Monday, October 31
Brat ‘understands core values of Republican principles’
It is with great pride and pleasure to have Dave Brat represent the 7th Congressional District in Congress. Congressman Brat has time and time ag
Clinton ‘not squeaky clean’
Re editorial “We endorse Hillary Clinton for president,” Oct. 20-22 edition: You say, “Mrs. Clinton has a long history of caring about children.” I would ask a question: Does that include unborn children?
Be persistent in voter-related requests
I have spent the past month working for a group that registers voters, provides restoration of rights forms to ex-inmates and does get-out-the-vote work.
Resources available to reduce stress, violence
Increased attention has been on African-Americans who experience violence in the household, neighborhood or overall society. Negative life experiences, such as violent households and violent communities, can have a mental and physical cost.
Buying black then and now
The advent of initiatives throughout this country to “Buy Black” and “Bank Black” can be traced to the early 1900s during which time campaigns similar to today’s efforts were established. Slogans such as “Double-Duty Dollars,” “Don’t shop where you can’t work” and efforts such as Black Cooperatives cropped up as a result of our forebears understanding and being willing to act upon the fact that their dollars mattered.
McEachin for Congress
When Richmond voters go to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 8, they will have a choice of who will represent them in Washington in the newly redrawn 4th Congressional District. We believe Democrat A. Donald McEachin will best represent our interests in the U.S. House of Representatives.
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.
Sunday, October 30
BAAAR exhibit opens Oct. 28
Thirteen Richmond area artists will exhibit their works in a new show, titled “Then and Now,” opening Friday, Oct. 28, at the Browne Art Studio, 1100 Hull St., near the Henry L. Marsh III and Harold M. Marsh Sr. Manchester Courthouse in South Richmond.
Dancer Nora Chipaumire to headline weekend performances
Nora Chipaumire, an acclaimed Zimbabwe-born dancer, will headline two shows at the Dogtown Dance Theatre, 109 W. 15th St. in South Side, it has been announced.
Authors at ‘Festival of the Written Word’ Nov. 5
Eighteen local authors will speak, lead workshops and participate in panel discussions and a “meet and greet” session with the public during the Festival of the Written Word hosted by Chesterfield County Public Library. The free festival will be held 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, at the Midlothian Library, 521 Coalfield Road, and also will include food, music and craft activities.
Stanback, Dowdy winning combo for Panthers
They may form the best lifeline combination since hydrogen and oxygen. The combination of William Stanback plus Shawheem Dowdy is the tip-top reason why Virginia Union University is still very much alive for the CIAA football championship.
VSU rolls over Lincoln 69-7
The first eight games of the Reggie Barlow coaching era at Virginia State University have gone well, earning at least a B-plus on a preliminary report card.
VUU’s Nieves may have a leg up on cross-country competition
When his rival runners sputter, slow and even stall, Luis Nieves keeps going and going. The long-striding junior mass communications major is Virginia Union University’s leader of the pack on the cross-country trails.
Manuel leading Huguenot’s football comeback
Huguenot High School junior Merlys Manuel looks forward to getting his Virginia driver’s license later this school year. Already as quarterback, he has been handed the keys to the Falcons’ offense.
Cleveland Indians got nickname from first Native American in MLB
Before there was Jackie Robinson, there was Louis Sockalexis. In 1947, Robinson broke Major League Baseball’s ban on African-Americans. Fifty years prior in 1897, Sockalexis — known as “Deerfoot on the Diamond” — became big league baseball’s first Native American player when he debuted with the Cleveland Spiders.
Dr. Cannon to be installed at Grayland Baptist Church
Dr. Dexter Cannon will perform a balancing act while building on a long-standing family tradition. The founder and pastor of Good Samaritan Empowerment Church on South Laburnum Avenue in Henrico County will be installed as pastor of Grayland Baptist Church in the city’s Highland Park neighborhood on Sunday, Oct. 30.
North Side church to be razed for community garden
A community garden soon will replace a once treasured, but now vacant, century-old church building in North Side that is about to be demolished.
Wilson Funeral Service expands into South Richmond
Wilson & Associates’ Funeral Service is expanding from Henrico County into South Richmond. And for Brian Wilson, the company’s 36-year-old founder, owner and operator, the expansion is the realization of an eight-year dream.
