NEWS FROM OUR PUBLISHERS

SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Terri A. Sewell, Democrat from Alabama’s 7th Congressional District and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Elections for the Committee on House Administration, convened a shadow subcommittee hearing […]

Black, Latino, young, and disabled Alabamians are being shut out at the highest rates- and the Alabama Voting Right Act that could help died in the legislature this session. BY SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS MONTGOMERY — […]

Jo & Charles Chambers By Mia Watkins | The Birmingham Times Live: Vestavia Hills Married: August 10, 1991 Met: Jo and Charles Chambers either met in the 1960s or the 1990s, depending on who you ask. “He says we met when we were in college.” Jo Chambers said. “I don’t remember meeting him. I remember […]

SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS HUNTSVILLE — Drake State Community and Technical College made history Monday when it commemorated a transformational $5 million gift from the E. Hart Fund during a special campus ceremony at the Leidos […]

U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, one of America’s most influential Black political leaders, says that some MAGA Republicans told him directly that slavery was a good thing, according to a clip from a political news show that’s gaining renewed attention online.

by SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS Angela Sides LIMESTONE COUNTY — A Limestone County woman is facing multiple felony charges after a Limestone County Sheriff’s Office investigation uncovered what authorities say was a financial scheme involving thousands […]

by SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS PINSON — A Jefferson County man who sexually exploited and abused more than two dozen children across the United States has been sentenced to four life terms plus 280 years in […]

by SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS Discovery Middle School in Madison and Journey Middle School are both operated by Madison City Schools, whose Superintendent, Dr. Ed Nichols, issued statements following two separate teacher arrests in April 2026. […]

by SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS HUNTSVILLE — Huntsville’s labor market is winning national praise, but the leaders closest to it are delivering a clear-eyed warning: a hot job market and a fair one are not the […]

Alabama’s great outdoors are more than a point of pride. They are a competitive advantage. By Chris Blankenship From the mountains of the Tennessee Valley to the shores of the Gulf Coast, and everything in-between, […]

Once the State Capitol East Annex Project is completed, plans will move forward to install a plaque displaying California’s formal apology for its role in supporting chattel slavery and its legacy of systemic racism, according to former Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer.

by SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS MONTGOMERY — A federal policy change is threatening to cost Alabama between $174 million and $261 million — a financial shock that could ripple from the state budget straight to the […]

The June 2, 2026, primary election will test the voter appeal of Black political candidates in California, where Black residents make up about 6.5% of the population.

by SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS Huntsville added another major business win to its growing defense portfolio as Leonardo officially marked the relocation of its U.S. electronics headquarters to the Rocket City, a move that signals more […]

The report cites 12 worker deaths, child labor findings at nine Alabama facilities, and wages running 10-15% below industry peers by SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS MONTGOMERY — The Hyundai-Kia U.S. Supply Chain — which includes several […]

by SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS A new billion-dollar federal investment is set to strengthen Huntsville’s role in one of the nation’s most sensitive and strategic industries: missile production. The Huntsville Business Journal reported on April 27 […]

by SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS TUSCALOOSA — Alabama’s advanced manufacturing story grew a little bigger April 27 when Microchip Technology (Nasdaq: MCHP) announced it has opened a new facility in Tuscaloosa County dedicated to expanding production […]

More than a century after W.E.B. Du Bois presented photographs and data charts documenting Black American life at the 1900 Paris Exposition, his vision has found a new home in Atlanta’s West End, at the African Diaspora Art Museum of Atlanta, known as ADAMA.

By Shernay WilliamsWord In Black It’s been a year since economic reports started to reveal that as many as 600,000 Black women – many of them highly educated professionals – are out of work. So what now?  Join a virtual planning session produced by Word In Black featuring entrepreneurs, community organizers and economic strategists who […]
The post EVENT: The action plan to get Black women back to work appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

A bill authored by Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson (D-San Diego) aimed at reforming California’s gang databases — primarily the CalGang system — has advanced out of the Senate Public Safety Committee with a 5-1 vote.

As reported in AfroTech, LeRoi Hicks becomes the first African American physician to hold the title of Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer for the American College of Physicians, the largest medical specialty organization in the states.

