For over 50 years, Baltimore City’s YouthWorks program has provided thousands of city youth with paid summer jobs, offering critical skills, mentorship and career pathways. Now expanding into year-round internships and credentialed career tracks in fields like healthcare and clean energy, the program is evolving into a powerful pipeline for workforce development and long-term economic mobility.
Category: NEWS
Posted inWord In Black
Youth activism: The crucial role of family support
Young changemakers are leading movements for climate action, gun violence prevention and equal representation—supported by families who help them heal, organize and sustain their activism.
Posted inBaltimore News
AFRO Exclusive: Tamla Olivier on leading BGE, breaking barriers and powering Baltimore’s future
Tamla Olivier, recently appointed as CEO of Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE), sat down with the AFRO to discuss her journey as a Black woman in corporate leadership, her commitment to community engagement, and her plans to make energy more affordable and sustainable for Maryland residents. In the exclusive Q&A, Olivier emphasized her merit-based rise to the top and outlined BGE’s focus on energy equity, customer support, and innovation through AI.
Posted inBaltimore News
From beads to business: Baltimore camp teaches girls more than jewelry-making
At Beadly Speaking Kidz Jewelry Camp, Baltimore girls aren’t just learning how to make earrings and necklaces — they’re learning how to budget, sell their work and speak up with confidence. Founded by jewelry maker and former educator Dyon Davidson, the camp blends creativity, entrepreneurship and empowerment.
Posted inHealth
From stigma to power: Empowering those with invisible disabilities in the Black community
Invisible disabilities come in many different forms but they are always without visual indicators of a disability. The AFRO spoke with experienced people in this field and they offered their insight and advice on how to tackle the stigma around this topic. Black people are afraid to disclose and talk about their invisible disabilities for fear of losing job opportunities, being scorned in school or being socially ostracized. The time for stigma is over, and the time for community and Black empowerment is now.
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Rare Essence, D.C.’s legendary go-go band, proves they still have the magic touch
Go-go elite Rare Essence, continues to draw audiences to its live performances of Washington, D.C.’s homegrown sound delivered in the band’s signature style.
Credit: AFRO Photo/ J. Pamela Stills
Posted inAfro Briefs
A sentence—finally—but still no justice for Breonna Taylor
Attorney Ben Crump (left), stands beside Tamika Palmer, mother of Breonna Taylor, and Kenneth Walker, Taylor’s boyfriend, outside the federal courthouse calling the sentencing offers “a start,” though it remains uncertain whether true justice was served for Breonna.
Posted inWashington D.C. News
D.C. wants to stop kids from gathering at night
By Martin Austermuhle, The 51st At some point before this weekend, large yellow signs are likely to pop up in a “hot spot” D.C. neighborhood warning kids to, well, stay away – at least after 8 p.m. The extended curfew is part of a new policy pushed by Mayor Muriel Bowser and adopted by the […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Gunman blames NFL, kills 4 in Manhattan office tower before taking own life
Shane Tamura, a former high school football player, killed four people in a Manhattan office building on July 28 before taking his own life, claiming in a note that he suffered from CTE and blaming the NFL for hiding the risks of brain injuries. Authorities say Tamura intended to target the NFL’s headquarters but entered the wrong floor, opening fire in the lobby and on the 33rd floor in a shocking attack that left an off-duty NYPD officer and a Blackstone executive among the dead.
Posted inHealth
An overlooked crisis: Women with disabilities and maternal health inequity
Black mothers with disabilities face unique challenges during pregnancy, including medical dismissal and higher costs. Advocates call for systemic change to ensure equitable, compassionate care for all mothers navigating these barriers.
Posted inBaltimore News
Roslyn Chandler Wood, devoted educator and community pillar, dies at 96
Roslyn Chandler Wood, a devoted educator, cultural advocate, and lifelong Baltimore resident, passed away on July 17 at age 96. Family, friends, and community members gathered July 24 to honor her legacy of service, excellence, and empowerment during a heartfelt celebration of life at St. James Episcopal Church.
Posted inBaltimore News
Maryland lawmakers denied entry to Baltimore ICE facility
Maryland lawmakers were blocked from inspecting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) holding areas during a scheduled oversight visit to the Baltimore Field Office on July 28. ICE officials cited directives from headquarters, sparking outrage from the delegation and drawing a comparison to the historic targeting of Black Americans by Rep. Kweisi Mfume.