Black Americans across the nation are questioning why Black leaders such as Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY-08) voted for a National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk, the conservative commentator who often made disparaging comments about the Black community. This week, AFRO News Publisher and CEO Dr. Frances Murphy Draper speaks on the legislators who voted to honor Kirk, and praises those like Congressman Kweisi Mfume (D-MD-07) (center) and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14) (right), who stood against the resolution put before them.
Tag: Congress
Posted inOpinion
Congressional bills aiming to jail Black youth won’t make D.C. safer
Congress is pushing legislation to lower the age for transfer to adult court and repeal second-chance laws in Washington, D.C., echoing outdated “superpredator” myths that disproportionately target Black youth for detention. Dr. Kevin Beckford argues these measures will make communities less safe and urges investment in proven community-based interventions instead.
Posted in!Front Page National News
47th U.S. president threatens to take over D.C. police again over immigration enforcement
By Gary Fields and Chris Megerian President Donald Trump on Sept. 15 threatened to once again federalize Washington, D.C.’s police force, in what he suggested could come in response to the city’s mayor’s stated refusal to cooperate with immigration enforcement. Trump’s emergency order, which took over the local police force, expired last week. Hours before […]
Posted inU.S. Government
Norton to challenge multiple bills aimed at giving Congress greater control over D.C.
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, who has represented D.C. residents in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1991, says she plans to raise opposition to four anti-D.C. home rule bills.
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Attorney General Schwalb sues to end illegal National Guard deployment in D.C.
D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb has filed a lawsuit challenging the President’s deployment of nearly 2,300 National Guard troops to the District, arguing the move violates federal law and undermines local self-governance. The suit contends that deputizing out-of-state troops for policing duties endangers residents, erodes public trust, and exceeds presidential authority.
Posted inOpinion
It’s time to make affordability a priority
Congressman Kweisi Mfume discusses the need for a living wage, affordable housing, healthcare, and education in order to build a prosperous America.
Posted inPOLITICS
The Republican spending bill is bad for climate justice too
The Republican-led budget bill signed on July 4 eliminates key climate justice programs, including the EPA’s Environmental and Climate Justice Program, reversing billions in planned investments for underserved communities. While some grant funding is being defended in court, advocates warn that the rollback signals a major setback for environmental justice efforts, disproportionately impacting Black, Brown, Indigenous, and low-income Americans.
Posted inPolitics
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. : A clear and present danger to American health
Congressman Kweisi Mfume represents Maryland’s Seventh Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. This week, he sounds the alarm on what he believes are dangerous health policies and staffing decisions made by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Posted inBlack History
Petition for 6888th Forever Stamp in need of support
A Change.org petition is calling on the U.S. Postal Service to issue a Forever Stamp in honor of the women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion.
Posted inU.S. Government
FBI HQ move to Greenbelt reversed as D.C. site is chosen instead
Two years after Greenbelt, Md., was selected for the FBI’s new headquarters, the White House administration reversed course, announcing plans to keep the agency in D.C., prompting strong opposition from Maryland leaders.
Posted inCommentary
Following the illegal bombing in Iran, impeachment is the only answer
By D.C. Representative Oye Owolewa President Donald Trump carried out an unconstitutional act of war on June 21 without Congressional approval. For this reason, Congress must launch an impeachment inquiry. We Americans have been lied to for the past couple of decades. We have been told that the United States couldn’t afford free college education […]
Posted inEducation
Pell Grants at peril: 7 million recipients face $9 billion program cut
Charlene Crowell is a senior fellow with the Center for Responsible Lending. In this piece, she examines how a House-passed FY 2026 budget proposal that cuts $9 billion from Pell Grant funding, threatens access to higher education for millions of low-income students by reducing grant amounts, tightening eligibility, and disproportionately impacting adult learners and students of color.