The Dance Theatre of Harlem drew a powerful mix of artists, cultural leaders, and industry tastemakers for its annual Vision Gala, an evening that seamlessly blended performance, tribute, and forward-looking purpose.

By Victoria MejicanosAFRO Staff Writervmejicanos@afro.com For many Black Americans, the racial wealth gap has always been apparent. Race and zipcode have been proven to skew everything from credit scores to home values in Black neighborhoods. What can be underestimated are the impacts of smaller, unpaid fines. Municipal fines such as tickets and toll fees or […]
The post Small debts, big consequences: The financial burden many overlook appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

The Birmingham Times Rules for future data center development in Birmingham are still being worked out, as city council members delayed a vote on updates to the city’s zoning ordinance. After hearing from nearly two dozen concerned citizens during a public hearing on Tuesday, the Birmingham City Council voted unanimously to postpone a decision on […]

By D. Kevin McNeirSpecial to The AFRO Brutal cases of domestic violence in the Black community have rocked the nation in recent weeks, highlighting a need to understand the root cause of intimate partner violence and how to prevent it. On April 1, Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen, of Coral Springs, Fla.was found dead in […]
The post A deadly pattern: Violence against Black women raises alarm nationwide appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By D. Kevin McNeirSpecial to The AFRO Washingtonians of all ages, some even in strollers and wheelchairs, filled city sidewalks and streets, enjoyed a liberty-themed luncheon as guests of the mayor, and frolicked on the fields at RFK Campus, April 16 – 19, for a four-day celebration that marked 2026 DC Emancipation Day.   Event planners […]
The post Securing statehood dominates 2026 Emancipation Day conversation in D.C. appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

April 28 marks AMKD Awareness Day, highlighting the urgent need for communities—especially those of African ancestry—to understand their risk for APOL1-mediated kidney disease.
The post A call to action to help fight kidney failure in at-risk communities: American Kidney Fund urges people to be APOL1 Aware  appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

Special to The Times The Civil Rights Activist Committee is hosting the Foot Soldiers’ 63rd anniversary celebration from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 2, in Birmingham’s Historic 4th Avenue District. This year’s theme, “Honoring the Legacy – Uniting the Neighborhoods – Inspiring the Nation,” commemorates the 63rd anniversary of the Birmingham Civil […]

By Roy L. Williams | Birmingham Public Library Birmingham Public Library (BPL) invites the community to experience some of the metro area’s top spoken word artists competing for a combined $500 in a Bards & Brews Poetry Slam happening Friday, May 1 at the Central Library downtown. This will be the second slam of the […]

By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times “Today we take that success further by investing directly in the people and organizations doing the most critical work on the ground,” said Mayor Randall Woodfin as he stood before community leaders at City Hall on Monday morning. “These groups are in our streets, connected to our community, and […]

Students and faculty at Xavier University of Louisiana are using their production of “Carmen” to challenge long-held perceptions of opera as exclusive and inaccessible. Rooted in the university’s history and legacy, the performance highlights the role HBCUs play in expanding access to the art form while shaping its future.
The post At Xavier, ‘Carmen’ production challenges opera’s exclusive past appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

By Javacia Harris Bowser | The Birmingham Times Coreata Houser believes all his past experiences — both professional and personal — have prepared him for his current role as director of the City of Birmingham’s Department of Innovation & Economic Opportunity (IEO). “This is the only job where every single experience I’ve had in life, […]

By the Office of the Mayor of Baltimore Baltimore City is now in compliance or on track with over 83 percent of the Federal Consent Decree. Ahead of the April 23, monthly Consent Decree hearing, Mayor Brandon M. Scott, Police Commissioner Richard Worley and City Solicitor Ebony M. Thompson announced that U.S. District Judge James […]
The post Federal judge removes oversight of three consent decree sections after sustained compliance appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.

The California/Hawaii State Conference of the NAACP (CA/HI NAACP) has expanded its efforts to respond to rising hate incidents and civil rights complaints across California, supported in part by funding from California’s Stop the Hate Program.

Newly established AMKD Coalition unites leading voices to address need to heighten awareness of APOL1-mediated kidney disease (AMKD)