Personality: Kathryn ‘Katie’ Hamann
Spotlight on chair of Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Richmond
Kathryn Ayn “Katie” Hamann is dedicated to raising awareness about Alzheimer’s disease. Her volunteer efforts with the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Richmond began 13 years ago. That’s when, through her work with Door to Door Solutions, a company specializing in helping senior citizens to relocate, she realized many families are dealing with a loved one with dementia.
Petersburg’s interim city manager back on her transit job
Robert C. Bobb took control of the Petersburg city government Tuesday after being handed an opportunity to turn around the municipality that is drowning in unpaid bills.
New firm, CoStar, to bring 732 jobs to Downtown
Most people in Richmond probably never heard of CoStar Group Inc. before this week. Soon the 30-year-old company that is the No. 1 provider of information on commercial real estate will be a local household name.
State NAACP convention starts Friday in Alexandria
Gov. Terry McAuliffe and national NAACP Chairwoman Rosalyn Brock will be the featured speakers at the 81st state convention of the Virginia State Conference of the NAACP in Northern Virginia this weekend, it has been announced. The conference, expected to draw several hundred civil rights activists, is Friday, Oct. 28, through Sunday, Oct. 30 in Alexandria.;o
Groundbreaking Oct. 31 on East End community transformation
The former Armstrong High School is about to be cleared away to make room on the 22-acre site for a new mixed-income community to include up to 250 apartments and 50 single-family homes, according to approved plans.
Enrollment begins Nov.1 for health insurance under Affordable Care Act
Open enrollment begins Tuesday, Nov. 1, for 2017 health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act. Although next year’s premiums are slated to rise, officials said Monday that a majority of Virginians shopping for insurance on the ACA marketplace could get health care coverage for less than $75 per month, based on a new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Health organizations offering free flu shots
The Richmond City Health District and HCA Virginia are offering free flu shots. The Richmond City Health District will offer free flu vaccinations to adults and children age 3 and older from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4, at the Walmart at 2210 Sheila Lane, and Big Apple Supermarket, 2916 Jefferson Davis Highway, on South Side.
Friday, October 28
27,952 registered in 2 days
Voters flood state online registration system during deadline extension
Tens of thousands of Virginians registered to vote last week after a federal judge ordered the state to reopen the voter rolls for two extra days.
Republican Colin Powell endorses Hillary Clinton
Colin Powell, who served as U.S. secretary of state in Republican President George W. Bush’s administration, said on Tuesday he would vote for Democrat Hillary Clinton in the Nov. 8 presidential election, according to Newsday newspaper. Gen. Powell, who made the announcement at an event hosted by a Long Island business group in Woodbury, N.Y., said Republican Donald Trump was “not qualified” and had sold Americans a “bill of goods” that he could not deliver, Newsday said.
White supremacist candidate qualifies for debate at HBCU
White supremacist David Duke has qualified for Louisiana’s U.S. Senate debate scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 2, at Dillard University, a historically black university based in New Orleans.
Ciara, Russell expecting first child
Richmond native and Seattle Seahawks superstar quarterback Russell Wilson and singer Ciara are expecting their first child. Mr. Wilson and Ciara tied the knot four months ago, in a fairytale wedding on July 6, at Peckforton Castle in Cheshire, England.
‘Tiger Tom’ hits 100
Local radio, news icon was voice of community for more than 50 years
When John “Tiger Tom” Mitchell was born in 1916, African American-owned banks, insurance companies, newspapers, barber and beauty shops and retail businesses had set a foundation of wealth for Jackson Ward.
Saturday, October 22
Readers speak out on Nov. 8 elections
I want the citizens of Richmond to remember back to when a former City Council was in office and corporate Richmond would not work with them. New businesses were locating in the county. The City of Richmond was not growing. In 1994, a new City Council was elected that included Tim Kaine, Viola Baskerville and others. Corporate Richmond worked well with them.
Trump unshackled, unhinged
When Donald Trump gloated that “the shackles have been taken off me,” I immediately wondered, how was he shackled? Was that the shackled Mr. Trump, for example, who obsessively attacked Judge Gonzalo Curiel in May, Khizr Khan and his family in July and Alicia Machado in September?
