Washingtonians unite for D.C. Emancipation Day Parade
By D. Kevin McNeir
Thousands gathered at Freedom Plaza on April 13 to celebrate D.C. Emancipation Day with a vibrant parade, live entertainment and fireworks. The day marked the 20th anniversary of its official designation as a public holiday. The event commemorated the abolition of slavery in D.C. in 1862 and served as a powerful reminder of the ongoing fight for racial equality community unity and D.C. statehood.
Credit: AFRO photos / D. Kevin McNeir
Daisha Singletary (left) and Lauryn Turnage enjoy the festivities.
Flags representing D.C. residents from Caribbean nations fly high on D.C. Emancipation Day, April 13.
A parade isn’t a parade without a talented drumline.
Native Washingtonian Charlene Louis, along with “Butterbean,” her six-month-old dog, says she didn’t learn about Emancipation Day in school. Now that she knows the history, she comes out every year and spreads the word.
Washington, D.C.’s proud and growing Hispanic community continues to make its presence known each year during D.C. Emancipation Day.
Gal pals Mercedes Beverly (left), of Charles County, Md., and Gwendolyn Horton, of Northwest Washington, D.C., say they come out to enjoy the music of Raheem DeVaughn, Chante Moore, and their favorite, Anthony Hamilton.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and her team are among the first participants in the parade on DC Emancipation Day 2025.
Grammy-nominated recording artist Raheem DeVaughn speaks with press before taking to the stage.
Black Baltimoreans shine at ‘Who’s Who in Black’ event
By AFRO Staff
The AFRO, in partnership with Real Times Media, hosted the “Who’s Who in Black Baltimore” awards reception on April 9 at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront. The event celebrated excellence and leadership in Charm City’s Black community. Changemakers across various industries were honored, including legal icon William H. Murphy Jr., and Whitney Brown of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
A highlight of the evening was the Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Dr. Thelma T. Daley, the nationally recognized educator and civil rights leader. The reception featured networking, an awards ceremony, and the launch of a commemorative coffee table book profiling each honoree.
Chanda Brigance, co-founder of the Brigance Brigade Foundation, makes an appearance.
Wreath laying ceremony honors Freddie Gray 10 years after brutal death
By AFRO Staff
On April 19, local officials, family and community members gathered in West Baltimore to honor Freddie Gray, the 25-year-old man who died on April 19, 2015 as a result of injuries sustained in police custody. The memorial, held at North Mount and Presbury Streets—near the site of Gray’s arrest—featured remarks from Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott, attorney William “Billy” Murphy, and Gray’s sister, Fredericka “Missy” Gray. Together, they
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Photos courtesy of Real Times Media / James Fields
Imam Earl El-Amin (left) and Donna El-Amin in attendance to show support for those change makers of today.
Ashley Anderson represents Our Family Tree Assisted Living LLC.
Tyneka Pack (left) and Kelli Bagby show off their Who’s Who booklets.
Kelly Swoope (left) and Randall Newsome the current anchors for WMAR-2 News in Baltimore.
Dr. Thelma T. Daley receives the Lifetime Achievement Honor for her tireless work as an educator and civil rights activist in Baltimore City.
Jacqueline Hrabowski (left) and Dr. Freeman Hrabowski join Bishop Vashti McKenzie; Dawn Moore, first lady of Maryland; Nykidra ‘Nyki’ Robinson, founder of Black Girls Vote, and Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott at the Who’s Who in Black event in Baltimore.
Johns Hopkins University Vice President for Civic Engagement and Opportunity, Alicia Wilson, speaks to the audience.
Kirkland Gabriel IV (left); Lola Gabriel; Qiana Murphy Gabriel; Jonee Brown; AFRO Publisher Dr. Frances Murphy Draper and Tanya Blackwell enjoy the celebration.
Geraldine Finch (left), president of the Baltimore Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., shares a moment with Michelle McNeillEmery, president of the Baltimore Metropolitan Chapter of the Coalition of 100 Black Women,
Nancy Jordan-Howard, former chief operating officer at Baltimore Development Corporation.
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wreath at the base of a mural of Freddie Gray, paying tribute to the man whose 2015 death sparked riots in Baltimore and outrage nationwide.
AFRO Photo / Alexis Taylor
Fredericka “Missy” Gray lays a memorial wreath at the base of a mural in honor of her brother, Freddie Gray.
AFRO Photo / Alexis Taylor
Baltimore City Mayor Brandon M. Scott (center) carries a wreath to honor Freddie Gray, the 25-year-old man who died days after an April 12, 2015 interaction with police. Shown here, Scott, with Gray’s twin sister, known as “Missy” Gray (left), and family attorney William “Billy” Murphy (right).