Category: Uncategorized

By Victoria Mejicanos  AFRO Staff Writer  March 1 marked the beginning of Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate and honor women’s contributions to society as well as continue to advocate for their rights. This week, the AFRO interviewed people, asking the best advice they have ever received from women in their lives. Take a…

By  LaMonika Jones For countless families, children, older adults, disabled persons and veterans experiencing food insecurity, meeting basic human needs is like running a race you will never finish. The help is there, but for far too many families there are too many obstacles keeping them from reaching the finish line. Accessing critical resources shouldn’t…

By ReShonda Tate Black women have always been at the center of the story—even when history tried to write us out.  Thankfully, a brilliant group of contemporary African-American authors is giving our foremothers the spotlight, the mic and the flowers they deserve. From Harlem to Hollywood, sewing rooms to skyways, these novels bring the past…

Wanda Haynes-Certified Sommelier I finally decided to retire from years of hard work as an educational administrator, becoming a tour bus escort felt like a way to merge those skills with travel.  Well, after six months of passing out day old doughnuts, settling arguments over the free door prize, and searching for lost passengers in…

Rhonda M. Smith | Special to California Black Media Partners    California has always been seen as the land of vitality — sunshine, beaches, and wellness culture. But beneath that image is a growing public health crisis we cannot afford to ignore.   Roughly 11 million adults in California — about 27% of Californians — are living…

Steep education staff cuts unable to correct loan servicer mistakes, says GAO  By Charlene Crowell  On March 10, a federal appellate court order effectively ended the popular Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) program. The likely effect will be an increased financial strain on 7 million borrowers who used the program to keep their monthly…

By Victoria Mejicanos AFRO Staff Writer  After decades of facing various social, economic, racial and health disparities, it’s no surprise that some Black elderly patients are hesitant to visit the doctor for regular screenings or may not always know what to ask. This month the AFRO spoke with medical professionals to discuss the importance of…

Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media    A Los Angeles town hall on immigration took on broader urgency as speakers warned that encounters with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are not limited to immigrants and can also affect African Americans, underscoring shared concerns across Black communities. The Black Migrant Town Hall, convened…

Bo Tefu | California Black Media California Requires Personal Finance Course for All High Schoolers — Promising Gains for Women and Girls On March 18, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a new requirement for California high school students to complete a personal finance course, part of a broader effort to expand economic opportunity and address wealth…

By Sunita Sohrabji Northern California and several states on the East Coast are experiencing a dramatic surge in human metapneumovirus. Antivirals are not yet available to fend off the illness. The US is experiencing a dramatic surge in human metapneumovirus — HMPV — a little-known respiratory illness, which currently has no vaccine or antiviral treatment….

Wanda Haynes-Certified Sommelier What’s up chocolate lovers, did you know about 70% of the world’s cocoa beans are grown in West Africa? Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire are major sources of the commodity. Unfortunately, the farmers haven’t always been treated respectfully or paid a living wage. Fairtrade is a non-profit dedicated to certifying products for equitable…

New York Carib News The government of Cuba has firmly rejected any suggestion that its political leadership or governing system could be subject to negotiation in ongoing discussions with the United States, as tensions between the two nations intensify. Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio delivered the government’s position unequivocally during a press conference…

By Dayvon Love | San Diego Voice and Viewpoint Director of Public Policy, Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle In 1953, the United States and other Western forces collaborated to overthrow the democratically elected president, Mohammad Mosaddegh, of Iran. The stated rationale for pursuing regime change was based on the Cold War logic that Mosaddegh was…

By Dr. Julianne Malveaux Frederick Douglass did not know the day he was born. Like many enslaved people, he was denied even the dignity of documentation. Birth dates were approximations. Family lines were severed. Identity existed in property ledgers, not in public record. His mother, Harriet Bailey, called him her “little Valentine,” and Douglass later…

By JaDonna Harris At 38, I began to experience pain I dismissed as minor. I was young and healthy—or so I thought. But as months went by, the pain worsened until one morning I woke up and couldn’t move. That day in 2023, two months after my 40th birthday, doctors found a 7-centimeter mass in…

The Washington Informer | WI Editorial Staff The nation is right to hope and pray for the safe return of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of journalist Savannah Guthrie, co-anchor on NBC’s “Today.” Any disappearance is terrifying. Any family thrust into uncertainty deserves compassion, urgency, and relentless attention. But compassion should never be selective —…

New York Carib News The U.S. Embassy Port of Spain has introduced a new WhatsApp-based communication channel to strengthen outreach to American nationals residing in or visiting Trinidad and Tobago. The initiative, led by the Embassy’s American Citizens Services (ACS) Unit, is designed to deliver real-time updates on safety, security, and emergency situations. Operating under…

By Dominique Lambright October 22, 2023 Humming has been shown to have several positive health effects. Some of these benefits include making it easier to relax and breathe, easing sinus pressure and congestion, decreasing blood pressure, and improving your mood. Many positive outcomes may result from doing what most of us already do instinctively. Is…

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A civil jury in California found March 23 that Bill Cosby was liable for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in 1972 and awarded her $59.25 million. After a nearly two-week trial in Santa Monica, jurors found Cosby, 88, liable for the sexual battery and assault of Donna Motsinger. They awarded…