Friday, September 29
Take down all the statues
Regarding the brouhaha over the Confederate statues here and elsewhere, I have come up with a solution that should please both sides.
ESPN anchor vs. Trump
Perhaps it was not the proper forum for ESPN anchor Jemele Hill to air her opinion about President Trump. But the president himself has made a plethora of denouncements of people both here and abroad. Those include character assassinations of members of his own cabinet, and he still remains in his position, though only the Lord knows why.
Creating a peaceful Richmond
As a Hijabi Muslim and new resident of Richmond, I quickly learned that the city is quite welcoming. It was during a visit to the grocery store that I really felt welcomed, and then again when I went to Short Pump Mall. Small talk in a checkout line or elevator goes a long way to make people of different backgrounds feel welcomed.
Too late to complain about Confederate flag being co-opted
Many people do not know that the swastika is actually an ancient Sanskrit symbol denoting good luck and prosperity. It is sort of an ancient Indian-Asian four leaf clover. A lucky charm. A rabbit’s foot.
Speak up for environmental justice
Equity, understanding, morality and justice are at the foundation of any society. Unfortunately, here in the United States, society is being revisited by the more visible public manifestations of the systems of oppression that our country was built on.
Dick Gregory predicted chaos
For those who knew comedian-activist Dick Gregory, it’s no secret that we were best friends for a very long time. More than a year before he died, he told me — as I am sure he told many others — that the 2016 election wasn’t going to go the way I thought it would.
Who’s in charge?
It seems the Richmond School Board has been taken down the rabbit hole of secrecy yet again. And Thomas E. “Tommy” Kranz, Richmond Public Schools’ interim superintendent, may have a starring role in the latest drama.
NASA names Hampton center for Katherine Johnson
Katherine G. Johnson, the pioneering Virginia woman whose key role in America’s early space missions was portrayed in the Oscar-nominated film “Hidden Figures,” has received a new honor. NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton dedicated a new building last Friday named for Mrs. Johnson.
Former astronaut Mae Jemison celebrates silver anniversary of historic space flight
Twenty-five years ago, astronaut Mae Jemison was the first woman of color to travel into space. The Alabama native who was raised in Chicago entered Stanford University at age 16, earning a degree in chemical engineering before going to Cornell University Medical School. She worked as a medical officer in the Peace Corps in Liberia and Sierra Leone before joining NASA and the space program in 1987.
Dick Gregory: What is seen and unseen
The celebration of the life of Dick Gregory on Sept. 16 at the City of Praise Family Ministries in Landover, Md., was more than seven hours of eclectic diversity, from a serenade by Native Americans to a musical tribute by Ayanna Gregory, Mr. Gregory’s daughter, and Stevie Wonder, to speakers MSNBC’s Lawrence O’ Donnell and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, to the fiery Rep. Maxine Waters, who vowed to help impeach that “thing” in the White House.
Trump creates firestorm over athletes’ taking a knee
President Trump seems to have too little to do. Amid the damage from two hurricanes, a verbal feud with a nuclear North Korea and a host of other issues ranging from health care to tax reform, the president has triggered a spat with athletes in the nation’s most popular pro sports leagues, the NFL and the NBA.
VSU takes winning streak on the road
Hot will meet cold this week in Salisbury, N.C., as Virginia State University, one of the NCAA Division II’s hottest football programs takes on struggling CIAA football rival Livingstone College on Saturday, Sept. 30.
VUU’s Darius Taylor is the Panthers’ ‘main man’
Until about a week before football season began, quarterback Darius Taylor wasn’t even listed on Virginia Union University’s 2017 roster.
Cleo Hill to be inducted into collegiate hall of fame
The basketball life of the late Cleo Hill stands out for its dramatic rise, and also for its mysterious fall. The Newark, N.J., native is remembered as being among the elite college players of his generation, albeit in the relative obscurity of Winston-Salem State University.
Stanton slugging it all the way to the bank
Giancarlo Stanton is Major League Baseball’s top slugger. He also claims No. 1 status going to the bank. The Miami Marlins’ mountainous right fielder had 57 home runs through Saturday, Sept. 23, and was bidding to be just the sixth man in history to enter the exclusive club of players with 60 or more home runs in a single season.
