Category: Washington D.C. News

Stanice Anderson remembers the sensation of floating that came after she injected heroin. She also remembers the agony of trying to quit—the stomach cramps, nausea, the feeling of desperation that she would never be free. “The rush is euphoric. It felt like I was really light,” Anderson, of the District, told the AFRO. “There were no […]

Ramping up to the April 1 Democratic primary, the Missionary Baptist Ministers’ Conference of Washington, D.C. and Vicinity hosted a debate forum Feb. 17 at Zion Baptist Church in Northwest. Clergymen, residents, and even out-of-towners came out to hear the candidates discuss several issues including poverty, affordable housing, parking, and education. Democrats running for mayor […]

Efforts to raise both the federal and state minimum wage continued this month. At the federal level, information from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported a change could have wide-reaching positive and negative effects. “The $10.10 option would have substantially larger effects on employment and income than the $9.00 option would – because more […]

To many young Black men in the Washington-Baltimore area, the failure of a Florida jury to convict a White man who fatally shot unarmed 17 year-old Jordan Davis for murder said a lot about the way the nation thinks about the value of the lives of its young Black men. To several young Black men […]

It was the surprise of a lifetime for three Friendship Collegiate Academy seniors who received scholarships to further their education at Hanover College in Indiana. Associate director of admissions and director of the Templeton Scholars Program, Monica Green from Hanover College visited the school, Feb. 28, to make the presentations to Takima Johnson, Cora Smallwood […]

WASHINGTON (AP) – District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray and other city leaders are making their annual trip to New York to meet with the three bond rating agencies. The city’s bond ratings have improved steadily since the mid-1990s, when Congress was forced to take over the bankrupt district government. Gray will argue that the […]

Despite a massive mid-February storm that even slowed the U.S. Postal Service in D.C., a U Street florist made sure that his Valentine’s Day deliveries didn’t get stuck in the snow. The storm that dumped eight inches of snow in D.C., 10 inches at Thurgood Marshall/BWI Airport and more than 12 inches at Dulles Airport […]

Former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry tweeted Valentine’s Day wishes on Feb. 14. “Happy Valentines Day DC! I’m going tb hugged up w/my boo 2night watching 1 of our fav shows #houseofcards. What r U doing 2day 4 ur boo? ;)” The tweet comes after news outlets reported this week that he had been rushed to […]

Stephanie C. Hill did not grow up aspiring to a career in engineering. She loved math and had set her eyes on becoming an accountant. “In fact, I call myself an accidental engineer,” the 49-year-old told the AFRO with a laugh. Hill’s recognition as the 2014 Black Engineer of the Year is no accident, however. […]

The District of Columbia is outpacing the nation in the percentage of African-American students that take and pass Advanced Placement (AP) exams, according to data released by the College Board Feb. 11. Over 33 percent of Black students who take AP exams in the District achieve passing scores of 3 or higher, compared with 4.6 […]

Howard University presented “A Mandela Day” Symposium on Feb. 11. The event, held in the Browsing Room of Founders Library, celebrated the day the late South African president was released from prison on Robben Island in 1990. The event culminated with a 7 p.m. jazz concert featuring trumpeter Hugh Masekela and pianist Larry Willis at […]

The White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (WHIHBCU) has announced its first class of HBCU All-Stars, recognizing 75 undergraduate, graduate and professional students for their accomplishments in academics, leadership and civic engagement. Currently enrolled at 62 HBCUs, the All-Stars were selected from 445 students who submitted completed applications that included a transcript, […]