Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, makes a campaign stop last Thursday at the Richmond Voter Registrar’s Office on West Laburnum Avenue, where early voting is underway. After greeting arriving voters outside with Mayor Levar M. Stoney and Delegate Lamont Bagby of Henrico, head of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, Dr. Biden talked with local media. Candidates and/or their surrogates have been stumping in Virginia in recent days. President Trump held a rally last Friday at the Newport News-Williamsburg International Airport. And Douglas Emhoff, husband of Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris is expected to campaign in Virginia in the next few days. Early voting for the Nov. 3 presidential election and other contests continues in the state through Saturday, Oct. 31.

Mayor Levar M. Stoney prepares to raise the Progress Pride flag outside City Hall’s Broad Street entrance. It is the first time a symbol of the gay community has flown outside the 18-story municipal center in Downtown. The multicolored flag went up last Friday in recognition of Richmond’s annual PrideFest weekend and flew through Wednesday when Virginia PrideFest Month ended. The mayor stated the flag was raised to let LGBTQ Richmonders “know that this city stands behind them.” The Progress Pride flag was chosen because, along with traditional rainbow colors, it incorporates additional stripes to symbolize the inclusion of African-Americans, Latinos, people of color, transgender individuals and those living with HIV/AIDS. Lacette Cross and Louise “Cheezi” Farmer, founders of Black Pride RVA, were among the participants at the upbeat ceremony. Black Pride RVA also received Virginia Pride’s annual Firework Award for being catalysts for community change.

Swift Creek Lake at Pocahontas State Park

Demonstrators came out in Richmond to demand justice for Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old emergency medical technician who was shot and killed by police during a late-night raid of her Louisville, Ky., apartment on March 13. People took to the streets in Richmond on Sept. 23, just hours after a Kentucky grand jury absolved two white police officers in her shooting death, while charging a third, former Louisville Metro Police Detective Brett Hankison, with three counts of wanton endangerment for shooting into neighboring apartments and endangering Ms.Taylor’s neighbors. No one was charged in her death.

Local demonstrators marched from the area around the Lee statue on Monument Avenue, dubbed Marcus David Peters Circle, to Richmond Police Headquarters.