By Maya Pottiger, Word In Black Long before the current boom — back in October 1990 when Black folks thought it was “just a White Flight thing” — Joyce Burges started homeschooling her son. At 14 years old, he was pushed out of school only two months into the semester. “They pretty much kicked us […]
Category: Word In Black
Posted inWord In Black
Black families report high unmet demand, barriers to entry for after-school programs
By Maya Pottiger, Word In Black For the last 18 years, Youth Empowerment Solutions, or YES, has enabled kids in Michigan to make a difference in their community. The program, run out of the University of Michigan, was created in 2004 out of a need to improve public safety and reduce crime and violence, especially […]
Posted inBaltimore News
New poll shows one in five Americans have been affected by gun violence
By Mylika Scatliffe, AFRO Women’s Health Writer, mscatliffe@afro.com Gun violence wasn’t something 33-year-old Jasmine Ramsey thought too much about–at least in terms of affecting her. On Feb. 27, 2021, that changed when her then 10-year-old daughter, Kaelin Washington, was shot in the chest while walking to her godmother’s house. She was simply leaving a neighborhood […]
Posted inWord In Black
Here’s why you should try cold exposure therapy
By Anissa Durham, Word In Black Black folks are talking about mental health more often, but the price and access to talk therapy and medication are common barriers for our community. Cryotherapy, or any kind of cold exposure, is becoming a low-cost option for stress relief, anxiety, and depression. Submerging yourself in an ice bath, […]
Posted inHealth
Experts urge for comprehensive approach to prevent overdose deaths in Baltimore
By Fatiha Belfakir, Special to the AFRO As the country continues its fight on the drug overdose epidemic, the number of deaths soars in many cities across the nation, and Baltimore is no exception. Experts are suggesting pragmatic measures and urging policymakers to take actions to address the ongoing addiction and Fentanyl overdose crisis. The […]
Posted inCoronavirus
CDC challenges continue: fighting a pandemic requires public trust
By Fatiha Belfakir, Special to the AFRO, fbelfakir@afro.com The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently revealed new changes of its operations and the COVID-19 quarantine protocol. This sparked a debate among both the American public and health professionals, exposing a dire need to rebuild a fundamental trust between the people and public health […]
Posted inWord In Black
First week of school cut short for students across Baltimore- again
By AFRO Staff A new school year was once again plagued by old problems for students across Baltimore and Washington D.C. Hundreds of students and parents that anticipated a full first day of classes on Aug. 29 were disappointed once again by the air conditioning systems in the buildings where they were set to return. […]
Posted inPrince George's County News
Prince George’s County Schools faces staff shortages, lifts mandatory mask mandate as students head back to school
By Deborah Bailey, Contributing Editor Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) returned students to a smaller number of teachers and staff in their buildings this year. PGCPS C.E.O. Monica Goldson said the school system is experiencing a shortage of roughly 900 teachers and an additional 150 bus drivers in Maryland’s second school district, serving 130,000 […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
The tough first week of school for District of Columbia students
By Deborah Bailey, Contributing Editor Students in the D.C. area piled back into classrooms this week, but D.C. administrators are still working out some details of the “welcome back,” as many children arrived at hot facilities and chaos surrounding students COVID-19 vaccination status. With the first week of school, temperatures soared into the 90s’ and […]
Posted inWord In Black
A back-to-school letter to my daughter
By Rashaad Thomas, Word In Black News about school shootings, achievement gaps, the digital divide, COVID-19, and monkeypox inundate us daily. Watching my 7-year-old daughter walk onto her school campus for her first day of second grade makes not worrying about all that extremely difficult. My wife and I struggled with the decision to send […]
Posted inWord In Black
What Black homeschooling parents want you to know
By Maya Pottiger, Word in Black When Jania Otey started researching public schools in 2008 to enroll her son, she was disappointed with her options. She started connecting with people in her church community who were homeschooling, and she and her husband decided to give it a try. “There are some really good schools out […]
Posted inWord In Black
Baltimore schools prep for a school year with COVID-19, safety and teacher shortage concerns
By Kara Thompson, Special to the AFRO As August draws to a close, back-to-school preparations are kicking into high gear. Teachers and school systems across the country are making arrangements to welcome students back to the classroom, including Baltimore County and Baltimore City. At the start of the last school year, school systems in the […]