By Roger House Maryland’s Gov. Wes Moore (D) recently caused a stir in the movement for reparations in his state. As the nation’s only Black governor, he vetoed a bill to assess the wrongs of slavery and Jim Crow and propose various remedies. The act had been championed by the state legislature and the Black […]
Tag: Gov. Wes Moore
Posted inMaryland News
Gov. Moore announces Schiraldi’s departure from DJS and new acting secretary
Gov. Wes Moore has replaced Vincent Schiraldi as Maryland’s juvenile services chief and appointed Betsy Fox Tolentino as acting secretary to lead the troubled agency through a critical period of reform.
Posted inOPINION
Opinion: Reparations aren’t a fad. They’re a bill that’s still due.
Michele Miller, who helped lead a municipal reparations initiative in Amherst, Massachusetts, that resulted in a $2 million fund for Black residents, argues that reparations are not a passing trend but a necessary and long-overdue response to centuries of systemic injustice against Black Americans, requiring real action and accountability from leaders at all levels.
Posted inOPINION
Op-ed: Why charging for land records could make housing less stable
A new Maryland State Archives policy to charge for online access to land records threatens housing stability for vulnerable families—especially older Black homeowners with tangled titles—by creating costly barriers to proving property ownership, despite Governor Moore’s stated commitment to affordable and accessible housing.
Posted inOPINION
Wes Moore’s veto of the Maryland reparations commission bill is counter revolutionary
Dayvon Love is director of public policy for the Baltimore-based think tank, Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle. This week he speaks on Gov. Wes Moore’s veto of Maryland’s reparations study bill and what he thinks that says about the limits of mainstream Black political leadership when it is not rooted in militant, transformative struggle.
Posted inReligion
Faith leaders stand with governor on veto of bill to create Maryland reparation commission
Rev. Jerome Stephens and a group of prominent faith leaders support Gov. Wes Moore’s veto of a proposed reparations commission, urging a shift from further study to immediate action on racial equity. They highlight the administration’s tangible progress in closing racial gaps and call for continued investment in housing, education and economic opportunity for Black Marylanders.
Posted inMaryland News
Tony Woods, Maryland Veterans and Military Families secretary, to step down and join tech startup
Anthony “Tony” Woods, a veteran of the U.S. Army who served overseas during Operation Iraqi Freedom, will step down as the secretary of the Maryland Department of Veterans and Military Families on May 11. He has been in the position since January 2023.
Posted inMaryland Government
Maryland governor signs key criminal justice reform bills during Second Chance Month
At his second bill signing of 2025, Maryland Gov.Wes Moore signed transformative legislation aimed at reforming the state’s expungement process and giving incarcerated individuals a meaningful second chance. The Expungement Reform Act and Second Look Act address long-standing racial disparities in the justice system, offering new hope for thousands of Marylanders seeking redemption and opportunity.
Posted inINTERNATIONAL
Millions mourn Pope Francis
Pope Francis, the first pope from South America, was known for his humble and non-traditional gestures, and his passing has prompted reflection on his powerful legacy and the unfinished hopes of Black Catholics seeking recognition for African-American sainthood.
Posted inMaryland Government
Gov. Wes Moore announces additional employment support for impacted federal workers
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has launched a new hiring initiative to streamline applications for hard-to-fill state government roles, aiming to support job-seeking federal workers affected by layoffs. The program simplifies hiring for positions in HR, procurement, accounting and fiscal services, offering an expedited application process to quickly connect qualified candidates with job opportunities.
Posted inMaryland Government
Maryland General Assembly legislators work to finalize bills on last day of session
By Tashi McQueenAFRO Staff Writertmcqueen@afro.com Maryland legislators worked throughout the day to pass as many bills as they could before session ended at midnight on April 7. The legislative session was an eventful one with drastic federal actions looming over Maryland and balancing the budget remaining the topic of discussion throughout the 2025 session. Around […]
Posted inAfro
AFRO News among 50 honored for advancing women in leadership
Executive Alliance honored 50 Maryland organizations, including AFRO News, for advancing women in leadership despite federal diversity setbacks.