Thursday, August 30
Help available for stutterers
For the student who stutters, the beginning of the school year is a time fraught with anxiety and doubt.
African-American burial ground could impact proposed Cumberland landfill
A long forgotten African-American burial ground is gaining renewed attention as opponents use it to raise fresh objections to a proposed 1,200-acre landfill in rural Cumberland County about 50 miles west of Richmond.
Supplies surprise: $200 shopping spree helps teachers get ready for school
Wednesday was a big day for about 200 teachers from the three city public schools that sit along Forest Hill Avenue in the 4th Council District.
Cheating scandal leads to more turnover at Carver
Richmond Public Schools officials have begun the process to revoke the licenses of 10 administrators and teachers linked to a SOL testing cheating scandal at Carver Elementary School.
Chief Durham refutes claims that smell of weed falsely being used for searches
Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham said he has sought to hold his department to high standards and to impose discipline when he finds officers fail to uphold them.
UR symposium to celebrate life, legacy of Wyatt Tee Walker
Civil rights giant Wyatt Tee Walker’s life and legacy will be celebrated at a University of Richmond symposium next month. Open to the public without charge, the symposium will be 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13, in the Jepson Alumni Center’s Robins Pavilion.
Labor Day holiday schedule
In observance of the Labor Day holiday on Monday, Sept. 3, please note the following:
Government offices: City, state and federal offices will be closed. Schools: Closed. Classes begin Tuesday, Sept. 4.
Pep rally pumps RPS staff for new school year
Amid a sea of pom-poms and balloon bouquets and the sounds of air horns and a recording of Aretha Franklin rocking her hit song, “Respect,” Richmond’s top city and schools officials were the lead cheerleaders at Monday’s back-to-school rally for Richmond Public Schools’ teachers and support staff.
GRTC board OKs service expansion to Short Pump, airport and Amtrak station
GRTC is promising faster daily service on the Pulse bus rapid transit line, new service to Short Pump and more service to Richmond International Airport effective Sunday, Sept. 16.
Chesterfield names new superintendent
Chesterfield County has a new schools superintendent. Dr. Mervin B. Daugherty, superintendent of Red Clay Consolidated School District in Wilmington, Del., will lead Chesterfield County Public Schools, beginning Nov. 1.
Thousands pay final respects to Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin’s body lay in repose on Tuesday while her soaring voice poured from loudspeakers outside a Detroit museum, stirring fans to sway and sing along and others to weep as they lined up for a last glimpse of the “Queen of Soul.”
Former President Obama to speak at Sen. McCain’s funeral
Former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush will deliver eulogies Saturday at the funeral of U.S. Sen. John McCain, a former prisoner of war during Vietnan and six-term Republican senator from Arizona whose reputation as a maverick is causing a stir even after his death.
1, 2 … Jermoin’e Royster rising in the ring
If anyone was ever born to box, it’s 17-year-old Jermoin’e Royster, a George Wythe High School senior and member of Cobra Boxing Gym at the Southside Community Center.
VSU and NSU ready to roll at annual Labor Day Classic
On the NCAA football pecking order, Norfolk State University is Division I and Virginia State University is Division II.
VUU Panthers hoping to reclaim glory, titles this season
Virginia Union University has had lots to brag about during it’s more than a century of football. The only problem is it has been a while — some contend way too long — since the Panthers have been able to stick out their chests and boast to other CIAA teams.
‘Tiny Tornado’ whips up win for John Marshall High School
Never judge a book by its cover. Kevon Dark may not look like a traditional football standout, but he sure plays like one.
Dr. George T. Walker, composer, music educator and Pulitzer Prize winner, dies at 96
George Theophilus Walker was long ranked among the top American composers of modern classical music.
Rev. John E. Johnson Jr. to be installed at Union Baptist Church in Hopewell
Union Baptist Church in Hopewell has a new pastor.
Personality: LaFarn L. Burton
Spotlight on president of nonprofit LB Beauty Education Foundation
If you want to make the beauty industry your livelihood, you want to be the best there is.
Immigrants and politicizing grief
It’s not hard to imagine Mollie Tibbetts and Kate Steinle together in heaven, observing their lesser human brethren exploiting their deaths for political gain.
