Baltimore residents like Everett Mitchell and Leah Oliver are leading grassroots efforts to plant trees in underserved neighborhoods, helping to combat climate change and restore green spaces. Their work brings environmental healing, education, and a renewed connection to nature in the heart of the city.
Category: NEWS
Posted inHealth
Bringing diversity to the mat: Maryland studio owners work to make yoga more inclusive
Dana Smith and Kendra Blackett-Dibinga, two Maryland yoga instructors and studio owners, are working to make the practice more inclusive. Both women opened their studios to create welcoming spaces where people of all backgrounds—especially Black communities—can see themselves represented in yoga.
Posted inMental Health
Breaking cycles: Black parents embrace self-care and mindful parenting
Black parents across the U.S. are embracing self-care and teaching children mindfulness, affirmations and boundaries as part of a shift in parenting. Advocates say the approach helps break cycles while giving kids tools to thrive.
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Bridging the ‘Black-Blue Divide’ — one congregation at a time
Faith and Blue, a national initiative launched in 2020 by MovementForward, invites police officers into houses of worship to foster trust and dialogue with communities that have often viewed law enforcement with skepticism. At Set the Captives Free Outreach Center in Maryland and hundreds of churches nationwide, congregations are bridging the “Black-Blue divide” through worship, conversation, and shared activities with local officers.
Posted inNational News
LaRuby May and team of attorneys file suit against Pfizer, claim negligence in premature release of sickle cell drug therapy
LaRuby May and her legal team are representing clients who were harmed by the withdrawn Pfizer drug, Oxbryta, and are advocating for research and treatments for sickle cell disease.
Posted inClimate Change
In Kenya, a search for links between a changing climate and mental health
In Kenya’s Kilifi County, researchers are finding that droughts and floods linked to climate change are worsening mental health challenges for women farmers. A new study by The Aga Khan University shows that extreme weather is associated with rising levels of anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts in rural communities.
Posted inWord In Black
Meet the 5 MacArthur ‘geniuses’ making the future Black and brilliant
Five Black innovators — filmmaker Garrett Bradley, archaeologist Kristina Douglass, social justice artist Tonika Lewis Johnson, musician Craig Taborn, and chemical engineer William Tarpeh — have been named 2025 MacArthur Fellows. Each recipient of the prestigious “genius grant” is using creativity, science, and storytelling to redefine what’s possible in their fields and to shape a more equitable, sustainable, and inspired future.
Posted inBlack History
Lynching by suicide: The rebranded face of America’s racial violence
The death of 21-year-old Delta State University student Demartravion “Trey” Reed, ruled a suicide, is being challenged by his family and activists who cite evidence of foul play and a long history of racial violence in the South. Advocates say Reed’s case reflects a broader pattern of suspicious deaths of Black Americans being dismissed as suicides, echoing the legacy of lynching in America.
Posted inBaltimore News
Morgan State University kicks off homecoming week 2025
Morgan State University will celebrate Homecoming 2025 Oct. 9-12. The historically Black institution, founded in 1867, will welcome students, community members and alumni from around the world to the Northeast Baltimore campus for a variety of events.
Posted inPrince George's County News
Prince George’s County Council passes emergency support legislation for furloughed federal workers
Council Chair Edward P. Burroughs III (D- Prince George’s County- 08) and Councilwoman Wala Blegay (D-Prince George’s County-06) are working hard on behalf of Prince George’s County residents currently experiencing the sting of yet another federal shutdown.
Posted inBlack History
30 years later, Million Man March spirit lives on in local gatherings
This week, the AFRO commemorates the 30th anniversary of the 1995 Million Man March, the historic event orchestrated by the Minister Louis Farrakhan and a host of other community organizations focused on improving the plight of Black men and women. The AFRO was present three decades ago, with images coming from the late J.D. Howard, and will document anniversary events taking place this October.
Posted inNational News
Afro-Latino leaders celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
Afro-Latino leaders are reshaping politics, media and community advocacy by embracing and elevating their multicultural identities. Through their work, they challenge misconceptions, expand representation and create pathways for the next generation to lead.