Friday, March 30
Pointing the finger in school shootings
Re “Walkout: City students join Wednesday’s national demonstration for tougher gun laws on one-month anniversary of Florida high school massacre,” Free Press March 15-17 edition:
Va. can choose better path on carbon pollution
At a recent public hearing held by the state Department of Environmental Quality, one concerned citizen said the following about acting on climate: “We have been kicking this can down the road so long that we have run out of road.”
RPS problems remain no matter who’s in office
In 2008, I ran for the Richmond School Board. I had this crazy idea that I could fix the decades-long problems with Richmond Public Schools.
Obama leadership still matters
Former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama did not go into seclusion and act like the rest of the world did not exist or impact them. They have made very important appearances on issues and on occasions that really matter.
From rally to power
Who would have thought that in less than 15 days, I would have to coordinate and manage 1,000 young black student leaders from more than 24 cities on 17 buses in the name of gun reform and safety? The reality is sometimes the work chooses you.
Our wish
Our Wish
MLK Middle School cheerleaders win national competition
That’s the new title for the cheerleaders at Richmond’s Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School. The team captured first place in their division in the National Stomp-N-Shake Cheer & Dance Championships on March 17 at North Carolina A&T State University.
Easter festivals this weekend in Richmond
After a long winter, cherry blossoms are making their seasonal debut as the days slowly get warmer. Easter activities are just a hop away.
Stage play ‘Malcolm, Martin, Medgar’ to be presented Saturday at VUU
A production of “Malcolm, Martin, Medgar” will be staged at Virginia Union University’s Coburn Hall at 4 p.m. Saturday, March 31, in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
1951 Armstrong High time capsule to be opened Saturday
The Armstrong High School Alumni Coalition will open a time capsule that was found during the demolition of the former school building on 31st Street in the East End.
Loyola Ramblers like ‘The Little Engine that Could’ in NCAA Final Four
This year’s NCAA Final Four could be billed “Three powerful locomotives and The Little Engine that Could.” Kansas, Villanova and Michigan are Final Four regulars, while Loyola University -Chicago seems misplaced, like it has arrived at this idyllic destination by accident after somehow taking a fortunate wrong train on the “L.” Kansas, Villanova and Michigan feature big-time recruits, many of whom figure to soon cash in on NBA stardom.
VUU’s Linnette has game, but looks to call games, too
Shontel Linnette excels at any location on the softball diamond – pitching, catching, infield, outfield, and certainly in the right-handed batter’s box.
Robinson works to get Armstrong on track
As a teenage athlete, Valentino Robinson ranked with top high hurdlers in Virginia. Now as coach, he faces a different type of hurdle.
Holy Week underway; Passover begins Friday
Christians around the world are marking Holy Week, the solemn time retracing the story of the crucifixion of Jesus and his resurrection three days later on Easter Sunday.
Gospel music stars shine at 33rd Stellar Awards ceremony
Gospel singer, composer and choir director James “JJ” Hairston was the top winner last weekend at the 33rd Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards, winning six awards.
Annie Giles, community activist, dies at 81
As a minister’s daughter, Annie Marie Turner Giles felt driven to help others overcome problems and challenges in the Whitcomb Court public housing community in the city’s East End.
Journalist Les Payne, a founder of NABJ, dies at 76
Les Payne, an intrepid Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who helped pave the way for another generation of African-American journalists as one of the founders and a former president of the National Association of Black Journalists, died on Monday, March 19, 2018. He was 76.
Personality: Frances K. Scott
Spotlight on chair of The Charmettes’ annual prayer brunch
Cancer does not discriminate. Age, race, ethnicity and economic background don’t matter, Frances K. Scott has learned.
VUU president seeks dismissal of fraud lawsuit
Virginia Union University President Hakim J. Lucas is fighting back against an explosive lawsuit from his former employer, Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Fla.
U.S. Census Bureau: City population continues to grow
Richmond’s population has jumped above 227,000 people for the first time in at least 40 years, and current trends suggest the capital city’s population should easily exceed 230,000 residents when the mandatory 10-year census is taken in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Morrissey found to have violated a State Bar rule
Attorney Joseph D. “Joe” Morrissey moved a step closer this week to being disbarred for the second time in his legal career after a three-judge panel upheld one count of serious misconduct against him.
Holiday closings
In observance of Easter on Sunday, April 1, please note the following: City and county offices: Richmond government offices, including City Hall and community centers, closed Friday, March 30.
Residency requirement could be scrapped for all but key city employees
Two members of Richmond City Council are seeking to largely scrap a 25-year-old policy of requiring city executives, managers and council appointees and staff to live in the city — ensuring they would be closer to the people they serve and also would contribute to the city through tax payments on their homes, cars and purchases.
