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THE BLACK MEDIA AUTHORITY • AFRO.COM

Volume 134 No. 14

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NOVEMBER 1, 2025 - NOVEMBER 7, 2025

AP Photo/Matias Delacroix

Jamaican residents are now examining the damage and beginning the journey to rebuild in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. Shown here, community members in Santa Cruz, Jamaica, surveying the wreckage on Oct. 29, 2025.

Hurricane Melissa: A beast among a string of monster Atlantic storms– scientists explain

By Seth Borenstein Officials in Jamaica are still assessing the damage in the wake of Hurricane Melissa. Dana Morris Dixon, Jamaica’s education minister, said that 77 percent of the island was without power on Oct. 29. as officials reported

that most of the island had downed trees, power lines and flooding. Extensive damage was reported in parts of Clarendon in the south and in the southwestern parish of St. Elizabeth, which was “under water,” said Desmond McKenzie, deputy chairman of Jamaica’s Disaster Risk

Management Council. The small town of Santa Cruz in the southern Jamaican parish of St. Elizabeth was devastated by Hurricane Melissa. A massive landslide triggered by widespread flooding blocked the town’s main roads, and streets have

been reduced to mud pits. Residents swept out gallons of water from their homes as they tried to salvage whatever was left of their belongings. Fierce winds ripped off part of the roof at St. Elizabeth Technical High School, which was designated a public shelter.

“The entire hillside came down last night,” Robert James said. The storm damaged four hospitals and left one without power, forcing officials to evacuate 75 patients, McKenzie said. Continued on A3

afro.com

Nonprofits struggle to keep up as more federal Misty Copeland workers, SNAP recipients seek assistance hangs up her pointe shoes By D. Kevin McNeir Special to the AFRO kmcneir@afro.com

Roughly 42 million Americans who rely on SNAP benefits remain on edge, unsure if they will receive November payouts. But they are not alone. Tens of thousands of furloughed or fired federal workers are also struggling to cover financial shortfalls so they can pay their bills and feed their families. As a result, nonprofit food agencies in Washington, D.C., and Maryland find themselves overwhelmed with longer lines and limited amounts of food as they seek to fill in the gaps. Organizations like Manna Food Center in Montgomery County, Md., and Martha’s Table, founded as a safe space for children to access after-school meals in D.C., admit that meeting the needs of anxious families remains a daily struggle. But they refuse to give up and have weathered storms before. A spokesperson for Manna

Food Center said “while meat and bread products are in short supply because of higher demand from both our monthly and newly registered clients, we are still working on behalf of our community, augmenting packages with more fresh fruit, vegetables and canned goods. Other items are more difficult to obtain given the surge in requests.” When it first opened its doors in 1983 as a faith-based, centralized food bank, Manna served several hundred clients a month. Today, the organization, which relies on donations and volunteers, distributes more than 12,000 pounds of food daily, offers nutrition education, and in 2024, served 60,865 families. Is the federal government promoting a false narrative? In October, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins asserted that the Trump administration could not provide November SNAP benefits if the shutdown continued. However, Sharon Parrott, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) president and former Office of Management and Budget

By Jocelyn Noveck

(OMB) official, said in a statement that Rollins was not only lying, but that the administration is legally required to use contingency reserves

Misty Copeland took one last spin on her pointe shoes Oct. 22, showered with golden glitter and bouquets as she retired from American Ballet Theatre after a trailblazing career in which she became an ambassador for diversity in an overwhelmingly White art form. Copeland, who a decade ago became the first Black female principal dancer in the company’s 75-year history, was feted at its star-studded fall gala at Manhattan’s Lincoln Center. Oprah Winfrey and Debbie Allen were among those who gave speeches of praise. Winfrey spoke of the power of young people of color seeing Copeland lead iconic ballets like “Swan Lake.” “Misty didn’t just perform ballet,” Winfrey said of the ballerina who has achieved a unique crossover fame. “She changed it. She redefined who belongs, who gets to be seen, and who gets to lead.” In a way, the gala was both a return and a departure for Copeland, 43. She was dancing with the company for the first time in five years. During that time, Copeland has been raising a son, Jackson, with her husband. The 3-year-old came onstage to hug his mother during curtain calls, wearing a tuxedo. Copeland has also been continuing her career as an author — the second volume of her “Bunheads” series

Continued on A5

Unsplash / Nico Smit

While the 47th president of the United States promised that food prices would go down under his watch, the opposite has occurred. Now, with a prolonged federal government shutdown, more families are facing food insecurity after either losing their jobs or being furloughed.