Afro e-edition 8-15-2026

THE BLACK MEDIA AUTHORITY • AFRO.COM

Volume 135 No. 2

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AUGUST 15, 2026 - AUGUST 21, 2026

AFRO Photo / Jonathan Forney

Miss Black Vermont, Harmony Edosomwan (left), now has another title to add to her name. Edosomwan was crowned Miss Black USA on Aug. 9. The scholarship pageant draws women from all corners of the country each year. Shown on right, former Miss Black USA Madison Gibbs (at podium) congratulating the newly-crowned Ms. Black USA Brandi Hopson (center) and Legacy Jackson (right), owner of the 2026 Miss Black USA Talented Teen title.

Vermont’s Harmony Edosomwan takes Miss Black USA crown

By Jonathan Forney Special to the AFRO The lights were bright as the finalists of the 39th annual Miss Black USA pageant stepped on the stage at the University of the District of Columbia’s (UDC) Theatre of the Arts.

The women put on their best show, but ultimately Miss Black Vermont, Harmony Edosomwan, came out on top.

Shortly after being introduced,

the preliminary contestants were narrowed down to 11 finalists, including a people’s choice voted on by fans. Throughout the evening, the ladies answered interview questions, showcased their talents and dazzled in evening gowns before the judges tallied their winners.

Edosomwan, a chef and owner of Harmony’s Kitchen in Winooski, Vt., couldn’t believe it when her name was called as the next

Miss Black USA. She took time to acknowledge Vermont’s small but mighty Black population.

“Vermont is very white. I don’t get to be around this many Black people often,” Edosomwan said. “That 2 percent of Black folks, we are there and I’m proud to represent us.”

Edosomwan also acknowledged her Nigerian heritage. Her formal dress was paired with accessories often used to outfit traditional Nigerian

bridal gowns. Edosomwan told her followers on social media that the look was “inspired by Nigerian Edo bride culture,” as she draped her neck, wrists and ears with coral beads.

Contestants sang, danced, performed monologues and more during the talent portion.

All of the contestants showcased their personal platforms to advocate for causes close to them and to help

inspire others.

“Since the first pageant in 1987, African-American women from across the nation have been representing the dreams of our ancestors and paving a path for the next generation of ‘she-roes,’” host and former Miss Black USA Madison Gibbs said.

This year’s judges included storied Continued on A3

Former gang leader accused of ordering Tupac Shakur’s killing goes on trial

By Jessica Hill

afro.com

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Almost 30 years after rap legend Tupac Shakur was gunned down near the Las Vegas Strip, the former gang leader

accused of ordering the killing went on trial Aug. 10.

The 1996 drive-by shooting remains one of the hip-hop world’s defining moments and enduring mysteries.

Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 63, has pleaded not guilty to murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang in the rapper’s death. At the time, Davis was a leader of the South Side Compton Crips in California.

Family members of Shakur were among those

who gathered at a Las Vegas courthouse for the beginning of jury selection, which could continue through much of this week.

“Whoever had anything to do with it, whoever set it up, whoever had any hand in it should be locked up in prison,” said Shakur’s cousin, Kendrick Lesane.

Thirty years after his death, Shakur remains a cultural icon and is considered one of the most influential and versatile Continued on A3

AP Photo/W.A. Harewood, File

By rallying a powerful coalition of community stakeholders, UNCF is actively pressuring Congress to greenlight an historic, multi-billion-dollar modernization fund aimed at rescuing underfinanced Black institutions from severe facility decay. Shown here, students on the Clark Atlanta University campus in Georgia.

United Negro College Fund demands Congress fund $13B to rebuild HBCUs

By Ashlee Banks Special to the AFRO David Becker/Pool Photo via AP

Duane Davis appears in Clark County District Court, Aug. 10, 2026, in Las Vegas. Davis has been charged in the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur.

A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers in Congress is spearheading a landmark

legislative push to secure a historic federal investment in the nation’s historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

U.S. Reps. Alma Adams

Copyright © 2026 by the Afro-American Company

(D-N.C.-12) and French Hill (R-Ark.-2), who co-chair the House Bipartisan HBCU Caucus, are driving the legislative Continued on A5

A2 The Afro-American August 15, 2026 - August 21, 2026

WHAT’S TRENDING ON AFRO.COM A month later, Nolan Wells’ death still defies answers

Arrests, subpoenas and two autopsies have deepened the investigation, but not answered how the Black teen died.

By Joseph Williams Word In Black

Overview:

What began as the unexplained death of a Black teenager has become a national case involving civil rights lawyers, federal prosecutors and viral speculation. Even so, investigators have yet to determine how Nolan Wells died.

A month after a Black teenager vanished during a boating trip to a Mississippi barrier island with his white friends, officials have arrested three people, subpoenas have been issued, and his body has undergone two autopsies.

But there is still no answer to the question that started it all: What happened to Nolan Wells?

At least three people have been arrested on federal charges connected to the case, but none is accused of having anything to do with Wells’ death. Instead, they are accused of making threats against public officials or people connected to the investigation, an extraordinary turn in a case already fueled by national attention and rampant

social-media speculation.

Meanwhile, Mississippi has completed its official autopsy, but the findings remain under wraps.

Angel Myers McIlrath, the local district attorney, says the case, including the autopsy findings, will be presented to a grand jury once investigators finish their work. Experts say it’s standard procedure in the county for unnatural deaths, not necessarily an indication that prosecutors believe a crime occurred.

But it leaves Wells’ parents roughly where they were when their son was found dead July 6: waiting for someone to tell them how he died.

Private investigation

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents the family, isn’t waiting quietly.

His legal team is conducting its own investigation and has taken steps that could lay the groundwork for litigation, including sending evidence-preservation notices to people connected to Wells’ final hours. An attorney working with Crump also has sought subpoenas for records from Snapchat, Life360 and

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Christine Wonsley and Elmore Wonsley, mother and stepfather of Nolan Wells, stand on a stage with a photo of their son as they appear at the National Urban League’s annual conference to share updates on his death, as well as Daniel Erving, and Tyler Smith, July 30, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. other companies that could help reconstruct Wells’ movements before he died.

The unanswered questions have turned Wells’ death from a Mississippi tragedy into a national cause.

Wells, an incoming college freshman and former high school football player, traveled to Horn Island, a remote state park off the Mississippi coast that’s popular with young people, on July 4 with friends. He never returned home.

After Wells’ mother reported him missing, the teenager’s body was recovered two days later from the northwestern part of the island. Authorities initially said they had no evidence of foul play, but Wells’ parents questioned conflicting accounts among his friends of why their son apparently remained behind while the rest of them headed back to port aboard their crippled boat.

autopsy. Television crime personality Nancy Grace has devoted episodes of her program to the case.

That second autopsy, however, didn’t settle anything.

Dr. Roger Mitchell Jr., the former chief medical examiner for Washington, D.C., classified both Wells’ cause and manner of death as “undetermined pending investigation.”

He found no fractures or deep-tissue injuries but noted an area of discoloration on the back of Wells’ head that he could not conclusively explain.

Because portions of the airway and other tissue had been removed during the state’s examination — a routine part of an autopsy — Mitchell also could not independently determine whether Wells drowned.

Mitchell said he could not rule out non-accidental factors, but also could not conclude whether Wells had been killed.

released audio of the call, made at about 4 p.m. by someone aboard the boat Wells had traveled on after it ran into trouble near Horn Island.

Social media users began dissecting faint voices in the background. An audio engineer produced an enhanced version that went viral, with some listeners saying they hear phrases including “Is he dead?” and references to Wells.

But what people think they hear on social media isn’t necessarily evidence.

A forensic audio expert interviewed by People cautioned that enhancement can introduce artifacts and that suggestion can affect what listeners believe they hear. A reliable forensic examination, she said, would require the original, uncompressed recording and a documented process. Crump says his team has hired experts to analyze the call.

Autopsy inconclusive

Evidence or speculation?

Death threats investigated

The Rev. Al Sharpton, who delivered the eulogy at Wells’ funeral, has joined the family’s demand for answers. Filmmaker Tyler Perry helped pay the funeral expenses, while former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick paid for an independent

That distinction has become increasingly important as the case has exploded online.

Perhaps no piece of evidence illustrates that better than a recorded July 4 call to Sea Tow, a private marine towing company. Mississippi authorities

Meanwhile, the speculation has produced real-world consequences.

Federal authorities have charged people from California, Ohio and Illinois with allegedly making threats connected

to the case. The targets have included government offices, a Mississippi judge whose son was among Wells’ friends, and witnesses connected to the investigation. One man allegedly sent a witness the person’s home address while threatening to kill the witness and family members.

Yet none of those arrests shed light on what happened to Wells.

His mother, Christine Wonsley, has said from the beginning that she isn’t asking authorities to confirm a conspiracy or reach a predetermined conclusion. She wants what any parent would want after a child leaves home for a holiday outing and ends up dead.

“We just want honesty and transparency,” Wonsley told ABC’s “Good Morning America” shortly after her son’s death. “We want a thorough investigation.”

A month later, that investigation has generated federal charges, forensic examinations, subpoenas, celebrity involvement and countless hours of amateur detective work online.

What it still hasn’t produced is an answer.

This article was originally published by Word In Black.

James J. Carter installed as 84th president of the National Bar Association

By LA Data News (Black Press USA Wire) – After a rousing introduction by stellar New Orleans attorney James Williams and swearing in by the legendary Judge Kern Reese, the National Bar Association on July 30, 2026, installed nationally accomplished trial attorney and civic leader James J. Carter as its 84th president.

In addition to NBA past presidents, leaders, members, friends and family from around the world, also in attendance was National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial, who gave Carter his first significant leadership opportunity more than 30 years ago.

Carter’s presidency begins a term shaped by the responsibility of leading the organization as it continues its fight for equal justice under the law. He will be only the second person in the NBA’s 101-year history, after the late Justice Revius Ortique, to serve as president while residing in Louisiana.

President Carter’s bar year

theme is “Meeting the Moment: A Continuing Legacy of Social Engineering and Empowerment.”

“I accept this responsibility with a clear understanding of what the National Bar Association has represented for generations of Black lawyers and for the communities we serve,” Carter said. “Our next century requires courage, discipline and practical action. We will strengthen civic activism, defend access to the ballot, advance financial independence, and address the conditions that affect the health and safety of our communities.”

Founded in 1925 after Black attorneys were excluded from membership in the American Bar Association, the National Bar Association has spent a century advancing civil rights, professional excellence and equal access to justice. Carter assumed the presidency at a consequential point in that history, with a mandate to honor the institution’s legacy while preparing it for the demands of

Courtesy photo

James J. Carter was installed as the 84th president of the National Bar Association on July 30, 2026. the next 100 years.

During his term, Carter will work with NBA members, affiliates, sections, divisions, law schools, corporate partners and community organizations to translate the Association’s national reach into measurable civic and economic impact.

“The National Bar

Association begins its next 100 years with a strong foundation and a clear obligation,” Carter said. “We will protect what prior generations built, respond to the realities facing our communities now, and create the systems the next generation will need.”

Based on reporting by Data News Weekly.

August 15, 2026 - August 21, 2026 The Afro-American A3

Miss Black USA Continued from A1

AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib

Erica Schwartz testifies during a Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions committee confirmation hearing to be the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Capitol Hill, July 15, 2026, in Washington.

New CDC director takes the helm amid upheaval

Dr. Erica Schwartz, the first Black woman to lead the agency, assumes the role as it confronts low morale, as well as outbreaks of measles, cyclosporiasis and lurking Ebola.

By Jennifer Porter Gore Word In Black The Senate on Aug. 5 confirmed Dr. Erica Schwartz as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the agency mandated to protect Americans’ health from preventable threats.

She’s the first Black woman to head the agency, and fills a critical public health position that has been vacant for a year.

Confirmed on a party-line vote, Schwartz becomes the

22nd leader of the agency and the second Black American. Dr. David Satcher was the agency’s first Black director from 1993 to 1998.

He later became the nation’s 16th U.S. Surgeon General.

The CDC was reputedly the gold standard in public health care and was known for helping to end the polio epidemic and all but eradicating measles from the U.S. and a significant part of the world. But under the Trump administration, the agency has lost more than a quarter

of its workforce during rounds of mass firings, primarily aimed at new and temporary workers.

Five of the agency’s top-level staffers — including a Black health equity specialist—were dismissed after appearing on a right-wing “DEI Watchlist.”

Schwartz is the third nominee for CDC director in the past 18 months.

Since then, there have

Tupac Shakur’s murder trial Continued from A1 rappers of all time.

Shakur’s death at age 25 came as his fourth solo album had sold 5 million copies.

He was in a BMW on Sept. 7, 1996, with music mogul Marion “Suge” Knight when a white Cadillac pulled up at a red light. Shakur, who was in the passenger seat, was shot multiple times and died six days later, while Knight survived.

The case went cold until recent years, when public statements and a tell-all memoir from Davis in 2019 revived it. He was arrested in 2023.

Trial is unlikely to answer who killed Tupac Shakur

Davis sat next to his attorney during the trial in Clark County District Court while Nevada Judge Carli Kierny asked a group of 75 potential jurors whether they have any medical issues, language barriers or conflicts with serving in a trial scheduled to last about a month.

Binu Palal, the county’s chief deputy district attorney, listed names of people involved in the case to see if potential jurors were familiar with them, including Knight and Sean “Diddy” Combs.

Questions posed to the potential jurors included their favorite books and movies, if they had any connections to a gang, and whether they had listened to Shakur’s music. One man said he used to.

Meanwhile, Davis sat quietly and appeared calm, occasionally whispering to his defense attorney, Michael Sanft, as jurors responded to questions.

Davis said that if he’s convicted, he wants the judge to decide his sentence, not the jury.

Prosecutors are not accusing Davis of pulling the trigger that night, and the trial likely won’t confirm who did. Instead, prosecutors plan to show that Davis made the calls that led to Shakur’s death and provided the gun.

Davis co-wrote the memoir “Compton Street Legends,” which vividly describes the shooting. The book says Davis obtained a handgun from an associate and tossed it into the back seat of the Cadillac but did not say who fired the fatal shots.

Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, Davis’ nephew, has long been considered the suspect who pulled the trigger, but charges were never brought against him. He died two years after Shakur in an unrelated gang shootout in Compton.

Continued on A5

pageant coach Kevin Wade, NYX VP of Brand Marketing and Community Erika Guinn, and Oprah Winfrey’s personal makeup artist Derrick Rutledge. Guinn said that celebrations like this pageant are critical for Black women today.

“We have to keep supporting all aspects of Black women: education, talent, and their impact,” Guinn said. “It’s more necessary to continue to do these things than ever.”

As the new Miss Black USA, Edosomwan received a prize pack valued around $100,000.

This includes a four-year full tuition scholarship to either UDC’s undergraduate, graduate, or law schools and a $2,500 gap scholarship, modeling contract, and more.

“We offer scholarships for our winners. We believe in education,” Gibbs said. “Today, we have awarded close to $1 million in scholarships to deserving women of color.”

