December 21, 2024 - December 27, 2024 The Afro-American A5 THE BLACKwww.afro.com MEDIA AUTHORITY • AFRO.COM $2.00 $1.00
Volume 133 No. 21
Volume 123 No. 20–22
AFRO Graphic/Dana Peck
DECEMBER 21, 2024 - DECEMBER 27, 2024
From Christmas to Kwanzaa: The importance of family traditions By Megan Sayles AFRO Business Writer msayles@afro.com
afro.com
North Baltimore resident John Jones’ earliest memory
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of the holidays dates back to when he was five years old. Raised in Detroit, he fondly recalls his parents’ annual show on the big day. Each year, the couple would pretend to catch Santa working under the Christmas tree just as their son awoke for the
day. As an adult, recalling the tradition still brings a smile to his face. Though he grew up celebrating the traditions of Christmas, today the math teacher observes Kwanzaa, a week-long African-American and Pan-African holiday that
honors history, values, family, community and culture. “During Kwanzaa, we observe each day by trying to build community within our small, social circles,” said Jones. “We try to use the holiday to build community and trust and to learn more about
our heritage and the Swahili language.” Kwanzaa, celebrated from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, was created by activist and author Maulana Ron Karenga, a native of Maryland, in 1966, according to the National Museum of African American History and
Culture. The holiday centers on seven principles, expressed in Swahili, the most-spoken language in Africa. They are: umoja (unity), kujichagulia (self-determination), ujima (collective work and responsibility), ujamaa (cooperative Continued on A3
Rep. Shontel Brown introduces legislation to boost numbers, diversity of health care workforce careers in a rapidly growing industry. Lincoln-West, which operates in partnership with MetroHealth, is unique as it is the only high school in the nation with classrooms located within a hospital. This proximity allows students to gain
By Ashlee Banks Special to the AFRO abanks@afro.com Congresswoman Shontel Brown (D-Ohio-11) has taken a significant step to address the pressing health care workforce shortage in the United States by introducing the Expanding the Health Care Workforce Act. The statute aims to help students, particularly those from underrepresented communities, pursue careers in health care through innovative work-based learning programs. If enacted into law, the legislation would establish a federal demonstration grant program that will enable hospitals to create or expand educational partnerships with high schools. By following the successful model of the Lincoln-West School of Science and Health in Cleveland, Ohio, the legislation seeks to provide students with hands-on experience in health care settings, preparing them for future
“We are teaching health care with an equity lens.”
AP Photo/Alex Brandon
U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown is working hard to ensure that Black students have equal opportunities in the health care workforce.
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invaluable insights and practical skills that are crucial for entering the health care workforce. In a statement obtained by the AFRO, Brown said it is important to “expand this model” beyond Northeast Ohio. “[The act] would provide similar opportunities for students, while growing the workforce in the Continued on A3