Save sacred ground for the future
Richmond understands the importance of its history — most of it, anyway. Patrick Henry’s famous “Give me liberty or give me death” speech, the early debates over the proper relationship between religion and government, Richmond’s brief role as capital of the Confederacy, even Abraham Lincoln’s walk through the city after retreating Confederates set it ablaze — all are recognized as important parts of our complex collective story. But the fact that for 30 years, pre-Emancipation Richmond was the epicenter of the massive U.S. domestic slave trade has, until very recently, been literally buried.
We endorse Hillary Clinton for president
This upcoming presidential election is exceedingly consequential, perhaps even more so than the presidential elections of 2008 and 2012.
Problems of the 1960s still plague black community
The problems driving dissatisfaction among African-Americans in the 1960s — discriminatory police practices, unemployment, unequal pay, poverty and more — continue to plague many people in the African-American community today.
VSU celebrates homecoming this weekend
Grammy Award-winning gospel musician and choir director Kirk Franklin will perform at Virginia State University’s 2016 Homecoming Gospel Concert. The ticketed concert, slated for 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20, at the VSU Multipurpose Center, is among the activities celebrating homecoming at the university in Ettrick.
‘Diversity Day’ slated this Friday
A range of speakers are expected for “Diversity Day,” an inaugural event “to address diversity and inclusion head-on in an effort to strengthen race relations and communication in Metro Richmond,” according to organizer David Dise. The event will be held noon to 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21, at Plant Zero, 500 Stockton St., in South Side.
TEDxRVA holds talks by women Oct. 28
The popular international speaking series TEDx will return to Richmond on Friday, Oct. 28, with a special focus on women. The TEDxRVA Women conference will be held at the Byrd Theatre in Carytown. Men and women are welcome to attend.
VSU Trojans looking for a homecoming win against Lincoln University
Virginia State University will celebrate homecoming this weekend while still being haunted by a case of “What if?” The Trojans came so close last Saturday to controlling the driver’s seat of the CIAA Northern Division race. Instead, the team’s in the difficult position of needing to roll the table while also soliciting help elsewhere.
Battle of quarterbacks as VUU tackles Bowie State on Saturday
Virginia Union University’s football defense has sprung a leak at a most inopportune time — with Bowie State University’s explosive offense coming to Richmond. The Panthers are reeling from a woeful 54-21 loss at Chowan University in North Carolina in which the host Hawks rang up a whopping 631 yards total offense.
AJ English to coach at LU
Lincoln University of Pennsylvania will have a familiar face on the sidelines during the coming basketball season when the Lions visit Virginia Union University on Jan. 21.
Freshman quarterback at JM has big heart
When your varsity quarterback is a smallish, 14-year-old freshman and there are only three seniors on the team roster, two things are predictable:
Former Richmond players transfer to Newberry College
Newberry College in South Carolina will have a distinct Richmond look during the coming basketball season.
First African Baptist group adopts half-acre to maintain at historic cemetery
The Men’s Ministry at First African Baptist Church wants to do its part to help restore the neglected, but historic Evergreen Cemetery, while also challenging other churches to get involved.
Religious extremist group frees kidnapped girls; ready to release more
The Islamic State-allied faction of Boko Haram, which last week freed 21 of more than 200 Chibok girls kidnapped in April 2014 in northeast Nigeria, is willing to negotiate the release of 83 more of the girls, the Nigerian president’s spokesman said Sunday.
Personality: Vanessa Myers Mason
Spotlight on co-chair of Sauté & Sizzle: Richmond Men Are Cooking
With Thanksgiving and Christmas around the corner, recipes for holiday staples are passed between family chefs like love letters.
City school officials: Test scores to get worse before they get better
A Richmond Public Schools official warned student scores on state Standards of Learning tests are headed for further decline. The dire prediction from Valenta Wade, RPS manager of testing and data, sent members of the Richmond School Board into a tailspin at Monday night’s meeting at City Hall, with some members expressing concern about increased state intervention.
Felons fired up, ready to vote
Rochelle Russell, 33, is one of 206,000 Virginians who has a felony conviction, served her time and is now living back in the community.
New ballpark for city? Squirrels, VCU hope so
Will Richmond be getting a new $55 million baseball stadium? Don’t bet on it.
Bobb caught in seesaw hiring decision
He was in, he was out and now Robert C. Bobb apparently is in again in Petersburg.
Henrico officer’s trial starts Monday for motorist shooting
Beautician Kimberly McNeil is still recovering from the four gunshots she suffered nearly a year ago. Next week, the man who nearly killed her, Henrico Police Officer Joel D. Greenway, will go on trial in one of the rare instances of a local law enforcement officer facing charges for shooting someone.