Miss Black USA’s reign kicked off immediately after being crowned. Last year’s winner, Naiylah Archer said her year-long reign went much quicker than she expected, but she was excited to see a new winner carry the title on.

“The crown was never mine to keep, but it was mine to carry,” Archer said.

Edosomwan said that she wants to “do my very best to continue to advocate for our community and make our community proud.”

Arlette Dervil Lydie, Miss Black Massachusetts, was named the first runner-up. She would assume the title in the event that Edosomwan was unable to fulfill her duties.

According to information released by the organization, the three different titles are open to different age groups. The “Miss division,” is open to women ages 19 to 27, while women ages 28 to 45 can take part in the Ms. division.

The Talented Teen division is for young women ages 14 to 19.

In addition to winning the Miss Black USA pageant, Edosomwan also won the Heart of Service award. Several other awards were distributed from the preliminary competition including the Vanguard award named in honor of Miss Black USA CEO Karen Arrington and a $2,000 permanent scholarship in partnership with the Maternal Health Initiative.

“This title is the biggest honor,” Edosomwan said. “I’m so thankful.”

AFRO Photo / Jonathan Forney

Former Miss Black Tennessee Alexis Cole dazzles the crowd with a solo saxophone performance.

AFRO Photo / Jonathan Forney

Miss Black USA 2025 Naiylah Archer crowns the new Miss Black USA Harmony Edosomwan.

AFRO Photo / Jonathan Forney

Miss Black North Carolina, Simone Bryant (front, center), receives a card from Emory Patton for earning second place in the National Alliance of Faith and Justice’s Maternal Health Advocacy contest.

“Whoever had anything to do with it, whoever set it up, whoever had any hand in it should be locked up in prison.”

– Kendrick Lesane, Tupac Shakur’s cousin Two others — Deandrae “Freaky” Smith and Terry “Bubble Up” Brown — were in the car with Davis and Anderson, but they have since died as well.

A three-decade wait for answers about Tupac’s killing

Fans of the rapper expressed relief in social media posts that the trial was finally underway.

“This case been hanging over hip hop for so long, feels strange to see it actually moving,” said one commenter on a Reddit forum for Tupac fans.

“He’d only be 55 if he was alive now,” another Reddit user wrote.

“Brings it home how young he was, imagine how much music he would have made by now, how many movies.”

Who is expected to testify in Las Vegas trial

Prosecutors expect to call between 35 and 45 witnesses, ranging

from people who saw Shakur moments before he was shot to those who were in both Shakur and Davis’ orbits at the time.

The witness list includes former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and members of Shakur’s family. However, not everyone on the list will testify.

Prosecutors expect to call Denvonta Lee, who was affiliated with the South Side Crips.

In grand jury testimony, Lee said that rival gangs, the Crips and Mob Piru, were tied to dueling record labels Death Row Records and Bad Boy Records.

Though he wasn’t there that night, Lee also testified that Anderson didn’t have a clear shot, so Smith took the gun and did the shooting. He also said Davis was in charge and gave the gun to Anderson, who then gave it to Smith.

Davis’ defense attorney is expected to call a handful of witnesses, including one expert in the area

of false confessions and coercive interrogation techniques.

Celebrities could be at the Tupac trial

One of the potential witnesses is in a California prison. Knight is serving a 28-year sentence for running over and killing a Compton businessman in January 2015.

He previously said he would not testify in Davis’ case.

As the only other living eyewitness who was in one of the two vehicles that night, Knight’s testimony could be key.

Sanft, Davis’ defense attorney, told The Associated Press that Knight would be a good witness for Davis’ defense if he testifies.

Fans have also speculated whether Combs will testify, but his name isn’t on any witness lists.

He is serving a four-year prison sentence in New Jersey following his conviction of prostitution-related charges.

In his book, Davis alleged Combs wanted Knight and Shakur dead and offered Davis money to kill them. Combs has long denied any involvement.

Associated Press journalists Ty ONeil in Las Vegas; Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho; and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed.

A4 The Afro-American August 15, 2026 - August 21, 2026

COMMENTARY

Baltimore’s greatest investment is the next generation of kings

By Bruce Behrens and Delegate Malcolm P. Ruff (D-Md.-District 41) Every generation is remembered by the investments it chooses to make.

Here’s our question for Baltimore City: What if the most important investment our city could make over the next 30 years wasn’t just another development project or ribbon cutting? What if it was the next generation of kings?

One of us has served as chairman of the board of Mentoring Male Teens in the Hood for more than 20 years. The other joined the board five years ago and has had the privilege of representing Baltimore City’s 41st State Legislative District in the House of Delegates since 2023.

Together, we’ve reached the same conclusion: Baltimore’s future will not ultimately be determined by what we build. It will be determined by whom we build. This truth has resonated throughout time from the day when the great Maryland abolitionist Fredrick Douglas stated, “It is easier to build strong children than to fix broken men.”

Every great city is measured by the people it develops. Some cities are known for their skylines. Others for their industries, sports teams or cultural institutions. But the strongest

communities build great people.

For 30 years, our organization Mentoring Male Teens in the Hood has been building “kings.”

That’s what we affectionately call the young men in our program–not just because of who they are today but also because of who they have the potential to become.

Over the years, we’ve watched these kings become college graduates, military service members, entrepreneurs, educators, husbands, fathers, mentors and community leaders. Time and again, we’ve seen young men discover gifts they never knew they possessed because someone believed in them before the streets had a chance to convince them otherwise.

Those experiences have taught us one simple reality: when we invest in boys, we don’t just change individual lives. We strengthen families, neighborhoods, schools, workplaces and entire communities.

Much of the conversation about Baltimore understandably focuses on crime, education, economic inequity and public safety. Those issues clearly deserve our attention. But after decades of combined service in nonprofit leadership, community advocacy and public office, we’ve learned that lasting change begins long before a young person encounters a courtroom, a crisis

Courtesy photos

Del. Malcolm P. Ruff (D-Md.-District 41) (left) and Bruce Behrens (right) both serve on the board of Mentoring Male Teens in the Hood, a local organization that invests in youth. or a missed opportunity.

It begins with relationships. Mentorship is how we create long-lasting civic infrastructure.

Roads connect neighborhoods.

Bridges connect communities. Mentorship connects young people to confidence, accountability, opportunity and purpose. It creates the foundation upon which every thriving city depends.

As board members, we’ve reviewed budgets, strategic plans and annual reports. Those documents tell us how an organization is operating.

However, it is the graduation ceremonies, leadership awards and college acceptance letters that tell us why strategic mentorship matters.

Watching former mentees become fathers and mentors themselves tells us why it matters.

The true measure of success is not how many young men enter a program.

It is how many leave prepared to lead.

The story of Sean and Brandon Adeyamo illustrates this fact.

Sean entered Mentoring Male Teens in the Hood searching for direction.

Through mentoring, academic support, accountability and encouragement, he developed confidence and a vision for his future. His younger brother Brandon followed him into the program.

Today, both brothers have pursued degrees in computer science at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

Sean graduated this past May, and both young men received scholarships from Mentoring Male Teens in the Hood to help them pursue their education.

Their story is inspiring because it reflects what we’ve witnessed over and over for three decades. A young man is introduced to possibility. Someone believes in him before success is guaranteed. Eventually, he believes in himself. He graduates, builds a career, strengthens a family and becomes the mentor someone else needs. That is how communities change, one relationship, one family, one king at a time.

Our 30th anniversary theme, “Cultivating Kings,” reflects the philosophy that has guided this organization from the beginning. A king is defined not by status, but by character, integrity, responsibility, service and compassion. A king is defined by his willingness to lift others as he climbs. Those qualities are cultivated through consistent guidance, accountability, opportunity and love.

Read more on AFRO.com

Why the Senate must strengthen its leadership pipeline

By Dedrick Asante-Muhammad and Dr. LaShonda Brenson The Senate Democratic Diversity Initiative’s latest staff diversity survey offers two stories about the U.S. Senate. One is encouraging: Democratic staff is the most diverse (43 percent) it has been since they began collecting this data, with 40 percent more staffers of color than in 2017. Yet at the same time, our report, “Unrepresented: Black and Latino Leadership Among Senate Committee Top Staff” highlights a continued deep lack of staff representation in Senate committee leadership positions where legislation is drafted, oversight is conducted and some of the nation’s most consequential policy decisions are shaped.

The Joint Center’s new report examines who occupies the Senate’s most senior committee positions — staff directors, deputy staff directors, chief counsels, general counsels and policy directors. These positions shape legislative priorities, negotiate bipartisan agreements, oversee federal agencies, advise committee chairs and ranking members and manage hundreds of professional staff.

Courtesy photos

Joint Center President Dedrick Asante-Muhammad and Joint Center senior researcher Dr. LaShonda Brenson are urging Congress to expand demographic reporting and leadership development.

African Americans, who comprise nearly 12 percent of the U.S. population, hold only 2.7 percent of Senate committee staff director positions and only 2.4 percent of other senior committee leadership positions. Latina/o Americans are similarly underrepresented in these top policymaking roles despite representing nearly one in five Americans.

These disparities matter because committee leadership is one of Congress’s most important talent pipelines.

Staff directors and policy directors often become executive branch officials, agency leaders, judges and future congressional chiefs of staff.

When Black and Latina/o professionals are consistently absent from these positions, the effects extend far beyond

a single committee — they shape the future leadership of the federal government itself.

Importantly, this challenge is bipartisan.

Democratic committees have made substantially more progress in diversifying their overall staffs than Republicans, and Senate Democrats deserve credit for leading Congress in publicly releasing workforce demographic data over the past decade. Transparency has allowed researchers, advocates and Senate leadership to measure progress and identify continuing challenges. To date, Senate Republicans have yet to publicly release any data on the diversity of their staff.

But transparency has also revealed that representation becomes far thinner at the highest levels of authority.

Some Democratic committees continue to have no Black staff at all. Others have very few Black staff despite overseeing policy areas with profound implications for Black communities. Similar challenges exist for Latina/o representation across numerous committees.

Some offices point to deputy communications directors, deputy policy

directors or other senior advisors as evidence of diversity within their leadership teams. Those contributions should be recognized. But they are not substitutes for representation in the positions that formally direct committee operations, manage legislative strategy, supervise staff and exercise final decision-making authority.

The challenge before the Senate is therefore less about entry-level hiring than leadership development.

Congress should also deepen its commitment to transparency.

For 10 years, Senate Democrats have set the standard by publicly releasing demographic information about committee and personal office staff. The next step is releasing disaggregated demographic data by position. Understanding who serves in mid-level and senior leadership roles would provide a much clearer picture of whether the Senate is building equitable pathways into its most influential policymaking positions. Senate Republicans should likewise begin publicly reporting staff demographic data so progress can be measured across both parties.

Read more on AFRO.com

The real threat is not teen takeovers–it’s the story being told about Black youth

By Adia R. Louden Like many of us, I’ve watched video clips of massive groups of teenagers gathering, socializing, running and fighting in downtown districts, public parks, shopping centers and waterfronts. These so-called “teen takeovers” have swept across the country, capturing scenes in cities like Chicago, Charlotte, Columbia and most recently North Charleston, Raleigh and Newport Beach.

As these videos go viral, however, as a public health scholar with expertise in Black child health and violence prevention, I know that the real danger isn’t the impact on “public safety,” but in the racialized narratives that media outlets are reinforcing about Black teens as threats. And when Black youth are deemed problematic, punishment is never far behind.

During these meetups, phones

come out, videos are posted, police come in and news coverage begins.

The reporting we subsequently see is a troubling interpretation of Black youth, Black life and Black bodies through a lens of danger, chaos, stereotypes and suspicion.

In a country where Black youth are a minority, how is it that when we see takeovers of thousands of teens, we only see pictures, footage and arrests of one race/ethnicity?

For years, evidence has documented nationwide racial bias in media reporting. In a recent study published earlier this year, researchers found significant differences in the volume of media coverage and characterization of violence during 2014-2023, based on the racial/ethnic composition of neighborhood communities. Additionally, data from a 2021 report points to racial bias in numerous topics within crime media coverage, including the use of

framing, language and imagery.

Words and images have power, and racially biased media coverage paints a picture of Black youth that exacerbates public fear, political pressure and the expansion of unjust outcomes and surveillance in our criminal and educational systems, neighborhoods and families.

We’ve seen this before.

Throughout history, stories were released, believed and used to justify the dehumanization of Black bodies.

From the slavery and Jim Crow era “Sambo” and “Mammy” caricatures to the 1970s/ ‘80s “Welfare Queen,” narratives have been used to strip Black Americans of their humanity.

Further, as a result of the lasting legacy of the 1990s “Superpredator” stories, Black youth and teens continue to face and feel the deep impacts of being labeled and depicted as remorseless, chaotic, impulsive and criminal.

These media crimes left behind the criminalization of Black students through excessive school discipline and policing and an abundance of ways that Black youth have repeatedly been denied the same assumptions of innocence, adolescence and possibility afforded to others.

With the use of “othering” language like “thug,” “delinquency,” “lawless,” and “these teens,” the coverage and response to teen takeovers risk possibly becoming our latest, contemporary example of racialized tropes, diminishing the complexity, brilliance and joy of being Black in this country.

Thus, the sole issue is not whether or not we should all care about our safety. We should. But it is also about whose safety, whose story and whether Black youth will ever be afforded both.

Read more on AFRO.com

Mike Nail Photography (Charlotte, NC)

Adia R. Louden has a Ph.D in maternal and child health from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is currently a Public Voices Fellow of The OpEd Project in Partnership with the National Black Child Development Institute. This week, she discusses the story being told about Black youth when it comes to recent “teen takeovers.”

The opinions on this page are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the AFRO. Send letters to The Afro-American ∙ 233 E. Redwood Street, Suite 600G Baltimore, MD 21202 or fax to 1-877-570-9297 or e-mail to editor@afro.com

August 15, 2026 - August 21, 2026 The Afro-American A5

United Negro College Fund

Dr. Erica Schwartz

Continued from A1

been a series of HHS officials as acting CDC directors. When she was nominated, public health experts were pleased by her credentials and her strong support for vaccines as a public-health tool.

In a statement, Dr. Georges C. Benjamin, chief executive officer of the American Public Health Association, said Schwartz “possesses the medical background and public health knowledge” to lead the CDC after a tumultuous two years.

The agency “desperately needs stability, experienced leadership and a steadfast commitment to science” and Schwartz fits the bill, he said. The APHA, Benjamin added, will work with Schwartz “to rebuild trust in public health leaders” and “improve the public’s health by preventing and controlling diseases and injuries so that everyone can live their healthiest lives.”

She holds both a law degree and a medical degree, but Schwartz has spent most of her career in a military uniform. As a Coast Guard officer, she oversaw the organization’s system of 41 clinics and 150 sick bays.

She also served as deputy U.S. Surgeon General.

effort alongside Sens. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) in the Senate. Together, they are leading the push for the Institutional Grants for New Infrastructure, Technology and Education (IGNITE) HBCU Excellence Act, a bill authorizing the largest federal investment in HBCU infrastructure in American history.

