Flying Squirrels return home Friday
While the Richmond Flying Squirrels promise wholesome, family oriented entertainment on The Boulevard, the team management doesn’t promise victories. That’s a good thing because the local baseball pros, the Class AA Eastern League affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, have been losing like never before.
VSU commencement
Building a better world is more than a motto
Virginia State University ended a tumultuous school year with a victorious exclamation mark at commencement Saturday at the Richmond Coliseum. More than 10,000 proud and beaming parents, friends and university members saluted as a record number of students — 764 — graduated.
School Board votes to merge Elkhardt, Thompson
With full backing from the Richmond School Board, Superintendent Dana T. Bedden pulled a rabbit out of his hat this week with a move that closes one old and decrepit middle school and changes the accreditation status at two academically struggling middle schools.
Free Press deserves kudos
The Richmond Association of Black Social Workers congratulates Bonnie Winston, managing editor, and the Richmond Free Press staff on your recent awards from the Virginia Press Association.
Violence sometimes only voice of the violated
I am confused. Years ago I learned about a large group of people who felt disenfranchised by the people governing them and they started a riot that grew into a revolution. These folks felt their “life, liberty and pursuit of happiness” were being taken away by a distant power intent on exploiting them for monetary gains. That’s what I was taught in a small South Carolina classroom many years ago.
‘Who are the thugs?’
Who are the “thugs” in Baltimore and other cities in America? I have watched with deepest regret the aftermath that has followed the death of Freddie Gray, who was in Baltimore police custody at the time of suffering severe spinal cord damage that resulted in his death. Even worse, why did it take so long to get a police report on what took place? It is strange how long it takes to get police reports on certain incidents when black men are killed by police? That alone raises a red flag. Do these people have a conscience that tells them right from wrong?
Police reform needed now
“There is no crueler tyranny than that which is perpetuated under the shield of law and in the name of justice.” – Charles de Montesquieu, “The Spirit of the Laws,” 1748 A tragic déjà vu is playing out in communities all across America, particularly in the growingly skeptical streets of black and brown neighborhoods.
No better time to end racial profiling
Freddie Gray, 25, was racially profiled and then chased down by Baltimore police officers. He subsequently died as result of police action taken after what the mayor called an unjust arrest. But the Gray tragedy is not an isolated case. It is symptomatic of a criminal justice system gone mad with racism and bigotry.
Get serious
We listened with interest and some amusement this week as retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and former Silicon Valley technology executive Carly Fiorina announced they are seeking the Republican nomination for president. Without a doubt, both Dr. Carson and Ms. Fiorina have excelled in their fields.
Let there be justice
Let there be justice The Freddie Gray case has put a spotlight on police practices in Baltimore. His death in police custody seems to have been the last straw for many residents. An indication of why residents are so distressed can be found in the investigations the city’s daily newspaper, The Baltimore Sun, has conducted on police brutality.
Mayweather seals legacy; rematch possible
Floyd Mayweather Jr. cemented his place among the pantheon of boxing greats, improving to 48-0 with a unanimous decision over Manny Pacquiao last Saturday in a fight some believed didn’t live up to its immense hype and price tag.
VCU’s Alie-Cox hit with assault charge
Virginia Commonwealth University basketball standout Mo Alie-Cox faces a misdemeanor assault and battery charge stemming from an April 3 altercation involving a woman at a nightclub. Alie-Cox is to appear in Richmond General District Court at 9 a.m. May 20.
VUU lands new recruit for basketball team
Newly appointed Virginia Union University basketball Coach Jay Butler has landed his first recruit, and he didn’t have to go far to find him.
Henrico High’s Williams headed to VSU
After helping Henrico High School to a state championship earlier this year, Walter Williams will continue his basketball career at Virginia State University.
Armstrong tennis team ramps up for winning season
George Banks has a powerful hunch there is a potential tennis phenom somewhere within Richmond’s city limits. And if his instincts are correct, Banks is determined to discover him or her, outfit the prospect with a racquet and sneakers and swing open the door of opportunity.
R&B singer Ben E. King, 76
Soul and R&B singer Ben E. King, famous for his deep, velvety baritone voice and the classic hit song “Stand by Me,” died of natural causes in New Jersey at 76. He died Thursday, April 30, 2015, his publicist, Phil Brown, said. Mr. King was born Benjamin Earl Nelson in Henderson, N.C., and moved to Harlem, N.Y., at age 9 with his family. He began his career in the doo-wop group The Five Crowns, which later became The Drifters, before branching out as a solo artist.
History-making golfers die days apart
Two of professional golf’s successful African-American golfers have died — Calvin Peete and Pete Brown. Mr. Peete, the most successful African-American professional golfer on the PGA Tour prior to Tiger Woods, died Wednesday, April 29, 2015, in Atlanta.
Stroke education dinner slated for May 14
“Jazz Up Your Health.” That’s the invitation from the American Stroke Association and Bon Secours Neuroscience Institute. They are hosting a “Power to End Stroke Jazz Night.”
Former HUD secretary to keynote housing coalition event May 21
For 25 years, the Better Housing Coalition has been transforming lives and communities in the Richmond-Petersburg area by providing affordable housing with ongoing support services for residents. Those services include GED and computer training for adults, helping senior citizens apply for medical benefits and Social Security and programs for teens.
Harriet’s Place tea ministry opens in Washington Park
More than 100 colorful teapots of all shapes and sizes fill the idyllic home in the historic Washington Park community on North Side. They will serve as the centerpiece for Scripture Tea Fellowship Ministries, whose mission is to “provide spiritual, social, educational and economic empowerment in a safe place of refuge and relaxation over a cup of tea and the word of God,” according to the Rev. Jeanette Brown, the ministry’s founder.
