By DaQuan LawrenceAFRO International WriterDLawrence@afro.com Black homebuyers are 1.7 times more likely to be denied a mortgage than all other racial groups in the nation, according to a recent study by LendingTree. Considering the historical trend of housing disenfranchisement and disproportionate racial homeownership, the AFRO spoke with policy experts about the implications of the phenomenon, […]
Category: Washington D.C. News
Posted inNational News
Marching forward: Commemorating the March on Washington on Wall Street
Dr. Benjamin Chavis, president and CEO of National Newspaper Publishers Association, will help lead churches and the Black Press in a march on Wall Street Aug 28. Demonstrators will use the march to demand equity and opportunity for marginalized communities.
Posted inHealth
Thousands of patients insured by UnitedHealthcare cut off from in-network care at Johns Hopkins Medicine
Following eight months of failed negotiations, Johns Hopkins Medicine will no longer be covered as “in-network” for patients with insurance through UnitedHealthcare. This leaves thousands of patients in Maryland, D.C., and Virginia potentially facing higher costs or reduced coverage.
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Community split as D.C. residents debate federal takeover, with opposition outweighing support
Since the president took control of D.C.’s police force and deployed nearly 2,000 armed National Guard troops on Aug. 11, residents remain deeply divided. A Washington Post/George Mason poll shows nearly 80 percent oppose the move, with many calling it government overreach and questioning the justification given falling crime rates. Others, however, support the action, citing concerns about youth violence and safety on city streets and public transit.
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Reading, writing and road rules: AAA offers lesson in back-to-school traffic safety
As schools in D.C. and Maryland reopen for the 2025–26 academic year, AAA is reminding motorists, parents, students, and bicyclists to stay alert and follow traffic safety rules to keep children safe. With increased congestion around schools, risks posed by distracted driving, red-light running, and improper bus passing are heightened. AAA highlights state laws, offers safety tips for bus riders, pedestrians, bicyclists, and parents handling drop-offs and pick-ups, and stresses vigilance to prevent avoidable tragedies.
Posted inWashington D.C. News
D.C. residents ‘make good trouble’ in push back against federal takeover of nation’s capital
D.C. residents are continuing to speak out against the 47th U.S. president’s decision to bring National Guard troops to the streets of D.C.
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Lewis Ferebee shares priorities for D.C. schools in new academic year, beginning Aug. 25
As D.C. Public Schools students return to class on Aug. 25, Chancellor Lewis D. Ferebee outlines new initiatives to boost academic success, address chronic absenteeism, and modernize school facilities. In an interview with the AFRO, Ferebee highlighted gains since the pandemic, strategies to strengthen attendance, and DCPS’s approach to AI in classrooms, while reaffirming Mayor Muriel Bowser’s $180 million commitment to school modernization.
Posted inHBCU
Howard University president announces departure
By Ashleigh Fields Special to the AFRO Dr. Ben Vinson III will soon depart from his role as president of Howard University, just two years after being selected to lead the historically Black institution. Howard University officials announced that Vinson would step down from the role on Aug. 31 with former President Wayne A.I. Frederick […]
Posted inEducation
How Black educators have experienced and managed burnout
Teachers across the nation are dealing with burnout, with symptoms ranging from fatigue to apathy about work and irritability in their time off.
Posted inCommentary
ASALH leads resistance to attacks on Smithsonian and U.S. history
ASALH is standing in opposition to the President’s directive to review archival materials and remove any exhibit or artifact that does not align with his definition of American exceptionalism, and is calling for daily acts of resistance to preserve and protect Black history.
Posted inCommentary
Defending the African American Museum of History and Culture is defending America’s truth
By Dr. Frances Murphy DraperAFRO Publisher and CEO America cannot afford to whitewash its past. Yet that is exactly what is at stake in the current review of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. To question whether slavery and racism belong in the story of this nation is not only dangerous—it is […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
DC unemployment rate is the highest in the US for the third straight month
Washington, D.C.’s unemployment rate climbed to 6 percent in July — the highest in the nation for the third consecutive month — fueled by mass federal worker layoffs under President Trump’s workforce cuts and a sharp decline in international tourism. Economists warn the trend could worsen racial disparities in employment and strain the city’s economy.