In the name of Gabriel
Gabriel Week events advance the story of enslaved blacksmith Gabriel and his planned rebellion in August 1800.
In the first scenes of the 2014 short film, “Tobacco Burn,” a tall white man emerges from an old-time tobacco barn, buttoning his britches. Inside, behind the swaying fronds of drying tobacco, a black woman weeps as she adjusts her frock.
An exceptional opportunity
We extend our hopes for a good year to the more than 153,000 students attending public schools in Metro Richmond, as well as to the parents and guardians who support them day in and day out.
Are ‘we part of the problem or the solution?’
Re: Letters to the Editor on Carver Elementary School story: None of us should use any avenue to tear one another down. Like the Bible states, “Whoever among us that thinks that they are without sin, cast the first stone!”
Thursday, August 23
Funeral arrangements announced for ‘Queen of Soul,’ Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin, the glorious “Queen of Soul” whose music became the backdrop for a generation and a theme song for both the civil rights and women’s movement, will be laid to rest Friday, Aug. 31, at Woodlawn Cemetery in Detroit.
Howardena Pindell exhibit opening at VMFA
If the 50-year plight of a female artist’s career through a life of racial and gender disparities was never the topic on the fall school reading list, the season is prime to learn from Howardena Pindell’s life story.
RPS Shines! spiffs up schools
Richmond’s Carver Elementary School was turned into a haven of help Tuesday as more than 60 volunteers, many of them from local colleges and high schools, picked up a bucket and cloth and helped put a polish on the Leigh Street school.
Former VUU guard Ray Anderson to play with German team
Ray Anderson is taking his considerable basketball talents to Germany. The former Virginia Union University guard has signed to play with WWU Baskets Muenster of Germany’s Pro-B League.
Armando Bacot headed to UNC
Armando Bacot is the latest Richmond area basketball standout to say “yes” to the University of North Carolina’s historically successful program.
Richmonders write headlines in MLB
Richmond native Jackie Bradley Jr. is in the front seat of what promises to be a record ride by the Boston Red Sox.
CIAA welcomes Claflin University this fall
The CIAA has extended its southern footprint to the state of South Carolina. Claflin University in Orangeburg, S.C., becomes the historically black athletic conference’s 13th member this fall and will compete in the CIAA Southern Division.
QB ‘Taylor made’ for VUU
Darius Taylor was Virginia Union University’s surprise package a year ago. From someone who wasn’t even on the 2017 opening day roster, the Washington native emerged practically out of nowhere as one of the CIAA’s most prolific quarterbacks.
Lux Church moves into Sharon Baptist Church’s former Jackson Ward home
Last Sunday was a big day for Pastor Victor Immanuel “Manny” Peña and the 100-member congregation of Lux Church. Bubbling with enthusiasm, the 35-year-old pastor led the rejoicing as church members held their first service in the church’s new home at 22 E. Leigh St., the former home of Sharon Baptist Church.
Personality: Margie R. Booker
Spotlight on chair of Top Lady Clubbers’ 20th Anniversary Banquet
Golf is considered a metaphor for life. It challenges you to be the best you can be as you work daily on your personal skills. This is how Margie Booker, a member and parliamentarian for the Top Lady Clubbers, approaches the game and her life.
Nobel winner Kofi Annan, the first black African to lead the United Nations, dies at 80
Former U.N. Secretary-General and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kofi Annan died on Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, his foundation said, after decades of championing efforts to try to end protracted conflicts in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
Public meeting Sept.13 on Boulevard renaming
A two-hour community meeting will be held next month to allow city residents to give their views on a proposal to rename the Boulevard as Arthur Ashe Boulevard to honor the Richmond-born tennis great and humanitarian who died in 1993.
New regulations to help people with sickle cell anemia
It’s official. Sickle cell anemia sufferers now can get high doses of potentially addictive pain medications without any limitations in Virginia. The treatment exemption for people who live with the pain from the genetic blood disorder — mostly African-Americans — became effective when the state Board of Medicine’s new regulations governing physician use of opioids were published in the Virginia Administrative Code earlier this month.
