NEWS FROM OUR PUBLISHERS

By The Associated Press GENEVA (AP) — The U.N.’s humanitarian aid coordination office is downsizing its appeal for annual funding in 2026 after support this year, mostly from Western governments, plunged to the lowest level in a decade. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Dec. 8 it was seeking $33 […]
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Shedeur Sanders named starter for the Cleveland Browns amidst controversy and criticism. Will he prove his doubters wrong?
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The AFRO sends condolences to the family and all those who knew and loved Dr. Rod Paige, the first Black leader to serve as the secretary of education. Paige died at 92 years old on Dec. 9.
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The Prince William County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. will host its 41st annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Oratorical Competition and Celebration on Jan. 19, featuring student speeches, a youth choir, performances, and a community Day of Service.
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Civil rights attorney Ben Crump won a historic $779.3 million verdict for the family of Lewis Butler, a security guard killed during an armed robbery at a Florida internet café that failed to report a previous crime involving the same gun. The ruling delivers long-sought accountability while Butler’s widow presses for reforms to shut down dangerous, unregulated gambling venues.
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Attorney Kisha Brown previously served as director of both the Maryland Attorney General’s Legislative Affairs division and the Civil Rights department. She was the first woman to lead the Baltimore City Office of Civil Rights. In this piece she argues Maryland’s criminal justice system continues to disproportionately harm Black communities, especially through its outdated practice of automatically charging some youth as adults, a policy critics argue urgently needs to end.
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By Tashi McQueenAFRO Staff Writertmcqueen@afro.com Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic, life-altering condition affecting more than 35 million Americans. The disease occurs when a person’s cells do not respond to insulin properly, causing high blood sugar levels. Excess glucose in the blood can harm the body, potentially damaging the kidneys, heart and eyes. […]
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By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS BIRMINGHAM — What if the secret to living longer isn’t a dramatic lifestyle overhaul, but the small choices you make every day? New research from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs […]

By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS Pineapple lovers, rejoice! Comedian Kevin Hart may have made the word “pineapples!” famous as a joke-safe word, but the real fruit carries its own power — not to stop a fight, […]

By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS Kidney disease is often linked to diabetes, high blood pressure, or long-term kidney strain — but one of the most dangerous causes doesn’t come from kidney failure at all. Polycystic Kidney […]

By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS A growing and frightening health trend is emerging across the country: more people are experiencing silent strokes—dangerous brain events that occur without obvious symptoms. Unlike traditional strokes, these episodes can pass […]

By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS Staff JACKSON, Miss. — In a dramatic upset, the Prairie View A&M Panthers knocked off the Jackson State Tigers 23–21 on Saturday to win the 2025 Southwestern Athletic Conference championship — […]

By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times Eric Guster, a real estate developer and founding attorney of Guster Law Firm, calls it his “pride and joy.” And what makes it even more special is that the project is located in the area where he grew up. After millions of dollars in renovations, Guster’s roughly 6,000-square-foot retail center […]

By Barnett Wright | The Birmingham Times On a recent blustery weekend Regina Williams, who lives in the Graymont Community near Birmingham’s Legion Field, made a short drive to a newly opened CVS Pharmacy in Five Points West to pick up medication. She spoke happily about the location. “Instead of going downtown in the traffic […]

By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times Birmingham radio personality Chris Coleman is preparing to turn up the volume on a brand-new venture—this time, off the air. Coleman, alongside close friends Terry White and DeForest Brown, are gearing up for the grand opening of Howard’s Unlimited Lounge & Cocktail Bar, set for Friday Dec. 12, […]

By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS Staff Alabama State quarterback Andrew Body has been named the 2025 Stats Perform HBCU National Player of the Year, earning one of the highest honors in Black college football after delivering a historic and […]

By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS MONTGOMERY — Seven decades after Rosa Parks helped ignite the Civil Rights Movement, newly released photographs are offering a deeper look at her activism and reconnecting Alabama communities to their own […]

By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS BIRMINGHAM — The Islamic Academy of Alabama has withdrawn its request to relocate to Meadow Brook Office Park in Hoover, citing what school officials say was a biased review process and […]

