Amina Lampkin

Capturing your most powerful moments. 

Capital News Service •

Allegany County experiencing surge in COVID-19 cases

As the state of Maryland experiences a surge in confirmed coronavirus cases, counties in western Maryland are seeing rates more than three times higher than the statewide 7-day rolling average, according to the Maryland Department of Health COVID-19 Dashboard. On November 20, Allegany County reported an average positivity rate four times higher than the statewide average at 145.26 per 100,000 people, according to the dashboard. Garrett County’s average was 101.92 positive cases per 100,000 people. The statewide rolling average for the day was 36.19 per 100,000 people, according to the dashboard.
Capital News Service •

White and Black communities in Maryland experience a 20% difference in small business loans from CARES Act

Predominantly white communities in Maryland received approximately 20 percent more loans and money per loan under the Paycheck Protection Program compared to predominantly Black communities, according to data from the Small Business Administration (SBA) analyzed by Capital News Service. The Paycheck Protection Program was a derivative of the approximately $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Act (CARES) passed to provide economic relief in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Capital News Service •

Code Red: Baltimore’s Climate Divide

Urban heat islands vividly illustrate the price humans will pay in the world’s growing climate crisis. With an abundance of concrete and little shade, they get hotter faster and stay hotter longer. And the people who live there are often sicker, poorer and less able to protect themselves. Rising temperatures in these neighborhoods will mean more trips to the hospital for heart, kidney and lung ailments. Drugs to treat mental illness and diabetes won’t work as well. Pregnant women will give birth to children with more medical problems. Solutions exist. But growing more trees, repairing the frayed social fabric of a neighborhood or rebuilding streets and sidewalks to reflect heat are expensive — and take time. For cities like Baltimore, the clock is ticking.
The Black Explosion •

Black-owned Spinning studio provides comfortable alternative to traditional gym

Posh Cycling and Fitness Studio is not only Prince George’s County’s first official Spinning facility, but it’s also owned by a Black woman. Melissa Blain, a research biologist at the National Institute of Health by day, and a fitness instructor by night, opened Posh in November 2018. The studio’s main focus is its cycling classes, but it also hosts a variety of other classes, such as Zumba, Pilates, yoga, kickboxing and belly dancing.
The Black Explosion •

Students showcase their businesses at Smith School event

Chris Wright, a senior communications major, is the owner of Horace Images, a photography company he founded in 2018. He found out about the Terp Marketplace in a newsletter email from the Dingman Center. Figuring he had nothing to lose, he applied for a spot in this month’s marketplace. “At first I thought I didn’t get in. I’m not in the business school or anything,” Wright said. “But [on] Friday I got the notice and I was just happy.” The Terp Marketplace gave student entrepreneurs the chance to present their products and services in the Pownall Atrium of Van Munching Hall on Wednesday, April 10.
The Black Explosion •

Natural hair org celebrates black beauty at 5th annual event

A student organization focused on providing black students with a space to appreciate their natural hair held its fifth annual celebration, called “My Black Is Beautiful” in the Grand Ballroom in Adele H. Stamp Student Union Tuesday evening. Maryland Maintaining A Natural Essence (MANE) is a Black student organization targeted toward supporting black women in celebrating their natural hair and beauty.

Oaxaca, Mexico

In January 2019, I studied abroad in Oaxaca, Mexico. Staying there for two weeks, I learned about the art of photojournalism under the instruction of Sora DeVore. Out of three projects, this piece on a family in Arrazola, Oaxaca was my strongest. 

The Star Strutters perform at their first halftime show

On Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018, The Star Strutters did their first halftime show performance at the second annual UMD Club Basketball vs. UMD All Stars Charity Basketball Game. Learn about who the team is, as well as the lead up to the performance.

This was a piece I produced for my multimedia skills class at Merrill College at the University of Maryland.

Black women march to be heard in Washington, D.C.

On Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018, Black women and their allies walked from the National Mall to Freedom Plaza to call attention to the injustices Black women face. The march, formally called the March for Black Women, was organized by the Black Women’s Blueprint. The organization is advocating for a “new social contract” to rebuild communities and political and economic institutions.

"It's A Hairy Story: Cover it up"

"It's A Hairy Story" is a podcast I started to discuss the beauty and lifestyle as it relates to Black women. This episode is about protective styling. 

This is a short podcast produced for my multimedia skills class at Merrill College at the University of Maryland.

"It's A Hairy Story: Cover It Up"