Category: Washington D.C. News

WASHINGTON — Two days of testimony about the questionable hiring practices of Mayor Vincent Gray’s administration seem to indicate he was unaware of the nepotism practiced by some of his staff and the alleged quid pro quo hiring of former mayoral candidate Sulaimon Brown. On April 7, 11 witnesses were called before the Committee on […]

Former Washington, D.C. mayoral aide Sulaimon Brown said April 8 he is eager to tell Congress and Justice Department investigators how D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray runs the city. But on April 8 he told the AFRO he won’t talk about his allegations of corruption by the mayor to the D.C. Council, even if subpoenaed by […]

WASHINGTON – Sulaimon Brown, who accused Mayor Vincent Gray (D) and his administration of pay-to-play practices, refused to testify before the D.C Council April 7. Brown left the government operations hearing led by Councilmember Mary Cheh, who called a five-minute recess. The former special assistant in the Department of Health Care Finance and mayoral candidate […]

Leaders from the National Pan-Hellenic Council along with others from the Black human rights community are using the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s death to reinforce his dream. The leaders said they truly want to see equality for all Americans. “At a time when the needs of the Black community, the needs of […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former D.C. schools chancellor Michelle Rhee says she welcomes a probe by the District’s Inspector General into erasures on standardized tests during her tenure. USA Today reported last week that some high-scoring schools touted by Rhee had extraordinarily high numbers of erasures correcting wrong answers. Rhee said Monday in an appearance on […]

While an entrenched Congress faces a government shutdown April 18 due to partisan wrangling over the nation’s fiscal budget, residents in Washington, D.C., face a budget crisis of their own. Mayor Vincent Gray (D) rolled out his fiscal year 2012 budget proposal and tax hikes and expenditure cuts are crucial ways Gray desires to seal […]

The fast approaching April 26 race for the at-large D.C. Council seat left empty by newly-elected Chairman Kwame Brown is, for many voters, largely a contest between Councilmember Sekou Biddle and longtime D.C. politico Vincent Orange. But, as with many elections, it’s also a showdown between unions. Each candidate is backed by a major labor […]

Washington, D.C. Councilmember David Catania March 30 introduced the South Capitol Street Tragedy Memorial Act of 2011. The law would use mental health screening and better enforcement of truancy in an effort to curb crimes among D.C. youth, Catania said. The proposed legislation was unveiled on the first anniversary of a shooting that left four […]

While much attention has been focused on alleged scandals involving the District’s mayor, taxicab drivers complain he has ignored campaign promises to correct unfavorable industry conditions. Taxicab industry activists said Mayor Vincent Gray reneged on his promise to address many of the regulations established by his predecessor that, they say, have almost crippled the industry. […]

Chocolate City? Not anymore. That’s because while the District of Columbia’s overall population has grown for the first time in 60 years, the city’s Black population has shrunk, putting the nation’s capital on track to lose its long-held status as a majority Black city—if it hasn’t happened already. That’s the conclusion being reached by demographers […]

The DC council’s probe into the allegations of cronyism and nepotism in hiring that have stained Mayor Vincent Gray’s administration and caused the firing or resignation of several staff members began with a hearing March 28. But while six witnesses were called to testify before the legislative body, Sulaimon Brown—who made headlines this month when […]