AFRO CEO and publisher Dr. Frances Murphy (Toni) Draper condemns the president’s public insult of a female reporter, arguing that such demeaning language mirrors patterns of emotional abuse, fuels misogyny and racism, endangers women—especially women journalists—and normalizes harmful behavior across society. She urges leaders and communities to call out abusive conduct, teach respect, and model accountability.
Category: Commentary
Posted inCommentary
The power of small things: Why your words matter more than you think
In this commentary, Maurice Carroll urges readers to practice mindful speech by starting with “a little bit,” cultivating intentional thoughts and habits that lead to lasting personal change.
Posted inOPINION
Betrayal within: Drugs in neighborhood stores and the scars on our community
Baltimore police recently raided two convenience stores, uncovering illegal marijuana operations and multiple arrests. In this commentary, Michael Eugene Johnson condemns the betrayal of community trust when local businesses become drug hubs and calls for strict legal and financial accountability to protect neighborhoods.
Posted inCommentary
Homecoming and the spirit of unity: What HBCUs teach America
Dr. Javaune Adams-Gaston is president of Norfolk State University, chairwoman of the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and a member of the Board of Governors for the NCAA; and Dr. Tony Allen is president of Delaware State University, vice chairman of MEAC, and the chairman emeritus of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. In their joint commentary, the pair celebrates the spirit and legacy of HBCU homecomings as more than festive gatherings—they are affirmations of cultural pride, resilience and unity.
Posted inOPINION
Teach your kids backyard and urban farming to promote nutrition and neighborhood health
Community gardens in urban areas provide inter-generational learning, promote social cohesion, provide nutrition education, reduce crime, lower grocery bills, create jobs, reduce carbon footprint, and improve air and soil quality.Community and backyard gardens teach children about nutrition, provide fresh produce, lower grocery costs, and strengthen neighborhood ties. Urban farming also promotes intergenerational learning, community cohesion, economic opportunities, and environmental benefits, while requiring organized efforts to overcome space, soil, resource, and regulatory challenges.
Posted inOPINION
Storms, solidarity and selective aid: The U.S., Jamaica and the ‘s- -thole’ bias
Residents stand on the wreckage of a house destroyed by Hurricane Melissa in Santa Cruz, Jamaica. In this piece, Edmond W. Davis argues that America’s disaster aid and immigration responses reveal a persistent racial and political bias, showing more compassion toward European nations than to its Black Caribbean neighbors like Jamaica and Haiti.
Posted inCommentary
Faith, housing and hope: How planning builds stronger Black communities
By Dr. Teresa M. Jeter Every October, we celebrate National Community Planning Month, a recognition established by the American Planning Association (APA) to highlight the vital role urban and regional planners play in shaping our communities. While often behind the scenes, planners help communities navigate change, protect culture and build resilience. For African American neighborhoods, […]
Posted inOPINION
The goalposts keep moving: Maryland’s public arts funding is failing its working artists
By Sarahia Benn “Maryland artists just saved the arts budget, and yet somehow, we still can’t get a grant. It’s like showing up to your own party and being told the punch bowl is for everyone else.” – Sarahia Benn For decades, I’ve worked as an artist, educator and advocate for public arts funding in […]
Posted inCommentary
Legally Written: The missing voice in America’s access to justice PART 1
By Kisha Brown “Access to justice” is a term of art and action in legal and policy circles — a call for better inclusion and participation in our legal system. That system of course is not relegated to just the courts; it includes nearly every facet of life from healthcare to education to housing to […]
Posted inWord In Black
Compassion has left the building
By Dr. Frances Murphy DraperAFRO CEO and Publisher As Americans worry whether they’ll get their next paycheck, keep the lights on, or afford dinner tonight, an internal email dated October 31, 2025, from the halls of the U.S. Department of War (formerly the Department of Defense) lands — addressed to “Policy Colleagues,” wishing them a […]
Posted inCommentary
The power of giving: Proof that generosity can’t be confined
An incarcerated man at North Branch Correctional Institution in Maryland began making monthly donations to Associated Black Charities (ABC), inspiring two others to join him. Their small but consistent gifts highlight that generosity transcends privilege and circumstance, reminding us that philanthropy belongs to anyone with a heart to give and that even behind bars, humanity and hope endure.
Posted inOPINION
‘We won’t be jimcrowed’: The prehistory of Round Bay, Maryland’s first African-American resort
Round Bay, Maryland, served as the state’s first African-American resort from 1887 to 1910, offering Black Marylanders a rare space for recreation, entertainment, and community before the full force of Jim Crow segregation. The resort ultimately closed after segregation laws and shifting social dynamics pushed patrons to alternative Black-owned leisure destinations.