Design competition open to re-imagine Monument Avenue
How would you re-imagine Monument Avenue? That’s the question behind a new design competition called “Monument Avenue: General Demotion/General Devotion.”
Area back-to-school giveaways scheduled
With the new school year less than two weeks away, several free events are scheduled to provide shoes and school supplies to Richmond area students. Henrico resident Marsha Witherspoon is hosting her 4th Annual Labor Day Back to School Bash at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 1, at 4501 McGill St. in the East End.
Signs of 2019 shutdown for Coliseum
The 47-year-old Richmond Coliseum could go dark next year even in the face of continuing uncertainty about a private group’s proposal to tear it down and replace it with a new $220 million arena.
Plan collapses for South Side homeless shelter and services center
It’s back to the drawing board for City Hall and Commonwealth Catholic Charities in seeking a new space for a shelter and resource center for the homeless in Richmond.
‘Deeply disappointing’
RPS superintendent reacts to city SOL scores showing 2 of every 5 students unable to pass one or more tests
The good news: More than half of Richmond’s public school students passed one or more state Standards of Learning tests in 2018 and are meeting state objectives in the core subjects of reading, writing, math, science and history/social studies.
Monument rally peaceful as neo-Confederates met by counterprotesters
“Tear these racist statues down!” Those words, shouted by about 40 counterprotesters on Monument Avenue, drowned out attempts by about 15 neo-Confederates on Sunday to speak in support of keeping the statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis on the tree-lined street.
Omarosa and coming back home
Omarosa Manigault Newman is taking the media by storm and captivating the nation with the tell-all revelations in her book, “Unhinged,” which provides insights into the machinations of the most reckless, ruinous, racist and retrograde administration in the history of this country — that of the infamous “Orange Man,” President Trump.
Ready for driverless cars?
Shortly after the first automobile arrived in the small but grandly named village of Ohio City, Ohio, an old story goes, someone brought a second car to town — which soon collided with the first.
Brazile brings experience to Howard U.
Howard University, just blocks from the White House and Capitol Hill, announced Monday the appointment of influential political strategist Donna Brazile, former chair of the Democratic National Committee and the campaign manager for Hillary Clinton in her 2016 presidential run, as its Gwendolyn S. and Colbert I. King Endowed Chair in Public Policy.
White supremacists and the American way
Neo-Confederates returned to Richmond last Sunday to once again show their support for keeping the statues of their slave-owning, inhumane traitorous leaders on Monument Avenue.
Bad seed, bad fruit
We hope that Tuesday’s courtroom dramas in New York and Northern Virginia opened the eyes of those who blindly back President Trump and will push Republicans in Congress out of their tacit support for a fascist who is destroying our country.
First black Virginia child to be remembered
In 1624, the newly born William Tucker was baptized in the Anglican Church in Jamestown. What made the event special is that he was the first child of African descent documented as born in the English colony that became the United States.
16th Annual Happily Natural Day this Saturday
Happily Natural Day returns this weekend to the site of a large vegetable and berry garden in South Side. The 16th edition of the event will be 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 25, at the 5th District Mini Farm, 2208 Bainbridge Street, it has been announced. The event is open to the public.
Thursday, August 16
Prayers go out to ‘Queen of Soul’
Icon Aretha Franklin reportedly is in hospice at her Detroit home; family at her bedside
Prayers from across the nation and the around the globe are pouring in for legendary singer Aretha Franklin, who has fallen gravely ill. Ms. Franklin, 76, a legendary gospel and R&B singer whose reign as the “Queen of Soul” spans more than 50 years, is under hospice care at her home in Detroit’s Riverfront Towers, according to publicist Gwendolyn Quinn.
Carver Elementary’s ‘enemies are internal’
Re Letter to the editor, “Carver Elementary’s success became ‘a target on its back,’ ” Free Press Aug. 9-11 edition: Like many others, I could not have been more disappointed in the behavior of teachers and administrators over the Standards of Learning debacle, especially because I was a student at Carver Elementary School the very first year it opened.
