Becoming a ‘Capital of Compassion’

Richmond Mayor Levar M. Stoney

My wish for our city in the coming year is simple: Love thy neighbor.

Loving thy neighbor means looking out for the health of our community. It means making sure everyone has access to free vaccines for Covid-19 and the flu, and basic medical care for common, preventable diseases. And it means that we take advantage of these resources to get ourselves vaccinated; to keep not only ourselves healthy, but also our families and loved ones healthy.

Loving thy neighbor means resolving our differences nonviolently with words, not weapons. It means being there for troubled family or friends to support them with programs and resources when they experience hardship, become immersed in conflict, or struggle with a mental health issue.

Loving thy neighbor means treating our homeless with dignity and showing grace to tenants struggling to meet

their rent. It means volunteering to feed the hungry or tutor children who need extra help after school.

And loving thy neighbor means rejecting hate and intoler- ance and embracing inclusivity and equity. It means standing up and speaking out against hate and bias in all its vulgar expressions and subtle insinuations. It means thinking of others before we think of ourselves, and recognizing that lifting up someone else does not put us down, but helps us all rise.

These are just a few of the things we should strive to do in the coming year as Richmond continues along its journey to becoming a Capital of Compassion; a place where despair is short-lived, and hope reigns. This is a wish — but it doesn’t have to be. We have the power within each of us, in gestures small and large, to make this happen this year in our city. Today is a good day to start.

Where there is servant leadership, there is peace

Dr. Shonda Harris-Muhammed, Sixth District Representative,
Richmond Public Schools

A person’s peace must never be lost in the process of preparing decisions for those we serve. Servant leadership has never been more important than right now in this season of understanding where we are in Richmond Public Schools.

Leadership is tough and servant leadership is by far tougher and extremely unpopular.

Throughout 2022, we have muscled through unpopular decisions as a school board to adopt and mirror positive and transparent change for students and staff. Not every decision voted on by the school board has been popular with the viewership. Over the past year, the Richmond School Board has gone to great lengths to model tiered levels of support for the entire staff and students in Richmond Public Schools. My foremost wish for 2023 is that we lead in peace while making decisions that ultimately impact our entire school division where student outcomes is a number one priority for me as a servant leader. Political rhetoric must come to an end in 2023 while leaders, appointed or elected, continue the path of providing support through decision making for our families we all serve. Peace and understanding can be found in listening and collaborating with an open mind. No matter the argument or disagreement, peace can be present.

My foremost wish in 2023 is that servant leaders continue to stand in political peace while making decisions serving as public officials. In addition, we continue to stand in what is right for the families we serve. Standing in what is right is not attractive, but it will strengthen the character of servant leadership. My foremost wish of 2023: I continue to serve with grace, poise, and a positive attitude regardless of the turbulence in the valley. Lastly, I continue to stand in what is right, support political peace, and the community that sees my heart.

Building a community of hope, jobs and security

Steven B. Nesmith, CEO, Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority

My number one wish for 2023 is to bring hope, jobs and security to the residents of the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (“RRHA”).

As the CEO, I oversee nearly 4,000 units of public housing — that’s almost 4,000 families living in conditions that many would find untenable. These are families with children that want the same things that other Richmonders want — a safe, stable, clean environment with opportunities for self-sufficiency. They want communities where they can feel secure walking the street and where children can be safe playing outside.

HOPE – Many of our residents feel “stuck” in a cycle of poverty, miseducation, fear and low self-esteem. To give HOPE there will be programs designed to instill pride to get families “unstuck” and address the mental and emotional challenges that families may be experiencing.

JOBS – We will bring in job training for youth and adults, second chance job opportunities for “returning citizens” who have paid their debt to society, create mentor/ mentee training programs, and educational opportunities for growth and advancement.

SECURITY – We have too many mothers and fathers crying because their sons and daughters have been killed in our six public housing communities. I am running a “city within a city” and my first responsibility is the safety and security of the residents. In 2023 I plan to bring back community policing and a security force that will give residents a sense of security in their homes and neighborhoods.

As a product of public housing, I understand that there is no one cure-all, but these issues are solvable. It is said, “it takes a village to create change,” and I will work to create a “village” consisting of committed partners, leaders and concerned citizens to get it done.

Hard work can cure race-based disparities

Dr. Elaine Perry, Director, Richmond and Henrico Health Districts

My wish: That our health and well-being was not dependent on the color of our skin.

So many of the ways we measure health and wellness are still, to this day, dependent on our race or ethnicity. Racial disparities persist in maternal and infant mortality, rates of diabetes and asthma, access to healthy foods, rates for certain cancers, health insurance coverage, and even life expectancy — with our Black and Brown neighbors experiencing worse health outcomes in each of these categories. Just one example: In 2020, the average life expectancy for non-Hispanic white people in Virginia was 78.7 years compared to only 73.9 years for non-Hispanic Black people.

Unfortunately, I can’t just wish and make these health disparities go away. It will take hard work — and not just from your local health department. We need to work with our state and local governments, health care systems, philanthropic partners, and local nonprofit organizations that are also working toward achieving health equity. In Richmond we are very fortunate that the City has dedicated $2.5 million of the money it received through the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to create the Richmond Health Equity Fund. This fund has already started investing in local community-led programs, initiatives, and leaders that will improve the health and quality of life in communities experiencing deep health disparities and the longstanding impacts of racism.

The Richmond Health Equity Fund is just one example of how RHHD is working to dismantle the impacts of racism and improve health outcomes. We strive toward that same goal throughout all of our programs and services — like our neighborhood Resource Centers and COVID-19 mobile vaccination clinics, to name a few. RHHD will continue this work and will push for a day when health outcomes are not dependent on the color of our skin.

Let 2023 reflect ‘a space of goodwill’

Melvin D. Carter, Fire Chief, City of Richmond Fire Department

During the holiday season, people appear to be more polite, thoughtful and generous. However, as we usher in the new year, things quickly return to our normal accepted way of life. Therefore, my foremost wish is for humanity to stay in this space of goodwill, care and sincerity — where the best of all people is displayed 365 days a year. I also wish for a time of individual reflection and the willingness to extend a sincere measure of grace to all people, wherever they may

be in their life’s journey.

Finally, as a fire service professional, it is my goal and responsibility as the fire chief of the City of Richmond to encourage a lifestyle that promotes a fire-safe existence for ourselves, those we love and the community at-large by strategically reducing risk in our community.

Thank you for supporting your Richmond Fire Department and Happy Holidays from the men and women of RFD.