
Swansboro Elementary names auditorium for music teacher
For Wallesa Diane Coleman Jones, teaching elementary schoolchildren to appreciate music has been a labor of love.

No more drama
The collective sigh of relief sweeping through the newly redrawn state 13th Senate District on Tuesday was palpable.

Summer up
Summer 2023 arrived Wednesday, and although the purported longest day of the year was accompanied by rain, cheer up. The wetness won’t last long! After all, this is Richmond.

Empathy for families with ‘difficult days ahead’
To the Richmond community: My condolences and empathy to families as they face the difficult days ahead without their loved ones.

Six key points from the scathing report on Minneapolis Police after George Floyd’s killing
The Justice Department on June 16 issued a scathing assessment of Minneapolis Police, alleging that racial discrimination and excessive force went unchecked before George Floyd’s killing because of inadequate oversight and an unwieldy process for investigating complaints.

Pride Month marred by anti-LGBTQ+ bills, by Marc H. Morial
“We are powerful because we have survived, and that is what it is all about—survival and growth.” — Audre Lorde

Jokic in conversation for greatest center
History books will show the Denver Nuggets are the 2023 NBA champions. Let there be no doubt about that. But what about the Nuggets’ Rocky Mountain-sized center, Nikola Jokic? What will his place be on the all-time list of great centers?

Track star Wilson going pro
Britton Wilson has decided to run for cash instead of medals and ribbons.

‘Spike’ originator dies at 82
Homer Jones, famous for his long receptions and spiking the ball after a touchdown, died Wednesday, June 14, 2023, in his hometown of Pittsburg, Texas. Mr. Jones was 82 and had been suffering from lung cancer. Out of HBCU Texas Southern University in Houston, he was big (6-foot-2, 215 pounds) and fast (doubled as college sprinter) and was a defensive back’s nightmare. Playing mostly with the New York Giants in the 1960s, Mr. Jones caught

Fourth Baptist receives historic preservation grant
Fourth Baptist Church in Richmond’s East End has been awarded a $150,000 grant to support preservation of the education wing as the church prepares to mark the 164th anniversary of its founding.

A Black preacher, ‘no longer at war with her body,’ on connecting flesh with the divine
Lyvonne Briggs describes herself as “a Black woman spiritual leader who is no longer at war with her body.” Her mission, in her new book, “Sensual Faith,” is to help other women stop being at war with their bodies too.

Similarities in Dandridge, Arraez are hard to miss
Much of the baseball buzz this spring has centered around Luis Arraez’ quest to hit a next-to-impossible .400-plus.

Better late than never for Miller
Breshauna Miller got off to a slow start but had a fantastic finish to her Huguenot High School track career.

Staging the future
Council bets on showbiz
Betting on entertainment as a key element of future job and economic growth, City Council, as expected, put two high-profile projects on the fast track Monday night—a proposed $560 million casino-resort for the South Side and a $30 million amphitheater for the Downtown riverfront.

Reflections on freedom for Juneteenth, by Robin Stone
The official recognition of the day the last enslaved people in the United States learned of their freedom, known as Juneteenth, was a long time coming. It wasn’t until 2021 — nearly 160 years after slavery ended — that the president signed a proclamation making Juneteenth a federal holiday.

Richmond Free Press founders receive City Hall honor and recognition
Black-owned weekly saluted for its ‘leadership, service, dedication and prominence in the community’
Jean P. Boone and the late Raymond H. Boone, founders and publishers of the Richmond Free Press newspaper, received recognition from City Council on Monday night to honor their journalistic contributions to the city.

Trump pleads not guilty to federal charges that he illegally kept classified documents
Trump became the first former president to face a judge on federal charges as he pleaded not guilty in a Miami courtroom Tuesday to dozens of felony counts accusing him of hoarding classified documents and refusing government demands to give them back.

Personality: Richard Allen Jackson Sr.
Spotlight on VHEF’s honorary co-chair for 12th Annual Jazz Inside Out
Richard Allen Jackson Sr., M.D. describes himself as compassionate, caring and supportive. The decision to be the honorary chair for the 12th Annual Jazz Inside Out, along with his wife, Eucharia “Ukay” Jackson, fits right in with those ideals.

Athlete, coach and educator Ethan M. Pitts Jr. dies at age 50
For the first time in at least 15 years, veteran Coach Ethan Matthew “Matt” Pitts Jr. was missing from the Richmond delegation to the Virginia Special Olympics summer games at the University of Richmond.

High 5!
Denver Nuggets win first NBA title over Miami Heat in Game 5
This is no joke. The Denver Nuggets, led by Nikola Jokic, aka “The Joker,” are NBA champs for the first time since entering the league 47 years ago.