A new law raised the monthly child support pass-through for vulnerable Washington, D.C., families on TANF from $150 to $200. Advocates call this an important step toward ending the impact of the city’s cost recovery system.
Category: Washington D.C. News
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Norton calls for end to ‘disingenuous partisanship’ after House passes two anti-D.C. Home Rule bills
By D. Kevin McNeirSpecial to the AFROkmcneir@afro.com Washington, D.C., officials are decrying federal legislation that, they say, pose as threats to Home Rule – the law which has allowed the District to self-govern since 1975. On Nov. 17, the House Rules Committee considered 13 D.C.-related bills. Ahead of the vote, the District’s delegate to Congress, […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
‘Busy Bee’ Britton celebrates 35 years of holiday shopping tradition in D.C.
By D. Kevin McNeirSpecial to the AFROkmcneir@afro.com Juanita “Busy Bee” Britton, founder of Washington, D.C.-based BZB International, will mark her 35th anniversary as host of a holiday tradition, dubbed “the largest African American Department store on the East Coast,” beginning Black Friday, Nov. 28. Busy Bee, a nickname she earned during her childhood and to […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Bill to prevent water disconnections for D.C. residents introduced
The D.C. Water Billing and Disconnection Modernization Act aims to protect tenants from sudden water shutoffs. Councilmember Charles Allen introduced the bill to bring more transparency and timelines to D.C. Water’s disconnection process.
Posted inWashington D.C. News
New RENTAL Act amendment reduces tenant protections
The D.C. Council recently refined the Rebalancing Expectations for Neighbors, Tenants, and Landlords (RENTAL) Act, clarifying Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) rules for small landlords. Councilmember Anita Bond’s (D-At Large) amendment allowing clear titles and exempting two- to four-unit homes from TOPA was approved amid debate over tenant protections.
Posted inWashington D.C. News
2025 Homecoming Howard University
Howard University held their homecoming activities from October 19-26, 2025, with the HU Bison defeating the Morgan State Bears 33-27 in the football game, and the weekend filled with unity and pride.
Posted inCongressional Black Caucus (CBC)
CBC member Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick indicted on charges of stealing $5M in disaster funds
U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida has been indicted on charges that she stole $5 million in federal disaster funds through her family’s health care company. Prosecutors allege she funneled part of the money into her 2021 congressional campaign, accusations she has not publicly responded to.
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Youth bands set to compete during Go-Go Awareness Week in D.C.
By D. Kevin McNeirSpecial to the AFROkmcneir@afro.com Go-Go Awareness Week kicked off Nov. 17 with a press conference held at the Go-Go Museum & Café in Southeast Washington, D.C. And while legends, including Rare Essence, E.U., Trouble Funk and “the godfather of go-go,” Chuck Brown, were essential in the evolution of the regional music style into […]
Posted inDMV News
Local Black actors transcend racial barriers in stellar performances as Ebenezer Scrooge in holiday classic, ‘A Christmas Carol’
By D. Kevin McNeirSpecial to the AFROkmcneir@afro.com For those who are diehard fans of the stage and anxiously await the holiday season every December, enjoying a production of the Charles Dickens classic, “A Christmas Carol”: counts as a family tradition. Over the past decade, two Black actors, Gregory Burgess and Craig Wallace, portraying Ebenezer Scrooge […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Early educator pay fund faces cuts amid D.C. budget shortfall
Childcare advocates are warning that D.C.’s early learning system could face a major setback after the D.C. Council voted to reduce salary minimums for educators supported by the city’s Pay Equity Fund. Lawmakers said the change was necessary to sustain the program after Mayor Muriel Bowser declined to provide additional funding amid ongoing budget challenges
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Christopher Albert named D.C. Teacher of the Year
By Chianti MarksAFRO Interns D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser recently announced Christopher Albert as the District’s 2026 Teacher of the Year. Bowser called it one of her favorite annual celebrations. “It is an incredible experience to hear an auditorium of students erupt in cheers when their teacher is announced and to see the other educators just […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
A ‘gamble’: Washington area airport travelers worry about shutdown’s impact on flights
By Holliday Woodard and Peter Riccio Three weeks into the government shutdown, travelers have mixed feelings about flying in and out of the nation’s capital. Most interviewed by Capital News Service said they worry the ongoing shutdown could make conditions worse, even as they have faced only slight delays so far. “I think it’s a […]