NEWS FROM OUR PUBLISHERS

ASHLEY & LARRY RUSSELL By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times Live: Gardendale Married: Dec. 29, 2016 Met: For Ashley and Larry Russell, love didn’t arrive with fireworks or a grand proposal. It grew quietly in the hallways of middle school, strengthened through life’s detours and heartbreaks, and blossomed into a marriage rooted in faith, […]

The Los Angeles Angels are turning the page in 2026, and at the center of the franchise’s reset is a familiar face. Kurt Suzuki begins the season as the club’s new skipper, stepping into the role with both history in the organization and hope for a turnaround.

When California froze new Medi-Cal enrollment for undocumented adults, thousands of Kern County families were left in limbo. At Clinica Sierra Vista, staff members are racing to keep patients covered — and fighting fear with trust.

While fans cheered on student-athletes at the CIAA Tournament, a quieter but urgent conversation unfolded off the court. Women’s health leaders and advocates gathered to spotlight fibroids and endometriosis, conditions that disproportionately affect Black women and are often underdiagnosed or dismissed.
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By Ashlee Winborne | WBRC One organization is working to put books into the hands of children across Alabama and, hopefully, instill a lifelong love of reading. BookWorks is Alabama Goodwill’s early literacy program focused on Title I schools, head start and communities where access to books at home is limited. After books are donated […]

By Shannon Thomason | UAB News Henry Panion III, Ph.D., conducts the Alabama Symphony Orchestra at the Alys Stephens Center.Hear the timeless music of one of gospel’s most revered composers Sunday, March 8, when Henry Panion III, Ph.D., leads the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and college choirs in a tribute to Richard Smallwood. Smallwood’s music has inspired […]

Churches nationwide are observing the National Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS, March 1–8, a faith-based initiative founded by Pernessa C. Seele and organized through Balm In Gilead. The annual campaign combines worship with HIV testing, education and outreach, addressing the disproportionate impact of HIV on Black Americans and working to reduce stigma through faith and public health partnerships.
The post National Week of Prayer confronts HIV in Black communities appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By D. Kevin McNeirSpecial to The AFRO On Saturday, February 28, under the theme of “A Century of Black History Commemorations,” several hundred people committed to the research, preservation and dissemination of information about Black life, history and culture, gathered in Washington, D.C. at the JW Marriott for an historic event.  With the spirit of […]
The post A century later, Black history scholars continue renovations to ‘The house that Carter G. Woodson built’ appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Executive Alliance has recognized 64 Maryland-based companies and nonprofit organizations with its 2026 Honor Roll Award for Women’s Representation. Each honoree maintains at least 30 percent women in executive leadership and on boards, setting a benchmark highlighted in the group’s Annual Census of Women Board Directors. Awardees will be celebrated March 18, 2026, at Maryland Jockey Club in Laurel.
The post Executive Alliance names 64 companies to the Honor Roll Award for Women’s Representation in Maryland appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Victoria MejicanosAFRO Staff Writervmejicanos@afro.com The NAACP closed out Black History month with their 57th Image Awards weekend crowning winners in music, film, books and television.  The vampire-thriller “Sinners” dominated the weekend, where Micheal B. Jordan won for best actor in a motion picture and closed out the night winning the award for entertainer of […]
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By Megan SaylesAFRO Staff Writermsayles@afro.com Baltimore City Inspector General (IG) Isabel Mercedes Cumming has filed suit against Mayor Brandon M. Scott and the Baltimore City Council after the city denied her office access to certain records and provided heavily redacted information in response to subpoenas. The suit seeks a court declaration confirming the Office of […]
The post Baltimore inspector general challenges city over limited access to records appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Read More Maryland First Lady Dawn Moore, on Mar. 2, launched the #ReadMoreMaryland campaign, a statewide literacy campaign that aims to inspire Maryland students to read. In partnership with the Governor’s Office for Children and the Maryland State Department of Education, the campaign reinforces the Moore-Miller Administration’s commitment to education and advancing literacy among […]
The post First Lady Moore launches campaign to advance literacy among Maryland students appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Despite expanded access to services in recent years, tribal citizens descended from people enslaved by several Oklahoma tribes continue to face barriers to health care, education and housing. A Government Accountability Office report highlights ongoing disparities, particularly for Seminole Freedmen descendants and those still denied citizenship in the Muscogee, Chickasaw and Choctaw nations.
The post Despite recent gains, tribal citizens descended from slaves face disparate treatment appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Four women living with multiple sclerosis (MS) found each other through a sorority for women with chronic illnesses — and realized there was no space built specifically for women with MS to connect, heal and thrive. So they created their own, founding Alpha Eta Phi in 2021 as the first and only non-collegiate sorority dedicated to women navigating life with the disease.
The post Alpha Eta Phi: The sorority changing life for women with multiple sclerosis appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Edna W. Cummings, retired army veteran, is set to host an author talk at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum on March 7 in honor of Women’s History Month.
The post ‘A Soldier’s Life’ writer and 6888 champion set to give author’s talk at Lewis Museum appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