Homeless services should be under one roof
According to state statistics, there were 1,394 homeless students in Richmond Public Schools in 2016-17. Chesterfield County and Henrico County had 715 and 986 homeless students, respectively.
You smell that?
The African-American community has long lived with the trauma of police harassment and abuse. Civil rights leaders and lawyers have pushed back for decades to end these deplorable, and many times, unconstitutional, practices.
Down Home Family Reunion Saturday at Abner Clay Park
Motown tunes and African and Caribbean rhythms will highlight the 28th Annual Down Home Family Reunion this weekend. The free celebration of African-American folk life and culture will take place 4 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18, at Abner Clay Park, Brook Road and Leigh Street in Jackson Ward.
Discounts available after Sunday storm cancels Richmond Jazz Festival
JMI is offering a discount on the purchase of general admission tickets for the 2019 Richmond Jazz Festival after an early evening thunderstorm caused the festival to be canceled last Sunday.
Finding the moral center
The media is now reporting on the debate among Democrats and activists about what the party should stand for and how it will win elections.
No dignity in pastors’ meeting with Trump
“Many of us have been indicted, arrested and our homes bombed, but when we stand before the Negro population at prayer meetings, we can repeat that it is an honor to face jail for a just cause.”
Former Richmonder helps propel D.C. Little League team to spotlight
A native Richmonder was front and center in one of the feel-good stories of the summer. Keith Barnes, a former baseball player at John Marshall High School and Virginia State University, is president and founder of Mamie “Peanut” Johnson Little League in Washington.
Former VSU star Trenton Cannon will wear No.40 in Aug.16 NFL exhibition game
Former Virginia State University football star Trenton Cannon, nicknamed “Boom,” will wear the No. 40 jersey for the New York Jets in the Thursday, Aug. 16, exhibition game against Washington at FedEx Field.
Stroman’s and Settle’s path to pros entwined
Few NFL players are more closely entwined than Greg Stroman and Tim Settle. Improbable as it may seem, they’ve been together now on three consecutive levels of gridiron action.
East beats West in MJBL All-Star Game
Tyshawn Cooke was among the offensive standouts in the Metropolitan Junior Baseball League’s All-Star Game last Saturday.
Shaq’s 6-foot-10 son headed to UCLA
A big man named O’Neal is again making basketball headlines in Southern California.
Rev. Nathaniel Morris, gospel singer, playwright, minister, dies at 67
The Rev. Nathaniel “Nat” Morris went from singing in a Richmond church as a child to the Broadway stage as an adult. An ordained minister, playwright, actor and singer, Rev. Morris was 18 when he made his debut in 1968 as a cast member in the rock musical “Hair” when it went to Broadway.
Dr. Katie G. Cannon, renowned scholar who elevated role of black women in theology, dies at 68
Dr. Katie Geneva Cannon made history in 1974 as the first African-American woman to be ordained a Presbyterian minister in the United States. Dr. Cannon would use that breakthrough to become a driving force in creating the womanist theology that promotes the inclusion of women of color in shaping the understanding of faith.
Personality: Marjie Patterson
Conflicts around the world have forced thousands of families to flee their homelands and seek refuge in other nations. ReEstablish Richmond helps refugees and their families rebuild their lives in Metro Richmond and become self-sufficient.
White nationalist rally sputters in D.C. on anniversary of bloody Charlottesville protest
A white nationalist rally in the heart of Washington drew two dozen demonstrators and thousands of chanting counterprotesters last Sunday, the one-year anniversary of deadly, racially charged violence in Charlottesville, Va.
ACLU calls for prohibition of ‘marijuana smell’ warrantless searches
Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael N. Herring is aware that police officers are using the claim of “I smell marijuana” to justify pat-downs of people and car searches, particularly “in poor communities of color.”
More money found for city school maintenance
A preliminary review of city and Richmond Public Schools’ financial records has turned up $9.5 million that possibly could be used for maintenance and repairs at the city’s 44 public schools.
Neo-Confederates returning to city
4th rally in a year
Once again, Richmond must deal with a potentially volatile gathering of neo-Confederates seeking to preserve the Confederate statues on Monument Avenue.
