By JILL COLVIN, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has granted a rare posthumous pardon to boxing’s first Black heavyweight champion, clearing Jack Johnson’s name more than 100 years after what many see as his racially charged conviction. “I am taking this very righteous step, I believe, to correct a wrong that occurred […]
Category: POLITICS
Posted inMaryland Government
Gubernatorial Candidates Try To Distinguish Themselves in Race
By Hamil Harris, Special to the AFRO Maryland Public Television hosted a Democratic gubernatorial debate in Baltimore where eight contenders on stage, and one on video. tried to distinguish themselves in a race where the current Republican Governor has more money in his war chest than all of his opponents combined. The nine candidates offered their […]
Posted inMaryland Government
County Executive Race Shows Political Rift in the State
By Hamil R. Harris, Special to the AFRO Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks is accustomed to holding press conferences to announce who is being convicted or sentenced for engaging in criminal activities. But Alsobrooks, who is running for County Executive, recently held a press conference to condemn campaign literature being distributed by supporters of […]
Posted inMaryland Government
Will Ervin Take Up the Mantle of the Kamenetz Campaign?
By Hamil R. Harris, Special to the AFRO In the wake of the death of Maryland gubernatorial candidate Kevin Kamenetz, his running mate, Valerie Ervin, is being urged to take his place on the ballot and according to state law she only has until May 17 to make a decision. Former Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.) wants […]
Posted inNEWS
Lee Seeks Fourth Term as Prince George’s Register of Wills
By James Wright, Special to the AFRO, jwright@afro.com One of the most obscure elected positions in Prince George’s County is also one of the most important. Cereta Lee, the Register of Wills, wants to make sure residents understand that. That is one of the reasons she is seeking a fourth term in the position. Cereta Lee is […]
Posted inNEWS
Who is Valerie Ervin?
By James Wright, Special to the AFRO, jwright@afro.com As Valerie Ervin is being encouraged by Prince George’s County leaders to run for governor, others are wondering who she is. Ervin, a former Montgomery County Council member, was running with Kevin Kamenetz as his lieutenant governor’s pick for the June 26 Democratic Party primary. Valerie Ervin is facing […]
Posted inPOLITICS
Howell Wants to Be Next Clerk of Prince George’s Courts
By James Wright, Special to the AFRO, jwright@afro.com One of the most important jobs in Prince George’s County government is also considered one of the least glamorous, but that is fine with Adrion Howell. Howell, a resident of Glenn Dale, is a candidate for clerk of the county court. Howell told the AFRO he is committed to making […]
Posted inNEWS
Is There More to the De Sousa Exit Than Taxes?
By Stephen Janis, Special to the AFRO On the surface, the resignation of Baltimore police commissioner Darryl De Sousa seems like just another chapter in the sullied history of the Baltimore Police Department (BPD); the city’s top cop tarnished by charges that he failed to file tax returns for three years stepping aside to face federal […]
Posted inMaryland Government
Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Race Heats Up
By Sean Yoes, Baltimore AFRO Editor, syoes@afro.com Ivan Bates, the defense attorney, former prosecutor and candidate for Baltimore City State’s Attorney, has been on the campaign stump incessantly attacking State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby and her record. Mosby says her office’s 92 percent felony conviction rate speaks volumes about her record. Mosby, Bates and former Maryland Deputy Attorney […]
Posted inBaltimore Community
`Ceasefire’s’ Bridgeford Laments De Sousa Resignation
By Sean Yoes, Baltimore AFRO Editor, syoes@afro.com After a little more than two months in the chair, Baltimore Police Commissioner Darryl De Sousa resigned this week in the wake of three federal misdemeanor charges of not filing income taxes in 2013, 2014 and 2015. However, it seems abundantly clear to many that there is much more connected […]
Posted inNEWS
Judge Says Ex-Lawmaker ‘Squandered’ Life, Faces Prison
By MICHAEL TARM, AP Legal Affairs Writer CHICAGO (AP) — A federal judge Thursday handed former U.S. Rep. Mel Reynolds a six-month prison sentence for not filing tax returns for income on consulting work from Africa, telling the Harvard graduate he had “squandered” opportunities to be something better in life. Judge Robert Gettleman noted how […]
Posted inBaltimore Community
Mosby Announces Debate Schedule, Defends Record
By Sean Yoes, Baltimore AFRO Editor, syoes@afro.com Veteran defense attorney Ivan Bates and former Maryland Deputy Attorney General Thiru Vignarajah, both vying to unseat Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby, have both accused her of ducking them on the debate stage. Mosby replied to those accusations by releasing the dates and venues for debates she says she […]
