By Stephen D. Riley, Special to AFRO Sex, bigotry and racism—Washington, D.C., has it all, and I’m not even talking about politics. If you’re a sports fan trapped in the District I don’t know who you’re more ashamed of after the first week of May, the Wizards or the Washington football team. If allegations from the […]
Category: Washington D.C. News
Posted inINTERNATIONAL
Afro Cubans Abound at Kennedy Center Festival
By Lenore T. Adkins, Special to the AFRO A two-week festival at the Kennedy Center highlighting Cuba’s vibrant cultural arts scene in music, dance, visual arts, cinema, theater, fashion and other disciplines includes Cuban artists of African descent. “Artes de Cuba: From the Island to the World” will showcase more than 400 Cuban and Cuban-American artists […]
Posted inENTERTAINMENT
D.C. Brings the Funk
By Hamzat Sani, Special to the AFRO It’s official: Washington, D.C. keeps it funky. The 5th Annual Funk Parade will take place on May 12 despite concerns that the event would be cancelled. Instead of cancellation, this year’s parade has grown with a full day of events leading to a fuller night of musical showcases spanning […]
Posted inDistrict of Columbia Government
Marvin Gaye Recreation Center Opens May 5 in D.C.
By Lenore T. Adkins, Special to the AFRO The District of Columbia Department of Parks and Recreation will launch its first-ever Marvin Gaye Day on May 5 by opening the new recreation center that bears the late singer’s name and following that up with a street festival for the community, according to DPR. Members of Marvin […]
Posted inDistrict of Columbia Government
DC Council Limits School Suspensions
By Micha Green, AFRO Washington, D.C. Editor, mgreen@afro.com When last year’s Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) released data revealing Black students are eight times more likely to be suspended than their White counterparts, Council member David Grosso (I-At Large), Chairman of the Education Committee, immediately began working to reverse those statistics. Grosso’s advocacy […]
Posted inDistrict of Columbia Government
Racine is Running Hard, Even with No Opponent
By James Wright, Special to the AFRO, jwright@afro.com Karl Racine is running for re-election as the District of Columbia’s attorney general but faces no opponent in the Democratic Party primary or even in the Republican, DC Statehood Green and Libertarian parties. Nevertheless, Racine is making appearances at Democratic club meetings and participating in organization’s endorsement processes. “I […]
Posted inDistrict of Columbia Government
Despite Calls for Unity, Trayon White Anti-Semitic Controversy Continues
By James Wright, Special to the AFRO, jwright@afro.com Last week the AFRO reported about harsh emails from D.C. Council member Elissa Silverman to Joshua Lopez, a former advisory neighborhood commissioner and commissioner on the D.C. Housing Authority, because of his support for Council member Trayon White, who was accused of being anti-Semitic. This week, on May 1, Lopez […]
Posted inNEWS
Reid Scores Big Endorsement in Ward 1 Race
By James Wright, Special to the AFRO, jwright@afro.com Sheika Reid, a candidate for the Ward 1 D.C. Council seat, recently got a huge endorsement. Reid received the nod of approval from the American Federation of State, Council and Municipal Employees’ (AFSCME) District 20 Council on April 29. Andrew Washington, the executive director of the union told the […]
Posted inDistrict of Columbia Government
Northeast Social Security Office Temporarily Closes
By Lenore T. Adkins, Special to the AFRO Citing unexpected repairs, officials have closed the Postal Plaza Social Security office in Northeast D.C. until further notice, the Social Security Administration announced April 30. People with existing appointments there should expect to hear from the administration with two options: to either receive services over the phone, […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Hackers Try to Ruin NASA Competition for Three Black Teens
By Micha Green, AFRO Washington, D.C. Editor, mgreen@afro.com India Skinner, Mikayla Sharrieff and Bria Snell are 11th graders and members of the cheerleading squad at Banneker High School in Washington, D.C., who are spreading their “Black Girl Magic” in the world of STEM, the famous acronym for science, technology, engineering and math. How? The young ladies created […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Inside MPD’s Efforts to Teach Cops Black History
By Lenore T. Adkins, Special to the AFRO Words matter and are not to be taken lightly, University of the District of Columbia Professor Bernard “Bernie” Demczuk told nearly two dozen Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) recruits on their mandatory Black History tour along U Street April 20. In his opinion when people say “riot,” they’re talking […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Following Anti-Semitic Comments, Fallout Continues for Trayon White
By James Wright, Special to the AFRO, jwright@afro.com A Jewish member of the District of Columbia and one of the leading Latino leaders in the city recently got into a confrontation with one another over the latest events taking place regarding D.C. Council member Trayon White. Joshua Lopez, a former advisory neighborhood commissioner in Ward 4 and […]