City School Board hears pros and cons about cell phone pilot program
Absent devices bring on boredom, missed buses, and language barrier, say students
Meeting for the first time since the Huguenot High School graduation shooting trial ended last week, the Richmond School Board failed to discuss the trial, which resulted in Amari Pollard, 20, accepting a plea deal.
Spring Creek Baptist receives $1.25M grant
Spring Creek Baptist Church in Moseley has been awarded a $1.25 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help strengthen families through Christian home visitation. The project is being funded through Lilly Endowment’s Christian Parenting and Caregiving Initiative. The aim of the initiative is to help parents and caregivers share their faith and values with their children.
John Warren Jones III, owner of Church Hill Cleaners, remembered
Following the legacy of his grandfather and father, John Warren “John John”Jones III began working at the family-owned business, Church Hill Cleaners, as a youngster.
Dominion recognizes African-American leaders, students
Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation and the Library of Virginia recently recognized four Strong Men & Women in Virginia History honorees and Student Creative Expressions Contest finalists during its annual program that recognizes notable African-American business and community leaders.
Lincoln, Fayetteville State win CIAA; VUU and VSU fail to find lucky charm
Last year, Lincoln University nearly won the CIAA men’s title, losing in the finals. This time, the Lions closed the deal.
Jeffrey Wright, shape-shifter supreme, sees some of himself in ‘American Fiction’
Jeffrey Wright has played Jean-Michel Basquiat, Martin Luther King Jr. and Muddy Waters. He’s played Colin Powell, a Dominican drug kingpin, Batman’s Commissioner Gordon and a longtime inmate nearing release. He’s played Bill Murray’s neighbor, a Civil War-era former slave, James Bond’s Felix Leiter, the nurse Belize in “Angels in America” and an android-human in “Westworld.”
Va. lawmakers again decline to put restrictions on personal use of campaign accounts
Virginia lawmakers on Wednesday defeated for another year campaign finance reform legislation that would have prohibited elected officials from spending political donations on personal expenses such as mortgages, vacations or gym memberships.
Fixing our broken drug pricing system, by Dr. Greg Gelburd
As a recently retired physician, I felt relief for patients across the commonwealth when Virginia legislators recently passed bipartisan measures, Senate Bill 274 and House Bill 570, to create a Prescription Drug Affordability Board. This board would be empowered to finally rein in skyrocketing prescription drug costs that make medicine inaccessible to too many patients. By signing this legislation into law, Gov. Glenn Youngkin can prioritize the health and well-being of Virginians.
Shawn Jackson’s mother calls for community unity
On Thursday, Feb. 29, day four of the Huguenot graduation shooting trial, Amari Pollard, 20, accepted a plea deal. Mr. Pollard pleaded guilty to one charge of first degree murder and one charge of the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony for the death of Huguenot graduate Shawn Jackson. Mr. Pollard was not charged for the murder of Renzo Smith, Mr. Jackson’s stepfather, who was also killed during the shooting chaos. Mr. Pollard was sentenced to 43 years with 18 years suspended. After 25 years, Mr. Pollard will be eligible for release.
Former employee files lawsuit against City of Richmond
The City of Richmond’s former FOIA officer has filed a $250,000 lawsuit against the city alleging she was fired in retaliation for refusing to violate state law, according to various news reports. The suit, filed by Connie Clay, alleges that city officials attempted to withhold information that should be public by delaying or ignoring requests, and sometimes quoting exorbitant fees to deter the requester.
50 years after Va.’s first heart transplant, legislature honors Black donor who never gave consent
The first human-to-human heart transplant in the South occurred without donor consent from the injured Black man nor his family to help a white businessman live. Doctors in 1968 determined Bruce Tucker would not survive a severe head injury.
Trump leans in on immigration, crime during campaign stop in Richmond
Former President Donald Trump made a campaign stop in Richmond on Saturday ahead of Super Tuesday, a day of primary voting that is expected to seal his bid to be the Republican nominee for president in November.
Jackson Ward’s restaurant scene helps spur city’s business growth
Richmond has long been a hub for black capitalism — especially in Jackson Ward, once referred to as the Harlem of the South. According to a recent report from Yelp, the online publisher of crowd-sourced business reviews, black business openings in Richmond grew 66% in 2023. Yelp also found that black business openings in Richmond outpace the national black business opening rate of 24% and the national average of 20%.
Coming home, by Jennifer Robinson
A hipper, more vibrant Richmond is sweet surprise for former New Yorker
Byrd Park was the place to be on warm Sunday afternoons in the 1980s. I was in high school and all of young, black Richmond gathered there. Picture the scene from Will Smith’s 1991 hit, “Summertime.”
Conversations to repurpose the old Richmond Community Hospital building ‘did not bear fruit’
My name is Mary DePillars and I am an alumna of Virginia Union University concerned about recent comments attributed to VUU personnel regarding the old Richmond Community Hospital building. I shared my Feb, 15, 2024, letter to the Richmond Free Press with VUU’s alumni relations manager that same day. However, for context, I am expanding those comments as follows:
RCH and the need to sustain local cultural consciousness
At the March 3 “We Shall Gather at the Hospital” rally hosted by the Save Community Hospital Work Group, public historian, Dr. Carmen Foster reflected on the erasure of local stories due to the Richmond area’s shifting sociocultural landscape. Her passionate testimony inspires contemplation on what the 1932 Richmond Community Hospital site represents within Richmond and the American South’s sociocultural location.
Wealth disparities by race grew during the pandemic, despite income gains, report shows
A strong performance in financial markets, particularly an outsize gain for the stock market in 2021, helped entrench existing trends of wealth inequality during the pandemic, new data released this week show.
Old and new Rams are doing well
This has been a take-notice basketball season for the Virginia Commonwealth University Rams, both past and present versions.
Tonsils, talent and newborns
Richmond Community Hospital holds a special place in the hearts of many, including Edwina Richmond, a retired college professor with deep family ties to the city. Born at the hospital 76 years ago, Ms. Richmond has fond memories of the care she received there, from getting her tonsils removed to witnessing the hospital’s integral role in the neighborhood’s welfare, Richmond Free Press reporter George Copeland Jr. reports in this week’s edition.
State of Black America 2024, by Marc H. Morial
“We’re building an America where we recognize the inherent dignity of every single person, and where every American has the chance to live a life of purpose and meaning. This is my vision for the future.” — President Biden, 2024 State of Black America