Drug court graduation Oct. 21
The Richmond Adult Drug Court will celebrate 11 new graduates 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21, at a public ceremony at the Richmond Police Training Academy, 1202 Graham Road, it has been announced.
‘Prescription Drug Take-Back Day’ Oct. 22
Do you have unused or expired prescriptions in your medicine cabinet? Want to get rid of them safely?
Police Memorial to be rededicated at ceremony on Saturday
The Richmond Police Memorial will be rededicated at a public ceremony 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at its new site, Blanton Avenue and Tafford Road in Byrd Park, it has been announced.
Delta Air Lines snubs black women physicians
When Tamika Cross tried to help another passenger in distress on a recent Delta Air Lines flight, she said she was dismissed by a flight attendant who doubted that the black woman was actually a physician. Dr. Cross, an OB-GYN based in Houston, chronicled the incident on Facebook on Oct. 9. The post has since gone viral, with more than 15,000 comments, and sparked the Twitter hashtag #whatadoctorlookslike.
Howard University renames school for Cathy Hughes
Howard University has renamed its School of Communications the Cathy Hughes School of Communications, after the founder of Radio One Inc., the largest African-American owned multimedia company in the United States. Dr. Wayne A.I. Frederick, president of Howard University, announced in early October a multimillion-dollar gift to the communications school from the Catherine L. Hughes and Alfred C. Liggins III Foundation.
Study: Lines longer for black voters at polls
Black voters wait longer to cast ballots, discouraging them from voting, according to a study released by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies in Washington. The report, titled “Reducing Long Lines to Vote,” reported African-Americans waited an average of 23 minutes to vote, compared with 19 minutes for Hispanics, 15 minutes for Asians, 13 minutes for Native Americans and 12 minutes for white people.
Sean Combs gives $1 million to Howard
No matter how he’s addressed — Puff Daddy, Puffy or P. Diddy — Sean Combs still holds Howard University and Washington close to his heart, which he demonstrated during a recent concert where the entertainment mogul donated $1 million to the university.
More time?
Civil rights group files lawsuit seeking extension of Va. voter registration deadline due to statewide computer crash
Virginia could become the latest state under federal court order to extend voter registration because of a disaster. The disaster in Virginia, however, is no hurricane, but a computer system.
Thursday, October 13
Readers urge support for workers in voting Nov. 8
I have spent the last 39 years of my life working. I have worked in the private sector, in the public sector, in non-union facilities and union shops. And I have seen the difference a collective bargaining agreement makes. Even in a right-to-work state like Virginia, workers can choose to form a union in their workplace if a simple majority of their co-workers agree.
Black women key to victory
Without a doubt, women will play a critical role in the presidential election this year. In 2012, women overall had a higher voting rate (64 percent) than men (60 percent), according to the U.S. Census Bureau. However, the most powerful group of voters will be African-American women. In both the 2012 and 2008 presidential elections, black women voted at the highest rate of any racial, ethnic or gender group. Four years ago, 74 percent of eligible black women went to the polls.
Control the agenda
Sexual boasting, emails, tax returns, deplorables — the second presidential debate Sunday featured insults wrapped up in put-downs. This debate was held within miles of Ferguson, Mo., but it was never mentioned. The citizens offered questions about issues — health care, the U.S. Supreme Court, energy. The moderators peddled scandals — and elicited insults.
Fifty shades of crazy
Ignorant. Arrogant. Insulting. Racist. Sexist. Misogynistic. Anti-black. Anti-Latino. Anti-immigrant. Anti-Muslim. Xenophobic.
Wilder symposium to focus on legacy of Kerner Report
The anger that engulfed African-American communities shocked the nation. That was the mid-1960s, when a wave of uprisings against racial oppression hit major cities from Newark, N.J., to Los Angeles.
Ta-Nehisi Coates: Election shows ‘centrality of racism’ in America
From his post as a national correspondent for The Atlantic magazine, Ta-Nehisi P. Coates casts a jaundiced eye at the current presidential race.
VCIC honors 6 with annual Richmond Humanitarian Award Oct. 20
Five individuals and a church will be honored with the 54th Annual Richmond Humanitarian Awards presented by the Richmond Chapter of the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities.
