By Renée Hall Another American community is grieving today. This time it is Stockton, Calif., where families woke up to the kind of news no parent, no neighbor, and no city should ever have to endure. Sirens at night. Candles by morning. Another headline. Another vigil. And a community asking the same heartbreaking question we […]
Category: OPINION
Posted inOPINION
Opinion: I came of age at college…I fear for my grandchildren there
By Dr. France “Toni” Murphy DraperWord in Black I remember college as a place of possibility. We protested — yes — but we did so with sit-ins, with leaflets, with raised voices and locked arms. We marched and we sang “We Shall Overcome Someday.” We believed, perhaps naively, that collective courage and moral clarity could […]
Posted inCommentary
Reframing autism in D.C. schools: From label to understanding
By Nicole A. Wynn In a busy Washington, D.C. classroom, a student rocks gently in his chair, hands over his ears. The teacher assumes he’s being defiant and calls his name sharply. In reality, the fluorescent lights and echoing voices have overwhelmed his senses. This scene plays out daily in schools across the District not […]
Posted inCommentary
Commentary: Maryland must end the harmful practice of automatically charging youth as adults
Attorney Kisha Brown previously served as director of both the Maryland Attorney General’s Legislative Affairs division and the Civil Rights department. She was the first woman to lead the Baltimore City Office of Civil Rights. In this piece she argues Maryland’s criminal justice system continues to disproportionately harm Black communities, especially through its outdated practice of automatically charging some youth as adults, a policy critics argue urgently needs to end.
Posted inOPINION
Tips for managing your holiday budget in a time of financial uncertainty
By Janet Currie It’s hard to believe the holiday season is upon us, bringing both excitement and extra financial responsibilities. For many Maryland families, managing celebrations alongside everyday budgets can feel a bit heavier this year. According to Bank of America internal data, in 2025 nearly a quarter of all households are estimated to live […]
Posted inEditorial
This Christmas, give our children something that will grow with them
By Dr. Frances “Toni” Murphy DraperAFRO CEO and Publisher Every holiday season, we search for the perfect gifts for the children in our lives. We want the joy and the surprise. But most of what we buy doesn’t last. Sneakers lose their shine, video games get replaced and toys are forgotten by spring. As families […]
Posted inOPINION
Hidden in code: How tech reinvents Jim Crow barriers to housing
By Alice T. Crowe Black Americans have struggled to build wealth in America through property ownership. Owning land meant freedom. Government policies like redlining and restrictive covenants cheated Black families and communities out of wealth. Jim Crow’s color-coded paper maps were just one ruse in a trick bag of tactics used to normalize segregation and […]
Posted inCommentary
Fostering inclusive societies: Breaking barriers for persons with disabilities
Wayne Campbell highlights the systemic barriers—attitudinal, physical, transportation and policy-driven—that continue to limit the full inclusion of persons with disabilities in the Caribbean and globally. He emphasizes the importance of the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy and calls for stronger enforcement of inclusive policies, meaningful participation of people with lived experience, and societal commitment to creating disability-inclusive societies.
Posted inEditorial
This Christmas, don’t let our elders be the last ones noticed
This Christmas, make sure to include and honor the elders in your family by listening to their stories, inviting them to contribute to conversations and decisions, and showing them appreciation with small gifts.
Posted inOPINION
Opinion: World AIDS Day highlights Caribbean’s widening HIV burden
The Caribbean continues to carry a disproportionate HIV burden, with rising infections, disrupted prevention services and deep structural inequalities undermining decades of progress. On World AIDS Day, Wayne Campbell urges renewed political leadership, accurate public education and rights-centered responses to counter complacency, stigma and the risky conditions that fuel HIV transmission across the region.
Posted inCommentary
It’s difficult being grateful during stressful times
By Maurice Carroll None of us make it out of life without experiencing some stress. Let’s face it, stress is one of those human traits that crosses all boundaries of faith, nationality, gender and age. There are studies dedicated to defining it and others dedicated to finding and sharing treatments for it. As African Americans, […]
Posted inCommentary
Don’t hide your Kwanzaa under a rock
By Bill Curtis As policy of the current federal government in 2025, the era of integration is over. From 1965 with the Voting Rights Act until the regime of President Trump, integration was the policy of the Federal government for 60 years. And American society stumbled forward out of its darkness. Lyndon B. Johnson, the […]