(Stock Photo) By Alexis Taylor, Special to the AFRO Baltimore City Public Schools (BCPS) did indeed return to “normal” this week, as the first day of classes ended in mid-day dismissals for hundreds of students due to a lack of air conditioning. Many students returned for in-person learning for the first time in 18 months since […]
Category: Word In Black
#WordinBlack: Things parents should know sending their kids back to school
Dr. Stacey Eadie (left) and Dr. Andrea Goings. (Courtesy photos) By Breonna Randall, Howard University News Service For the first time since March 2020, millions of students, pre-kindergarten to high school seniors, will be attending in-person classes. Aside from attending class, they will be also participating in extracurricular activities, like sports, music and clubs. Parents […]
#WordinBlack: White House experts: Vaccination key in protecting students and keeping variants at bay
“Everybody who is 12 or up has to be vaccinated so that they can protect themselves, protect their school and protect their communities,” said White House Vaccinations Coordinator Dr. Bechara Choucair. “We have to do everything we can to create a safe environment and protect the twelve and under who aren’t eligible yet to get […]
#WordinBlack: Tutors fill virtual deficits for public school students during the pandemic
(Photo by Ralston Smith on Unsplash) By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO Lynette Jasper Edwards knew it was time to do something. The disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic had come into sharp focus for classroom teachers and parents in Fall 2020. And she was both. Some students weren’t adapting well to the virtual […]
#WordInBlack: Biden administration provides ‘roadmap’ and resources for reopening
The Return to School Roadmap (RTSR) is an initiative of the U.S. Department of Education, under the umbrella of President Biden’s American Rescue Plan (ARP), that allocates over $130 billion to K-12 to support re-opening efforts. By Nadine Matthews Special to the AFRO Although many expected COVID (or the likelihood of contracting the virus) to […]
#WordInBlack: Pandemic magnifies education inequality for minority students
Even with in-person learning, America’s education gap has been prevalent for far too long, putting minorities at a disadvantage. (Courtesy of unsplash) By Micha Green AFRO D.C. and Digital Editor mgreen@afro.com In the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous, “I have a dream speech,” the celebrated civil rights leader and orator painted a picture […]
#WordinBlack: Public school parents highlight opportunities for permanent change post pandemic
Group diverse students in school building checked and scanned for temperature check. Elementary pupils are wearing a face mask and line up before entering into classroom. (Courtesy photo) By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO Public schools are weeks away from in-person reopenings. Though the delta variant of coronavirus continues to spread, vaccination is not […]
#WordinBlack: Advocates say expansion of child tax credit and continued pandemic assistance could pull 4 million students out of poverty
Parents can choose to begin advancing half of their child tax credit as early as July 2021, or elect to receive a lump sum when taxes are filed in 2022. (Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash) By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO As the true impact of the coronavirus pandemic comes into focus, early […]
#WordinBlack: Delta variant driving explosion of new COVID-19 cases
In this May 21, 2021 file photo, a person holds a mask while walking outside in Philadelphia. New evidence showing the delta variant is as contagious as chickenpox has prompted U.S. health officials to consider changing advice on how the nation fights the coronavirus. Recommending masks for everyone and requiring vaccines for doctors and other […]
#WordinBlack: Why I’ll be cheering extra hard during these Olympics
(Photo by Charles Deluvio/Unsplash) by Larry Lee Publisher, Sacramento Observer I absolutely love the Summer Olympics. Growing up, I ran, jumped and played, emulating some of my favorite American Olympians of the era such as Carl Lewis, “Sugar” Ray Leonard, Michael Jordan, Edwin Moses and Jackie Joyner-Kersee. For those reasons alone, I am glued to the […]
#WordInBlack: Haitians can no longer hide behind the caste system killing our country
Our family’s multi-color bond was the exception, not the rule in Haiti. (Photograph by Patrice S Dorsainville on Unsplash) By Garry Pierre-Pierre The Haitian Times My mother’s side of the family came from Miragoâne, the coastal southern city whose economy was bauxite. We have a range of hues across the skin color spectrum — from my […]
#WordInBlack: Delta Variant Driving Explosion of New COVID-19 Cases
The pandemic is not over, and one expert advises that mask mandates be reintroduced. (Photograph by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash) This post was originally published on The Washington Informer Covid-19 deaths in predominately white communities have continued to rise at dramatic rates, providing a glimpse into just how bad the pandemic remains in African American neighborhoods. “We […]

