
VUU Choir to perform at Youngkin inauguration
The Virginia Union University Choir has been invited to sing during inaugural activities for Republican Gov.-elect Glenn A. Youngkin.

City public safety workers receive bonuses of up to $3,000
Richmond’s public safety employees received a holiday gift— bonuses up to $3,000 apiece as a thank you for their service during the pandemic.

Councilwoman Stephanie Lynch charged with 2 misdemeanors
Fifth District City Councilwoman Stephanie Lynch has been charged with two misdemeanors after Richmond Police say she struck an unoccupied, parked SUV and failed to stop and notify the owner.

Elusive copper cornerstone box pulled from Lee pedestal, opened
Conservation experts at the Virginia Department of Historic Resources pulled books, money, ammunition, documents and other artifacts Tuesday from a long-sought-after time capsule found in the remnants of a pedestal on Richmond’s Monument Avenue that once held a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

VSU grad combines degree and love of animals to open North Side pet bath and spa
Michelle Millett and her mother, Arlene Young, are making it easier for pet parents to give their fur babies a bath.

Can Coach Deion Sanders help restore the HBCU-to-NFL pipeline?
An impressive total of 33 HBCU alumni have been inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. But will there ever be another? Or even another first round draft choice? Or All-Pro?

Dr. John Guns to give keynote at Emancipation Proclamation virtual worship service Jan. 1
Dr. John Guns, the new dean of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University, will be the featured speaker at the annual Emancipation Proclamation Day service at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 1, sponsored by the Baptist Ministers’ Conference of Richmond and Vicinity.

Dr. Carolyn N. Graham, former Richmond deputy CAO for human services, dies at 75
Dr. Carolyn Nadene Graham, a top social services executive in Richmond, Washington and Florida and creator of the Washington-based Mary Elizabeth House to aid young mothers aging out of foster care, has died.

Personality: Martha Jones-Carter
Spotlight on co-founder of Kuumba Afrikan American Quilters Guild of Richmond
If art tells a story, then Martha Jones-Carter has helped weave a multitude of personal and community-built narratives over the course of her life.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, lion of anti-apartheid movement, dies at 90
Mourners held a candlelight prayer ceremony outside the Soweto home of the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu on Wednesday, weeping over the memory not only of a world-renowned lion of the anti-apartheid movement but of a kind and loyal neighbor.

Into the future
Heading into 2022, Mayor Stoney details his focus for Richmond’s growth and opportunities in the coming years
Mayor Levar M. Stoney is bullish on Richmond as he prepares to begin his sixth year in the city’s top elected office.

State NAACP weighing appeal of new redistricting maps to U.S. Supreme Court
Will there be an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court?

Kwanzaa 2021: Celebration or lamentation?, by James Clingman
For 50 years, Black people in the United States have celebrated the seven principles of Kwanzaa.

Wishing for governance ‘devoid of biases’, by Dr. E. Faye Williams
When you read this, we will be in the year 2022 or almost there. I hope the new year will hold the realization of your most cherished hopes and dreams.

Recovery or crisis?, by Julianne Malveaux
According to MasterCard’s spending reports, consumers spent more than 10 percent more than they did in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Inflation rose by 6 percent each month in October and November (don’t add it up – it’s monthly, not annual).

Capital City Kwanzaa Festival canceled because of COVID-19
The Richmond area’s largest Kwanzaa festival will not take place as planned on Thursday, Dec. 30.