A growing number of policy-makers, higher education officials and others are lamenting lackluster college completion rates and soaring student loan debt loads among college students in the United States. The problem is particularly pronounced among Black students. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the research arm of the U.S. Department of Education, the […]
Category: Washington D.C. News
Metro Beefs Up Security after Subway Melee
While Metro usually employs a proactive stance against violence on its trains, in light of the Aug. 6 youth-involved brawl at the Gallery Place station, several new steps have been adopted to offset recurrences, a Metro official told the AFRO this week. At the same time, Lisa Farbenstein said, the fracas that proceeded to the […]
King Memorial on Pace for 2011 Completion
Construction of a 4-acre Martin Luther King memorial continues to move along quickly. The $120 million project is roughly 40 percent complete and on course for its 2011 third quarter unveiling along the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The project’s sponsor, the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, has currently raised $107 million […]
BET Foundation Women’s Health Symposium Tour Stops in Prince George’s
Several organizations have joined forces to sponsor the 2010 tour stop of the BET Foundation’s (BETF) Women’s Health Symposium, a day-long event that brings Black women and their families together for health education, fitness, entertainment and more. The day’s events will include a morning fitness warm-up and a fitness demonstration session, a “Hoop It Up […]
Bowie State Makes Strides in Science, Math
Bowie State University, one of Maryland’s leading historically Black institutions, continues to work toward becoming a key research school with gains in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The school’s faculty and students recently took center stage in a published brochure that describes the STEM opportunities available at the Prince George’s County school. “This brochure […]
D.C.’s Teacher of the Year Nominates Anacostia High Senior for Full-Tuition Scholarship
A promising local student, StarQuasha Spears of the District, has received a full-tuition undergraduate scholarship at the University of Phoenix thanks to educator Stephanie Day, a teacher at Friendship Public Charter School. Spears is a senior at Anacostia High School and received the 2010 Teaching It Forward scholarship sponsored by the University of Phoenix for […]
Smart Back to School Shopping Tips for Families
Back to school means seeing friends, catching up and wearing new clothes, which is fun and exciting for kids. But for parents, back-to-school shopping, planning and scheduling can be stressful. If you plan ahead and involve your children in the process, you will save money and have the opportunity to teach some valuable life skills […]
Rhee Welcomes New Teachers
With classes slated to resume Aug. 23, District of Columbia Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee welcomed 400 new instructors during three days of orientation activities this week. In comments made at the Columbia Heights Education Center, Rhee promised her latest corps of recruits that if they performed their jobs well, students would exceed their expectations. […]
Coolidge’s ‘Lady Coach’ Hits the Turf
WASHINGTON (AP) – She led a group of players in a huddle, with her arms raised and meeting in the middle. She gestured, called out instructions, monitored drills with a discerning face, and even cracked a smile. In other words, Natalie Randolph’s first practice at Coolidge Senior High School had much the same feel as […]
Brown Takes Lead in Ward 8 Straw Poll
At-large Councilman Kwame Brown, who is in a heated contest for the D.C. Council chairmanship with former Ward 5 representative Vincent Orange, has won yet another straw poll. Having already succeeded in polls for wards 3, 4 and 7, Brown, in this latest vote that was sponsored by residents of Ward 8, proved his mettle […]
District Mulls Medical Marijuana Regulations, Discounts
When it comes to the distribution of medical marijuana in the nation’s capital, qualified residents who least can afford it could be in line for a break, as the District’s new mandate will include a provision for distributing the drug at a lower rate for low-income patients. But according to Dan Riffle, a legislative analyst […]
Two Charged in Riverdale Murders
Two persons have been charged in the alleged murder of four people in Riverdale, near Washington, D.C., on Aug. 6. Tkeisha Nicole Gilmer, 18, and Darrell Lynn Bellard, 43, both of Dickinson, Texas, were each charged with four counts of first degree murder in the slayings. Police say 3-year-old Shayla Shante Sikyala and 4-year-old Shakur […]