By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS A nativity display at a Massachusetts Catholic church has ignited national controversy after replacing the traditional Holy Family with a sign reading “ICE was here.” The provocative installation at St. Susanna’s […]

By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS MONTGOMERY — Holiday spirit is taking root in the Capital City as Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) workers bring one of the state’s most beloved traditions to life. Governor Kay Ivey […]

Lamar Jackson missed practice again as the Ravens prepare for a crucial divisional matchup, continuing a stretch in which injuries and rest days have kept him from a full week of practice since early November. Although Baltimore’s offense showed signs of life in last week’s loss to Pittsburgh, Jackson’s ongoing health issues remain a concern as the AFC North race tightens.
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Cherry Hill’s second annual “Madeline Wheeler Murphy Day” honored the late journalist, activist, and AFRO columnist whose fearless voice and community leadership continue to inspire new generations. Attendees, including her son attorney Billy Murphy and local youth leaders, celebrated her enduring legacy of Black empowerment, cultural pride, and social justice.
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Kern Community College District (KCCD) has launched a new immersive learning initiative designed to bring cinematic, multisensory education directly to students across the region. Housed inside a mobile classroom equipped with vibrating seats, 360-degree visuals, and virtual controllers, the experience introduces students to a high-impact approach to learning science, technology, engineering, and math.

Diabetes is on the rise among individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, who face barriers to maintaining physical activity and accessing healthcare.
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“Santa Claus Is Comin’: A Motown Christmas Revue,” brought the holiday spirit to Baltimore Center Stage with lively Motown-inspired music and strong performances on Dec. 6. The show features a small, talented cast delivering soulful vocals, rich harmonies and audience engagement from start to finish.
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For the second year in a row, there is a community blood drive in partnership with the American Red Cross Central Maryland Chapter. We are inviting you to take part! Blood donations are needed across our region, and giving is one of the most direct ways to support people facing medical emergencies, surgeries, and ongoing […]
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Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights) represents California’s 55th Assembly District — which also includes Baldwin Hills, Leimert Park, the Crenshaw Corridor, Culver City, Del Rey, and parts of Mid-City — an area long recognized as the political and cultural center of Black Los Angeles.

BIRMINGHAM NATIVE JAZZ MACKENZIE WHO ADVANCED TO THE FINALS OF NBC’S THE VOICE; BIRMINGHAMTIMES.COM, DEC. 2.

Krystal Oriandha, a Kenyan American activist, was unanimously elected as the new chair of the Prince George’s County Council. She aims to make the county a national model for child-care access and affordability.
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The Birmingham Times Two days after the city’s annual lighting of the Christmas tree ceremony on Sunday night in Linn Park and one week after a “first of its kind” symposium on homelessness that drew 25 different service providers, the City of Birmingham on Tuesday announced that it had removed homeless people who had been […]

By Nathan Watson | BhamNow i3 Academy, a tuition-free public charter school network in Birmingham, recently announced a new partnership with the A.G. Gaston Business Institute to implement its successful START SMART Youth Entrepreneurship program in i3 classrooms. In the rapidly changing world of side-hustles and other supplementary income streams, strong entrepreneurial skills are becoming more […]

By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times Unsung hero and often forgotten Birmingham Industrial League baseball legend Oscar “Butler” Williams was remembered and celebrated on Tuesday by the Negro Southern League Museum (NSLM) in partnership with District 2 Jefferson County Commissioner Sheila Tyson. Every year the Center for Negro League Baseball Research (CNLBR) and NSLM present […]

BY JE’DON HOLLOWAY-TALLEY | Special to the Birmingham Times ISAAC & JASMINE JONES Live: Leeds Married: Nov. 20, 2008 Met: April 2004, at a friend’s house in East Lake. Jasmine said her next-door neighbor’s house was the place to hang out and one evening when she dropped by Isaac was there playing basketball with the […]

Baltimore Collegiate faces possible closure in 2026 as the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners prepares to vote on its charter renewal. Supporters argue the all-boys school boosts academic success and disrupts the school-to-prison pipeline for Baltimore’s Black boys.
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