The statute took center stage as the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) renewed its urgent request for Congress and the White House to pass the measure without delay. Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Chairwoman Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.-11) emphasized the pivotal leadership behind the effort, noting that funding for these institutions has faced systemic hurdles for decades.

“The Congressional Black Caucus has been very focused on making sure that when we are in a position to help our HBCUs financially, we do so,” Clarke told the AFRO. “We understand that they play such a critical role in educating so many students across this nation,” the congresswoman added. “Alma Adams, who is the chair of our HBCU Brain Trust, has been the North Star for the Congressional Black Caucus on all things HBCU.” Highlighting the vital role HBCUs play in shaping the nation’s professional workforce, U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson (DGa.-4) told AFRO News that systemic adjustments are urgently needed to close the deep funding gap between HBCUs and predominantly white institutions (PWIs).

“It’s important that we support our HBCUs because they produce our doctors, lawyers, professionals in all enterprises in business,” said the Georgia congressman. “HBCUs operate with much less revenue than PWIs, which makes it more challenging to offer a quality education to students.

“It’s only appropriate that we try to make adjustments to the revenue

Continued from A3

AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File

U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.- District 9), leader of the Congressional Black Caucus, says the organization is taking every opportunity to invest in historically Black colleges and universities. streams so that the PWIs and the HBCUs are equally educating our young people, particularly our minorities,” added Johnson.

The legislative momentum arrives against a backdrop of long-standing financial and structural inequities. While HBCUs generate an estimated $16.5 billion in annual economic impact and support more than 136,000 jobs across the United States, a UNCF report titled, “Transforming Futures: The Economic Engines of HBCUs” found that approximately 84 percent of these institutions remain underfunded, grappling with a collective deferred maintenance and infrastructure backlog exceeding $13 billion.

If passed into law, the IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act would establish a competitive grant program administered through the U.S. Department of Education, with appropriations spanning fiscal years 2027 through 2032. The measure prioritizes campuses with the most critical physical and technological needs, focusing heavily on modernizing infrastructure through essential structural repairs, facility renovations and environmental remediation across aging campus buildings.

Beyond physical repairs, the legislation targets technological advancement by supporting broadband expansion, campus safety upgrades and the creation of artificial intelligence and workforce innovation hubs. To ensure long-term stability and stewardship, the bill authorizes

Michael J WPOC 93.1

the forgiveness of nearly $300 million in outstanding HBCU capital financing loans, while requiring institutions to develop comprehensive facilities master plans to maintain complete financial and operational transparency.

In July 2026, UNCF announced its mobilization push before more than 1,300 attendees gathered in Atlanta for UNITE 2026, the country’s largest national convening of HBCU presidents, faculty, students, advocates and philanthropic partners. Throughout the event, organizers actively mobilized a grassroots coalition of parents, alumni and educators to contact their congressional delegates to demand immediate action on the bill.

The UNITE 2026 convention dedicated significant portions of its schedule to federal and state policy discussions.

Highlights included strategy panels with government affairs representatives from Clark Atlanta University and the Morehouse School of Medicine, as well as operational guidance sessions led by officials from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid. Scholars from Tuskegee University and Bard College also hosted a specialized symposium examining youth voting rights under the 26th Amendment.

To maintain momentum, UNCF is directing supporters to sign its national petition, download digital advocacy toolkits, and message Washington lawmakers directly through its action portal at UNCF.org/IGNITE.

Concerns About Independence

While her qualifications weren’t in question, Schwartz’s nomination hit a speed bump last month when Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican and chair of the Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and other lawmakers questioned whether she could stand up to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — a noted vaccine skeptic and the man who would be Schwartz’s boss.

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Schwartz’s responses didn’t imbue confidence.

Though Benjamin’s statement gives Schwartz the benefit of the doubt, several public health advocates weren’t as heartened by her confirmation and the National Public Health Coalition opposed it.

Shaughnessy Naughton, president of the nonprofit 314 Action, has called Schwartz “a loyal foot soldier” for Trump and Kennedy — a worrisome assessment as “dangerous outbreaks spread across the country, threatening our schools, our farmers, and our children.”

The nation needs “public health leaders who are willing to stand up to Trump, RFK Jr. and their co-conspirators, and put science back in charge,” Naughton said in a statement. “Dr. Schwartz should have been a step in the right direction” but failed to differentiate herself from “the Trump agenda.”

“If she couldn’t answer basic questions honestly and directly before Congress, it’s difficult to imagine how she can serve effectively,” Naughton said. “Americans deserve a leader who will defend public health and follow the science, even when it’s politically inconvenient.”

As the nation confronts six foodborne illness outbreaks, including two outbreaks of cyclosporiasis food contamination that have sickened thousands and killed two Americans, the position of Food and Drug Administration commissioner is still vacant.

The previous commissioner, Marty Makary, resigned from the role in mid-May after serving for just 13 months. Kyle Diamantas, who had been the FDA’s Deputy Commissioner for Food, is currently serving as acting commissioner.

No formal nomination for FDA Commissioner has been sent to the Senate.

This article was originally published by Word In Black.

A6 The Afro-American August 15, 2026 - August 21, 2026

January 27, 2024 - February 2, 2024 The Afro-American

C3

Updated FAFSA form helps Black get more outbreak aid The ‘slo-mo’ recall of lettuce linkedstudents to the cyclospora

“We have heard students and families that the outbreaks and is cooperating with fromWhy recalls like this keep new FAFSA form experience that’s easier government investigators.

The fast-is a better happening food chain also it has removed safetyAid advocates the bigtosaid complete,” said FederalFood Student Chiefsay Richard Over onegenerally milliondon’t students Americans think applied for financial aid all Taylor Farms lettuce from its ger issue is how recalls get triggered Cordray in a statement. through thetheFree much about FoodApplication and Drug Ad-for Federal Student Aid restaurants and supply chain “out of in the first place — and how staff and Congress passed the budget Fostering Undergraduate Talent ministrationinuntil they an abundance of caution.” cuts have thinned out the gov(FAFSA) thesomething first week ofate its opening. However, by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) sendsyear themwas running to the bathroom.

Taylor Farms also said it is ernment’s food safety network. Act this different.

On Dec. 30, the Department 2019 and the FAFSA Simplification Act in 2022, exactly what has happened working with in food safety officials to Marler says it’s “difficult someofThat’s Education released the updated and redesigned this summer. But as thousands of peofigure out outbreaks, and pinpoint the source of thechanges cyclospora. allowing to thetimes” form.toAccording to the 2024application. ple across more than 30 states report having a patchwork food regulatory Taylor Farms is family-owned 2025 Better FAFSA Better Future Roadmap, more “With theweeks Better—FAFSA now live 24/7, we are weeks — yes, of “explosive system doesn’t help. and doesn’t sell directly to consumfeatures will come in the near future. diarrhea” the fromfederal a cyclospora outbreak “We essentially have 51 departers, but its products reach shoppers moving financial aid application into the “Financial aid is a critical part of the college linkedcentury to lettuce, the investigation is putting affordable in this country, and through Costco, Kroger, Trader Joe’s, ments of health 21st and, in the process, testing whether the nation’s food safestatesfamilies are more on of stuff than Walmart, Whole Foods and other maplanning process, but many aretopunaware of the higher education within the reach of 610,000 students ty system still deserves the public’s other states,” Marler said.

“But jor retailers, restaurants, and online necessary steps to take or don’t think they qualify when for confidence. you have a nationwide outbreak, the sellers. The list of recalled products, support when they actually do,” said Autumn Caviness, Federal investigators have said a information you’re getting is only as including identifying lot codes and director of Real Talk. Real a “career gathering.” and college single lettuce supplier, Taylor Farms goodTalk as theisinformation use-by dates, is on the company’s exploration initiative” forFood Black students based in California, is behind an outsafety expertsand warntheir the website. break that has sickened thousands of staffing acuts at the CDC,college the FDA families as part of BigFuture, free online Americans across more than 30 states.

AP Photo/Nati Harnik The FDA’s about-face and other agencies that track foodplanning guide.

On July 22, the FDA announced it is Although the FDA cited a Taylor Farms facility in Mexico as the source In tracking the current outbreak, borne pathogens could slow the A 2018 National Center for Education Statistics investigating another outbreak of 72 of the outbreak, the agency later walked back its conclusion. The the FDA had initially reported that a country’s ability to catch and respond report found that 72 percent of Black undergraduate of illnesses in high-risk cyclosporiasis cases from an unknown move raised eyebrows among industry experts, whose concerns have Farms lettuce sample had test- to outbreaks Unsplash/ TowfiquTaylor Barbhuiya students received a Federal Pell Grant with an average source. products like leafy greens, sprouts and grown since leaders from the president’s Department of Government ed positive for Cyclospora.

But after The Department of Education expects the updated and But the story keeps taking new pre-cut produce.

Efficiency, or DOGE, firedredesigned thousandsfinancial of FDA food safety inspectors. further lab review, the agency walked annual amount of $4,900, more than any other racial aid form to help students get more turns. say the underlying issue is back that conclusion, it a false group. calling Caviness said thereExperts has been a lot of interest for their higher education. from families withcited low aincomes who will Farms. now be Although the FDA Taystaffing: the FDA simply doesn’t have positive “due to the complexity in Taylor A public database of either a company’s own testing turns from Black students andenough families in their offerings, lor Farmsfor facility Mexicofor as the the very campaign inspectors to catch contamidetection of Cyclospora.” contributions shows Taylor up a pathogen, or people get sick and eligible PellinGrants first time,” U.S. on their individual circumstances.” specifically their event about FAFSA with financial aid source of the the agency nation before food reaches restaurants The FDA stressed that the agenhas donated to Republihealth officials trace the illness back Secretary ofoutbreak, Education Miguel Cardona said ingenerously a More questions are skippable the department later walked back its conclusion. cy is still advising people to avoid anduniversities. store shelves. cans, including a PAC that supports to a product.

“The other because way recalls experts from colleges and statement in January.

The move raised eyebrows among Taylor lettuce grown President Donald Trump. previously acknowledged happen is when people eatall food and that not students are “inFarms iceberg “We believe that all young people, especially our According the department, nearly industry experts,towhose concerns or processed in Mexico. The CDC Political money complicates To1.5 date,million more than 7,000touch cases with their get sick.

That part the recall proparents” andof “approximately 300,000 underrepresented students, deserve access to the more students receiveadminis$7,395, the award have grown sincewill the Trump continues to warn consumers about havemaximum been confirmed or are under incess is kind of — I always call it the matters students are experiencing homelessness.” The new necessary information thatThe opens allover doors,” shepositive said. tration’s Department Government dust-up the false vestigation Michigan and canary in the coal mine,” Bill Marler, the recalled products. of the Federal PellofGrant, bringing the total tonationwide. more form allows users to securely and directly import tax Efficiency, or DOGE, fired thousands Taylor Farms saw the FDA’s rever- has fueled scrutiny of Taylor Farms’ Ohio have the highest a food safety expert and product than 5.2 million students.

The new form should take case count so from the Internal Service sal (IRS) as vindication.This article was originally politicalpublished donations. by Word In of FDA food safety inspectors. far. Health officials in both information states say liability attorney, toldRevenue Word In Black. around hour to and students their In a statement, the company said According to reports, the company These an concerns arecomplete, compounded they’re and still investigating and can’t “It is difficult sometimes to figure instead of manually entering it.

Black. families skip “asat many as 26 questions, the FDA had “apologized” and and entities associated with it have by the staffcan reductions the Centers yet rule outdepending other food sources. out outbreaks. It’s less difficult today emphasized that the government donated more than $3.8 million to for Disease Control and Prevention.

Tracing the outbreak, however, than it was 30 years ago, but it’s still investigation “has not identified a conservative-aligned groups this decade.

Last year, the agency scaled back has been slow going, in part because difficult.” single positive product test result for That includes $1 million donated to the FoodNet, its federal-state monitoring symptoms typically don’t appear It’s never a good sign, he said, Cyclospora.”

Congressional Leadership Fund, which program. It also dropped the tracking until days after contaminated food is when people getting sick is the first Nevertheless, Taylor Farms has backs Republican House candidates, of cyclospora and five other pathoconsumed. sign that contaminated food is lurking not withdrawn its recall and says it and $1 million to MAGA Inc., a super gens to focus only on Salmonella Cyclospora, the parasite behind in the system.

By Joseph Williams will keep working with federal health PAC supporting President Trump. and E. coli across the program’s 10 the discomfort, spreads when people Word In Black officials.

How lettuce became political Taylor, the company’s founder, has participating states (those states can eat contaminated food. Symptoms The situation has brought criticism Investigators link the current personally donated more than $1 million stillFor track them voluntarily.) include diarrhea, nausea, loss of the Black community, education is considered an from food-safety observers who note outbreak to Taylor Farms’s iceberg to Republican-aligned PACs over the But Taylor Farms, one of the appetite and fatigue, and can last for investment, the best way for Black children to get ahead past two decades, including a reported largest fresh-cut produce and preweeks. The outbreak, which typically lettuce processed at its facility in cen- that outbreak investigations routinely in life, and a key to overcoming systemic racism.

Buttime a of year, has tral Mexico. The lettuce ended up as rely on epidemiological patterns, not $400,000 between 2025 and 2026. pared-food suppliers in North Ameroccurs around this new study are short-changing an ingredient in food prepared at Taco just lab-confirmed contamination, to There are also reports that Taylor ica, has beenindicates down thisstates road before. led to scoresthe of schools hospitalizations, and Bell fast-food restaurants in Indiana, identify a source. visited the White House shortly before The company hasattend, been involved in theexperts say casesgap. are expected to Black children worsening achievement Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Food safety experts warn the the FDA’s reversal. That prompted fiveAFDA andtitled U.S. Department of climbing August. study “The Adequacy andkeep Fairness of into State Virginia. questions about whether the donations Trump administration’s changes Agriculture recalls between 2017 “This is much, much higher than School Finance Systems” found that Black students are Taylor Farms recalled the lettuce or the visit played any role in the agencould slow the country’s ability to and 2024 –including a 2024 recall what we’ve seen last year or the twice as likely onions as White schoolsaid in Gwen Biggerstaff, tied to the outbreak on July 17, and cy’s investigation. catch and respond to outbreaks of of E.coli-tainted thatstudents ended to attend year before,” districts with subpar government more Taco Bell pulled it from its restauThe Trump administration has foodborne illnesses like this one — up on McDonald’s Quarter Pounder funding deputyand director of than the CDC’s Divirants nationwide that same day. denied any connection, and called and high-risk products like leafy burgers. sion of Foodborne, Waterborne, and three times as likely to live in “chronically underfunded” In a statement, Taco Bell said it is suggestions of collusion “fake news.” greens, sprouts and pre-cut produce The recent headlines have put Environmental Diseases, according to districts. having “ongoing conversations with This article was originally published are exactly the categories most prone scrutiny on the political activity of reporting by Civil Eats.

At the same time, researchers found that “educational public health officials” about the

by Word in Black. to recurring contamination.