‘The Prophet Speaks’ on regional issues Oct. 20 at Richmond Hill
Richmond Hill and Virginia Union University are hosting the seventh annual Metro Richmond Clergy Convocation. This year’s panel-led assembly is titled “The prophet speaks for the soul of the city” and will be held Thursday, Oct. 20, from 8 a.m. from 12 p.m. at Richmond Hill in Church Hill.
Beauty-n-Motion 5K walk, health expo Oct. 22
The Black BeautyShop Health Foundation is sponsoring Richmond’s first Beauty-n-Motion 5K Walk Run 4 Life Health, Beauty and Wellness Expo on Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Bon Secours Training Center, 2401 W. Leigh St. Registration begins at 8 a.m., with the walk starting at 9:30 a.m.
Trinity Baptist Church benefit Masquerade Ball Oct. 28
The Women’s Ministry of Trinity Baptist Church is hosting its second Masquerade Ball 8 p.m. to midnight Friday, Oct. 28, at the Trinity Family Life Center, 3601 Dill Rd.
CIAA moves championships to Virginia locations
The Salem Football Stadium outside Roanoke has emerged as a possible site for the CIAA Championship Football Game on Nov. 12.
Ben Wallace removes jersey, photo from VUU over dispute
Pro basketball great Ben Wallace has removed his jersey from its place of honor at Barco-Stevens Hall at Virginia Union University where he was a star, the Free Press has learned.
VUU savors rainy 39-6 homecoming victory
Virginia Union University believes in sharing its top athletes. Chazton McKenzie draws rave reviews in both track spikes and football cleats for the Panthers.
Victorious VSU heads to Maryland to take on Bowie State
Virginia State University football fans traveling to Bowie State University on Saturday, Oct. 15, can expect to see two air shows.
TJ hoping for the playoffs
Thomas Jefferson High School first-year football Coach Chris Mitchell sees a clear path to the 3A East Region playoffs for the Richmond school.
Unused equipment symbolizes waste to Public Works employees
Expensive equipment sits unused at the Richmond Department of Public Works’ compound on Hopkins Road. Meanwhile, some vehicles and equipment have developed major rust spots that could reduce their useful life or lead to early breakdowns.
Muslims respond to Trump with #MuslimsReportStuff
During the second presidential debate last Sunday, Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump encouraged Muslims to report suspicious behavior when they see it happening.
Faith and Nat Turner
The story of Nat Turner, the slave and preacher who led a failed 1831 rebellion in Virginia, is surrounded by mystery and speculation as to his motives and the role that faith played in the uprising.
Personality: Faye K. Logan
Spotlight on Richmond president of National Council of Negro Women
In 1956, two years after the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed separate and unequal public education — and a period many Richmonders remember vividly — Richmond and many other Southern cities were in the midst of growing political change.
Lumpkin’s Jail ceremony marks first step in memorial project
“Our history must never be buried,” Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones said as he launched the long-awaited effort to create a slavery memorial at the Lumpkin’s Jail site — a once horrific pen in Shockoe Bottom for enslaved people who were bought and sold like cattle.
Several candidates support larger park plan
The small Lumpkin’s Jail site could be expanded into a larger memorial park remembering Richmond’s role in slavery after Mayor Dwight C. Jones leaves office, according to advocates for the expanded site.
Deadline to Register to vote in Nov. Election:
Monday Oct 17
Less than a month remains before Election Day. To vote on Tuesday, Nov. 8, for president, congressional representatives, Richmond mayor, City Council and School Board, you must be registered.
Unique portrait of Maggie Walker to be unveiled at VCU
Maggie L. Walker is receiving another tribute in the city. This time, it is the work of Noah Scalin, the first artist-in-residence for the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business.
Morrissey supports new ‘sin’ tax on cigarettes if elected
If Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham thought Mayor Dwight C. Jones was going to rush to Richmond City Council to seek approval for a plan to hire 70 more police officers over the next year to beef up his department, he was mistaken.
Police hiring not on fast track
If Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham thought Mayor Dwight C. Jones was going to rush to Richmond City Council to seek approval for a plan to hire 70 more police officers over the next year to beef up his department, he was mistaken.
Trump creates chasm in GOP with lewd tape
Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump ignited his base — and opened a chasm with the GOP leadership and many supporters — with a second debate performance in which he threatened to jail his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, if he is elected.