GRTC proposes service improvement to Maymont-Randolph area
A modest plan to restore a portion of the bus service that was cut from the Maymont-Randolph area as part of GRTC’s overhaul of bus routes is headed to the board of the transit company for approval.
Mitchell named GRTC interim CEO
GRTC has never had a female chief executive. Nor did any of its predecessor public transit companies. That is not changing as the bus company moves to replace David Green, who announced last week that he would step down as GRTC’s chief executive officer at the end of the month.
City to hold minority contractor workshop for new schools project
The City of Richmond’s Office of Minority Business Development is holding a workshop for minority-owned and emerging small businesses to learn how to participate in the planned $110 million city school construction projects.
Model farm field day Aug. 17
New technologies and farm production practices will be on display Friday, Aug. 17, at the National Black Growers Council Model Farm Series Field Day.
Fall registration still open for J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College
J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College will host “Registration Super Saturday” 8:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 18, at it Downtown Campus, 700 E. Jackson St., and Parham Road Campus, 1651 E. Parham Road, in Henrico County.
Henrico schools hosting back-to-school events
Henrico County Public Schools is hosting a back-to-school rally and a series of meet-and-greet events with the new superintendent to get students and parents ready for the new school year.
Free back-to-school health clinics scheduled
Offering everything from vaccinations to physicals and dental and vision checkups, free health clinics will be held in the next two weeks to help ensure children are ready for the start of school, it has been announced.
UR religion professor honored for 54 years
There is one word in the English language that Frank Edwin Eakin Jr. never utters: “Retirement.” Dr. Eakin has spent 54 years teaching religious studies courses, including 52 years at the University of Richmond, and he’s still going strong.
Medieval manuscript returned after museum discovers it was stolen
One year after the Green family — owners of the craft store chain Hobby Lobby and principal sponsors of the Museum of the Bible — agreed to pay a $3 million fine for illegally importing artifacts from Iraq, the museum is returning a medieval New Testament manuscript to the University of Athens after learning the document had been stolen from the Greek institution.
Thursday, August 9
Plan launched to rename the Boulevard for tennis great Arthur Ashe Jr.
A new effort is underway to rename the Boulevard in honor of Richmond-born humanitarian and tennis great Arthur Ashe Jr. Richmond City Councilwoman Kim B. Gray said this week she plans to introduce legislation in September to change the street’s name to Arthur Ashe Boulevard.
Richmond Chapter of The Drifters Inc. host national convention
Women from around the country converged on Richmond this week for the 62nd National Convention of The Drifters Inc., a national women’s civic and service organization started in 1954 that now has more than 600 members in 35 chapters in the United States.
GRTC CEO leaving
GRTC is looking for a new leader. The search is about to begin following the sudden resignation of David Green, GRTC’s chief executive officer, less than two months after launching the new Pulse bus rapid transit system ushering in a controversial overhaul of all other GRTC bus routes.
Meeting Aug.15 on Brook Road bike lane plans
Civic leaders in North Side will get their first look at an updated City Hall plan to install bike lanes on Brook Road and reduce space for traffic to one lane in each direction.
New mobile health van to provide food pantry, HIV testing
A new mobile health van will carry food and provide HIV testing to people in low-income communities in Richmond and the surrounding counties.
City alleys now to receive maintenance on regular schedule
The roar of heavy equipment over a backyard fence signals the start of work on another alley. Suddenly, with little publicity, city alleys are starting to get regular attention and care.
Toxicology report rules out drugs in Marcus-David Peters’ death, family says
A local activist coalition and a victim’s family continue to question the details of the fatal shooting of 24-year-old Marcus-David Peters by a Richmond Police officer in May. Mr. Peters’ sister, Princess Blanding, and the Justice and Reform for Marcus Peters Coalition challenged the accuracy and transparency of the Richmond Police Department’s report on the fatal shooting by Officer Michael Nyantakyi at Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s Third District community meeting July 31.
Federal appeals court rulings put brakes on 2 pipeline projects
A federal appeals court in Richmond on Monday threw out two key permits for the Atlantic Coast pipeline, a ruling environmental groups said should halt construction on the 600-mile natural gas pipeline.
