The Free Press presents a series chronicling the black experience during the liberation of Richmond in April 1865 and the end of the Civil War.

Bishop T.D. Jakes strutted, danced, shouted and spoke in hushed tones Saturday, adding a thunderous exclamation mark to the 2015 Transformation Expo, an annual faith gathering hosted by Radio One. Time and again, fiery exhortations by the 57-year-old, best-selling author …

James Johnson was aboard a plane last spring bound for a recording session with the Arkansas Gospel Mass Choir when inspiration struck. “I was looking out at the clouds, at his creation, and I was thinking about just how great …

An urban garden that started out selling fresh produce and fruit at discount to two Richmond convenience stores will grow to serve 13 stores by this summer. But Tricycle Gardens wants to be more than a fresh food provider for …

Rita Willis said she was overcome with emotion when she reached the top of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., late Sunday afternoon. “I just broke down and cried,” the 65-year-old Henrico County resident said. Ms. Willis was among …

At first, the story seems all too familiar. Two Hopewell teenagers rob two pedestrians at gunpoint near a private school, but are quickly caught when responding police officers scour the area and arrest them a few minutes later as they …

WASHINGTON A U.S. Justice Department investigation found sweeping patterns of racial bias within the Ferguson, Mo., police department that targeted African-Americans and created a “toxic environment,” with officers routinely using excessive force, issuing petty citations and making baseless traffic stops …

The U.S. Postal Service will honor Maya Angelou, the beloved late poet, author, educator and champion of equality, with a Forever Stamp. “Maya Angelou inspired our nation through a life of advocacy and through her many contributions to the written …

Freedom of religion goes only so far in prison — particularly when safety and security are involved. That’s why a Virginia prison inmate has lost a federal court battle to force prison officials to recognize Nation of Gods and Earths …

Former Virginia First Lady Maureen McDonnell broke a two-year silence on her role in the federal corruption case that rocked Virginia and sent shockwaves across the nation. Fighting back tears, she read from a prepared statement during her sentencing hearing …

Ninety-five members of Congress will make a civil rights pilgrimage to Alabama next week. The delegation of House members and senators will spend Friday, March 6, through Sunday, March 8, in Birmingham, Montgomery, Selma and Marion for the 50th anniversary …

For the first time in the 185-year history of the University of Richmond, the new head of the private liberal arts college that borders Richmond and Henrico County will be an African-American. Dr. Ronald Andrew Crutcher has been named as …

WASHINGTON The Justice Department says George Zimmerman will not face federal civil rights charges in the 2012 shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. The department announced its decision Tuesday, saying there was not enough evidence to bring federal civil rights …

Also to be interviewed Monday, Judge Hairston has the backing of the Richmond delegation and is expected to have no trouble winning General Assembly votes to gain the seat that Circuit Court Judge Melvin R. Hughes is vacating after reaching …

Following some career setbacks, Jarvis Threatt is on basketball’s comeback trail. Last Sunday, that travel itinerary led him to Brooklyn, N.Y., site of the NBA’s Developmental League (D- League) Slam-Dunk Contest and All- Star Game. Showing there’s plenty of bounce …