By AFRO Staff The year is 1992 and Michael Jackson (MJ) is on the precipice of shocking the world with his Dangerous Tour— that’s if he can get it off the ground. From financial woes to childhood trauma, a myriad of challenges face the global pop star as he tries to mount the show that
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com Baltimore-based Latimer Ventures, a Black-owned, early stage venture capital firm, recently announced a close of $15 million for its fund launched exclusively for Black and Brown technology founders. In total, Latimer Ventures intends to raise $50 million for the fund. Luke Cooper is the founder of Latimer Ventures
By Haleluya Hadero, AP Business Writer Attorneys for an Atlanta-based venture capital firm being sued over a grant program for Black women vowed Aug. 10 to fight back against the lawsuit, calling it misguided and frivolous. At a New York news conference, the attorneys also announced that prominent civil rights lawyers, including Ben Crump, would
By Daniel Kozin, The Associated Press MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Leaders of a forum on Florida’s new standards for teaching Black history encouraged parents to let their discontent be heard by showing up at local school board meetings, sending feedback to the state’s Department of Education and voting. Hundreds of lawmakers, teachers and parents
By Alexa Spencer, Word in Black Just one week after the family of Henrietta Lacks reached an historic settlement with a biotech company over its use of Lacks’ cells in their products, the estate is suing a second company for unjustly profiting from her genes. The lawsuit, filed on Aug. 10 in the United States
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com Five, local Black-owned small businesses will venture into the airport retail space as part of the Launch Pad program initiative at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI). Launched in 2017, the program provides minority business owners with an internship in BWI’s concession’s space and to attract customers from
By Ralph E. Moore Jr. The legal settlement over the unauthorized, unjustified harvesting and distribution of Henrietta Lacks’ unique cancerous DNA cells began in Baltimore. You may have heard that a 31-year-old wife and mother of five entered a racially segregated hospital ward at Johns Hopkins Hospital in East Baltimore in 1951. And, while being
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@AFRO.com The AFRO took time to honor the “Unsung Heroes” of the COVID-19 pandemic at Valley Mansion by Martin’s on Aug. 6. The media company commended morticians for the critical and often under recognized role they played in helping families navigate the loss of a loved one during a
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Charles J. Ogletree Jr., a distinguished Harvard Law School professor, celebrated attorney and leading civil rights advocate, has died at 70. Ogletree, who had battled Alzheimer’s disease since 2015, reportedly died at his home in Maryland. “Charles was a tireless advocate for civil rights, equality, human dignity, and social
The announcement comes amid growing speculation that elections — once expected to happen this fall — will be delayed until 2024.