To the quiet heroes
Our thoughts turn to Earl Lloyd, the Virginia native who, in October 1950, became the first African-American to play in the NBA. Mr. Lloyd died last week at age 86. Growing up in Alexandria, he played basketball in the run-down …
Whipping up war, disrespect
If we needed further proof of the Republican disrespect shown to President Obama, the nation witnessed the latest insult Tuesday with the visit of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington, where he addressed a joint session of Congress. His …
For the orange and blue
Virginia State University appears to be headed on the right track with the addition of interim President Pamela V. Hammond. In just over 30 days at the helm, Dr. Hammond, a nurse educator from Whistler, Ala., has raised nearly a …
Just desserts
Maureen McDonnell should go to prison. Virginia’s former first lady has been convicted of eight counts of corruption for trading access to state officials in exchange for more than $177,000 in gifts and loans from a Virginia businessman. Last week …
Power of questions
Sometimes the right questions can be influential. We started asking questions when we learned that Mayor Dwight C. Jones was planning to hold an invitation-only reception to honor the five Richmonders who formed the first African-American majority on City Council.
Where do we go from here?
FBI Director James B. Comey took a giant step for law enforcement last week in acknowledging “hard truths” about racial bias infiltrating police agencies across the nation. The bias isn’t new, said Mr. Comey, a descendant of Irish immigrants to …
Enhancing all lives
We applaud the Richmond Police Department brass and Chief-to-be Alfred Durham for initiating and carrying out a confab with more than 150 people in response to the #BlackLivesMatter protests across the city. We also applaud the scores of Richmond area …
Christians are no exception
It has been exasperating to read and listen to the attacks against President Obama for the comments he made during last week’s National Prayer Breakfast. In case you missed the speech, or the resulting dust-up, here are the comments that …
A true winner
One of the closest things we have to a hero is Russell Wilson. The 26-year-old Seattle Seahawks quarterback, who grew up in Richmond and learned well the lessons of his athletic attorney father and educator grandfather, has been a source …
Your voice, your vote
Next Tuesday is “Cross-over Day” at the Virginia General Assembly. That means it’s halftime for the 2015 legislative session. By the end of the day Tuesday, the Senate and the House of Delegates must finish any action on bills that …
VCU and the SATs
We applaud the move this week by Virginia Commonwealth University President Michael Rao to eliminate SAT scores as a criteria for admission. In a major policy change announced Tuesday, Dr. Rao said applicants with a GPA of 3.3 or higher …
Scales unbalanced
On Jan. 19, the Virginia General Assembly scrubbed from the state judiciary the name of Judge Birdie Hairston Jamison, who was up for reappointment to the Richmond General District Court. Judge Jamison, 57, is chief judge of the city’s busy …
Mr. Boone and the FBI
Activist Dick Gregory used to say it all the time: “Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you.”
The cure
A good nurse can make the difference in whether a patient improves.
Buckle up
A Republican flood at the ballot box ensures an overwhelming change in the makeup and dynamics of Congress beginning in January. With the election, Republicans have gained control of the U.S. Senate and strengthened their grip on the House of …