Teachers learn about slavery at Lee’s birthplace
At Stratford Hall in Virginia, birthplace of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, a group of K-12 teachers gathered recently to talk about slavery and how to teach it.
Charlottesville confronts identity, braces itself, one year after clashes
For many residents of Charlottesville, last year’s white nationalist rally shattered the city’s carefully curated reputation as a progressive, idyllic place to live.
Out: Richmond School Board accepts resignations
The Richmond School Board accepted the resignations of former Carver Elementary School Principal Kiwana Yates and five other school employees named by state officials as part of a cheating ring at the school.
Free Press wins NNPA award
The Richmond Free Press has been recognized with a national award. The Free Press won the Ada S. Franklin Best Women/Lifestyle Award June 28 at the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s annual convention in Norfolk.
Metropolitan Junior Baseball League All-Star Game this Saturday
The Metropolitan Junior Baseball League’s stars will shine this Saturday, Aug. 11, at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College’s Parham Campus, 1651 E. Parham Road.
‘Smell of marijuana’ new police tactic?
A new police tactic is opening the door to warrantless searches of individuals, vehicles and homes. To generate the “reasonable suspicion” that courts require for police to conduct such a search, officers are claiming to smell marijuana, possession of which is still illegal in Virginia, according to defense attorneys and area residents.
Personality: Terrence L. Graves
Spotlight on president of the Richmond Bar Association
The Richmond Bar Association is always striving to increase the diversity of its membership, says Terrence L. Graves. The 54-year-old attorney with Sands Anderson PC can make sure that happens now that he’s in charge.
Joseph L. Hayes Sr., former director of VEC’s Administrative Law Division, dies at 85
Joseph Lewis Hayes Jr. initially set out to become a pharmacist. Along the way, he switched to legal studies and eventually became one of the leading experts on the laws regarding unemployment benefits.
Alabama minister, wife purchase Rosa Parks letter
A letter written by civil rights activist Rosa Parks describing the 1957 bombing of her neighbors’ home has been purchased at auction by the couple targeted in the attack.
Bishop Curry has prostate surgery
The American clergyman who preached about the power of love at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has undergone surgery for prostate cancer. An Episcopal Church spokeswoman said the surgery was performed July 31 on the Presiding Bishop Michael Bruce Curry.
Some Muslim candidates face backlash on campaign trail
Two months ago, Fardousa Jama did something no other Muslim woman in South-Central Minnesota has done: She filed to run for a City Council seat in Mankato, Minn.
Washington fans looking for Doctson to break out
When Washington selected Josh Doctson in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft, fans hoped his career would take off like a jackrabbit. Instead, his progress has been more akin to a tortoise.
Coalition seeks sainthood for 5 African-Americans
The founders of two religious orders and an African-American priest who had to train in Rome because no U.S. seminary would accept him are among five candidates being supported for sainthood by a new coalition of black Catholic organizations.
Richmonder Maurice ‘Mo’ Carter looking for more international hoop time
Richmond native Maurice “Mo” Carter didn’t have to join the Navy to see the world. He has been globetrotting for years. The traveling man has earned basketball paychecks in France, Turkey, Puerto Rico, Macedonia, Libya, Canada, Colombia, Venezuela and Mexico, as well as from the NBA “G” League.
Ray Lewis III living outside his father’s shadow at VUU
He has the name and he has the game. When you spot the name Ray Lewis on the Virginia Union University football roster, you take notice.
NFL Hall of Fame ceremony gets emotional
One of the greatest leaders football has seen, Ray Lewis, used his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction speech last Saturday to call for more enlightened leadership in the United States.
AFROFEST, a festival of African culture, Saturday at Pine Camp
An estimated 3,500 people from at least 19 African countries now call the Richmond area home. They want to raise awareness of the cultural richness they are adding to the community.
Summer heat and wellness checks
We were a bit amused at first when a story hit our inbox recently with the title, “How to Build a DIY Air Conditioner in Minutes for Less Than $10.” The article and accompanying video showed how to turn a Styrofoam ice chest filled with ice, two vent pipes typically used for clothes dryers and a small electric or battery-operated fan into a makeshift air conditioner.