James Hickman, retired city homicide detective, dies at 68
James E. Hickman Sr., a retired Richmond Police detective who later worked with the Richmond Public Schools Department of Safety and Security, was remembered as a kindhearted man who cared about the students and crime victims whose lives he touched.
Personality: Angela Cimmino
Spotlight on board president of Down Syndrome Association of Greater Richmond
Angela Cimmino found out three days after her son’s birth that he had Down syndrome. “We were a bit shell-shocked,” she recalls.
Remembering history
Member of ‘Little Rock Nine’ talks about his experience desegregating Central High School 60 years ago
On Sept. 25, 1957, Ernest Gideon Green and eight other African-American teens were escorted by federal troops past an angry white mob and climbed the front steps to enter Central High School in Little Rock, Ark.
New VUU president to students: Support one another
With bright sunlight streaming through stained-glass windows chronicling the 152-year history of Virginia Union University, Dr. Hakim Lucas, the university’s new president, charged students “to support one another as the university’s next chapter unfolds.”
Voting systems in Va., 20 other states targeted by hackers in 2016
State and city officials sought to allay public fears this week after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that hackers targeted the voting systems in Virginia and 20 other states before the 2016 presidential election.
Officials launch ‘Respect Richmond’ anti-violence campaign
Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring and Richmond Mayor Levar M. Stoney launched a new campaign Wednesday to reduce gun violence and homicides in Richmond.
NSU president stepping down
Eddie N. Moore Jr. is stepping down as president of Norfolk State University, a year after he was inaugurated as the university’s sixth president.
Crusade for Voters hosts 61st anniversary banquet
A congressman and a candidate for statewide office will be the featured speakers at a banquet celebrating the Richmond Crusade for Voters’ 61st anniversary, it has been announced. Speakers: U.S. Rep. A. Donald McEachin, D-4th, and Justin Fairfax, the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor.
Obamacare survives — again
Good news: Millions of people will be able to keep their health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
War continues over statues
The war of words over Confederate statues in Richmond appears to be just getting started. In the weeks and months ahead, Richmond City Council is poised to consider a nonbinding resolution from 9th District Councilman Michael J. Jones that aims to put the governing body on record as favoring removal.
Richmond wins national award for health efforts
Despite suffering a surge in violence and murders, Richmond is still considered a role model for the nation for its pursuit of ways to enable residents to live healthier lives.
Sororities host back-to-back college fairs
Headed to college and need scholarship help? Good news. Two sororities are offering college fairs on back-to-back weekends to help high school students secure scholarships and provide them and their parents with information and access to other assistance.
Friday, September 22
Don’t believe Trump
African-Americans and other fair-minded Americans should not believe President 45’s hype disavowing white supremacy. His lies and con game are getting more people to say, “45 is not my president.” He only represents the white supremacists and the Ku Klux Klan.
Unsportsmanlike conduct witnessed at VUU-Winston-Salem State game
While watching the first Willard Bailey Classic last Saturday night at Hovey Field between Virginia Union University and Winston-Salem State University, a number of us witnessed unsportsmanlike conduct by several Rams players and blatant bias by the referees, with favoritism to the North Carolina team.
Support for Virginia Grocery Investment Fund
Re “First Lady kicks off initiative to attract grocers to Va.’s food deserts,” Free Press Aug. 31-Sept. 2 edition: As a lifelong resident of North Side, I was elated to attend the “Closer to My Grocer” roundtable where the Virginia Grocery Investment Fund was presented by First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe, state legislators and other advocates to win support from the General Assembly.
Trump: The hip-hop prez
Although they hardly could seem to be less alike sometimes, President Trump and people of color have had a love-hate relationship for nearly three decades.
Obama raised all boats
The income, poverty and health insurance data released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Sept. 13 confirm what many already knew — President Obama’s last year in office was one of economic improvement for many individuals. The median income rose from $57,230 in 2015 to $59,039 in 2016, an increase of 3.2 percent. Black Americans’ income rose 5.4 percent, from $37,364 in 2015 to $39,400 in 2016, while white Americans’ income rose from $63,745 to $65,041, an increase of 2 percent.
Ban open carry
That was our reaction last Saturday after the neo-Confederate rally on Monument Avenue came to a close without the tumult, fury, bloodshed and death that marked August events in Charlottesville.