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.
The post President, allies said to be creating executive plan to steal the 2026 midterms appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

hbcubuzz.com For the first time in program history, Alabama A&M University has secured a share of the Southwestern Athletic Conference regular-season championship, marking a breakthrough season for the Lady Bulldogs and head coach Dawn Thornton. The historic milestone was clinched following a 51-43 victory over rival Alabama State University at the AAMU Event Center, completing […]

Baltimore police released body-worn camera footage at a Feb. 28 press conference showing the fatal police-involved shooting of 37-year-old Dwight Hawkins after officers encountered him near a store on the 3600 block of Belair Road on Feb. 24. The video shows Hawkins running from officers, then pulling out a weapon as well as the officers’ violent response, and it ends after he is handcuffed and the handgun is secured. The Maryland Attorney General’s Office said officers then rendered aid until EMS arrived; Hawkins later died at a hospital. Commissioner Richard Worley said the officers were in the area for crime suppression, and officials said involved officers remain on leave as the investigation continues.
The post Baltimore Police Department releases body-cam video tied to Dwight Hawkins shooting appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Dayvon Love 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 aligning with an evil communist sphere of influence anchored by the former United Soviet Socialist […]
The post Opinion: Regime change and the roots of U.S. hostility with Iran appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Maryland’s governor, comptroller and treasurer are pressing the White House to repay money they say the state lost after the 48th president’s tariffs drove up costs for businesses and consumers. They point to a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision limiting the administration’s authority under IEEPA and cite an estimated $4 billion impact in Maryland.
The post Maryland leaders request tariff reimbursement following Supreme Court decision appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

The Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr. will lie in state at the South Carolina State House on March 2, following a decision by Governor Henry McMaster to honor the Greenville, S.C. native and civil rights leader. The state-level tribute follows a dispute in Washington after House Speaker Mike Johnson denied a request for Jackson’s casket to lie in honor at the U.S. Capitol. A memorial caravan is currently traveling from Chicago to Columbia, South Carolina, where public and private services will be held to honor Jackson’s lifelong legacy of activism and political influence.
The post Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. to lie in state in South Carolina after Capitol Hill dispute appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Mekhi AbbottSpecial to the AFROmabbott@afro.com Baltimore hosted the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) championship tournament for the fifth consecutive year at CFG Bank Arena. The weeklong tournament, from Feb. 24-28, saw the Winston-Salem State University women’s basketball team and the Fayetteville State University men’s basketball team leave Charm City as victors.  The men’s championship […]
The post Winston-Salem women’s and Fayetteville State men’s basketball teams win 2026 CIAA Championship appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Bowie State University and the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services hosted their annual Black History Month program at Jessup Correctional Institution. The day served as a time to spotlight Bowie’s Prison Education Program and the importance of investing in recidivism prevention efforts.
The post Bowie State, DPSCS spotlight unity, education at Black History Month program appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Empty parking lots near Maryland transit stations could soon become homes and jobs, as Gov. Wes Moore (D) pushes legislation to unlock state-owned land for development.
The post Moore advocates opening state land for housing, jobs near transit appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Troy Rolling The Maryland General Assembly and Montgomery County Council are moving forward with legislation intended to ban the algorithmic software that the housing industry uses to obtain pricing estimates on the apartments and homes they list for rent in The Old-Line State. While the legislation’s sponsors introduced the bills with the intent of […]
The post Free market solutionist and community-based economic empowerment groups sound alarms on regressive housing legislation   appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