Bruce Taylor, founder and CEO of Most recalls start one of two ways: By Overs

By Bria Jennifer Porter Gore Word In Word in Black Black

“We have heard from students and families that the new FAFSA form is a better experience that’s easier to complete.”

For Black kids, underfunded public schools are inequality factories

opportunity is unequal in every state — that is, higherpoverty districts are funded less adequately than lowerpoverty districts,” according to the report.

The funding disparities are likely to further increase “opportunity gaps” between Black and White children, creating what one researcher called “inequality factories.” And the disparities are occurring as school

By Willy Blackmore releasestandards of site plans districts set academic achievement thator related reports or studies, children in underfunded districts often strugglethe to non-dismeet.

When Bessemer, Ala., conclosure agreement city The findings, compiled by a team of researchersleaders sidered approving a massive signed blocked the public from the Albert Shanker Institute, the University of new data center project earlier disclosure of any information Miami Rutgers University, evaluated K-12 develthis year,and there were very few about Projectthe Marvel’s school finance systems states andrequires the District of public details about what, of ex-all 50 opers.

It also the city actly, was being — to destroy any 2009 information Columbia.

Theproposed project analyzed data from — the or how local the project that the depths of theelected Greatofficials Recession,related duringtowhich revenuein the historic, majority-Black developers deemed confidenstarved states slashed education budgets — to the 2020city were negotiating with the tial — including any official 21 school year, roughly a decade the economy project’s backers. cityafter documents or notes. recovered.

That’s because a number Gulley signed it, along with of city leaders, including his chief quality, of staff, Christoper A thumbnail measure of education school Mayor Kenneth Gulley, Warrer, and city attorney district spending varies across the country, with some signed a strict non-disclosure Aaron Killings. school districts and states spending far more per pupil — agreement with the developThe disclosure agreements and paying teachers more — than others.

Yet spending ers behind Project Marvel, a became public when two matters: has linked district spending to the better proposed data 4.5 million squarehigherenvironmental groups, foot facility set to become Southern Environmental student performance, testone scores and outcomes. of the largest in entered Law Center anddownturn, the Alabama When thedata U.S.centers economy a sharp the world.

Rivers Alliance, sued, forcing revenue-starved states slashed education budgets.

Now that the agreement the city’s hand. Alabama has But whenmade the public economy rebounded, notthat all run has been under publichowever, records laws education budgetsthebounced threat of a lawsuit, details back. contrary to the disclosure show how much authority agreements.

“Good school finance systems compensate for factors the developers had over city It recently reported states cannot control (e.g., studentwas poverty, labor costs) officials, and how thoroughly that QTS Data Centers is using levers that they can control (e.g., driving funding they wanted to keep the pubone of the companies behind to that need it most),”the according to the study. lic districts in the dark. project. According to the “We have devised a frameworkcompany’s that evaluates states website, it has Plans largely kept under wraps Overland based on how well theyheadquarters accomplishinthis balance.

Besides banning the public Park, Kansas, and Sterling, We assess each state’s funding while accounting directly for the students and communities served by its public schools.”

Data center leaves community in the dark

Nappy.co/holisticcare

A new report reveals how hundreds of billions of dollars have been snatched away from the nation’s public schools since 2016.

spending deficit, meanwhile, cost schools “over $360 revenue but are choosing not to do so.” billion 2016 and 2021,” the report states.

Not surprisingly, Black students bore the brunt of the Virginia,between and is a major Yet “most states have increased their expectations funding downturn. developer of hyperscale data centers. for the performance of schools, teachers and students” Black students “are twice as likely as White students In a statement, Charles without increasing funding needed to reach the higher to be in districts with funding below estimated adequate Miller, policy director of the a University of Miami benchmarks, Bruce Baker, levels, and 3.5 times more likely to be in ‘chronically Alabama Rivers Alliance, professor and one the report’s co-authors, said in underfunded’ districts,” according to the study. The said it’s “absurd” thatofthree aofstatement.

The “permanent divestment” in public discrepancies between Hispanic and White students, the Bessemer’s top officials schools, he says, is a mistake by states who “have report states, “are smaller but still large.” Unsplash / Kirill Sh — including two elected officeholders — agreed Ala., considered The approving massive newgaps data“tend center earlier refused to make their to districts When wholeBessemer, after the disastrous largestaopportunity toproject be in states such acuts document “that makes an this year, there were very few public details about what was being proposed — or during that recession.” as Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts,” where entire city government more how local elected officials in the historic, majority-Black city were negotiating with The report also found that 20 percent of all U.S. statewide spending adequacy is relatively high “but accountable to out-of-state the project’s backers. Now, residents are questioning a secret agreement that gave wealthier districts contribute copious developers than their own developers broad control over where what leaders in their city could tell the public.amounts of local (property tax) revenue to their schools,” according constituents.”

“The reality is thatabout it costs more “In Alabama, our elected a highly controversial Birmingham played an forest.

The city recently to the study.that “This exacerbates the discrepancies in officials should work for us, data center,” Anderson said. important role in the Black rezoned the property to achieve higher educational funding adequacy between these districts and theirfrom less not Silicon Valley AI comfreedom struggle and the rise agricultural land so that it affluent counterparts.” panies and their associates,” ‘Committed’ to of Black political power in can be developed for indusoutcomes, and we’re unlikely Matthew Di Carlo of the Albert Shanker Institute, Miller said.

Alabama. trial use. transparency to see much return on our who co-authored the report, believes the center opportunity Ryan Anderson, attorney Since it came to public Even though it compelled The data campus for the Southern Environattention earlier this year, city leaders to keep project would have the collective gaps “are essentially inequality factories, with affluent investments when Project we’reMarvel nothasreally mental Law Center, said in drawn details under wraps, footprint of 18 Walmart Sudistricts funded to QTS achieve higher student outcomes a statement that it’s “deeply widespread opposition from Data Centers said in a statepercenters, and use up making those investments.” than lower-income districts, year after year.”would And the concerning when it takes legal residents who say it would ment that it is “committed to 1,200 megawatts of power inequality, he said, is a as featureper —year not a—bug. threats for a government to worsen pollution, strain local to engaging transparently 90 times more “We cannot expect to closethan achievement he comply with basic transparen- resources and deepen environ- planning continues, includBessemer’sgaps,” roughly cy laws.” mental inequities in a preing water, energy, infraresidents use per public school students attend “chronically below said, “when states’ systems are25,000 designed to reproduce Even worse, “the city dominantly community. structure year. The facility would also adequate” districts, in which actual state Black funding is them.” and community refused an open records act The fight has also taken on considerations.” consume at least 2 million the furthest below adequate levels. But 60 percent of Bridging those gaps will require states to make request for a document that’s symbolic weight because the The project’s scale is gallons of water per day. those districts areshield in just 10 Sun Beltisstates: Alabama, a host of changes district funding, including very purpose is to project planned for Besseenormous, slated totooccuThis article was originally Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, revamping district funding targets and information from the public mer, a historic steel town near py a 1,600-acre stretch of published increasing

by Word in Black.

Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina and Texas. revenue, particularly state aid, according to the report.

“The reality is that it costs more to achieve higher Researchers also believe the federal government must educational outcomes,” said Baker, “and we’re unlikely step up to help states that, due to high poverty and small

August 15, 2026 - August 21, 2026 The Afro-American A7

Fred Richard makes history with U.S. gymnastics title while chasing Olympic glory The second Black gymnast to win the men’s all-around title is building his brand while preparing for a potential starring role at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

By Will Graves The CEO and founder of Frederick Flips is a busy man. So busy it’s easy to wonder sometimes how interested Fred Richard is in keeping the main thing the main thing.

The underlying tone of the social media content the 22-year-old gymnast and the rest of his five-man business team produce for Richard’s growing legion of followers gives off the vibe of someone who doesn’t take himself — or his sport — too seriously.

Most of that is by design. The athlete who has made it his mission to bring gymnastics to a new audience knows making it seem like fun is a vital part of that process.

It’s hardly the only part. And any questions about how invested Richard is in this whole thing were answered the night of Aug. 8, when he became the second Black gymnast to win a men’s all-around title.

Richard pulled away from Shane Wiskus and Danila Leykin with six polished and professional routines, offering tangible proof that underneath goofing around on TikTok, his plan to be the face of the men’s Olympic program in Los Angeles in two years is very much in full swing.

“Winning matters to show that your process is working,” Richard said late Aug. 8.

Making a statement in more ways than one

That’s even if Richard’s process can sometimes be at odds with the norms of a sport that has looked a certain way since long before the Massachusetts native was born.

When Richard saluted the judges this weekend, he did it while wearing a uniform that ran afoul of the rules.

And we’re not talking about the singlet that featured his trademark across his chest.

Rather than don stirrup pants — long the de facto uniform on events like pommel horse — Richard opted for shorts with white compression leggings underneath. It’s something he began experimenting with during the later stages of his college career at Michigan, and one he has no plans of abandoning in domestic events even if it means receiving a three-tenths neutral deduction each time.

On Aug. 6, that meant his lead over Leykin was slimmer than it had to be.

That didn’t stop Richard from taking the same deduction at the start of the competition on Aug. 8, admitting he was more than willing to potentially jeopardize his shot at a national title to make a statement.

“I told you I’d laugh if that happens,” Richard said.

It didn’t come to that. He put together an energetic and confident performance to win by more than two points over Wiskus, a 2020 Olympian, and the promising 19-year-old Leykin.

When Richard landed his vault during the final rotation — one that remains a work in progress as he tries to get his power under control — to seal the victory, he turned toward the crowd inside the Mortgage Matchup Center and flashed the “No. 1” sign before posing for a selfie atop the medal stand while asking the fans in the background to join in.

Hey, the brand is the brand. And Richard doesn’t believe he has to choose between being a funny,

AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin

Fred Richard competes in the men’s rings event during the U.S. Gymnastics Championships on Aug. 6, 2026, in Phoenix. charismatic and remarkably selfaware influencer and a champion. Yes, his uniform choice was a conversation starter. He doesn’t think it should distract from what he does while wearing it.

“When you come to a competition, nothing else matters besides staying in your zone, focusing on the details and going for those skills,” he said.

“That’s all I came here to do, get better under pressure.”

Returning to the world stage

Well, that and earn a spot on the national and world championship teams, roles he surprisingly missed out on a year ago that seemed to mute the glow from helping the American men win their first team medal in 16 years at the 2024 Olympics.

He promised in the aftermath to get back to work, and with Olympic teammates Brody Malone and Asher Hong out this week — Malone is taking a break while Hong, a two-time national champion, is recovering from an ankle

injury — Richard spent his time in the desert showing he’s ready to lead in something other than clicks.

The teenager who announced himself by earning a surprise bronze in the all-around at the 2023 world championships is evolving. He served as a captain at Michigan, and as the window opens on his prime, he seems ready to pick up the mantle as a U.S. leader.

“I feel like I’m not like, OK, there’s older guys that are like veterans, but I feel I’m entering that veteran territory,” he said. “It’s not my first worlds.

It’s not first Olympics.”

Even if there is plenty to do to assure himself of a place on the team that will step into the spotlight only a home Olympics provides two summers from now. He knows he needs to upgrade the difficulty in some of his routines to become a legitimate medal threat in Los Angeles.

He’ll get a litmus test on where he currently stacks up when the American men take the floor at the

world championships in the Netherlands in October. As encouraged as he is at how things are going, he’s hardly satisfied.

The man who has a team of five working for him to keep his website and social media accounts booming understands there are a lot of 30-plushour weeks in the gym ahead. It’s a grind, one he embraces when the camera isn’t on.

He’s hardly the only athlete who considers themselves an influencer.

But the reality is anybody with a camera can become one. Not everyone can be a champion. As Los Angeles draws ever closer, Richard is leaning into the difference between the two.

“The No. 1 trait of the most successful athletes, athlete creators, people growing their sports, people hitting icon status is winning,” he said. “And I want to keep winning and pushing myself to see how much better I can get.”

This article was originally published by The Associated Press.

How Angel Reese and ‘Barbie Night’ reminded fans why representation matters

By A. R. Shaw Over 16,000 people, mostly wearing pink, filled Atlanta’s State Farm Arena as the Atlanta Dream and Las Vegas Aces recently battled on the court Aug. 3.

The fans wore pink jerseys and dresses, and a few sported vibrant pink hair. Celebrities such as Mariah The Scientist, Aniya Harvey of “Love Island” fame, Flo Milli and actress Crystal Renee Hayslett were all in attendance to support the Atlanta Dream’s “Barbie Night.”

The pink theme celebrated Angel Reese’s new collaboration with Barbie, which debuted in retail stores during WNBA All-Star Weekend near the end of July. But beyond the fun theme of women and girls wearing all-pink on “Barbie Night,” it proved to be a powerful moment of representation.

Dolls are not just toys kids use to pass the time; they reflect how kids see themselves within the broader framework of society.

“I didn’t have dolls that really looked like me much, and that’s why I really wanted to make sure this was super intentional,” Reese said prior to the game. “Because now they have a doll that looks like you, with nails and hair. That was something that was important for me when getting the doll.”

Reese became known as the “Bayou Barbie” during her college years at Louisiana State University. The nickname followed her to the WNBA, and she also held two “Barbie Nights” while playing with the Chicago Sky in 2024 and 2025. But this year’s “Barbie Night” has a bit more history involved, considering that Reese is now the first WNBA player with a Barbie doll.

“Being a first always means a lot,” Reese said, now known as the ATL Barbie. “There are a lot

AP Photo/LM Otero

WNBA star Angel Reese is an inspiration to girls everywhere with a new Barbie doll in her likeness. Reese joined the Atlanta Dream in April 2026. of women that have come before me that have walked so I can run. So many of the legends of this game have reached out to me and just poured into me, and it really just means a lot to me.”

Thousands of young girls at State Farm Arena held the Angel Reese Barbie doll while watching Reese play on the court. Atlanta Dream fan Alexis Mosley attended the game with her 6-year-old daughter, Nevaeh Jones, who held her Angel Reese Barbie doll in hand from start to finish.

“My daughter absolutely thinks the Angel Reese Barbie doll is magical,” Mosley said. “She loves Black Barbie dolls and to have one that she can hold, see on TV, and can come to the game, that’s everything to her. I hope she remembers this moment so she can grow up and make something great of herself as well.”

Adult fans also found inspiration. Kameren

Saulsberry, an attorney, has collected dolls since childhood and brought her Angel Reese Barbie doll to the game.

“It means a lot to me, my whole life, having a doll that could represent me as a Black woman and being raised by a strong Black woman,” Saulsberry said. “I always wanted to look up to role models as a kid, so having a doll who could symbolize a strong role model of a strong Black woman is phenomenal and amazing. It teaches us that we can be what we want to be. You can be a WNBA star, a lawyer, a doctor, a pharmacist, a teacher or an astronaut.”

Reese echoed those sentiments about the role she plays in inspiring the next generation.

“If you see it, you can be it. You can believe it,” Reese said. “Hopefully, the young girls are inspired. They see a Barbie that looks like them.

