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 …
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.
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 …
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 …
Rewinding a Reckoning
When police officers murdered Minneapolis resident George Floyd in 2020, and America went through what some people called a “racial reckoning,” a portion of the population seemed ready to have that “talk” about power and privilege that they had been …
Pick your shots
The sudden rise in the popularity of the WNBA seems to have caught the usual commentators on television and the internet off guard. For many of them, this a new game, although the league has been around since 1996. But …
The high cost of housing discrimination
Last week’s report by HOME of VA (Housing Opportunities Made Equal) on discriminatory practices in the Richmond housing market is a sobering document. It confirms the thoughts, feelings and vibes that African Americans experience when we attempt to find a …
Honoring the past
We have an important update regarding how we write our stories at the Richmond Free Press. We’ve decided to stop using courtesy titles like “Dr.,” “Mr.,” “Mrs.,” or “Ms.”
Saying the quiet part online
They say when you’re job hunting, you should keep in mind that when a company lists qualifications and requirements on a job posting, it’s a “wish list.” Recruiters know there’s a chance only a few applicants will fit the exact …
Registering concern
Political forces are at work to erode the public’s.trust in our institutions and processes. Maybe you’ve heard them claiming that the elections that their side lost weren’t legitimate or are part of some kind of conspiracy.
Guess who ain’t coming to dinner?
It appears Virginia State University won’t be hosting a presidential debate this year. This is a tough blow for the school, which was preparing for the national spotlight such an event would provide.
Statues of limitations
Gov. Glenn Youngkin should thank his predecessor for putting the stone statues of Confederate leaders out of reach after they were dismantled and hauled away. He may have saved the governor from himself.
Memorial Day
Unlike the aforementioned monuments, at least one idea from the Civil War era has rightfully endured – Memorial Day.
