The season features Listen to Me, Kanika Harris and Stephanie Etienne’s urgent documentary on the Black maternal and infant mortality crisis, and This World Is Not My Own, Opendox’s visually striking film using animation about celebrated folk artist Nellie Mae Rowe, who turned her home and yard in Vinings, Georgia, into the fantastical creative world she called the Playhouse. Emmy Award-winning actress Uzo Aduba and Broadway veteran Amy Warren bring Rowe and her friend, gallery owner and arts patron Judith Alexander, to life through voice and movement. A third title, to be announced later this year, will premiere in November.
Tag: Congress
Posted inEditorial
‘A whole civilization will die tonight’?: Dangerous words, 93 million lives, and a Congress that must act
An AFRO editorial by Dr. Frances “Toni” Draper warns that escalating rhetoric from the 47th president toward Iran risks normalizing mass destruction, endangering millions of civilian lives and increasing the likelihood of catastrophic conflict, while urging Congress to reassert its constitutional authority over war.
Posted inMaryland News
Two years later: Maryland rebuilds after Key Bridge collapse
Two years after a container ship collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge, sending a massive section into the Patapsco River and claiming six lives, Maryland’s rebuild is moving faster than any project of its size in the U.S. Demolition is complete, foundation piles are being installed, and officials say the new bridge—set to reopen in late 2030—will be the state’s first cable-stayed span over 2 miles long with 230 feet of clearance for modern shipping.
Posted inOpinion
Tariff whiplash and a rising Black recession
Black recession, uncertain tariff policy, and targeted dismantling of equity programs are creating challenges for Black-owned small businesses.
Posted inU.S. Government
TSA workers go without pay as partial government shutdown stretches into March
TSA employees are missing paychecks as the partial Department of Homeland Security shutdown stretches into March, forcing workers to juggle bills, childcare, and transportation while still reporting to work. Airports across the country are feeling the strain, with long lines and wait times at major hubs like Houston, New Orleans, Atlanta, and New York.
Posted inOpinion
The truth about the president’s accounts and Black wealth
Joint Center leaders argue that the president’s new accounts for newborns will widen the racial wealth gap by rewarding families who already have the means to save, while leaving low-wealth Black households behind. They urge Congress to adopt progressive Baby Bonds instead, with larger automatic investments for children from families with the least wealth.
Posted inAfro Briefs
President, allies said to be creating executive plan to steal the 2026 midterms
Activists who support the 47th president are said to be drafting a proposed executive order claiming, without evidence, that China interfered in the 2020 election and seeking expanded federal authority over voting systems ahead of the 2026 midterms, according to The Washington Post. Voting rights advocates warn the move would challenge states’ constitutional control over elections.
Posted inCommentary
Commentary: Court ruling forces No. 47’s administration to restore CFPB funding
Charlene Crowell, a senior fellow with the Center for Responsible Lending, highlights how the current administration’s efforts to defund or undermine the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) hurt working families while protecting Wall Street and corporate interests. Court rulings have now forced the administration to restore CFPB funding, reinstate employees, and resume its oversight work, which prevents billions in consumer losses from predatory financial practices.
Posted inU.S. Government
Deadline looms as Congress risks another shutdown
With federal funding set to expire at 11:59 p.m. Jan. 30, Congress is again on the brink of a government shutdown, just months after a prolonged lapse disrupted essential services and deepened hardship for families nationwide. As Republicans push a single sweeping funding vote, Democrats warn that no viable agreement exists, leaving negotiations stalled and the risk of another shutdown growing as the deadline approaches.
Posted inEducation
3 education fights that aren’t going away in 2026
Battles over the Department of Education, immigration and artificial intelligence in the classroom aren’t going away in 2026.
Posted inAfro Briefs
From Washington to Bogotá, protests grow as Maduro faces US judge
The arrest and transfer of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to a U.S. federal court sparked widespread protests across the United States and abroad, with demonstrators questioning the legality and consequences of the 47th U.S. president’s action. As Maduro appeared under heavy guard in Manhattan, rallies erupted from New York to Bogotá and Caracas, drawing condemnation from global leaders and deepening international tensions over U.S. intervention and international law.
Posted inHealth
Higher cost, worse coverage: Affordable Care Act enrollees say expiring subsidies will hit them hard
As COVID-era Affordable Care Act subsidies are set to expire, enrollees across the country say they are bracing for sharply higher premiums, higher deductibles and tougher choices. With Congress failing to extend the tax credits, some families plan to downgrade coverage or drop insurance entirely, warning the loss will strain household budgets and heighten financial and health risks.