Photo courtesy of NNPA / A.R. Shaw

Shown here, Alexis Mosley and daughter, Nevaeh Jones, with the new Angel Reese Barbie.

Knowing that there’s no limitation. Anything you want to do, you can put your mind to.”

When asked what she would say to her younger self, Reese took a moment to reflect on her childhood. From not having many dolls that looked like her to having her own Barbie, Reese has come a long way, and her journey is just beginning. “[My childhood self] would probably be proud of me and where I am right now,” Reese shared.

“It hasn’t been an easy journey for me. I would tell her to just continue to push through, drive through, and there’s always going to be a light down the tunnel.”

This article was originally published by NNPA Newswire.

August 15, 2026 - August 21, 2026 The Afro-American A8

WASHINGTON AREA

Free DC trains youth with tools of civil disobedience

By D. Kevin McNeir Special to the AFRO

AP Photo/Allison Robbert

Howard University students move in ahead of the 2026-2027 school year.

Anxious students who were unenrolled now moving into Howard University dorms

By Matt Brown, Terry Tang and Corey Williams Nikiyah Clark had five boxes and a backpack when she ultimately received the keys to her Howard University dorm.

Weeks earlier, the school had told her this moment would never come.

When Howard administrators informed Clark — and hundreds of others — that she was permanently unenrolled for missing a tuition fee deadline, she rode a bus from Cleveland, Ohio, to plea with administrators. She left in tears.

“I didn’t just lose my dream.

I lost my way out,” said the 17-year-old, who had pinned her hopes on Howard as a peaceful environment and a path to financial freedom after years of growing up in “survival mode.”

Shortly after that, the university notified Clark she was

once again welcome to enroll.

But as she moved into the Washington, D.C., campus on Aug. 6, she remained uneasy.

She worries that the university might reverse its decision yet again, and hopes Howard will make changes so that other students aren’t wrongfully unenrolled.

“I’m definitely not really over that,” Clark said.

While administrators prefer that students, faculty and alumni focus on the school’s new academic year, much of the community’s attention is still trained on the unenrollment debacle. More than 500 incoming first-year students were unenrolled for missing a July tuition payment deadline, the university said. About 200 students have had their enrollment restored.

It was also reported Aug. 7 that Howard unenrolled the students about a month after offering voluntary early

retirement buyouts to 600 eligible employees. But Howard University said in a statement that the employee buyouts were unrelated and part of a plan for “long-term financial sustainability.”

For some in the Howard community, the bitter experience has raised questions about the legacy of one of the country’s most revered historically Black colleges and universities. Others say such administrative matters won’t lessen the career impact a Howard diploma can have.

The loss of HBCU luster

Zy’Aira Blackmon had her heart set on attending Howard, seen as the preeminent Black university in the nation.

But, after her enrollment status was revoked and then reinstated within days, the 18-year-old from Grand Rapids, Michigan, doesn’t feel the same way. The luster Howard

once held has been dulled.

“After this situation, most people are going to ignore all the good things Howard has to offer,” said Blackmon, who now will study at Western Michigan University.

When Howard took away 17-year-old Yuisa Davis’ enrollment, her mother hopped on a plane July 28 from the family’s Puerto Rico home to get answers. An administrative official told Karina Polen-Davis and her husband, who was on speakerphone, that she couldn’t answer their questions. Then the official called security.

The Davises say they paid what they thought they owed but the university rescinded enrollment without explanation or recourse.

The school never budged.

“It’s very disheartening just because there’s so many Continued on A10

In the week leading up to Aug. 11, hundreds of residents from Washington, D.C., elected officials and several nonprofit organizations, including the ACLU and Free DC, have participated in or led rallies, protests, “know your rights” trainings and even filed lawsuits to oppose the ongoing occupancy of the District by federal law enforcement.

One year ago (Aug. 11, 2025), the president declared a crime emergency in D.C., and under executive order deployed thousands of federal law enforcement and National Guard troops on the streets and into the neighborhoods of the city.

Allegedly, this unprecedented use of the military to facilitate civilian policing has resulted in a sharp decline in local crime rates, but as rates were already going down before the president signed his executive order, many citizens

believe the decline has been negligible.

AFRO inquiries by phone and email to D.C. National Guard media officials went unanswered. However, there were plenty of Washingtonians who were willing to voice their concerns.

One particularly vocal group of youth adults and teens gathered outside of the Anacostia Metro Station on Aug. 8, holding signs that called for the immediate end to federal occupancy of the District and taking to the microphone to express their anger, frustration and fears.

The youth were there to participate in a Justice for D.C. Youth and Film the Police training organized by Free DC, a nonprofit project organized in January 2023.

According to its website, Free DC works to mobilize city residents to protect and advocate for Home Rule, train residents in nonviolent resistance, and encourage public Continued on A9

AFRO Photo / D. Kevin McNeir

A small but committed group of young adults and advocates associated with the Free DC Project meet on Aug. 8 at the Anacostia Metro Station to protest the one-year occupancy of Washington, D.C., by federal law enforcement officers.

GWUL festival offers school supplies, health services Aug. 22

Registration required to receive back-to-school supplies

By D. Kevin McNeir Special to the AFRO African-American families in the Greater Washington area continue to bear the brunt of surging prices, reductions in services and the ever-widening gap between the insured and uninsured.

And with schools in Washington, D.C., and Prince George’s County, Md., set to reopen in just a few weeks, many parents find themselves struggling to keep up with the increased cost of living.

However, there’s hope on the horizon as the Greater Washington Urban League (GWUL) prepares to launch its 14th Annual Back2School Health & Wellness Festival.

The yearly event continues to attract more children and families eager to take advantage of a wide array of giveaways, school supplies, food, vaccines, haircuts and health screenings. This year it will be held on Aug. 22 – once again in the parking lot of Second Baptist Church Southwest (5501 Silver Hill Road) in District Heights, Md.

Newly added amenities include a live podcast recording space that will facilitate the amplification of stories of Black fatherhood, sponsored

by GWUL’s Black Fatherhood Project.

And for those seeking a few moments of conversation with a psychologist, “Ask-A-Therapist” 15-minute confidential sessions will be available.

GWUL Interim President and CEO Dr. Faith Hubbard Gibson, who was appointed in August 2025 as reported in the AFRO, said more free services have been added to this year’s event because of the recent changes within the political sphere and how Black families have been negatively affected.

“As an historic African-American civil rights organization with almost 90 years of service in Washington, D.C., and Prince George’s County, we know the work we do and the programs we offer are needed today more than ever before,” Hubbard Gibson said. “Given the attendance last year, we anticipate more than 1,500

Kai Holmes-Cook / Greater Washington Urban League

GWUL team members and therapists at the “Ask-A-Therapist” booth during the organization’s Back2School Health & Wellness Festival in 2025. Pictured are Gregory Wright (from left), Kardia Daley, Christina Joy Richardson, Delicia Williams and Terrence Woodbury. students and their families coming out to the festival.

And with our staff, volunteers and partners, we’re going to ensure that children are prepared to return to school with the things they need.”

Hubbard Gibson said as a parent, she’s seen firsthand how surging costs have impacted her own family’s budget.

“With inflation rising and the price of everything increasing, it’s becoming more difficult for Black families to make ends meet,” she said.

“However, regardless of the changes within the economic and political environments, we want the families we serve to know that the GWUL Continued on A10

7

Past 14 days

67 2026 Total as of 8/12

August 15, 2026 - August 21, 2026 The Afro-American A9

Free DC Continued from A8 teens gathered outside of the Anacostia Metro Station on Aug. 8, holding signs that called for the immediate end to federal occupancy of the District and taking to the microphone to express their anger, frustration and fears.

The youth were there to participate in a Justice for D.C. Youth and Film the Police training organized by Free DC, a nonprofit project organized in January 2023. According to its website, Free DC works to mobilize city residents to protect and advocate for Home Rule, train residents in nonviolent resistance, and encourage public solidarity.

Frankie Seabron, an organizer for Free DC and program director for Harriet’s Wildest Dreams, said the strategies employed by federal law enforcement since the occupancy of the District was ordered by the president have caused unnecessary and often irreparable harm to communities of color.

“We chose to meet at the Anacostia Metro Station because it’s been a repeated site of youth oppression,” Seabron said. “As part of our regular training, we wanted to teach youth the proper and most effective ways to film police – those who are part of the Beautiful Task Force – when they confront youth, enter our communities, or seek to detain residents.

Seabron believes African Americans often shy away from confronting those in power, but said there’s still strength in numbers.

“People power makes the difference and often leads to change,” she said. “Right now, we need everyone to speak up and make noise. People must stand in the gap for their friends and neighbors.”

Seabron said she’s especially concerned about the use and expansion of youth curfew zones that have been approved by the mayor and the D.C. City Council.

“There aren’t many safe places where youth can gather anymore and it seems like those in charge just want to silence their voices,” Seabron said. “Curfew zones are not the answer to the problem, but they are part of this unjust system of federal policing. Black youth have been caught in the middle.

But they’re not adults – they’re youth. So, if we don’t provide spaces for them, they will create their own. This is happening all over the country with hyperfocused efforts employed in D.C.”

AFRO Photo / D. Kevin McNeir

Several dozen young adults, teens and advocates affiliated with the Free DC Project gather outside of the Anacostia Metro Station on Aug. 8, to voice concern over the federal surge in law enforcement.Youth said they’re being harassed, detained and even injured by federal officers, often without cause. Shown here, Frankie Seabron, program director of Harriet’s Wildest Dreams and Free DC organizer (left), Caroline Pryor and Samantha Davis. good news is many youths are now organizing and fighting back.”

Pryor said if she didn’t know better, she’d believe we’re reliving the early days of the Civil Rights Movement.

“Black youth, some enrolled in HBCUs, some even younger, were often at the forefront of protests lodged against systems of injustice led by local and federal officials during the ‘50s, ‘60s, and even into the ‘70s,” she said. “That’s what I’m seeing occurring again here in D.C. Youth are demanding change and showing us what change can and should look like. They’re making sure we see them and that we hear what they have to say.”

“People power makes the difference and often leads to change. Right now, we need everyone to speak up and make noise.”

– Frankie Seabron, Free DC organizer Caroline Pryor, a teacher who works with an organization whose goals include amplifying the voices of youth, said young people feel that they’re being oppressed and targeted.

“Not only do youth feel less safe, but I feel the same way,” Pryor said. “In certain communities, especially those in Southeast, we’ve seen more federal officials on our streets, entering our buildings and detaining youth. It’s happening more and more each day. But the

More views from the community

Shelley Smith, a 70-plusyear-old Free DC volunteer, said in her more than 45 years of living in the District, she’s never seen the kinds of tactics being led by the president under the rubric of “public safety.”

“We’ve faced some tough times in D.C. and had some presidents and city mayors who made life difficult for African Americans, for youth and others frequently relegated to the fringes of society,” said Smith.

“But what we’re seeing today are efforts to normalize the existence of masked and armed guards and police – officers we don’t need. We have an effective police force already.

“Just think if we had onethird of the money that’s being used to pay for the National Guard,” she added. “We could solve problems like food insecurity, create more affordable housing, end homelessness, and put in place effective drug rehabilitation programs. That’s what D.C. needs – not federal officers. It’s a huge waste of taxpayer dollars.”

Courtney Brickert, a social justice advocate and D.C. resident for the last 23 years, agreed.

“Imagine how you’d feel if suddenly your neighborhood was overrun and targeted by federal agents and you were forced to comply with a new set of rules? Brickert asked.

“That’s what it’s like living in D.C. today. So, some Black and Brown youth who are trapped in the middle of this political upheaval are understandably acting out.

They’re frustrated. They have no place to go for fun, where they feel safe. But remember, they’re just children.”

Seabron said advocates like her have one goal: to keep young people safe.

“The focus should be on our youth,” Seabron said.

“We have to keep our babies safe because some, like Julian Bailey and Nolberto Mesa, have needlessly lost their lives at the hands of federal law enforcement. We advise our youth that when they see these officers, they should film what’s going on and instead of running away, speak up with respect.

“We’ve got to look out for one another,” Seabron continued. “But with a new mayor about to take over, and with more youth stepping up to the plate, I’m optimistic about the future.”

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A10 The Afro-American August 15, 2026 - August 21, 2026

Washington-area native Stefon Diggs returns home to the Commanders in a full-circle moment

By Ethan Cadeaux For the first decade of his NFL career, Stefon Diggs always felt like he had something to prove when going up against Washington.

“That’s my hometown team, them and the Baltimore Ravens,” Diggs said Aug. 7. “I always played with a chip on my shoulder, but the chip got really big when I’d go home because I felt like they passed up on me, didn’t give me a chance, and I was right in their backyard.”

Washington, and every NFL franchise, passed on Diggs multiple times in the 2015 draft before Minnesota selected him in the fifth round. After stints with the Vikings, Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans and New England Patriots, and four Pro Bowl selections later, Diggs signed with his hometown Commanders earlier this month.

It’s a full-circle moment for Diggs, a Gaithersburg, Md., native who played for youth programs in the area growing up. A five-star recruit with scholarship offers practically anywhere in the country, Diggs chose to stay home and play for the University of Maryland.

“I can’t write a better story,” Diggs said. “At this point in my career,

being healthy, coming off an ACL (injury), having success, going to your hometown team and wanting to shine for them. ... I want to put on for my city.”

His homecoming is more than just a feel-good story. The Commanders entered training camp with a massive hole at No. 2 wide receiver opposite Terry McLaurin, and Diggs figures to fill it as an instant upgrade.

Stylistically, Diggs is an excellent fit opposite McLaurin, who is a more traditional “X” receiver. Diggs has experience playing on the perimeter and in the slot and was one of the league’s best chain-movers in 2025 — 51 of his 85 receptions went for first downs.

“When you see him work inside as a slot player, he’s got great feel,” head coach Dan Quinn said. “He’s a great competitor. … He’s somebody certainly that can move the chains, and you know how important that is — to have somebody that has the detail of option routes and specifics.”

Diggs said he didn’t have a personal relationship with McLaurin before his arrival, but admired his new teammate’s game and intensity from afar and called it “real similar to myself.” Diggs praised the rest of the

Howard University Continued from A8 opportunities that’s kind of just been taken from me without me being able to” find a resolution, said Yuisa Davis, who often visited Howard as a child.

Now, Davis is working with The New School in New York City on possible financial aid.

“The difference in how we’ve been treated has been night and day,” Kenneth Davis said.

Families and university officials blame miscommunication

Interim President Wayne A. I. Frederick told The Associated Press last month that Howard simply followed its payment policy, noting that 2,200 students did meet payment requirements.

Unenrolled students and their parents did not properly read school communications about a July 10 deadline for half their unpaid balance, with financial aid factored in, Frederick said.

Those students who did everything correctly “deserve to show up on Aug. 17, the first day of class and meet their professors in class, have their housing assignments taken care of,” Frederick said. Previously, the school had to scramble to find enough student housing and

GWUL Continued from A8 has their backs. When our community works together, we can provide resources that are so critical to the wellbeing of our youth and families.”