Mr. Ashe
There’s no question that Richmond native and tennis great Arthur Ashe Jr. deserves greater recognition in his hometown. His laudatory actions both on and off the court merit a salute that will be visible not only now, but for future generations. His quiet activism and humanitarian efforts brought results in the areas of human rights, education and student mentorship, and greater awareness about and funding to combat HIV and AIDS.
Shine the light of racial reconciliation
A light shines in Prince Edward County atop the courthouse where a decision was made 59 years ago to shut down public schools rather than integrate. Classrooms were locked for five years in Massive Resistance to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision. Wounds in the African-American community were cavernous.
Sisters need fair share
“The average black woman in the United States has to work all of 2017 until August 7 of 2018 to make what the average white man makes in 2017 alone. To say this is a problem is kind of the understatement of the year.” – Sheryl Sandberg at the National Urban League Conference on Aug. 1.
Carver Elementary’s success became ‘a target on its back’
I left the Richmond Public Schools’ community meeting last week about the Carver Elementary School scandal conflicted about the entire situation. It was hard for me, as it was for many parents, to believe what we were hearing.
High school civics lesson results in boycott request
I teach government and U.S. history at a private, all-boys high school in Baltimore. And recently, my students and I were discussing the heightened climate of hate and racism in this country.
City Council member raises host of questions on homeless plan
City Councilwoman Ellen F. Robertson feels caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes to a proposal to create a housing services center for the homeless in a church building in South Side.
Thursday, August 2
Former Congressman Ron Dellums, who pushed U.S. sanctions against apartheid South Africa, dies at 82
Ronald Vernie “Ron” Dellums was a fiery anti-war activist who championed social justice in his community and in Congress. The first African-American Democratic congressman from Northern California and a former mayor of his native Oakland, Calif., died from cancer at his Washington residence on Monday, July 30, 2018, according to his family. He was 82.
New players to give VUU new look during basketball season
Virginia Union University basketball will have a distinctly different look this season.
Dwight Howard, Washington Wizards looking for a championship
The Washington Wizards as a team, and Dwight Howard as a player, are long overdue for an NBA championship.
Dynamo Chris Thompson looking for healthy season with Washington
Chris Thompson stands just 5-foot-8, but don’t sell him short. The diminutive dynamo spells double trouble as a ball carrier and receiver for the Washington NFL team, but not necessarily in that order.
Partisanship drives religious attitudes and not the other way around
Which comes first — religion or politics? On the one hand, political scientists have long held that people’s political choices are formed by their childhood faith, which, for the most part, sticks with them. On the other, 81 percent of white evangelicals voted for Donald Trump, a thrice-married adulterer who rarely attends church.
Rare Bible that went to moon up for sale
For the collector who has almost everything, there’s still a chance to own a Bible that literally was out of this world.
French president promises quick return of stolen African relics
French President Emmanuel Macron has called the return of African relics to their origin “a top priority” of his administration.
St. Elizabeth Catholic Church hosts 10th Annual Jazz & Food Festival Saturday
St. Elizabeth Catholic Church is hosting its 10th Annual Jazz & Food Festival this weekend.
Hair straightening products contain potentially toxic mix
Hair products used primarily by African-American women and children contain a host of hazardous chemicals, a new study shows.
Trump, Putin and national press
It is very revealing and often disgusting to witness the national press coverage of the “bromance” between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
RVA Soul House Fest Saturday at St. Joseph’s Villa
Three independent disc jockeys will host their third annual community party from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, at St. Joseph’s Villa, 8000 Brook Road.
No game
Where is LeBron James when we need him? This week, while Mr. James was in Ohio announcing the opening of his new, multimillion-dollar I PROMISE School in conjunction with the Akron Public Schools, Richmond Public Schools officials were busy dissecting the cheating scandal at Carver Elementary School and trying to prevent the sad turn of affairs from becoming a national public relations nightmare.
Disguises unnecessary
With all the recent intolerance and incivility nowadays, has anyone even noticed that disguises are unnecessary?
