Bobby Dandridge to be honored by the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame
Billed as the “Call to the Hall,” the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame will honor Richmond native and former NBA star Bobby Dandridge on Jan. 19 in Virginia Beach.
African faith leaders combat fake cures for COVID-19
When some African church pastors ordered their followers to eat grass or gulp petrol or even drink poison-laced water, their congregations have obeyed the instructions, thinking the practices would bring them closer to God.
Personality: James Harris Jr.
Spotlight on founder of Men to Heal
James Harris Jr. knows the trials and tribulations of the therapy experience.
Charlottesville’s Lee statue to be melted down for new art
The statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee that drew violent protests to Charlottesville will be melted down and turned into a new piece of public art by an African-American heritage center.
On the way out
Gov. Ralph S. Northam orders removal of 40-foot granite pedestal that held Confederate Robert E. Lee’s statue on Monument Avenue, and for the land to be turned over to the city
When the giant monument of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee went up 131 years ago, fiery Richmond Planet editor John Mitchell Jr. described it as monument that would hand down to future generations “a legacy of treason and blood.”
REA wins victory giving city teachers, staff collective bargaining authority
In a nearly unanimous vote, the Richmond School Board voted 8-1 Monday night to approve a resolution giving teachers and other school staff the power to establish a union and collectively negotiate for pay and benefits.
Area athletes make All-MEAC football team
Two Norfolk State University athletes from the Richmond area have made the All-MEAC football team.
NSU wins Boost Mobile HBCU Challenge in Phoenix
Kris Bankston wasn’t named to the preseason All-MEAC team in part because few knew much about him. Now they know.
Youngkin inaugural plans include pricey dinner, music acts
Incoming Gov. Glenn A. Youngkin is planning a celebratory inaugural weekend that will include a mix of high-dollar ticketed events and other functions open to the public, according to a program that also touts an appearance by an unspecified Grammy-winning musical artist.
Recount results in GOP control of House of Delegates
A three-judge panel overseeing a recount in a close House of Delegates race upheld the Republican candidate’s victory last Friday, a decision that also reaffirms the GOP’s takeover of the chamber and completes the party’s sweep of last month’s elections.
Grand jury clears officer who shot and killed Pharrell Williams’ cousin
A special grand jury found that a Virginia Beach police officer was justified in fatally shooting a man armed with a gun during a chaotic night of violence on the city’s oceanfront this spring, authorities said late last month.
NAACP, Herring support innocence claims of the Waverly Two
More than 20 years after two men were sentenced to prison for convictions stemming from the slaying of a Waverly police officer, a new effort has emerged that could grant them their innocence and freedom.
Sources: $12.8M city budget error found by outside auditor
Richmond’s outside auditor has uncovered a $12.8 million error that has inflated the amount of surplus the city has reported for several years, the Free Press has been told.
Richmond among 10 localities piloting Marcus Alert system
Virginia is launching a new system to improve the response to mental health emergencies.
Addressing climate change is critical
I am a 16-year-old sophomore in the International Baccalaureate program at Henrico High School. Within the past few months, I have become more aware of the climate change crisis and the important global summit, COP26, held recently in Glasgow, Scotland, on the issue.
Reflecting on Richmond’s rejection of a casino-resort
To the Richmond residents south of the James, it is with deep regret that the vote for a casino came in “no,” and it was due to no fault of yours.
As many pastors as we want, by Julianne Malveaux
The Rev. Jesse Jackson and the Rev. Al Sharpton were doing the right thing when attending the Ahmaud Arbery trial. They demonstrated the solidarity that the Black community has with each other when one of us appears to be lynched. Each of us, every Black person, is repulsed and dismayed when we learn that armed white men, using the pretense of “citizen’s arrest,” can kill any of us. What is a citizen’s arrest, anyway? Is it simply a license to kill?
MBDA gets permanent status, by Marc H. Morial
“President Biden has made clear his commitment to not just rebuilding to how things were before COVID-19, but to building back better and more equitably. The Minority Business Development Agency is ready to step into this historic moment and build on its success — because we recognize that America’s road to recovery runs through our minority business community. Making MBDA a statutory Agency provides MBDA with the authorities, workforce and resources needed to help level the playing field on behalf of minority businesses and minority entrepreneurs.”—U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo
Ignore Him
Since he has been banned from Twitter, former President Trump has taken to email to send his endless tirades and rants.
French honor for Josephine Baker stirs conflict over racism
On the surface, it’s a powerful message against racism: A Black woman will, for the first time, join other luminaries interred in France’s Pantheon. But by choosing a U.S.-born figure/entertainer Josephine Baker—critics say France is continuing a long tradition of decrying racism abroad while obscuring it at home.
