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With passion and purpose
Nearing retirement, Debra Carlotti has helped empower children and parents for decades
Richmond Public Schools educator Debra Carlotti was born in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y., a place that is a lot more trendy now than when she grew up there in the 1950s and 1960s, she said.
Maggie Walker’s 159th birthday comes to life
Richmond community members enjoyed a glimpse into the past during celebrations for Maggie L. Walker’s 159th Birthday at Third Street Bethel AME Church and her national historic site in Jackson Ward on July 15.
Black women benefit from more mind, body, spirit practices
Khepera Sankara was at rock bottom when she attended her first yoga class in 2013. It was an Ashtanga class taught by yoga teacher Robbie Norris as part of a program that brought yoga to the Richmond City Jail, where Ms. Sankara was incarcerated for shoplifting. “It was a godsend,” she said in a recent phone interview. “I found it so profoundly transformational. Just the physical practice helped change my
Morrissey banned from Henrico jail
Henrico County Sheriff Alisa A. Gregory released a statement Tuesday confirming a Jan. 28 incident that led to the revocation of Sen. Joseph D. “Joe” Morrissey’s, D-Richmond, visiting privileges to Henrico’s Jail West and Jail East for 90 days.
Park dedication provides lasting legacy for Markiya Dickson
For Ciara Dickson and Mark Whitfield Sr., Saturday, May 20, was filled with mixed emotions. They were in Fonticello Park for the dedication of the Markiya Dickson Imagination Zone, which recently was installed in honor of their deceased daughter.
Democratic primary for 14th Senate District underway
With early voting ongoing for the June 20 Democratic primary, the candidates each spoke with the Richmond Free Press about some of the issues that are on the minds of voters in the new 14th Senate District.
Proposed GreenCity arena aims to be ‘greenest in America’
GreenCity Partners and ASM Global announced on Monday an agreement to develop and operate a proposed 17,000-seat GreenCity Arena in Henrico County.
‘Walk Through Fire’
Sheila Johnson’s memoir explores love, loss and triumph
For four days and three nights in mid-August, Sheila Crump Johnson, cofounder of Black Entertainment Television and CEO of Salamander Hotels & Resorts, hosted hundreds of guests at her 340-acre Salamander Resort and Spa near Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains.
VSU’s legacy of musical excellence
Earlier this year it was announced that Virginia State University was awarded the prestigious All-Steinway School designation — a recognition of their commitment to providing only pianos from the Steinway & Sons company for students and faculty to use.
Legislating with power and purpose
Jennifer McClellan’s historic first year in Congress
March 7, 2024, marked one year since Jennifer L. McClellan made history, winning a special election to succeed the late A. Donald McEachin and become the first Black woman elected to Congress from Virginia.
City to acquire 3 historic Black cemeteries
Richmond City Council voted unanimously to declare East End, Evergreen and Forest View cemeteries a public necessity.
Va. Dems call on Justice Department to investigate removals from voter rolls
Virginia’s Democratic Congressional delegation has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate reports that eligible Virginia voters were removed from the voter rolls by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration, and to determine whether any violations of the Voting Rights Act or other federal laws were committed.
An hour can save a life
More diverse blood donors needed amid emergency shortage nationwide
National Blood Donor Month might have ended Jan. 31, but ongoing shortages in Virginia and nationally mean that the need for donors remains critical.
Chesterfield students to benefit from new outdoor classroom
Salem Church Middle School and Communities In Schools of Chesterfield (CIS) hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 29 to launch the school’s new outdoor classroom. Initial funding for the collaborative project came from U.S. Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant which aims to address post-pandemic impacts on students — something especially important in a school where the majority of the students are low-income and Black and Brown, the same populations disproportionately negatively impacted by COVID and its long-term effects.
Richmond Symphony celebrates MLK weekend with three concerts
Dr. Henry Panion III, a Grammy-award winning arranger, composer, conductor, educator and producer, has worked with artists across the musical spectrum.
Celebrating community
Two churches step out from the past together
Two Dinwiddie County Baptist churches, Rocky Branch in Sutherland and Central in Church Road, both celebrated their 150-year anniversaries in October. To mark the occasion, the predominately white congregation of Central Baptist and the predominately Black congregation of Rocky Branch Baptist did something that would have been unthinkable all those years ago — they came together in worship and fellowship.
Morrissey saga continues
Private rift plays out in public over weekend
In an emotional interview with the Richmond Free Press on Wednesday night, Myrna Morrissey shared her fears following a weekend in which allegations of child abuse and infidelity exploded into the public view.
Dominion Energy to partner with VSU on energy storage project
There is a push to transform the energy sector and find ways to generate and deliver power through renewable energy sources. Dominion Energy is building the largest offshore wind project in the U.S. and has solar farms around the state. However, to transition reliably and effectively requires a critical component sometimes overlooked in the discussion — battery storage.
Black voices and stories celebrated during Richmond’s recent Afrikana film festival
During the The 8th Annual Afrikana Film Festival Sept. 14-17 in Richmond, stories of Black and Brown people were told through a global lens with more than 50 films, several workshops, panel discussions and dining events.
Virginians lend helping hand after Mississippi storms
When storms tore through Mississippi and the surrounding states of Texas and Alabama last month, the devastation made national news. At least 25 people were killed, and hundreds of homes and businesses were destroyed.
