What aging taught me about movement, mobility, and the hidden cost of survival By Steven Ragsdale A few weeks ago, I sat waiting for a hip X-ray and found myself thinking about my father and quite a few of the older guys in my community, especially how their bodies grew physically older over the years […]
Tag: Morgan State University
Baltimore County NAACP delivers civil rights address
By Kendra BryantSpecial to the AFRO The NAACP Baltimore County branch hosted the “State of Civil Rights Address,” delivered by President Roland Patterson Jr. at St. Stephen AME Church in Essex on May 30. Issues within the Black community, including excessive force, redistricting and an increase in traffic stops were discussed. On Feb. 16, Samuel […]
Malcolm X’s global vision revisited on what would be his 101st birthday
By Megan Sayles AFRO Staff Writer msayles@afro.com More than six decades after his 1965 assassination, El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz—better known by the name Malcolm X– reremains one of the most influential and debated figures in Black political history. Still, scholars say the final years of his life are often misunderstood and simplified into a narrative that […]
Morgan State University sets new graduation records amid enrollment boom
Morgan State University has achieved record enrollment and graduation outcomes, with 1,876 graduates in the 2025-26 academic year, reflecting the university’s sustained growth and commitment to student success and public impact.
51 years later, Black veterans still wrestle with the vestiges of battle during the Vietnam War
By D. Kevin McNeirSpecial to The AFRO Second in a two-part series More than half a century has passed since Saigon was captured by North Vietnamese communist forces, signaling the end of the Vietnam War on April 30, 1975. And while the significance of this date in history failed to make headline news, Black veterans […]
Black vets lean on one another to cope with traumatic effects from the Vietnam War, 51 years after its official end
By D. Kevin McNeir Special to The AFRO First in a two-part series Since our nation’s first war, the American Revolution, African Americans have fought in all of the United States’ major military conflicts, whether they enlisted voluntarily, or were drafted. Despite this historical fact, there are many today who callously refuse to acknowledge the service […]
Dr. Otis Eldridge takes 2026 Teacher of the Year title for Baltimore City Public Schools
Dr. Otis Eldridge is officially the 2026 Teacher of the Year for Baltimore City Public Schools (City Schools). Eldridge, a band director and music teacher at Hamilton Elementary Middle School, learned of the honor on May 7 via surprise visit by City Schools CEO Dr. Sonya Santelesis.
Baltimore is investing—now our children deserve the results
Despite Baltimore’s high investment in public schools, student outcomes remain below average, indicating a need for greater accountability and transparency from the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners.
Ellen Louise Dolvey Howard, Baltimore educator and TRIO leader, dies at 97
Ellen Louise Dolvey Howard, a Baltimore educator and national TRIO leader, died at 97 after a decades-long career helping low-income and first-generation students access higher education and trade programs.
ABC’s Arcadia Community Convo explores broad range of issues
Residents and leaders in Baltimore’s Arcadia neighborhood gathered for an Associated Black Charities Community Convo to discuss connectivity, housing affordability and partnerships with Morgan State University, highlighting both the area’s strengths and ongoing challenges.
Morgan State’s Delta Sigma Theta chapter marks 100 years of sisterhood and service
Morgan State University’s Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Alpha Gamma Chapter celebrated 100 years with its Centennial Gala on April 25 at Student Center Ballrooms. Honorary speakers included Frances “Toni” Draper, CEO and publisher of the AFRO-American Newspaper; Rosie Allen-Herring, first vice president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; and Thelma Daley, 16th national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
From sharecropper to scholar: Andrew Billingsley at 100
At 100, Andrew Billingsley is celebrated for a lifetime of groundbreaking scholarship and leadership that reshaped understanding of Black families and strengthened higher education, particularly at Morgan State University. Honored at Hampton University with a new endowed scholarship, his legacy reflects a journey from the son of sharecroppers to a nationally influential sociologist and educator.