Banking on Bobb
Petersburg City Council votes to hire former Richmond city manager to help correct a raft of troubles
Here he comes to save the day. At least that’s the big hope in Petersburg after Robert C. Bobb, a former Richmond city manager, was called in to help the beleaguered city correct its finances and deal with a stream of public and private creditors badgering the city for payment.
Creighton Court area transformation continues despite $30M federal loss
Richmond already is signaling it is ready to move ahead with the planned transformation of the Creighton Court public housing community, despite losing out on a $30 million federal grant.
Wilder, Sullivan to speak at VUU
Two high-achieving men who have left their mark on the country will headline a public forum 5 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 10, at Virginia Union University.
VUU to use $1.2M grant to aid city students
Virginia Union University is the winner of a $1.2 million federal grant to assist Richmond high school students to gain admission to college, it was announced Wednesday.
AG Herring announces program to help domestic violence victims
Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring is teaming up with Verizon Wireless in a bid to reduce deaths from domestic violence.
Announcement expected Monday on new Shockoe Bottom slavery museum
Richmond is preparing to take its first big step toward developing a museum on slavery just north of Main Street Station in Shockoe Bottom.
Friday, October 7
New Smithsonian museum is ‘worth the wait’
Re “New National Museum of African American History and Culture opens to fanfare, tears,” Sept. 29-Oct. 1 edition: When I first heard a few years ago that there was going to be a Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall in Washington, I was immediately over the moon with joy.
‘Slavery’s mental brainwashing is still alive and well’
Re “49ers quarterback under fire for sitting during national anthem,” Sept. 1-3 edition: According to the History channel, only the American flag itself is legal and Constitutional. You can’t put the picture of the flag on cups, shirts, decals, clothes, etc.
More from readers on mayoral campaign
It’s sad commentary about the American people when they have selected a presidential candidate who has no governmental experience, a temperament not fit for an international leader, who’s so in love with money and his own image that he refuses to pay his share of the cost to run our nation’s services and invites foreign powers to hack into our political process and interfere with our presidential election.
Infidelity: A weak line of attack
I grabbed my ear lobe and jiggled it in disbelief of the words I was hearing from former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani’s mouth.
Poverty lost during campaign
There is no question that Hillary Clinton won the Sept. 26 presidential debate. She was knowledgeable, composed, unflappable and occasionally even funny. Her opponent, who had the temerity to criticize her “stamina,” seemed to lack stamina of his own. By the time the 90-minute debate was over, her rude, sniffling, frequent water-sipping opponent Donald Trump looked like a candidate for enforced bed rest.
Kaine won
We declare Virginia’s own Tim Kaine the winner of Tuesday night’s vice presidential debate. Sen. Kaine, a former Richmond mayor, governor and now U.S. senator, typically is easygoing, with a personality that optimizes the good, rather than focusing on the bad.
Revolutionary opera for masses opens
For many, opera is hard to enjoy. Like ballet and symphony orchestra, opera was crafted centuries ago for European aristocracy and was not intended to appeal to “common folk,” but to impress royalty and visiting dignitaries.
Folk Festival returns this weekend
Louis Armstrong once said, “All music is folk music. I ain’t never heard a horse sing a song.” Music by people and cultures from around the globe will be featured in Richmond this weekend at the three-day 12th Annual Richmond Folk Festival.
Forum Oct. 9 at African Burial Ground
Remembering Gabriel, the leader of Richmond’s largest slave rebellion. That is the purpose of a public forum 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9, at the African Burial Ground, 1600 E. Broad St. This is the 14th year for the forum hosted by the activist group Defenders for Freedom, Justice and Equality led Phil Wilayto and Ana Edwards.
Richmond History Makers to be honored October 18
Six people are being added to The Valentine museum’s roll of Richmond History Makers, it has been announced. The Downtown museum, which focuses on the city and its history, cited the honorees for unique and “significant contributions to the Richmond region.”
RVA Fashion Week runway show Oct.15
The observation deck of Richmond City Hall is about to be transformed into a fashion center. The third edition of RVA Fashion Week will take place 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, on the 18th floor of City Hall, 900 E. Broad St., it has been announced.
Richmond post-Civil War is subject of Banner Lecture Oct.12
A lecture exploring how Richmond residents, including newly emancipated African-Americans, coped in the aftermath of the Civil War will be held next week.