According to Dr. Hanna Tessema, the organization’s director of health and wellness, a greater emphasis has been placed on providing physical

AP Photo/Nick Wass

Stefon Diggs speaks to members of the media on Aug. 8 as the new wide receiver for the Washington Commanders.

Commanders’ receivers, specifically rookie Antonio Williams, who he said “can hoop a little bit.”

Quinn said the plan for Diggs was to ramp up over the next two days, but the 32-year-old arrived in great shape and participated in individual and team drills on Aug.7. His immediate focus is in the classroom, hoping to learn new offensive coordinator David Blough’s system quickly.

Throughout his career, Diggs has earned the reputation of helping elevate young quarterbacks. After a so-so rookie year, New England’s Drake Maye finished second in MVP voting last season with Diggs as his top target. Josh Allen took a major step forward in 2020, Diggs’ first year

adjunct professors to fill classrooms.

Some students assert they followed the school’s payment requirements.

Blackmon said her scholarship had not been included in her balance owed. After being unenrolled, she constantly called and emailed the school.

“They reinstated me. They really didn’t explain much,” she added.

Ashley Christopher, an attorney and Howard alumna whose son is a sophomore there, thinks Howard shoulders some blame. She is the founder of HBCU Week, a foundation that awards scholarships, and believes students received “bad information” from the school.

“There’s a way to take accountability for a misstep, and also explain that there’s joint responsibility here,” said Christopher, an attorney. “It is not just the parents. It’s not just the students.”

Frederick said that how Howard has handled unenrollment and reenrollment can contribute positively to the school’s image.

“All this does is strengthen our legacy and helps us perform as a high-performing institution on the administrative side, as we have been doing in the past,” he said.

A storied and preeminent HBCU

The nearly 160-year-old Howard is one of

and mental health services during the event, including consultations with medical professionals such as dentists and therapists.

“African Americans often believe that they don’t need therapy – that it’s not for us and that those who seek mental assistance must be crazy,” Tessema. “But nothing could be farther from the truth. The licensed therapists who make up the Association of Black Psychologists emphasize the

importance of speaking with someone about the challenges individuals face.

“Healing is vital to one’s survival. And during the festival, we will have Black therapists on hand for free counseling sessions – therapists who look like the families we serve and better understand the challenges African Americans face each day.”

Joining the festival for the first time will be Jahmal Lake, executive director of Our Kids

in Buffalo.

“Quarterbacks got a lot on their plate, so I bring it down a notch and talk to them brother to brother,” Diggs said. “With young quarterbacks, making plays for them gives them confidence. That puts a battery in their back to feel like, ‘Man, I can do anything out here.’ That’s how I try to help them: just by playing well.”

With Washington, Diggs joins Jayden Daniels, who proved himself as AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2024. The duo started building their chemistry this month.

“They got a great young quarterback,” Diggs said. “He’s a star. He’s a superstar. I’m excited for him, excited

for this team.”

In Buffalo and Houston, Diggs was selected as a team captain. Quinn said the receiver’s leadership skills have already stood out in their brief time together.

For now, Diggs’ goal is to earn the respect of his teammates and coaches through his play and experience.

“I always try to push the guys around me to be the best version of themselves,” Diggs said. “At the same time, more show than tell. I can say a bunch of hoopla, but I’d rather just go out there and hoop and show you why I did what I did or communicate through the actions.”

This article was originally published by The Associated Press.

about 100 HBCUs in the U.S., with famous alumni including former Vice President Kamala Harris and actor Chadwick Boseman.

Howard has a six-year graduation rate of 70 percent and a retention rate of 90 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. The school consistently ranks among the most prestigious private HBCUs, including as the top-ranked HBCU by Forbes.

The university costs more than $66,000 each year to attend. The median income for fouryear graduates is about $73,000, according to the Education Department. Frederick said Howard has graduated more Black doctors than any other school in the country.

The “scandal,” as Christopher calls the unenrollment issue, likely will not impact Howard’s reputation as “The Mecca” of Black education in the long run.

“Howard has been the blueprint for HBCUs, graduated the best and the brightest — not saying they’re the only one who does that,” she said. “When it comes to overall impact of HBCU institutions, Howard stands at the top of that list.”

This article was originally published by AP Photo/Allison Robbert The Associated Press. Tang reported from Howard University freshman Nikiyah Clark Sunnyvale, California. Williams reported from meets fellow students on move-in day, Aug. 6, Detroit. in Washington, D.C. Read, a nonprofit organization based in Baltimore, Md., which partners with organizations like the GWUL to provide free books for children of all ages.

“Our Kids Read was my mother’s vision – I have just followed up on the insights she secured during her career as an educator to make her dream a reality,” Lake said.

Lake launched the business in 2021, using the needed seed money from the profits of a

Kai Holmes-Cook / Greater Washington Urban League

Amp, the mascot for the Parkinson Foundation of the National Capital Area, and GWUL staff member Brocklin Qualis at the Black Fatherhood Blueprint tent during the Back2School Health & Wellness Festival in 2025.

lawsuit related to his mother’s illness (mesothelioma). One of the first things he did was to form partnerships with industry leaders like Verizon and Microsoft to establish a reading program that operates virtually and even extends into local hospitals.

But putting books in children’s hands was and remains his primary goal.

“We donate about 100,000 books each year and partner with about seven publishers,” Lake said. “Many publishers destroy books on an annual basis, with the rationale that it costs them more to find nonprofits to whom they can donate the books for a tax write-off, than it does to simply throw them away.

“Our business connects publishers with nonprofits, charges a small administrative fee, and helps community-based organizations like GWUL secure books for children, saving them 80 to 90 percent of the cost of each book.”

Lake said throwing away books is a travesty, especially when so many children need

books but cannot afford them.

“It’s like farmers who throw away food when just 2 miles away, there are children who are starving,” Lake said.

Hubbard Gibson said the festival works under a philosophy that encourages taking preventive actions over more reactionary, damage control initiatives.

“It’s not our objective to tell people how to live their lives or how to prepare for the challenges which they will inevitably face,” Hubbard Gibson said. “Rather, we want to make sure families have the resources they need, and the information required to make the best decisions they can for themselves.”

The GWUL 14th Annual Back2School Health & Wellness Festival, takes place on Aug. 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Registration is required to attend and secure supplies.

Children must be present to receive back-to-school supplies.

To register, visit the Thursday Network Eventbrite page.

For additional information, visit www.gwul.org.

August 15, 2026 - August 21, 2026 The Afro-American A11

BALTIMORE AREA

Advocates push for reforms to Maryland’s private criminal charging system

By Megan Sayles AFRO Staff Writer msayles@afro.com

professionals, campus tours, mock interviews and workshops held weekly Monday through Thursday.

“When first participating in the program, I noticed a few of them were very timid, shy and to themselves,” said Jackie Bryan, project manager of the Power Scholars Academy. “They mentioned being uncomfortable with just the thought of networking.

But through this program, workshop lessons and activities, they’ve been branching out and meeting people. It’s

As part of its ongoing “In Defense of Us” series, the Maryland Office of the Public Defender held a discussion on efforts to end wrongful charging practices across the state on July 28.

Maryland is one of the few states that allows private citizens to apply directly to a District Court commissioner to file criminal charges. If a commissioner finds probable cause based on a sworn application, they may issue a criminal summons or, in some cases, an arrest warrant without a police investigation first taking place.

During the discussion, panelists argued that the process can be weaponized through retaliatory complaints, especially in domestic violence cases.

“More than a handful of times, we’ve walked into court for a – Dawn Dalton, Founder of Just Us protective order, Initiative which is the civil mechanism that is supposed to keep people who’ve been exposed to domestic violence safe, and found out that there were charges pending against my client,” said Leigh Goodmark, Marjorie Cooke Professor of Law at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.

Continued on A12

Continued on A12

Photo courtesy of Johns Hopkins University / Will Kirk

Shown here, the inaugural cohort of Johns Hopkins University’s (JHU) Power Scholars Academy. A total of 20 students from Mergenthaler Vocational - Technical High School (Mervo) took part in the program, which has a goal of improving professional development skills, work ethic, leadership skills, conflict resolution and more.

JHU Power Scholars Program debuts with Mervo students

By Kendra Bryant Special to the AFRO Johns Hopkins University (JHU) celebrated the first students to complete the institution’s Power Scholars Academy on July 30.

The summer program, aimed at improving workforce development, leadership training and more, debuted with students from Mergenthaler Vocational - Technical High School (Mervo). Twenty of the high school’s top sophomores with a GPAs of 3.5 or higher were selected for the first cohort of the program.

This summer, the students were exposed to construction pathways and allied health opportunities.

Participants spent the past four weeks learning professional development skills such as goal setting, work ethic, strong positive habits and resume building. They also learned how to craft elevator pitches, prepare for interviews, create presentations, build leadership skills and conflict resolution.

“It’s crucial for our community and it is what was missing,” said Angel Watts, instructional lead for career

technical education at Mervo and workplace learning coordinator for the Power Scholars Academy. “This program was desperately needed.”

“This is not a paid internship and they did not care,” said Watts. “The idea that somebody was going to spend time and pour into them… was ‘it’ for them.”

Watts said the students were excited to “have real world experience—not just in the classroom, but the opportunity to go beyond it.”

Scholars were able to practice skills learned through networking events with JHU

“We’re simply asking for guardrails.

We’re asking for a more stringent, thorough process when it comes to screening.

We want everybody to be safe.”

BCPS CEO Jermaine Dawson begins listening tour

By Kendra Bryant Special to the AFRO Baltimore City Public Schools (BCPS) newly elected CEO Jermaine Dawson, has officially kicked off the “First 100 Days Listening Tour.”

The first session took place at Forest Park High School on July 29, serving as the first of eight stops.

“We’re excited to keep writing the next chapter of Forest Park with Dr. Dawson,” said Ninia Mouzone, Forest Park High School principal.

“That’s what today is about.

He’s made a point of coming to listen and that means something to us. Our students and staff have so much to share on what’s working, what’s still hard and what they dream this school and district can become.”

Parents, teachers and community members gathered to learn more about Dawson’s initiatives and share what they believe is working and what needs improvement in the school system.

The Board of Commissioners plans to focus on four areas: students with diverse learning needs, school portfolio strategy, school climate and student well-being and increasing the number of high-performing schools.

“We’ve already done surveys and it’s very clear from those messages what is really wanted for us to focus on,” said Dawson. “I’m not waiting for 90 days to start putting some action in place to fix these areas.”

Dawson acknowledged the work of the former CEO Sonja Santelises following recent announcements that BCPS’ Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) literacy proficiency reached 32.9 percent, the highest rate since 2017.

“As we celebrate today, we also have some areas in our data that’s very glaring and are standing out to us,” said Dawson. “Even with great data, we have to be very intentional to make sure that it includes all students, including those whose voices may not be heard.”

He plans to implement the “4-Es” initiative, which includes enrollment in secondary education, enlistment in military service, employment after graduation and entrepreneurship.

“When I am at graduation, I ask myself one question: ‘What will some of these young people be doing months from now?’” said Dawson.

“If we cannot answer that question then we have not

fully done our job in public education. We have to make sure that every single one of our young people from pre-K through 12th grade are going into a ttwo-year (college), a four-year (university) or trade school, are passing that assessment to get into the branches of the armed services and going into a high-wage, in-demand job.”

Topics of discussion included improving academic excellence, student success beyond academics, excellent schools in every neighborhood, making BCPS as an employer of choice and building trust, partnerships and operational excellence.

“This plan is moving us from thinking about just one or two schools everyone likes to go to,” said Larry Simmons, a school board commissioner.

“And to think about all of our schools and how they’re all creating excellence. There’s more than just two schools.”

Many attendees argued that neighborhood schools should better meet the needs of all students. Often, students request to attend high schools such as Baltimore City College and Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, leaving those who do not attend feeling inadequate.

“School choice has not

AFRO Photo / Kendra Bryant

Before joining Baltimore City Public Schools, Jermaine Dawson served as deputy superintendent of academic services for the School District of Philadelphia and as an elementary and middle school principal in Atlanta. worked for our students,” said Diamonté Brown, president of Baltimore Teachers Union. “We are giving them the opportunity to go to whatever school they want, if they can make it, but then the question becomes, ‘Can they make it?’ And if they can’t, will the school they go to serve their needs?”

Continued on A13

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Past 14 days

62 2026 Total as of 8/12

A12 The Afro-American August 15, 2026 - August 21, 2026

Study shows 39 percent of Marylanders struggle to make ends meet

By Makayla Walker mwalker@afro.com AFRO Intern Nearly four out of every 10 Maryland households cannot afford the state’s basic cost of living despite many adults working full time, according to data from United Way of Central Maryland.

The term “ALICE” refers to people who are asset limited, income constrained and employed.

The term is used for those who are above the federal poverty level (FPL), but struggle “to make ends meet” because they are “not eligible for public assistance.”

The 2026 State of ALICE in Maryland report, released in June, found that 39 percent of Maryland households either live in poverty or fall into the ALICE population.

These households earn more than the federal poverty level, which is $15,960 for a single individual and $33,000 for a family of four. Still, they cannot consistently afford essential expenses such as housing, child care, food, transportation, health care and technology.

Aleksey Reshetnikov, senior director of research for United Way of Central Maryland, told the AFRO that 49 percent of Black and 45 percent of Hispanic households fall below the basic survival budget. Data shows that Black households have a poverty rate of 11 percent, which is twice that of the white households’ rate of 5 percent.

According to the National Library of Medicine Baltimore households are experiencing a wealth and income gap that is heavily dependent on race.

“Baltimore, as an example– our most populated area–is still highly segregated, and it’s so easy to see where pockets of money are and where pockets of money aren’t across the board,” Reshetnikov said, “What we’re seeing, while gentrification is a massive problem, [is] that all costs have increased and we haven’t made up for it in wages for many jobs.”

Reshetnikov mentioned several programs actively working to assist families seeking opportunities in the greater Baltimore community.

Young Men United is an immersive mentorship program that’s focused on preparing young men of color for their aspiring careers or academic goals. This program services Benjamin Franklin High School, Vivian T. Thomas Medical Arts Academy and Patterson High School.

There’s a United Way family center located in Poppleton, Md., which serves as a space to assist families with economic, health and educational inequities. This center has proven to be a catalyst for change by partnering with the University of Maryland West Baltimore campus to provide a 211 coordinator as well as a homeless prevention coordinator.

“211 is by far the best resource I’ve seen in terms of

actually getting in touch with resources,” Reshetnikov said.

It’s a confidential helpline that bridges the gap between members of the community and services and support.

The report identifies 694,650 Maryland households as ALICE in 2024, illustrating a growing affordability crisis fueled by rising living costs that continue to outpace wage growth.

The cost of essential household expenses in Maryland has increased significantly over the past 17 years. Between 2007 and 2024, the ALICE Essentials Index, which measures the cost of six basic necessities, rose 69 percent, surpassing the 52 percent increase recorded by the Consumer Price Index during the same period. Neighboring states have also been experiencing an increase in the cost of living.

