By Hamil R. Harris, Special to the AFRO After about 150 years of being a beacon of spirituality and social justice in the Shaw community, Lincoln Temple United Church of Christ will be closing its doors because one of the city’s oldest African American congregations is dissolving. Lincoln, which has been standing at 1701 11t h Street Northwest […]
Category: Washington D.C. News
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT, LIFE & STYLE, Living, NEWS, Washington D.C. News
Ubiquitous Women’s Expo Celebrates Black Beauty
By Charise Wallace, Special to the AFRO The 5th annual Ubiquitous Women’s Expo brought women and men of color together in Washington, D.C., for a weekend of entertainment and knowledge about everything that represents “Black Girl Magic.” Hundreds of women and men stopped by the Walter E. Convention Center on Aug. 25 and 26 to experience […]
Posted inNEWS, Washington D.C. News
Experts: State Test Scores Only One Measure of Student Progress
By James Wright, Special to the AFRO, jwright@afro.com The recent news that District of Columbia students are making progress on a widely used standardized test was met with skepticism by some who say predominantly Black schools in the city aren’t doing enough to educate their charges. On August 16, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) announced that for […]
Posted inAfro Briefs, NEWS, Washington D.C. News
High Levels of Lead Found in DC Public Housing
By Micha Green, AFRO Washington, D.C. Editor, mgreen@afro.com Residents of Barry Farm Dwellings in Southeast, D.C. received a notice last week alarming them that “lead-based paint or lead-based paint hazards” had been identified throughout the housing complex. EmpowerDC, an organization that works closely with the housing complexes in Ward 8, posted the notice on Twitter. “Why no […]
Posted inAfro Briefs, NEWS, Washington D.C. News
2 Suspects Arrested for Murder of 10-Year-Old Makiyah Wilson
By Micha Green, AFRO Washington, D.C. Editor, mgreen@afro.com The last few days have been major in the investigation of the July 16 shooting rampage that killed 10-year-old Makiyah Wilson and injured several others in the Clay Terrace area of Northeast, D.C., as two suspects were arrested. Over the weekend, Qujuan Thomas, 20 of Southeast, D.C., was arrested […]
Posted inBUSINESS, NEWS, Prince George's County News, Washington D.C. News
New Docu-Series Promotes DC’s Entrepreneurs
By Christina Sturdivant Sani, Special to the AFRO As Washington’s creative economy thrives, four D.C.-area natives want newcomers to know that the city was cool before #madeindc was a slogan branded on t-shirts and coffee mugs. For decades, people have been putting down roots in the District, and the fruits of their labor are bringing more […]
Posted inBUSINESS, LIFE & STYLE, Living, NEWS, Washington D.C. News
Virginia Ali, Owner of Ben’s Chili Bowl, Embraces 60 Years of Change
By Lenore T. Adkins, Special to the AFRO For decades, Ben’s Chili Bowl owner Virginia Ali ate a beef hotdog daily that she slathered with mustard, onions and of course, the restaurant’s famous chili. But nine years ago, when Ali turned 75 and the doctor told her she was at risk of having a stroke because […]
Posted inAfro Briefs, NEWS, Washington D.C. News
DC School Changes Name After Discovering Slave Owning Ties
By Micha Green, AFRO Washington, D.C. Editor, mgreen@afro.com A school in Southeast, D.C. underwent major renovations before opening its doors to students on Monday, and of the $52 million in changes to the school, the cheapest and most meaningful was updating its name. The school, formerly known as Benjamin Grayson Orr, was named after a slave holder […]
Posted inNEWS, Prince George's County News, Washington D.C. News
Girls (Finally) Get Their Own School in Ward 8
By James Wright, Special to the AFRO, jwright@afro.com Two years ago, the District of Columbia public schools opened up the Ron Brown College Preparatory High School in Ward 7, an all-boys institution and recently, the girls got theirs. The Excel Academy, the public all-girls public school, started classes Aug. 20. The Excel Academy educates students from pre-Kindergarten […]
Posted inNEWS, Prince George's County News, Washington D.C. News
DC Baptist Convention Is Ready for Its Close-Up
By James Wright, Special to the AFRO, jwright@afro.com The District of Columbia’s branch of one of the largest Protestant denominations in the United States is making an effort to engage residents and become more visible in the city. The DC Baptist Convention (DCBC) is an umbrella organization for more than 200 churches in the Washington, D.C. area, […]
Posted inNEWS, Washington D.C. News
Gentrification Remains Hot Topic in Ward 8
By James Wright, Special to the AFRO, jwright@afro.com Gentrification has defined the political and demographic landscape in the District of Columbia for the past 20 years. Some community leaders urge residents to try to control the spread of gentrification- such as a panelists at, “New Wave Voting: Gentrification & Riding the Tide of the District’s Changing Political […]
Posted inNEWS, Washington D.C. News
DCPS Goes Back to School, What Does That Mean?
By Logan Walker and Micha Green, DCPS Student, AFRO Intern and AFRO Washington, D.C. Editor, mgreen@afro.com “Back to School” is a season in the United States that signifies transition. In mid-summer store shelves begin to fill with school supplies. Yet by the last few weeks of the educational summer vacation, stores become crowded with parents looking […]