Spotlight shines on actors of color at Emmy Awards
Three African-American actors were in the winners’ spotlight Sunday night at the 69th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards honoring the best of television.
VA PrideFest on Brown’s Island
VA PrideFest 2017, the largest annual celebration of the LGBTQ community in Virginia, will be held noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, on Brown’s Island in Downtown.
Book signing, talk to tell story of Samuel W. Tucker
The Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia is hosting a talk and book signing showcasing the story of the renowned late Richmond civil rights attorney Samuel Tucker.
Armstrong Wildcats wild about wins
As coincidences go, one involving Armstrong High School would be hard to top. Armstrong’s football team — whose mascot is the Wildcats — often is operating what is known as the “Wildcat Offense.” The trendy formation, built on deception, helped the East End team slam the brakes on a 21-game losing streak Sept. 9 with a 24-14 victory at John Marshall High School.
VUU loses squeaker to Winston-Salem State
Too many penalties and too little punt protection have put Virginia Union University in a foul mood. The Panthers are now dejectedly looking at a 1-2 record.
VUU Athletic Hall of Fame induction on Friday
Virginia Union University’s Athletic Hall of Fame will open its doors to six new inductees on Friday, Sept. 22. The induction banquet will be 7 p.m. at the Dr. Claude G. Perkins Living and Learning Center on the VUU campus, 1500 N. Lombardy St.
Howard Bison overrun by UR Spiders
Coach Mike London has found it is far easier coaching football for the University of Richmond than coaching against UR. In his return to the West End campus last Saturday, Coach London’s Howard University squad was trampled 68-21 before 8,217 mostly Spiders fans at UR’s Robins Stadium.
Indian mascot plagues Cleveland baseball team
The Cleveland Indians are perhaps the best team in baseball, but the Ohioans may be striking out when it comes to sensitivity training.
Personality: Daryl V. Fraser
Spotlight on president of the Richmond Association of Black Social Workers
The National Association of Black Social Workers was started 50 years ago because a group of African-American social workers didn’t feel the needs of black families were being adequately addressed by the field’s largest professional organization that was largely white.
Clarence L. Jackson Jr., former chair of the Va. Parole Board and executive director of Rubicon, dies at 76
Clarence Leo Jackson Jr. spent six years helping to decide whether Virginia inmates should be released early from prison and later was key in efforts to save the largest nonprofit addiction center in Richmond. The former chairman of the Virginia Parole Board also led the development of the current home of Club 533, a prominent men’s social club in Jackson Ward.
The Rev. Eddie Perry, former state official and pastor of Charles City church, dies at 79
The Rev. Eddie Lee Perry went from the military to the ministry while also playing a key role in recruiting social workers and other staff for the state Department of Social Services. For 13 years, he served as director of human resources management for the Virginia Department of Social Services. The retired Army major also served as pastor of St. John Baptist Church in Charles City County for 15 years while holding down his full-time state position.
Nuns rock like no others
Eleven nuns take the stage wearing traditional black-and-white habits but are anything but old school as they belt out songs to the ringing of an electric guitar and a rock ‘n’ roll beat.
School Board to fill 7th District seat Oct.16
The Richmond School Board plans to fill the vacant 7th District seat at its meeting on Monday, Oct. 16. The decision came Monday night as the eight-member board also voted to urge Congress to allow the use of historic tax credits as a tool to finance school improvements and learned that 50 people have applied to be the next superintendent. On the board appointment front, the group set up an aggressive schedule.
Northam, Gillespie square off in Northern Virginia debate
The two major party candidates in Virginia’s closely watched race for governor argued in mostly cordial tones Tuesday over taxes, President Trump and what Virginia should do with its numerous monuments to the Confederacy.
History of Richmond’s Civil War monuments to be discussed Sept. 25
Stephanie Arduini and Chris Graham, director of education and special curator, respectively, of the American Civil War Museum, will speak on “Anticipating Another Charlottesville? History of the Civil War Monuments in Richmond,” at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 25, at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church, 2712 2nd Ave.
Emergency training Sept. 23 at Byrd Park
Want to be better prepared for tropical storms and other potential disasters? Richmond City Hall is hosting an event this weekend to educate and prepare residents.