According to a study conducted in 2024, the average cost of living for Virginians is $55,776 annually. The 2024 MERIC cost of living index indicates that Pennsylvanians pay a minimum of $49,040 annually.

“Behind these numbers are families making impossible choices every day between groceries and utilities, child care and rent,” said Frankyln Baker, president and CEO of United Way of Central Maryland in a June press release.

He said the data helps guide the organization’s work with community partners to address immediate needs while creating long-term pathways

Courtesy of AP Photos for McCormick and Company

United Way of Central Maryland continues to assist local families struggling to afford basic necessities.

Shown here, Elizabeth Wright (left), of McCormick and Company, sharing a moment with Sharon Jordan, while working with United Way of Central Maryland during the annual “Harvest of Plenty” program in Baltimore for Thanksgiving 2014. toward financial stability.

The report also highlights the expanding gap between wages and the actual cost of living. In 2024, a Maryland family of four needed an annual income of $108,192 simply to cover basic household expenses—more than three times the federal poverty level for a family of that size.

Even two full-time workers employed in common occupations, such as a cook and bank teller, would collectively

earn $75, 129 annually which is more than $33,000 less than what is required to meet the state’s basic household survival budget.

Although Maryland’s minimum wage increased $15 an hour in 2024, the report found that a full-time worker earning minimum wage with one school-age child still could not afford basic living expenses in any Maryland county.

The findings also show that financial hardship extends

across every major industry in the state. Workers in food service and accommodation, mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction, and retail trade experienced some of the highest rates of financial insecurity, with approximately four in 10 households in those industries classified as ALICE. While Maryland’s poverty rate has remained relatively stable since 2010, the number of ALICE households has steadily increased, suggesting that traditional poverty measures no longer capture the full scope of economic hardship experienced by working families.

National ALICE Director Stephanie Hoopes said the research demonstrates that affordability challenges have been building for years, leaving many households without financial reserves to absorb rising expenses.

“Already stretched thin, ALICE families have no cushion for rising gas or utility costs- forcing tough tradeoffs with other necessities,” Hoopes said in a June press release. “That’s the insight policymakers and community leaders need to build a stronger future for ALICE and all.”

Researchers say the report provides a more comprehensive picture of financial hardship by measuring whether household incomes can realistically cover the cost of basic necessities rather than relying solely on the federal poverty threshold.

Criminal charging system Continued from A11 Goodmark said often when an abusive individual learns the victim is headed to the court to seek a protective order, they may respond by filing criminal charges of their own through a District Court commissioner.

“All of a sudden, the dynamics around this case have changed, and the person who’s been subjected to abuse is a lot less safe,” said Goodmark. “It was devastating for my clients—some of whom got arrested off of the street with their kids in tow.”

She said the retaliatory charges can also complicate both civil and criminal proceedings. Victims seeking protective orders may be reluctant to testify because statements made during the civil hearing can later be used in a criminal case against them. Likewise, a testimony in a criminal proceeding can affect their protective order case—creating another barrier to seeking protection.

“Trauma affects your ability to tell a linear story, to tell the same story every time. If you are a victim of violence and you have experienced trauma, it is highly unlikely that what you say in the civil case and what you say in the criminal case are

going to be exactly the same,” said Goodmark. “Any decent lawyer is going to be able to take that and use it against you.”

She added that an arrest can lead to lasting personal and financial consequences, including the loss of employment, housing and even child custody.

“All of those things undermine public safety, and what they say to victims of violence is: don’t go anywhere near any of these systems because you are risking being arrested yourself,” said Goodmark.

For two years now, domestic violence advocates like Dawn Dalton and Lupe Hawkins have traveled to Annapolis to testify on legislation that would revise this charging practice. The mother-son duo lead the Just Us Initiative, an organization based in Upper Marlboro, Md., that focuses on criminal justice and police reform.

The central legislation, House Bill 336, would add a layer of review by preventing District Court commissioners from issuing an arrest warrant based solely on a private citizen’s complaint.

“We’re simply asking for guardrails,” said Dalton. “We’re asking for a more stringent, thorough process

Photo courtesy of the Maryland Office of the Public Defender

Lupe Hawkins (left), director of juvenile community relations at the Just Us Initiative; Dawn Dalton, founder of the Just Us Initiative; Leigh Goodmark, a professor of law at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law; and Tiffany Holly, District Court supervising attorney for the Maryland Office of the Public Defender (OPD); discuss efforts to end wrongful charging practices in Maryland. The conversation took place in Waldorf, Md., on July 28. when it comes to screening. We want everybody to be safe.”

Dalton and Hawkins will be traveling to Annapolis again in 2027 to advocate for the passage of House Bill 336. The debate over the legislation reflects a broader challenge

facing Maryland’s criminal justice system: How to preserve a person’s ability to seek charges while ensuring the process cannot be used as a tool for retaliation.

Dalton said the goal is to create a system that protects both access

to justice and those who may be vulnerable to its misuse.

“Too many lives are negatively impacted,” said Dalton. “We’re simply asking to bring more integrity into the process because this system is broken.”

John Hopkins University Continued from A11 reoriented their thinking on how positive it can be for their future and creating opportunities for themselves. We’re proud of that.”

With career and technical education (CTE) programs on the rise, many young people still struggle with navigating plans after high school. According to info released by Center for American Progress, vocational education has recently been on the rise as students and workers navigate a changing economy.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that “overall employment in construction and extraction occupations is projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations from 2024 to 2034. About 649,300 openings are projected each year, on average, in these occupations due to employment growth and the need to replace workers who leave the occupations permanently.”

Construction and extraction occupations include everything from boilermakers, carpenters and electricians to insulation workers, ironworkers and masonry workers, plumbers, roofers and sheet metal workers.

Allied healthcare includes more than 200 different career paths. According to the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP), “Allied health encompasses health professions distinct from medicine and nursing. This broad group uses scientific principles and evidence-based practice for diagnosis, evaluation, treatment, disease prevention, wellness, and health systems administration.”

Anesthesia and cardiovascular technologists, pharmacy aids, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics, medical transcriptionists and more all fall under the allied healthcare umbrella.

“The necessity and high utility of technical education is even more pronounced than ever,”

said Alicia Wilson, vice president for civic engagement and opportunity at JHU. Wilson spoke on the importance of the program.

“The ability for a young person in high school to actually have experience in the world of work and be introduced to disciplines that could be their profession … there’s no devaluing that,” she said.

Wilson, a Mervo alum, said that all students should know the options available to them when it comes to deciding on a college or a trade school.

“It’s not an alternative to college, it’s a choice,” she said. “It should be a choice for young people to go into carpentry, electrical construction and nursing. It’s a unique and valuable education. It’s valuable to go to college and it’s valuable to go into a trade because both allow us to contribute to our community and our country.”

After their training, as a capstone project, each scholar participated in an interview with a JHU human resources representative.

“Many of them have never been in an interview before, they’re only 14,” said Bryan.

“This was a completely new sphere for them and they killed it. From where they started to how they ended, they truly took the process seriously. I’m just happy that they realize people see their strength and recognize how talented they are.”

The university gifted each scholar personalized lab coats, stethoscopes, scrubs, tool sets, construction boots and hard hats.

“These skills are life skills,” said Bryan.

“They’re in high school, they’re going to have to know how to do a presentation. The more professionalism and professional development the better. It speaks to our commitment to uplifting our communities, lifting our schools and elevating the next generation.”

August 15, 2026 - August 21, 2026 The Afro-American A13

Baltimore advocates urge PSC to reject BGE’s proposed $156 million rate increase

By Megan Sayles AFRO Staff Writer msayles@afro.com Elected officials and community advocates gathered outside of Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) Company headquarters on Aug. 11 to urge the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) to oppose the utility’s proposed $156 million rate hike.

The rally comes amid growing scrutiny of the local energy company, which has sought to increase its electricity delivery rates. BGE’s latest rate case before the PSC would raise the average residential customer’s monthly bill by about $8.

While BGE says the rate increase represents the minimum amount needed to maintain safe and reliable service, ratepayers are raising concerns about the company’s growing profits as households continue to struggle to afford their energy bills.

“We’ve had enough of a monopoly forcing Baltimore families to sacrifice more while Exelon’s executives and shareholders reap record profits and enough of a system that too often listens to the powerful instead of the

people,” said Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen.

“We urge everyone to sign our petition, show up to hearings and demand that the PSC tell BGE: ‘Enough is enough.’”

The rising costs of energy in Maryland have been fueled by a number of factors, including insufficient energy supply, increased demand for electricity from data centers and households and more frequent extreme weather events.

Nick Alexopulos, senior manager of communications for BGE, said that the utility has been grappling with its own cost pressures, including higher labor and material costs and inflation.

“This rate case is a bare bones request to ensure that BGE can maintain the current level of electric reliability that our customers expect,” said Alexopolus. “It’s a maintenance plan to keep the lights on.”

He said the proposal is focused on maintaining existing infrastructure and safety, rather than making major improvements or expanding the system. He added that a maintenance-only approach can only be sufficient for so long before the utility faces greater risks to reliability and

AFRO Photo / Megan Sayles

Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen joins community advocates to call on the Maryland Public Service Commission to oppose Baltimore Gas and Electric’s (BGE) $156 million rate hike request. potentially higher costs.

“The not too long-term consequence of continuing to take that approach is a risk of your lights going out more often because we’re not doing enough proactive work, and costs going up because it is more expensive to do emergent work than it is to do planned work,” said Alexopolus.

Still, Marylanders are saying they need relief now.

Ricarra Jones, political director for Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 1199, raised concerns from

health care workers who, like many other households, have already been struggling to afford groceries, child care and gas.

She said they cannot afford another rate increase.

“Imagine being at work, trying to take somebody’s blood, and all you can think about is: when I get off work, are my lights going to be on?,” said Jones. “Will I have air conditioning? Will the food in my fridge have gone bad because my BGE is off?”

Jones stressed that people

are not behind on their bills because they want to be, they simply cannot afford them.

She also noted that a number of households are still trying to catch up on bills from the winter. Though the rate increase proposal would add no more than $8 to ratepayers’ monthly bills, Jones said that amount becomes significant when people are already strained by high costs of living.

“They try to make us feel better about this increase by saying it’s only $8 on your bill. But when your bill is

already high, $8 is a lot.

Eight dollars is a copay for a lifesaving medication, $8 is a lunch for your child and $8 is a bus route to and from work,” said Jones. “At the end of the month, $8 might make or break somebody who is struggling to make ends meet.”

The PSC is expected to make a decision on BGE’s rate request in January 2027.

Residents interested in signing Cohen’s petition against the rate hike can visit: https:// www.change.org/p/tell-bgeand-the-psc-rate-relief-now.

New legislation seeks longterm investment in maternal health research

By Megan Sayles AFRO Staff Writer msayles@afro.com A new piece of legislation is seeking to ensure funding will be sustained for the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Implementing a Maternal health and PRegnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone (IMPROVE) initiative, which supports research to tackle preventable maternal deaths and advance health for women before, during and after pregnancy.

Introduced by Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.-14), the NIH IMPROVE Act unanimously passed the House

on July 20 and now awaits action in the Senate, where advocates say passage would provide long-term stability for maternal health research. It would authorize $73.4 million for the initiative annually over six years.

“Since 2019, IMPROVE has invested more than $200 million in life-saving research that will help end our nation’s maternal health crisis,” said Underwood. “Our bipartisan NIH IMPROVE Act will advance maternal health research by permanently authorizing funding for IMPROVE, making sure that NIH can continue this critical work.”

The law represents one piece of legislation in a broader package of 14 bills known as the Momnibus Act, first introduced by Underwood and Rep. Alma Adams (D-N.C.-12) in 2020. The set of laws includes provisions that would extend the Women, Infant and Children (WIC) Program during postpartum and breastfeeding periods; expand and diversify the perinatal workforce; promote maternal vaccinations; invest in grassroots initiatives to reduce exposure to climate change-related risks for mothers and babies; and more.

The comprehensive act is a product of the Black Maternal

Photo by Gabriel Espinal

Iyonna Woods, a Northwest Baltimore mother, participates in a discussion led by Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL-District 14) about maternal health equity in Baltimore.

Jermaine Dawson Continued from A11 Despite recent gains in literacy proficiency, parents are concerned that students performing above grade level are not accommodated within the school system. Blanca Tapahuasco, founder of the Multilingual Education Center, said she was encouraged to send her advanced learner to a private school while he attended a charter school.

“He would come home and let me know that he was just in the corner reading during class,” said Tapahuasco. “The teacher informed him that he was one of the only ones in his first

grade class that could read and she had to focus on helping everyone else. I attended a conference and the teacher told me that he doesn’t belong there. He began suggesting I send him to Gilman or Boys Latin.”

“I’m not suggesting they create a new curriculum for my son,” said Tapahuasco. “But I questioned if there was a way he could test into a higher grade level. I don’t want to create any more work, but the needs are not being met.”

Attendees also raised concerns about support for students with disabilities, transportation and class sizes.

“No longer are the days where we just teach in the middle of the room,” said Dawson. “We have to reach all of our students that are on the fringes. We have to raise the ceiling and lift the

Photo by Gabriel Espinal

Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.-14) leads a roundtable discussion on maternal health equity with Baltimore mothers.

Health Caucus, which was founded by Adams and Underwood in 2019. In addition to pushing for the passage of every Momnibus bill, the caucus is continuing to secure federal appropriations to fund targeted maternal health programs and reduce longstanding racial disparities in maternal health outcomes across the country.

“Black maternal health is not a future issue. It is a crisis happening now, which is why the Black Maternal Health Caucus remains focused on advancing the Momnibus Act, building bipartisan support for maternal health legislation and securing the federal investments needed to improve maternal health outcomes,” said Underwood.

“While the House has made important progress, including the recent unanimous passage of bipartisan maternal health legislation, we must continue that momentum in the Senate so every mother has access to the safe, high-quality care she deserves.”

In May, Underwood traveled to West Baltimore to talk to mothers about these persistent disparities, childbirth, maternal mental health and navigating the healthcare system. During the conversation, held at Baltimore Unity Hall, Northwest Baltimore resident Iyonna Woods spoke on her own experiences.

“My husband and I are both healthcare professionals, yet even with our knowledge and access to care, we experienced firsthand many of the challenges that can arise during childbirth,” said Woods. “It was a reminder that no one is exempt from the realities women face.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause compared to White women, despite 80 percent of pregnancy-related deaths being preventable.

From 2020 to 2024, Maryland’s maternal mortality rate

floor. All of our young people should be moving up all at the same time. We cannot leave any student in our district behind.”

Dawson will continue the tour at the following locations: Aug. 27 Bay-Brook Elementary/Middle School (Cafeteria) 4301 10th Street Sept. 2 Furley Elementary School 4633 Furley Avenue Sept. 9 Wildwood Elementary/Middle School

was 20.5 deaths per 100,000 live births overall, compared with 31.3 deaths per 100,000 live births among Black women, according to Maryland Department of Health.