VUU heads into homecoming with 50-21 win over St. Aug.’s
Virginia Union University has dominated its CIAA Southern Division football opponents. The question now is how will the Panthers fare against their own Northern Division opponents, beginning Saturday, Oct. 8, in its homecoming game against Lincoln University of Pennsylvania?
VSU trounces Livingstone 47-0
It’s time to add Stephen Mines and Christian Harden to Virginia State University’s emerging cast of football playmakers. Both figure heavily into Coach Reggie Barlow’s second half plans as the Trojans seek to return to the CIAA title game for the third time in four seasons.
CIAA to move most championship games out of NC
The CIAA basketball championships are staying in Charlotte, N.C., but the football title game is moving out of Durham, N.C. Those are answers to the most asked questions following the conference’s announcement last week to transfer eight of its 10 annual championship events out of North Carolina.
Football icon Jim Brown honored with statue
For one more Sunday, Jim Brown felt the kind of emotional surge that made him an NFL legend. The greatest player to wear a Cleveland Browns jersey, and in the conversation as the best in league history, Brown was immortalized Sept. 18 as the team unveiled a bronze statue of the running back’s likeness outside FirstEnergy Stadium.
Serena Williams: ‘I won’t be silent’
Star tennis player Serena Williams says she “won’t be silent” about the killing of African-American men by police officers.
Jackson stumps here for Clinton
Millennials don’t understand the privilege of voting because they weren’t alive during the struggle of the 1950s and 1960s to secure the right to vote, according to the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr.
Court sets up receivership for Petersburg payments
Petersburg residents don’t have to worry anymore about getting their sewage treated. On Tuesday, a Petersburg Circuit Court judge set up a receivership to ensure that the monthly fee that residents pay for the service through their utility bill flows to the regional authority that treats the city’s household and business waste.
Lt. Col. Linda M. Washington, former chief of medical services for the 113th Air Wing, dies
Lt. Col. Linda Marlene Washington left Richmond to make history as a military doctor. In 1988, the intrepid physician became the first female flight surgeon in the District of Columbia Air National Guard, also known as the 113th Wing.
Personality: Marc Cheatham
Spotlight on The Cheats Movement hip-hop enthusiast
Marc Wesley Cheatham, founder of The Cheats Movement blog and podcast, says Democrat Tim Kaine’s 2009 appointment as chairman of the Democratic National Committee was a catalyst for the evolution of a platform for local hip-hop.
Mayor calls for hiring 70 more police officers within 12 months
Mayor Dwight C. Jones is preparing to throw a curveball into Richmond’s increasingly heated campaigns for city offices.
Richmond’s graduation rate trails the state
Nearly 1,500 new freshmen entered Richmond schools in 2012 to start their quest for a high school diploma. Four years later, nearly one in five did not receive that important credential when graduation ceremonies were held last spring.
Finding her voice
10-year-old wins Library of Congress writing award
The fifth-grader at William Fox Elementary School in Richmond plays the alto saxophone in the school band, initiated her family’s recycling efforts with mother Holly and father Enrique and has grown up attending rallies and meetings with her parents supporting immigration law reform and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Court rules that Christian-only prayers at government meetings are OK
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that governments do not violate the church-state barrier when elected community leaders exclusively deliver Christian prayers to begin meetings.
Carver Elementary recognized, while more Richmond schools lose accreditation
Richmond’s George Washington Carver Elementary School is winning national recognition for its success in student learning at the same time the number of failing schools in the city has increased.
‘The Birth of a Nation’ opens nationwide Friday amid controversy
The film “The Birth of a Nation” premieres nationwide Friday, Oct. 7, amid a firestorm of controversy surrounding its director, co-producer, co-writer and star, actor Nate Parker.
Postal Service issues new Kwanzaa stamp
The Kwanzaa holiday is being saluted with a colorful new stamp from the U.S. Postal Service. The new stamp celebrating the Afrocentric holiday that falls between Christmas and New Year’s Day was issued Oct. 1.
Kaine comes out swinging
U.S. Senator challenges GOP vice presidential contender over Donald Trump’s record
Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine aggressively challenged Republican candidate Mike Pence over a long list of Donald Trump’s controversial positions and statements Tuesday night, drawing a vigorous defense of Mr. Trump’s tax history.