Volunteer service day Saturday
Art and volunteer service are teaming up to create “Give a Day RVA” on Saturday, Sept. 23, it has been announced. HandsOn Richmond, a nonprofit that organizes volunteers, is recruiting people to take part in 55 projects from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Projects run the gamut, from beautifying Swansboro Elementary School to sprucing up the YWCA in Downtown.
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.
Racial bias in hiring still hurts African-Americans, study shows
Racial bias in hiring African-Americans has not declined from 1990 to 2015. That was the finding of the largest and most comprehensive meta analysis of its kind published Sept. 12 in the proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
‘Racists go home!’
Members of Tenn.-based neo-Confederate group met by hundreds of chanting counterprotesters at Saturday’s Monument Avenue rally
A potentially volatile “Heritage Not Hate” rally led by a neo-Confederate group turned into a war of words Saturday as the small, but armed band found itself outnumbered by hundreds on Richmond’s Monument Avenue. The Tennessee-based group, CSA II: The New Confederate States of America, called the rally to show their support for the statue of Confederate Robert E. Lee as city leaders wrestle with whether the Confederate monuments on the tree-lined street should be removed or left up “with context.”
Thursday, September 21
Opposition mounts to bike lanes
Jackson Ward residents and business owners are fighting back against city plans to allow bikes exclusive use of one lane of 1st and 2nd streets, which comprise the main commercial district for the historically African-American section of Downtown.
School Board under time crunch to fill 7th District seat
The Richmond School Board has yet to begin the process of replacing Nadine Marsh-Carter, but it will not be able to dawdle in filling the 7th District seat from which she resigned last week or in deciding when to hold a special election. State law gives the now eight-member board 45 days to appoint a temporary representative until a special election can be held to fill the remainder of Ms. Marsh-Carter’s four-year term.
Rick Winston leaves Consolidated for City Hall
Darryl R. “Rick” Winston has jumped from banker to bureaucrat at City Hall. He is now the administrator for city economic development programs after serving two years as president of Premier Bank’s Consolidated Division in Jackson Ward.
VCU prof receives NIH grant for child asthma collaboration
Robin S. Everhart is seeking to prove that community collaboration can upgrade the health and well-being of Richmond children suffering from asthma, the chronic lung disease that makes if difficult to breathe. She’ll have her chance.
Friday, September 15
Armstrong High needs volunteers
The wrecking balls have come to 1611 N. 31st St. in the East End, the site of Armstrong High School since 1952. For me, Armstrong High School holds so many pleasant memories. This is where I taught 12 Government and
‘Removing Confederate monuments is a step out of … complacency and acceptance’
Full text of letter submitted on behalf of the board and staff of the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia: A year ago, the renovation of the old Leigh Street Armory was completed and the Black History Museum & Cultural
Add statue honoring U.S. Colored Troops
Keep the Confederates on Monument Avenue to teach about the Lost Cause era, but add a monument to the United States Colored Troops for their valor during the Civil War.
A grave mistake
“I have been particularly struck by the many comments and reactions from children for whom Harriet Tubman is not just a historical figure, but a role model for leadership and participation in our democracy. You shared your thoughts about her life and her works and how they changed our nation and represented our most cherished values … Her incredible story of courage and commitment to equality embodies the ideals of democracy that our nation celebrates, and we will continue to value her legacy by honoring her on our currency.” — Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew
‘Deal with the … devils’ stopped Confederate monument removal 25 years ago
Twenty-five years have passed since I wrote a letter to a Richmond newspaper about the statues on Monument Avenue. Since that time, so much has changed in Richmond. But sadly, some things remain the same. I would have thought that by now, enough people would have learned that slavery was a cruel, immoral and inhumane institution. I also hoped that more citizens would understand that our most beautiful avenue was the site of symbols that perpetuate the culture and values of a system of slavery.
Lock them up
Just when we thought things were quieting down after Charlottesville, another right wing group of out-of-towners is planning to stir things up in Richmond.
Restoring the peace
The escalating bloodshed and death toll in Richmond is alarming, its latest dead and wounded ranging in age from 9 to 57.
Heritage Ensemble Theatre Company starts new season with ‘Wine in the Wilderness’
When the curtain goes up on the Heritage Ensemble Theatre Company’s 2017-18 season next week, the actors won’t be on stage for self-promotion, celebrity or big money.