Annie Giles Day called off
Saturday was supposed to be Annie Giles Day in Whitcomb Court. ... But the Aug. 4 event that organizers called “a day of love” will not be held. Nor are their plans to hold it in the fall.
Cheating at Carver
During her six-year tenure as principal of George W. Carver Elementary School, Kiwana Yates allegedly orchestrated a major educational scam that ensured students scored high on state Standards of Learning tests even if they could not read well, write well and had not mastered arithmetic.
LeBron James opens new public school in Akron
LeBron James’ new school is much more than a school. It meets the basic definition, of course, but not only will James’ I Promise School help some of Akron’s most challenged students with education and support, it will provide educational, career and emotional support for parents.
Richmond woman rattled by incident with Henrico police
Qunita Jones knows how actor Ving Rhames felt when he was confronted at his California home by police investigating a neighbor’s call that a “large black man” was breaking in.
Work nearly complete on RRHA heating systems
The Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority is near the finish line when it comes to repairing or replacing hundreds of apartment radiators that failed to work last winter in public housing units.
Jamie Nolan wins city Democratic Committee leadership post
The rising political influence of women is being felt in Richmond. In an unprecedented move, the reorganized Richmond City Democratic Committee elected five women to the top six leadership positions Saturday in undergoing a major shakeup.
Backpack giveaway, tax holiday this weekend
This is a big weekend for back-to-school supplies in the Richmond area. The Northside Coalition for Children will hold its 10th Annual Back-to-School Rally 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4., at Richmond Raceway, 600 E. Laburnum Ave.
New city shelter for the homeless?
For the past four winters, men and women who lack shelter have streamed into the shabby and increasingly vacant Public Safety Building near City Hall to spend the night when temperatures fall below 40 degrees.
35th Annual National Night Out Tuesday, Aug. 7
The Richmond Police Department is gearing up for the 35th Annual National Night Out on Tuesday, Aug. 7. The event, which is observed across the country, is designed to promote safe neighborhoods while building police-community partnerships and relationships among neighbors.
Richmond Police Department takes up #LipSyncChallenge
The Richmond Police Department wants to “see how big your brave is,” they say — or rather, sing — in a new video racking up views on social media. The “Richmond Police Lip Sync Challenge” is inspired by an online trend in which police officers, firefighters and ambulance workers dance as they lip sync to popular tunes.
Lone African-American food vendor at Washington training camp
Richmond businessman Herman Baskerville, owner of Big Herm’s Kitchen on 2nd Street in Jackson Ward, again is on hand, offering a tasty Richmond welcome to NFL fans as they gather for the Washington team’s training days at the Bon Secours facility on West Leigh Street.
Personality: Bunny Sumner Young
Bunny Sumner Young’s journey with service animals started when she was a teenager. “I was 14 years old when I was diagnosed with a heart condition. And at 17, I had a doctor that recommended that I get a service animal because I was on eight to 11 medications for my heart,” she recalls.
Russia’s sabotage of U.S. elections
We don’t yet know — and perhaps may never fully know — to what extent Russian efforts to sabotage American elections succeeded. What we do know is that, in addition to waging a massive disinformation campaign on social media, Kremlin-backed hackers:
Sister power making a difference
I cannot count the times I have heard that black women don’t support each other. ... Black women know that all anybody has to do is tell us what we can’t do and the game is on!
Use tax dollars for ‘a just cause, not to aid in injustice’
Re “Evicted,” Free Press April 12-14 edition The many evil aspects of having to be tenants of greedy landlords come out daily. The Free Press article showed the extent to which landlords are willing to go to make life a living hell for their tenants while profiting greatly from doing so.
Great-granddaughter of Maggie L. Walker succumbs in Calif.
A great-granddaughter of noted Richmond businesswoman and banking great Maggie L. Walker has died in California.
Bernetta M. Williams, longtime math, science teacher, dies at 72
Richmond educator Bernetta Marie Williams ... is being remembered following her death on Wednesday, July 18, 2018. She was 72.
Two NSU players with area ties make preseason All-MEAC team
Norfolk State University football will have a strong Richmond influence this fall. Two NSU athletes with area ties have made the preseason All-MEAC team.
