
For the culture
Recommended works and artists in celebration of Black History Month by Richmond Free Press staff members, Part 2

In Memoriam: Tributes pour in for host, activist Joe Madison
Tributes poured in following the death of Joe Madison, the talk show host, activist and philanthropist known as “The Black Eagle.” After a lengthy bout with prostate cancer, the popular SiriusXM host died on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024. He was 74.

Georgia district attorney prosecuting Trump has been subpoenaed over claims of improper relationship
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and a special prosecutor she hired for the Georgia election interference case against former President Donald Trump have been issued subpoenas by a defense attorney who has alleged Ms. Willis and the prosecutor had an inappropriate romantic relationship.

Personality: Darrell Tyler
Spotlight on Richmond Heritage Federal Credit Union board chairman
Darrell Tyler firmly believes that material advancement in society is nearly impossible without a financial institution’s backing or involvement.

Free community testing for COVID-19 continues
The Richmond and Henrico County health districts are offering testing at the following locations:

Dr. Shirlene Obuobi prescribes comedy for health and healing
Dr. Shirlene Obuobi, a third-year general cardiology fellow at the University of Chicago, uses creativity to process what she sees and learns while pursuing a medical career.

Friends and loved ones to pay tribute to prominent musician Nathaniel ‘Nat’ Lee
Nathaniel “Nat” Bess Lee — a multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger who worked with nationally known musicals acts in his career — died Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024, after an extended illness. He was 69.

In service and remembrance
The Friends of East End and Ancestral Capital collaborated in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 15, to clean up Evergreen Cemetery.

For the cuture
Black History Month enables many Black Americans to reflect on our history, honor our ancestors and educate ourselves while also celebrating our achievements. We asked our Richmond Free Press team to share the creative, cultural and literary works that quench their thirst for knowledge and purpose during Black History Month and throughout the year.

Shock, grief and mourning for 3 Georgia-based U.S. soldiers killed in Middle East drone strike
Described by their parents as bubbly and constantly laughing, Spc. Kennedy Sanders and Spc. Breonna Moffett became close friends soon after enlisting in the Army Reserve five years ago. Sgt. William Jerome Rivers served a tour in Iraq before joining the same company of Army engineers.

Meals tax concerns continue
Andreas D. Addison is calling on City Hall to refund all of the money in taxes, penalties, and fees that restaurants and other businesses have been forced to pay because of the city’s “bad customer service.”

SAD? There are ways to combat Seasonal Affective Disorder
Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is a form of depression that occurs during certain seasons of the year, usually fall and winter, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Primed for takeoff
Chance discovery at Ohio airport lands King at VUU
College athletes frequently transfer, usually for more playing time, a higher profile environment, to be closer to home or even for more Name Image Likeness (NIL) money. Jonathan King fell into a different category in transferring to Virginia Union University from Alderson Broaddus University in tiny Philippi, W.Va.

DPU struggling with customer service
April Bingham is proud of the progress the Richmond Department of Public Utilities has made in clearing a backlog of customer service issues.

Brian McGill is Chesterfield County’s Teacher of the Year
Brian McGill, an English teacher at Tomahawk Creek Middle School since 2020, has been selected as the 2024 Teacher of the Year and Middle School Teacher of the Year for Chesterfield County. Mr. McGill has taught in Chesterfield County Public Schools since 2008 and previously taught in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

‘Kemba’ trailer and release date announced
On Thursday, Feb. 22, the MPI Original and BET Original feature film “Kemba” will premiere on the BET+ streaming platform and will air on BET, BETHer, and BET International.

Black History Month is more important than ever
In 1926, when historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) first conceived “Negro History Week” for the second week of February, the idea was to celebrate and remember the struggles and achievements in the history of the African diaspora.

Parting ways
After more than 30 years, the Richmond Free Press and reporter Jeremy Lazarus have permanently parted company.

When partisan politics leave migrants out in the cold, by Clarence Page
As a long, dreaded January chill made life on the streets unthinkable for waves of migrants bused North from Texas, city, state and federal officials engaged in a new round of finger-pointing and buck-passing.

Biden-Harris administration’s LNG decision means hope, by Ben Jealous
James Hiatt lives in an area along the Mississippi River in Louisiana that has been dubbed “Cancer Alley.” Teeming with chemical plants and oil and gas refineries, the air the residents of this area breathe contains more carcinogens than anywhere else in the country.