Maggie Small to dance in ‘Portrait of Billie’
Maggie Small is excited and honored to be portraying Billie Holiday in next week’s opening show of the Richmond Ballet’s new season.
4 bands to host hurricane relief benefit
Four Richmond bands will host a musical party this weekend to raise money for hurricane relief, it has been announced.
Afrikana Independent Film Festival starts Friday
Forty films from four continents over three days, all featuring black artistic expression. That’s what will be on hand at the 2nd Annual Afrikana Independent Film Festival.
Jazz exhibition opens Sept.19 at The Valentine
Nearly three dozen Virginia-based musicians who made national and international contributions to the development of jazz will be showcased in an exhibit opening next week at The Valentine.
Sloane Stephens wins U.S. Open title
It’s unlikely for two African-American women to match strokes in the final of the U.S. Open tennis tournament. It’s far more unlikely for neither to be named Williams.
Cook, Johnson lead VSU to big win over Johnson C. Smith
Trying to find just one man to replace quarterback Tarian Ayres would be difficult. So Virginia State University has located two for the assignment. Cordelral Cook and Niko Johnson have taken turns directing the Trojans to a 2-0 start heading into its Saturday, Sept. 16, bye week.
Thomas Jefferson Vikings want the victories
Thomas Jefferson High School is altering its football strategy — and the plan seems to be working. Among Richmond’s beleaguered football programs, Thomas Jefferson is most determined to schedule opponents more in line with its own size and capabilities.
African-American NFL quarterbacks working to turn ripple into wave
Cleveland Browns rookie DeShone Kizer burst onto the national spotlight while passing a football on Virginia soil. Now the former University of Notre Dame quarterback is the latest addition to the NFL’s select club of African-American starting quarterbacks.
Congregation to vote on pastor’s request to stay
Dr. Morris G. Henderson announced his retirement in late May, but now he is seeking to stay on as pastor of Thirty-first Street Baptist Church.
Washington National Cathedral to remove windows of Confederates
Following “considerable prayer and discussion” prompted by last month’s white supremacist protest in Charlottesville, the Washington National Cathedral has decided to remove stained-glass windows honoring two Confederate generals. A statement released Sept. 6 read that “after considerable prayer and discussion,” the cathedral’s board, or chapter, voted a day earlier “to immediately remove the windows.”
Personality: Joshua Ryan ‘Josh’ Epperson
Spotlight on co-founder of FeastRVA
Josh Epperson, co-founder of FeastRVA, lives each day by a quote by Howard Thurman: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.
18 out of 44
That’s how many city public schools are fully accredited
The good news: 18 of Richmond’s 44 public schools — 41 percent — are fully accredited based on relatively high student pass rates on state Standards of Learning tests. That’s an increase from last year’s 17 accredited schools, according to the Virginia Department of Education. The bad news: Richmond has 19 schools that have been denied accreditation because of low student pass rates on SOL tests.
Candidates address education, Confederate statues at NAACP forum
The major party candidates seeking to become Virginia’s next governor offered different visions for Virginia’s public education system at a candidates’ forum hosted Sept. 7 by several state NAACP branches. At the forum held at Virginia Union University, Democratic Lt. Gov. Ralph S. Northam and Republican Ed Gillespie said they want Virginia’s schools to be top notch, but differ slightly on how to make it so.
Black History Museum board calls for Confederate statue removal
The Confederate statues on Richmond’s Monument Avenue should go. That sentiment was expressed by the board of directors of the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia in a letter submitted last week to the Free Press.
Will Richmond be the next Charlottesville?
In defiance of Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s ban on demonstrations at the Robert E. Lee statue on Monument Avenue, a little known Tennessee-based group of Confederate sympathizers is going ahead with a rally to promote protection of the statue.
DACA program also impacts black immigrants
The Black Alliance for Just Immigration, the nation’s largest black-led organization championing racial justice and immigrant rights, blasted the Trump administration for rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that has allowed 800,000 immigrant youths to live in the United States without fear of deportation.
