Monica Smith-Callahan recalls her first public speaking experience at age 5 at Antioch Baptist Church in the Varina community where she grew up.

Youths from the Richmond Juvenile Detention Center are using artistic expression to voice their perspectives on the juvenile justice system and suggest ways to reform it.

“Straight Outta Compton” continues to connect with movie audiences. It is the No. 1 movie in North America for the second week.

Above, cousins Ahkira Haskins, 5, and Ja’niyah Buckner, 6, pick up book bags filled with school supplies at the 9th Annual WE CARE Festival on North Side. Right, Santia Nance of RVA HoOp LOvers shows off her hula hoop skills …

The sounds of jazz and funk will fill the air to the backdrop of waves crashing onto the Virginia Beach shore at the third annual Virginia Beach Africana 2015. The fun-filled festival begins Friday, Aug. 28, and continues through Sunday, …

Donald Ray Raspberry loves playing tennis. “It’s fun, it’s exciting and it teaches you a lot of great life lessons,” says the 65-year-old North Side resident. He also has a passion for teaching children the game.

Give Ke’Aja Jefferson an A-plus for determination. The rising Richmond Community High School senior, who has earned an amazing 4.7 GPA, excels in several areas. Her latest achievement: She finished first in the Transportation Modeling Contest at the 2015 Technology …

If hearing profane language spoken every other word and seeing young bare-chested women being used as groupie sex kittens is what you want in a movie, then “Straight Outta Compton” is your kind of movie.

The Washington professional football team’s training camp in Richmond appears to be losing public interest as fast as a slow-footed quarterback loses ground behind a porous offensive line. The camp averaged about 5,800 fans each day, compared to more than …

Armstrong Class of 1965 celebrates 50th reunion

There’s something for everyone at the 9th Annual We CARE Festival. The community-oriented event will be 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, at the Hotchkiss Community Center, 701 E. Brookland Park Blvd. on North Side.

“Straight Outta Compton,” the N.W.A. biopic produced by Ice Cube and Dr. Dre, blew away industry expectations over the weekend with a $60.2 million debut.

The Delfonics will headline the 25th Annual Down Home Family Reunion Saturday, Aug. 15, in Abner Clay Park at Leigh Street and Brook Road in Jackson Ward.

Legendary Jamaican reggae singer Frederick “Toots” Hibbert is going to have to wait longer to find out if he will be awarded millions of dollars for the injuries he suffered when a drunken Henrico County man threw a liquor bottle …

Brenda W. Johnson says the golf bug first bit her when a sorority sister from Delta Sigma Theta invited her to take up the sport when she lived in Michigan. “She says, ‘Let’s learn how to play golf,’ ” Mrs. …