 and receive the right to vote. We know presidential elections happen every four years, but oftentimes, less attention is paid to other elections that occur. Ask the average American about midterms that happen every […]
Posted inNational News
Students of color push back oncalls for police in schools
By Annie Ma, The Associated Press After the mass shooting at a Texas elementary school, schools around the country pledged to boost security measures and increased the presence of law enforcement on campus — partly to reassure parents and students. But police inside schools can make some students more uneasy, not less. Especially for Black […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
This high school student studied how violent crime impacts SAT scores. Here’s what she found
By Maya Pottiger, Special to the AFRO College applications, homework, a part-time job, family responsibilities, and what to wear to prom — those are the typical activities of a high school senior in the United States. But today’s students aren’t living in typical times, and we’re not only talking about the COVID-19 pandemic. Nowadays, violent […]
Posted inNational News
Summer can be hard for Black LGBTQ students. Here’s how to handle the break
By Maya Pottiger, Special to the AFRO Though DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince’s iconic anthem “Summertime” heralds that school’s out and it’s time — as Will Smith raps — to “sit back and unwind,” the end of the school year isn’t good news for everyone. For LGBTQ kids, being home for the summer […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
What’s going on with Black high school graduation rates?
By Maya Pottiger, Special to the AFRO The pandemic has been tough on everybody, but particularly so on Black students. They’ve seen their parents, grandparents, and other caregivers disproportionately die from COVID-19, and they’ve witnessed the stress of family members — nurses, Amazon warehouse workers, restaurant staff — working frontline jobs that can’t be done […]
Posted inNational News
Mass shooting survivors recount their experiences in Gun Violence hearings before Congressional committee
By Special to the AFRO Various mass shooting survivors told their stories during a gun violence hearing on June 8. This is following last week’s congressional gun hearing in Texas, in which House Democrats decided to combine several gun policy bills into one large package known as the Protecting Our Kids Act. “After 19 innocent […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
DC Afro-Latino Festival – Intro To Summer
By Deborah Bailey, AFRO D.C. Editor The DC Afro-Latino festival at Malcolm X Park June 5, offered just the right intro to summertime in the District of Columbia. The new festival, sponsored by the Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs (MOLA) Officina Ejecutiva de la Alcaldesa para Asuntos Latinos, this past weekend, honored the District’s large […]
Posted inBUSINESS
Black woman-owned Restocked aims to supply sought-after sneakers at reasonable prices
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, Report for America Corps Member, msayles@afro.com Dana Green is no stranger to entrepreneurship, but when she opened Restocked in Leesburg, Virginia last summer, it was her first time heading a retail business. Raised in Clinton, Maryland, Green knew she wanted to become a business owner at a young age. […]
Posted inArts & Culture
SOWEBO Art and Music Festival 2022
By AFRO Staff The SOWEBO Art and Music Festival once again returned to Baltimore on May 29th, with a mix of interesting offerings for all ages. SOWEBO, which stands for South West Baltimore, is an annual festival that brings music, vendors, food and residents together for a day of fun. Black businesses and artists were […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Governor Hogan and Mayor Scott war over Baltimore’s crime
By AFRO Staff Governor Larry Hogan and Mayor Brandon Scott recently exchanged words over Baltimore’s crime and efforts to get it under control. In a blistering letter to Scott, Governor Hogan requested a progress report on Mayor Scott’s crime plan and how the money set aside to fix the problem was being used. Mayor Scott […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Black-owned Célébrez en Rosé festival returns to D.C. and travels to Chicago for the first time
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, Report for America Corps Member, msayles@afro.com It’s time to break out your finest pink and white attire because the premier Black-owned festival for wines, champagne and lifestyle, Célébrez en Rosé, is returning to Washington, D.C. this June. This year marks the festival’s third anniversary in Washington, D.C., which will […]