Bloodshed
Gilpin Court becomes a lightning rod for tragedy and possible change
Every day since Sunday, Takeila Knight has held her own personal vigil outside the Gilpin Court apartment of her stepbrother, Marvin Christopher “Pee Wee” Eley, 26, one of the four people killed early Sunday morning in a horrific spate of violence in the public housing community.
Tall grass can net fine in Richmond
Richmond City Hall is imposing a $50 fine on any property owner who lets his or her grass reach 12 inches or taller. The fines can reach a hefty $200 for those who let it happen again, and ultimately could lead to court action for those who fail to break out the mower.
GRTC rerouting buses along Broad Street
Alert to bus riders: GRTC has started rerouting buses off nearly a 1-mile stretch of Broad Street in Downtown during construction of stations for Pulse, the bus rapid transit system.
McEachin, Kaine host info session
Congressman A. Donald McEachin and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine are co-hosting a Service Academy Day information session for high school students and their parents.
Friday, September 8
City Hall to state auditor: No way city on brink of $ distress
No way could this be correct. That is City Hall’s response to a finding by the state auditor of public accounts that Richmond is one of five localities — including Bristol, Petersburg and two unidentified counties — that are facing the most severe financial stress. The Free Press disclosed the finding in the Aug. 31-Sept. 2 edition.
Hurricanes and public policy
Hurricane Harvey did everything people said it would do and more. It either drowned or swallowed everything it touched in Corpus Christi, Houston and Beaumont, Texas, the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and a bunch of other places. Already, estimates say that Harvey may be our nation’s costliest disaster to date, costing at least $190 billion, or about 1 percent of our gross domestic product.
Blackballing Kaepernick
Colin Kaepernick, the former quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, is being blackballed — itself a revealing phrase — by the National Football League with the collusion of the all-white owners. He is being ostracized because a year ago he exercised his First Amendment right to free speech by taking a knee during the playing of the national anthem.
What to do?
Our media colleagues should stop their mewling over the absence of Democratic candidates Ralph S. Northam, Justin Fairfax and Mark Herring from the annual Labor Day parade in Buena Vista.
Trump and the Dreamers
President Trump continues to show us just what type of person he is.
Young writer has winning way with words
After reading Margot Lee Shetterly’s book, “Hidden Figures,” about African-American women mathematicians at NASA who did many of the calculations to put astronauts in space, 11-year-old Isla Rodriguez of Richmond now wants to be an astronaut.
Howard takes on ‘Mission Impossible’ and scores big
Mike London’s University of Virginia football coaching tenure couldn’t have ended much worse. His coaching career at Howard University couldn’t have started much better. In his first game on sidelines for the Washington school, Coach London directed a head-spinning 43-40 upset victory last Saturday at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.
VUU loses season opener; faces another tough competitor Saturday at Hovey Field
Virginia Union University’s season opening football loss wasn’t without a silver lining. The Panthers seem to have found a bruising ball carrier—Tabyus Taylor—to plug the considerable void left by the departure of William Stanback.
Thursday, September 7
VSU wins Labor Day Classic before crowd of 10,000-plus in Norfolk
Virginia State University continues knocking out its football opponents — even those in a larger division. Under Coach Reggie Barlow, the Trojans beat Norfolk State University 14-10 last Saturday before a crowd of 10,221 fans at the Labor Day Classic in damp Dick Price Stadium.
Huguenot Falcons fly high with win despite storm
There are signs Huguenot High School football has weathered the storm, and not just because the team’s latest victory was achieved in drenching conditions.
Diversity takes the field with Washington Nationals
Like the cosmopolitan city they represent on the baseball diamond, the Washington Nationals are rich in diversity. The District of Columbia becomes truly international on game days at Nationals Park, with players linked to five foreign countries and three continents.
Megapastor tries to defend himself after Hurricane Harvey
Pastor Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston is helping Texans cope in the wake of Hurricane Harvey — and trying to counter a flood of comments on social media accusing the church of turning its back on storm victims. The church took in about 400 people from the overflow at Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center, a Red Cross shelter, church spokesman Don Iloff said last week.
Personality: Stephen M. Levinson
Spotlight on board president of the ACLU of Virginia
Stephen M. Levinson has worked for civil rights and social justice for almost a half century. And like many in his field, he has endured death threats in writing and in person.
