Megan Sayles

Black consumers often face higher costs for everyday financial services, from banking fees to insurance premiums. Experts say those added expenses can quietly compound over time alongside the persistent, ever-growing racial wealth gap.

Continuing Coverage (Division F) Award: Second Prize Winner: AFRO staff Business Reporting (Division F) Award: Second Prize

The Southern Poverty Law Center has pleaded not guilty to federal charges alleging it misused donor funds to pay informants linked to extremist groups. The case has sparked competing claims between prosecutors and civil rights advocates over the organization’s long-running investigative practices.

The Baltimore region’s economy continued to be shaped by large-scale “mega deals” in 2025, even as overall investment activity became more concentrated and uneven. A new scorecard from the Greater Baltimore Committee shows real estate remained the dominant driver of growth, while venture capital and foreign investment trends lagged behind peer cities.

By Megan Sayles AFRO Staff Writer msayles@afro More than six decades after his 1965 assassination, El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz—better known by the name Malcolm X– reremains one of the most influential and debated figures in Black political history. Still, scholars say the final years of his life are often misunderstood and simplified into a narrative that […]

It’s been more than a year since 22-year-old Tiyaun J. Leach went missing from West Baltimore, leaving his family desperate for answers. His mother, LaMonica Patton, continues to call hospitals, shelters and jails in a relentless search for her son, who struggles with schizophrenia and epilepsy.

It’s been more than a year since 22-year-old Tiyaun J. Leach went missing from West Baltimore, leaving his family desperate for answers. His mother, LaMonica Patton, continues to call hospitals, shelters and jails in a relentless search for her son, who struggles with schizophrenia and epilepsy.

A new report from the DowntownDC Business Improvement District shows a mixed economic picture for the city center, with gains in cultural activity and public safety offset by declines in jobs, tourism and housing development. City and business leaders say downtown’s recovery remains uneven as federal policy shifts and changing visitor patterns continue to shape its trajectory.

The Greater Washington Urban League is working to ensure Black fathers are not overlooked in conversations surrounding perinatal mental health. Through a new training initiative for birth professionals, the organization aims to equip providers to better recognize and respond to paternal mood disorders in the Black community.

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