birminghamal.gov The City of Birmingham’s Department of Transportation plans to convert Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard South through the historic Five Points South district from a one-way street to a two-way street. The conversion will extend from Highland Avenue South to University Boulevard. This strategic infrastructure improvement is designed to strengthen connectivity within the district, making […]

By Michal Higdon and Lisa Crane | WVTM A decision regarding a new AI factory and data center project, set to go along Lakeshore Parkway in Birmingham, is temporarily on hold after neighbors raised concerns to city leaders. Nebius is planning to build its facility at the old Regions Operations Center off Lakeshore Parkway. The […]

Novartis AG has reached an undisclosed settlement with the estate of Henrietta Lacks over claims it profited from her cells, taken without consent in 1951 and used in groundbreaking medical research. The case is one of several lawsuits filed by her family seeking compensation for the use of the HeLa cell line.
The post Novartis settles with Henrietta Lacks’ estate over use of her ‘stolen’ cells to advance medicine appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Dr. Charles Simmons, the founder of Sojourner-Douglass College, a historically Black institution of higher learning in Baltimore, died on January 26th at age 87, after dedicating nearly 50 years to providing educational opportunities to African Americans and others of the African Diaspora.
The post Funeral arrangements announced for Dr. Charles Simmons, visionary founder of Sojourner-Douglass College appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) is backing the Protection from Predatory Pricing Act, aiming to ban dynamic pricing in grocery stores that targets shoppers with individualized prices. Critics warn it could threaten long-standing discounts Marylanders have come to enjoy.
The post Gov. Moore testifies on grocery pricing bill amid affordability concerns appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Civil Rights TV, the world’s first 24-hour television network dedicated to civil rights history, education, and future equity, has launched on the Connect To Your City OTT platform, powered by Connect2OTT, offering documentaries, news analysis, live discussions, educational programming, global civil rights coverage and cultural storytelling.
The post Civil Rights TV launches in Selma as the world’s first 24/7 Civil Rights Television Network  appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Adam Pope | UAB UAB Hospital has once again earned international recognition, securing a place as Alabama’s top-ranked hospital on Newsweek’s prestigious list of the World’s Best Hospitals 2026. Out of more than 400 hospitals evaluated this year in the U.S., UAB was ranked No. 59. This annual ranking, presented in collaboration with Statista Inc., a leading […]

By Roy L. Williams | Birmingham Public Library As weight-loss drugs surge in popularity (and cost) across the country, many women are searching for sustainable, affordable ways to improve their health in 2026. March is Women’s History Month, and the Birmingham Public Library (BPL) is encouraging women to make self-care a priority by taking advantage […]

By Scott Minshall | CBS42 The City of Birmingham said it will not move forward with plans to open a daytime “Urban Oasis” for people experiencing homelessness at 1312 First Ave. N. Earlier this week, the Birmingham City Council approved the $168,000 purchase of the lot for the proposed project, which was expected to include […]

The Associated Black Charities and the Youth Resiliency Institute hosted a “Community Convos” session along with a screening of “Termite: A Baltimore Story” at MedStar Harbor Hospital Baum Auditorium in Cherry Hill on Feb. 19. Community members discussed their dreams for Cherry Hill, paid homage to lives lost and connected residents with free resources to improve literacy and health.
The post Associated Black Charities hosts “Community Convos” session and film screening in honor of Cherry Hill  appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.