School Board member resigns
The Richmond School Board now has eight members following the unexpected resignation of Nadine Marsh-Carter. Ms. Marsh-Carter, who represented the 7th District that includes Church Hill, East End and Fulton, submitted her resignation in a letter the board received on Tuesday.
RPS opens with shortage of 54 teachers
Richmond Public Schools started the new school year short 54 full-time teachers, including 23 special education teachers, according to interim Superintendent Thomas E. “Tommy” Kranz.
Richmond Crusade to hold candidates forums
Want to learn more about the Richmond candidates on the November ballot? The Richmond Crusade for Voters is hosting free public forums next week to allow voters to get to know the candidates seeking office in the city, it has been announced.
Norrell gym open again for recreation
Recreation programs are again taking place in the former A.V. Norrell Elementary School on North Side. The building is used now mostly as office space for Richmond Public School’s security department and drivers’ education program.
It’s a girl for Serena!
Serena Williams has given birth to a baby girl, the first child for the former world No. 1 tennis player and her fiancé, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.
Trump scraps program protecting young undocumented immigrants
President Trump on Tuesday scrapped an Obama era program that protects from deportation immigrants brought illegally into the United States as children, delaying implementation until March and giving a gridlocked Congress six months to decide the fate of almost 800,000 young people.
Fresh start for first day
Improved George Mason Elementary rolls out red carpet for its students
Before the first students arrived Tuesday at George Mason Elementary School, Principal Rose Ferguson walked the halls and the playground in Church Hill, and then checked with teachers and support staff to make sure everything was ready. More than 400 energetic youngsters were expected to bound in for the new 2017-18 school year.
Tuesday, September 5
NAACP to host gubernatorial forum Sept. 7 at VUU
A coalition of groups, including several NAACP leaders, is hosting a statewide NAACP gubernatorial forum between candidates Ralph S. Northam, a Democrat, and Ed Gillespie, a Republican.
Public comment sought on new location for police stables
Glenwood Burley once again is seeking the public’s help for Richmond Police. This time, the retired police officer wants people to offer their views on a site for a new regional stable for police horses. The new site would replace the city’s old stables on Brook Road near Gilpin Court in North Side.
Mixed messages
A Richmond Free Press newspaper box on Robinson Street in The Fan was defaced again last week with a sticker of the Confederate battle flag. In the latest graffiti, a photo of President Trump was glued over a Richmond Struggle.com sticker, an organization with a stated mission to reject patriarchy, white supremacy and capitalism.
Survey open on creating city Human Rights Commission
A four-member city task force is forging ahead on a study on creating a Human Rights Commission for Richmond. The chair, Riqia E. Taylor, announced Tuesday that the task force has set up an online survey through which city residents can provide their views on the proposal.
Friday, September 1
Achieving real power
Many people are highly insulted by Confederate statues and monuments, and they want them taken down and/or destroyed.
Eschew the violence supremacists use
At his recent Phoenix rally, President Trump bashed one of his favorite go-to scapegoats — the news media. We vex him with our insistence on reporting facts that he doesn’t like to hear.
Moving forward
Monday was Aug. 28, an innocuous date. But blurbs about its history and meaning have been circulating on the internet. On this day:
Vagabond to reopen with Mama J’s flair
Vagabond, a stylish restaurant at 7th and Broad streets, is reopening Friday, Sept. 1, with some Mama J’s flavor and flair. Restaurateurs Velma R. Johnson, owner of Mama J’s Kitchen on 1st Street, and her son, Lester Johnson, are blending their experience and several signature dishes from the Jackson Ward location and adding a dash of entertainment to create a new vibe at the Broad Street eatery.
‘Finding Boaz’
Richmonder produces Christian comedy film about the highs and lows of finding love
When the lights went down, the laughs went up at a private screening last Saturday of the new, Virginia-produced film, “Finding Boaz.”
Former FBI director James Comey at Howard University
James Comey, the FBI director fired by President Trump in May, has a new job. He will lead and conduct a series of lectures at Howard University and be the keynote speaker at the university’s opening convocation Friday, Sept. 22.
3rd Annual Films on the Floodwall Sept.13
The 3rd Annual Films on the Floodwall, a free community film screening, will be held 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13, at Diversity Park in Richmond’s James River Park System.
