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Judge Onzlee Ware dies at age 70
Roanoke Judge Onzlee Ware, who rose from drug charges and a gunshot wound that cost him a leg to become a Virginia legislator and the first Black judge in the city’s Circuit Court, died Saturday, Feb.10, 2024, the Roanoke Bar Association reported.
Malcolm X bio wins National Book Award
Tamara Payne and her late father Les Payne’s Malcolm X biography, “The Dead Are Arising,” has won the National Book Award for nonfiction.
Charlottesville removes Confederate statues that sparked bloodshed
Cheers erupted last Saturday as a Confederate statue that towered for nearly a century over downtown Charlottesville was carted away by truck from the place where it had become a flashpoint for racist protests and deadly violence.
Vanderbilt launches James Lawson Institute or the Research and Study of Nonviolent Movements
Vanderbilt University announced the launch of the James Lawson Institute for the Research and Study of Nonviolent Movements, honoring the 92-year-old influential activist who taught nonviolence to protesters during the civil rights struggles last century.
McDonald’s hires new diversity chief
McDonald’s is hiring a new chief diversity officer as it struggles with charges of harassment and racism at all levels of the company.
Paisley Park opens as museum Oct. 28
Paisley Park, the estate and studio of the late musician Prince, will operate permanently as a museum after a rezoning request was approved by the Chanhassen City Council on Monday night. The 65,000 square-foot estate where Prince died on April 21 of an accidental, self-administered overdose at the age of 57 is located in the Minneapolis suburb and will be open to the public on Friday, Oct. 28.
GOP takes another swipe at Obamacare
Jay Stout considers himself lucky that he was on the health insurance plan that his mother purchased through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace.
Foundations buy Ebony and JET photo archives for preservation at Smithsonian
The sale of the photo archive of Ebony and JET magazines chronicling African-American history is generating relief among some who worried the historic images may be lost.
Report forecasts millions would lose health insurance under Trumpcare
Fears that the Republican plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, would wipe out health insurance for millions of mostly low-income people appear to be highly accurate.
‘Trumpcare’ health plan would strip insurance from millions
Impressed by President Trump’s campaign promises to make health care more affordable, Mavis Reivis crossed her fingers and voted for him.
Mayweather seals legacy; rematch possible
Floyd Mayweather Jr. cemented his place among the pantheon of boxing greats, improving to 48-0 with a unanimous decision over Manny Pacquiao last Saturday in a fight some believed didn’t live up to its immense hype and price tag.
Trump inaugurated amid hail of protests
Republican Donald J. Trump launched his presidency with a blunt inaugural address, a fist pump and promises to give power to the people and put “America first.”
Prince Harry says ignorance no excuse for unconscious bias
Britain’s Prince Harry says it took him many years and the experience of living with his wife, Meghan Markle, to understand how his privileged upbringing shielded him from the reality of unconscious bias.
Virginia’s voter ID law upheld by federal judge
A federal judge has upheld a 2013 Virginia law requiring prospective voters to show approved photo identification before being allowed to cast ballots.
Kaepernick draws fire again — this time over Nike ad
Controversy continues to surround former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick two years after he first took a knee during the national anthem to protest the oppression of people of color and continuing police brutality against African-Americans.
Ex-prosecutor charged in Ahmaud Arbery case booked at jail
The former prosecutor charged with misconduct for her handling of the Ahmaud Arbery case was booked at a Georgia jail on Wednesday and released.
Hampton University turns to eSports for creating entrepreneurs
Students at Hampton University soon will be playing video games as part of their studies. The university is building an eSports lab, thanks to a $340,658 technology grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Trump decries anti-Semitism, racism after D.C. museum visit
President Trump called anti-Semitic violence “horrible” and vowed on Tuesday to take steps to counter extremism.
Gov. Northam announces plan to boost education spending
Just days after a major march in Richmond calling for more state dollars for public education, Gov. Ralph S. Northam announced Tuesday that his next proposed budget will include $268.7 million in additional school funding, including increased spending for new school construction, at-risk students and money to boost teachers’ pay.
Rudolfo Anaya, ‘godfather’ of Chicano literature, dies at 82
Rudolfo Anaya, a writer who helped launch the 1970s Chicano Literature Movement with his novel, “Bless Me, Ultima,” a book celebrated by Latinos, has died at 82.
