Richmond schools deserve better leadership
As the Richmond Free Press states, there are nine seats up for grabs on the Richmond School Board. It seems to me that we need better guidance and direction on how to steer our youth into the future.
What to the slave is the Fourth of July?
This week, we present a portion of Frederick Douglass’ powerful speech “What to the slave is the Fourth of July?” Delivered on July 5, 1852, this address remains a poignant and searing critique of our nation’s founding principles versus its …
Despite debate performance, support for Biden remains strong among Black leaders, by Tamil R. Harris
President Joe Biden and the first lady spent Sunday at Camp David with their grandchildren after his debate performance. At the same time, the media and a growing chorus of Democrats speculate on the 81-year-old leader’s future.
Environmental justice for Cumberland County, by Benjamin Chavis Jr.
Cumberland County stands on the edge of an environmental catastrophe. An hour west of Richmond, the historic town of Cumberland is set to become the site of the proposed Green Ridge Disposal and Recycling Facility. This 1,200 - acre mega-landfill …
Fair housing is up to all of us
We all deserve the freedom to choose where we live. But even Virginians who have won a lottery struggle to find a way home.
We’re No. 1!
A CNN report this week ranked our little ol’ River City as the top of their list of “America’s Best Towns to Visit 2024.”
Final score
Our Sports page will look different next week. Fred Jeter, our longtime sports writer, ends his tenure with The Richmond Free Press with this issue.
Black athletes are Black men, women first, by David W. Marshall
During a recent Fox Sports pregame show appearance, Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson was asked about his return to Birmingham, Ala.’s Rickwood Field, where he played 114 games in the minor leagues. His powerful response was a …
Extreme heat a wake-up call, by Ben Jealous
As I write these words, the mercury is soaring. The world is reeling from the deadly impact of extreme heat and weather events. This is climate change in action. We are living it. And the thermometer-busting temperatures are just the …
Poor people are the new swing vote, By William J. Barber II
If you’re an ordinary American who goes to work to pay the bills or takes care of a loved one most days, it’s easy to feel down when you see the headlines about the 2024 election. Donald Trump has been …
Spirituals, freedom songs echo across generations, by Hazel Trice Edney
Every Sunday, millions of African Americans across the nation make their way to church anticipating relief from lives of financial woes, pressures at work, health concerns, family matters, race discrimination and inequities among other stressful issues of everyday life.
The big payback
Over the next few weeks, we will be devoting a portion of our pages to a three-part story called “40 Acres and a Lie.” This project is the result of work by the Center for Public Integrity, the Center for …
Protecting the elders
There’s a lot you can learn about a place by looking at how they treat their vulnerable populations, such as senior citizens. Here in Virginia, we’ve got some work to do on that issue. We’re glad our attorney general recognized …
Countering MAGA movement with nonviolent extremism, by David W. Marshall
Between 1941 and 1945 some 6 million Jews were systematically murdered across German-occupied Europe during World War II. As part of a state-sponsored genocide, two-thirds of Europe’s Jewish population was executed. As a result, those of Jewish faith made it …
Talks of mandated national service, by Clarence Page
Don’t get nervous, young folks, but talk about a national service mandate has been bubbling up again in Washington.