Applications due Sept.15 for VMFA Museum Leaders in Training Program
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is accepting applications from students in grades eight through 12 for its Museum Leaders in Training Program.
Revenge may be factor in VSU-NSU Labor Day Classic
There is no shortage of spicy story lines for the Labor Day Classic on Saturday, Sept. 2, matching old foes Virginia State and Norfolk State universities at Dick Price Stadium in Norfolk. Let’s start with the revenge factor.
VUU heads to N.Y. for season opener Sept. 2 against LIU-Post
The New York City area was good to Virginia Union University football at least once before. Now the Panthers are hoping to strike gold again in the long shadows of Gotham to open their fourth season under Coach Mark James.
8th-grader Jayson Ward racing toward track goals
Jayson Ward has added another impressive track title to his growing collection. The 13-year-old Chesterfield County resident now has two national outdoor titles to go with his three national indoor championships.
Mayweather chooses ‘right dance partner’ for final fight
At the start, Conor McGregor was cool, calm and collected, and an upset seemed possible. In the end, the rugged Irishman melted from the heat of a relentless Floyd Mayweather Jr. attack last Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Thousands join 1,000 Ministers March for Justice in D.C.
From Protestant preachers to Jewish cantors to Catholic nuns, religious leaders of a range of faiths demonstrated in the nation’s capital for racial justice, criticizing the silence of some within their own ranks on the subject of white supremacy and questioning the morality of Trump administration policies.
Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo, head of Catholic Diocese of Richmond, dies at 75
A funeral Mass for Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo, who served for the last 13 years as bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond, was said Friday, Aug. 25, at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Richmond. Bishop DiLorenzo, who made a return to conservative values his top priority, died Thursday, Aug. 17, 2017, at age 75. He was installed as the diocese’s 12th bishop in 2004 and vowed to bring the practices and values of the diocese back in line with the Scriptures.
Personality: Antuane Ramon Moore
Spotlight on Richmond Education Association president
The start of a new school year can bring a mix of excitement and anxiety for parents and students. Richmond Education Association President Antuane Ramon Moore has some advice to help everyone get ready. Parents and guardians “set the stage” for a love of learning because they are a child’s first teachers, Mr. Moore says. It’s up to parents and guardians to “ensure students’ basic needs are met. Parents need to establish supportive, daily routines to assist children with homework, reading, projects, studying and preparing for the next day of school.”
First Lady kicks off initiative to attract grocers to Va.’s food deserts
A new initiative could help bring new grocery stores to low-income areas of cities and counties that major chains no longer serve and that have been defined as food deserts.
Monument Avenue Commission Sept. 13 meeting postponed
The Monument Avenue Commission’s much-anticipated Sept. 13 public hearing on the Confederate statues in Richmond has been postponed until sometime in October.
Attorney general opinion says Richmond statues may be moved
Richmond apparently could remove four of the five Confederate statues on Monument Avenue without violating a state law protecting them, according to an opinion from Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring.
Back-to-school events during Labor Day holiday
Thousands of Richmond children will fitted be for new shoes for free on Labor Day before heading to class next Tuesday, Sept. 5.
Hurricane Harvey devastates Texas; blasts into Louisiana
More than 10,000 people — an overflow of evacuees — have sought refuge in the Houston Convention Center in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, which struck the Texas Gulf Coast last Friday, leaving the nation’s fourth largest city and its surrounding communities in a flood of devastation.
Independent review slated of Charlottesville events
More than 200 clergy, activists and citizens began a 10-day march this week from Emancipation Park in Charlottesville to Washington in a public show of resistance to the white supremacists who brought violence and death to the city earlier this month.
State auditor: City may be on brink of financial distress
Richmond is usually portrayed as being in good financial health despite having one in four residents living in poverty. Coupled with a building boom, the city reports a balanced budget, $114 million in savings that it does not need to tap to pay its bills and budget surpluses in each of the past two fiscal years.
Bike sharing rolls into Richmond
By Jeremy M. LazarusNext week, Mayor Levar M. Stoney will launch the RVA Bike Share program that promotes cycling by allowing people to rent bikes for a few hours to a week or more.
City starts tax amnesty program
Have you failed to pay city taxes? Good news. The city is now offering a two-month amnesty program to allow residents and businesses to pay what they owe without the interest and penalties that boost the expense.