Those disparities made Baltimore an appropriate setting for the discussion, according to Chezia Cager, a board member of Lifting Up All Families (LUAF), a nonprofit founded

by Underwood to advance maternal health equity through advocacy, policy and community partnerships.

“Baltimore was the right place to have this conversation because we are home to some of the nation’s leading hospitals and medical schools, yet Black mothers continue to experience disproportionately poor maternal health outcomes,” said Cager. “Bringing Congresswoman Underwood to Baltimore connected the experiences shared around that table to the national conversation happening in Congress.”

(Cafeteria) 621 Wildwood Parkway Sept. 10 John Ruhrah Elementary/Middle School 701 Rappolla Street Oct. 1 Carver Vocational-Technical High School 2201 Presstman Street Oct. 8 Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School (Cafeteria) 3500 Hillen Road All sessions will take place 5 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

August 15, 2026 - August 21, 2026 The Afro-American A14

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SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2025ADM1114 ANGERLEAN DEAN Name of Decedent ANTHONY GREEN, JR 800 MADISON ST. NW WASHINGTON, DC 20011 Name and Address of Attorney Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs ANITA DEAN whose address(es) is 4345 GORMAN TERRACE SE WASHINGTON DC was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of ANGERLEAN DEAN who died on JULY 26, 2024, without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance In this proceeding.

Objections to such, appointment shall be filed With the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before FEBRUARY 7, 2027, Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before FEBRUARY 7, 2027 or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of first publication: AUGUST 7, 2026 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: AFRO American Newspapers Daily Washington Law Reporter

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2026ADM000713 WALLACE AKBAR TATE Name of Decedent WILLIAM A. BLAND, ESQUIRE 80 M STREET SE #330 WASHINGTON, DC 20003 Name and Address of Attorney Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs GANELLE JOHNSTON whose address(es) is 2022 MARYLAND AVENUE NE #104 WASHINGTON DC 20002 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of WALLACE AKBAR TATE who died on AUGUST 14, 2021, without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance In this proceeding. Objections to such, appointment shall be filed With the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before FEBRUARY 7, 2027, Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before FEBRUARY 7, 2027 or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of first publication: AUGUST 7, 2026 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: Daily Washington Law Reporter AFRO American Newspapers

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2026ADM000741 FREDERICK D. MATTHEWS, JR Name of Decedent Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs TRACY F. MATTHEWS ROBERSON whose address(es) is 17 WEDGEWOOD DRIVE WEST ORANGE, NJ 07052 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of FREDERICK D. MATTHEWS who died on APRIL 12, 2016, with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance In this proceeding.

Objections to such, appointment shall be filed With the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before FEBRUARY 7, 2027, Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before FEBRUARY 7, 2027 or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

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SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2026ADM000757 RIVER LEE BOWLING Name of Decedent FERRIS RIDGELY BOND, ESQUIRE BOND & NORMAN LAW PC 13206 CHESTNUT OAK DRIVE GAITHERSBURG, MARYLAND 20878 Name and Address of Attorney Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs JENNIFER CLARK whose address(es) is 551 LOVE AND CARE ROAD - SIX MILE, SOUTH CAROLINA 29682 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of RIVER LEE BOWLING who died on DECEMBER 18, 2022, without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance In this proceeding. Objections to such, appointment shall be filed With the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before FEBRUARY 7, 2027, Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before FEBRUARY 7, 2027 or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

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SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2026ADM000796 BARBARA ANN DODSON WALKER Name of Decedent Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs ALTHEA ELIZABETH WALKER DAVIS whose address(es) is 1425 MONTAGUE STREET, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20011 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of BARBARA ANN DODSON WALKER who died on MARCH 26, 2026, with a Will and will serve without Court supervision.

All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance In this proceeding. Objections to such, appointment shall be filed With the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before FEBRUARY 7, 2027, Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before FEBRUARY 7, 2027 or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of first publication: AUGUST 7, 2026 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: AFRO American Newspapers

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2026ADM000704 CHARLES C CHRISTIAN Name of Decedent NATHAN A NEAL, ESQ LAW OFFICES OF NEAL AND HANEY, PLLC 209 KENNEDY STREET NW WASHINGTON, DC 20011-5214 Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs ERIK P. CHRISTIAN whose address(es) is 1729 JUNIPER STREET NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20012 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of CHARLES C CHRISTIAN who died on MARCH 21, 2019, without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance In this proceeding. Objections to such, appointment shall be filed With the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before JANUARY 24, 2027, Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before JANUARY 24, 2027 or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of first publication: July 24, 2026 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: Daily Washington Law Reporter AFRO American Newspapers

ALTHEA ELIZABETH WALKER DAVIS Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 08/07, 08/14/26

TRACY F. MATTHEWS ROBERSON Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 08/07, 08/14, 08/21/26

TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 08/07, 08/14, 08/21/26

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2026ADM000781 IONA TAYLOR HARGRAVE Name of Decedent WILLIAM C. KING, POWERS, LEWIS, & KING LLC 5039 CONNECTICUT AVENUE NW, BUILDING ONE WASHINGTON, DC 20008 Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs NICOLE M. CHESTANG whose address(es) is 251 W. INDIAN CREEK DRIVE, MOBILE, AL 36607 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of IONA TAYLOR HARGROVE who died on MARCH 25, 2026, with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance In this proceeding. Objections to such, appointment shall be filed With the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before FEBRUARY 14, 2027, Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before FEBRUARY 14, 2027 or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of first publication: AUGUST 14, 2026 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: AFRO American Newspapers

ERIK P CHRISTIAN Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 07/24, 07/31, 08/07/26

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2026ADM000802 MARY JUANITA COLEMAN Name of Decedent ALYCIA F HERNANDEZ CONSTANT SPRING LAW PLLC 1750 H ST NW, SUITE 360 WASHINGTON, DC 20006 Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs ANITA COLEMAN-LLOYD whose address(es) is 3306 ARDOR TERRACE, BOWIE, MD 20716 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of MARY JUANITA COLEMAN who died on FEBRUARY 16, 2009, without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance In this proceeding. Objections to such, appointment shall be filed With the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before FEBRUARY 14, 2027, Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before FEBRUARY 14, 2027 or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of first publication: AUGUST 14, 2026 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: DWLR AFRO American Newspapers ANITA COLEMAN-LLOYD Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 08/14, 08/21, 08/28/26

JENNIFER CLARK Personal Representative

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2026ADM000787 MARY L. CLINTON Name of Decedent Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs RALPH BELK whose address(es) is 4110 ROCKY MOUNT DRIVE, TEMPLE HILLS, MARYLAND 20748 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of MARY L. CLINTON who died on JANUARY 3, 2024, with a Will and will serve without Court supervision.

All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance In this proceeding. Objections to such, appointment shall be filed With the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before FEBRUARY 14, 2027, Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before FEBRUARY 14, 2027 or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of first publication: AUGUST 14, 2026 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: Daily Washington Law Reporter AFRO American Newspapers

NICOLE M. CHESTANG Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 08/14, 08/21, 08/28/26

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RALPH BELK Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 08/14, 08/21, 08/28/26

August 15, 2026 - August 21, 2026 The Afro-American A15

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August 15, 2026 - August 21, 2026 The Afro-American A16

Payment Policy for legal notice advertisements.

Effective immediately, The Afro American Newspapers will require prepayment for publication of all legal notices Payment will be accepted in the form of checks, credit card or money order. Any returned checks will be subject to a $25.00 processing fee and may result in the suspension of any future advertising at our discretion.

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BALTIMORE CLASSIFIEDS CITY OF BALTIMORE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC NOTICE

City of Baltimore Department of Finance Bureau of Procurement

PUBLIC MEETING FOR

TR24311- Frederick Avenue Streetscape Project To educate the community and receive public comments on the repair and restoration of the aging infrastructure within the commercial corridor. The scope of work for rehabilitation includes but is not limited to sidewalks, adding bump-outs, lighting and landscaping. Resurfacing and restriping the roadway to increase pedestrian safety. The scope of work will start at 4200 block of Frederick Avenue at Yale Avenue to the 3900 block of Frederick Avenue at Monastery Avenue.

The meeting will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026 6:00-7:30 PM St. Josephs Monastery 3801 Old Frederick Road Baltimore, Md. 21229 Side Entrance on Monastery Avenue

Sealed proposals addressed to the Board of Estimates of Baltimore will be Received until, but not later than 11:00 am local time on the following dates for the stated requirements.

August 19, 2026 • Supply & Delivery of Bulk Chemicals (Assorted)- RFQ-000770 September 2, 2026 • Armed Security Services- RFQ-000847 ENTIRE SOLICITATION CAN BE VIEWED AND DOWNLOADED BY VISITING THE WEBSITE: cityservices.baltimorecity.gov/suppliers/bid-opportunities

If you have any questions, comments, or need special accommodations, please contact via mail Department of Transportation.

417 E. Fayette St., 5th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202 Email: DOTEngagement@baltimorecity.gov, Subject: Frederick Avenue Streetscape Or by leaving a voicemail at: 443-984-3144 Accommodation requests should be received by September 1, 2026.

CAREER CORNER

Receive regular updates via Facebook, at Baltimore City Department of Transportation’s project website www.streetsofbaltimore.com, on Instagram @BmoreCityDOT, or on “X” formerly known as Twitter at @ BmoreCityDOT.

Administrative Specialist II Assistant Planning and Zoning Officer Automotive Mechanic II - Heavy Truck Mechanic Bureau of Watershed Protection & Restoration Senior Project Manager Case Manager Specialist (Special Program Manager I) Computerized Maintenance Management System (Program Specialist II) Deputy Sheriff Lateral Detention Officer Engineer III Equipment Operator II - Highways Equipment Operator III - Utilities Infrastructure Facilities Maintenance Mechanic I/II (Proficiency Advancement) Financial Operations Specialist (Program Specialist II) Firearms Examiner Landfill Manager (Waste Management Services) Landfill Supervisor (Solid Waste Supervisor) License Inspector Maintenance Worker II - Highways Operational Technology Cyber Security Manager Paralegal Plumbing (Backflow) Inspector Police Officer - Lateral Police Officer, Entry Level Review Analyst (Planning Technician II) Senior Engineer Senior Engineer Senior Equipment Operator - Waste Management Services Sheriff’s Communications Operator Solid Waste Mechanic Storekeeper I Traffic Maintenance Worker II Utilities Construction Inspector Utilities Crew Leader I Utilities Education and Outreach Coordinator Utilities Support Worker II Utility Asset Manager (Program Manager) Wastewater System Technician I

Veronica P. McBeth, MSL, DIRECTOR Baltimore City Department of Transportation

STAY INTOUCH WITH THE AFRO

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Visit our website at www.aacounty.org for additional information and to apply on-line.

You may access the Internet at any Anne Arundel County library, or visit our office at 2660 Riva Road, Annapolis, MD.

LEGAL NOTICES BOARD OF LIQUOR LICENSE COMMISSIONERS FOR BALTIMORE CITY NOTICE – AUGUST 2026 Petitions have been filed by the following applicants for licenses to sell alcoholic beverages at the premises set opposite their respective names.

The real property for these applications will be posted on or about August 17, 2026. Written protests concerning any application will be accepted until and including the time of the hearing. Public hearings may be scheduled on or after September 10, 2026 at 10:30 AM in the Liquor Board Hearing Room, located at 200 St. Paul Place, Suite 2300, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. Please visit baltimorecity.gov/llb under the link for “Hearing Schedules” for confirmation of the date, time, and place for all matters being heard by the Board.

1. CLASS “A” BEER, WINE & LIQUOR LICENSE Applicant: Miran, LLC T/a Lou’s Liquors - Maiya Luitel Petition: Transfer of ownership requesting delivery of alcoholic beverages Premises: 4514-16 Harford Road 21214 (City Council District: 3rd; State Legislative District: 43A) 2. CLASS “B” BEER, WINE & LIQUOR LICENSE Applicant: Magoobys Hampden, LLC T/a Magoobys Hampden - Andrew Bradford Unger and Andrew Robert McCormick Petition: New restaurant license requesting live entertainment Premises: 3600 Hickory Avenue, Suite 3 21211 (City Council District: 7th; State Legislative District: 40th) Applicant: Zellas, LLC T/a Zella’s Pizzeria - Jamie Michael Rockstroh Petition: Transfer of ownership requesting outdoor table service and delivery of alcoholic beverages Premises: 1143-45 Hollins Street 21223 (City Council District: 9th; State Legislative District: 40th) Applicant: TOG Kona Baltimore, LLC T/a STK Steakhouse & Kona ToGo - Kathryn D. Barrett and Nicole R. Thaung Petition: Request to expand current licensed premises to include Suite 101 Premises: 1 E. Pratt Street, Suites 101 & 103 21202 (City Council District: 11th; State Legislative District: 46th) 3. CLASS “B”, BEER, WINE & LIQUOR LICENSE (ARENA) Applicant: Ikonic Entertainment, LLC T/a Ikonic Assembly Room - Tracye L. Stafford and Majidah Al-Mateen Petition: Transfer of ownership with continuation of live entertainment Premises: 316-18 Guilford Avenue 21202 (City Council District: 11th; State Legislative District: 46th) 4. CLASS “BD7” BEER, WINE & LIQUOR LICENSE Applicant: GSBR Baltimore, LLC T/a Game Show Battle Room - David Charles Marcus Sauer, John Nicholas Dockendorf, and Samantha Christine Vitek Petition: Transfer of ownership and location of a Class “BD7” BWL license presently located at 1601 Eastern Avenue to 720B Aliceanna Street requesting live entertainment Premises: 720B Aliceanna Street 21202 (City Council District: 12th; State Legislative District: 46th) Applicant: Harford 19th Hole, LLC T/a 19th Hole - Palwinder Singh Petition: Transfer of ownership requesting delivery of alcoholic beverages Premises: 2722 Harford Road 21218 (City Council District: 14th; State Legislative District: 45th) Applicant: Flock Restaurant Group, LLC T/a Flock - Alexander Aaron and Latia Charmaine Barney Petition: Transfer of ownership requesting off-premises catering and delivery of alcoholic beverages Premises: 1415 Washington Boulevard 21230 (City Council District: 10th; State Legislative District: 40th) 5. CLASS “C” BEER, WINE & LIQUOR LICENSE Applicant: Ausby Enterprises, LLC T/a The Groomatory Barber Club Maurice Ausby Petition: New Class C license requesting live entertainment and outdoor table service Premises: 861 N. Howard Street 21201 (City Council District: 11th; State Legislative District: 40th) 6. CLASS “D” BEER, WINE & LIQUOR LICENSE Applicant: New Le Mondo, Inc. T/a Le Mondo - Carly J. Bates Petition: Request for Special Amusement License Premises: 404-06 N. Howard Street 21201 (City Council District: 11th; State Legislative District: 40th) 7. CLASS 1 DISTILLERY LICENSE Applicant: Louthan Distilling, LLC T/a Louthan Distilling - Christopher Saffer and Alexander Rupp Petition: New Class 1 Distillery license requesting delivery of alcoholic beverages Premises: 4251 Harford Road 21214 (City Council District: 3rd; State Legislative District: 45th)

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