City Council calls for Washington team to pay its way or end relationship
Will Washington’s pro football team continue to run a summer training camp in Richmond after 2020? That question is expected to be decided after Mayor Levar M. Stoney and team representatives hold talks, likely in May, on a potential extension of the current agreement.
Heating repairs still needed on 104 public housing units
Heat has been restored to more than 300 public housing units, but work still needs to be completed in more than 100 other units.
‘Black Panther’ continues to smash box office records
The box office hit “Black Panther” is now the top grossing superhero film of all time in the United States. The wildly popular Disney and Marvel release achieved the milestone on Saturday after surpassing fellow Marvel title “The Avengers.”
‘Our ballots will stop bullets’
Thousands take to streets in Richmond, D.C. and across the nation to demand gun control and school safety
Chanting “Enough is enough” and “Never again,” more than 5,000 students and other demonstrators marched through Richmond last Saturday as part of a nationwide protest against mass school shootings and gun violence.
Friday, March 23
Volunteers working hard to clear, maintain cemetery
Re “VCU center developing master plan for historic Evergreen Cemetery,” Free Press March 15-17 edition: We’re writing to offer a clarification to your article. Toward the end of the story about Evergreen Cemetery, the writer refers to “adjoining neglected and abandoned East End Cemetery.” In fact, a huge swath of East End has been cleared for years and is being maintained year-round by volunteers.
The other Ms. Walker
Nine years ago, when she was just 26, Natalie Cofield was looking for a mentor. A young woman with entrepreneurship hard-wired into her spirit, Ms. Cofield was discouraged that people did not take her seriously and was disheartened that she could not make the connections she needed to further her entrepreneurial mission. So she started reading biographies of businesswomen, hoping to find inspiration on the pages that she could not find in real life.
Razor thin Pa. victory underscores importance of voting
“Eight days after Bloody Sunday, President Lyndon Johnson spoke to a joint session of the Congress and made one of the most meaningful speeches any American president had made in modern time on the whole question of voting rights and introduced the Voting Rights Act. And at one point in the speech, before President Johnson concluded the
Richmond love?
School shootings. A mad bomber.
The greater good
We are disappointed that Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s proposed 2018-2020 budget holds no more additional funds to fix up the city’s dilapidated schools than the revenue expected from a meals tax increase.
March for Our Lives
Two more people were hurt this week in the latest school shooting, this time at Great Mills High School in St. Mary’s County, Md.
4 area students receive Pi Lambda Theta scholarship awards
Four area high school seniors were honored by the Virginia Area Chapter of Pi Lambda Theta at its annual scholarship program on Sunday.
Activist Mandy Carter to speak March 23 at Diversity Richmond
Mandy Carter, co-founder of the National Black Justice Coalition and of Southerners on New Ground, is speaking 7 p.m. Friday, March 23, at Diversity Richmond Event Hall, 1407 Sherwood Ave. The theme: “What do we do now?”
3 honorees to speak March 31
Two educators and a historian from the Richmond area will speak at a panel titled “Honoring Women Who Tell Our Stories.”
National Geographic acknowledges racism in coverage
National Geographic acknowledged last week that it covered the world through a racist lens for generations, with its magazine portrayals of bare-breasted women and naive brown-skinned tribesmen as savage, unsophisticated and unintelligent.
U.Va. makes NCAA history it would like to rewrite
The University of Virginia basketball team seemed ticketed for a magic carpet ride to the NCAA Final Four in San Antonio, Texas.
1963 NCAA game went down in the record books for different reasons
On March 15, 1963, an NCAA Tournament basketball game was played in which both schools could claim victory of sorts.
Coach Tubby Smith gets the boot at Memphis
Memo to colleges in search of a new basketball coach: One of the very best, Tubby Smith, is available again. With Richmond roots, Smith is among college basketball’s most successful coaches. He is also among the most traveled.
Maye to leave VCU Rams
Tyler Maye becomes the latest player with the Virginia Commonwealth University Rams to come down with “transfer-itis.”
VSU’s Aaron Harris becoming a heavy hitter
Aaron Harris has compiled some batting statistics even the great Hank Aaron would be proud of. Baseball fans are familiar with Hall of Famer Hank Aaron, who set numerous slugging records — most notably with a former record 755 homers — largely with the Atlanta Braves.
‘Rethinking Incarceration’
Author on justice, race and Jesus as a prisoner
The problems in the United States’ criminal justice system go all the way back to slavery, according to Dominique DuBois Gilliard, who directs racial reconciliation work for the Evangelical Covenant Church. Both slavery and incarceration are means of racial and social control, said Mr. Gilliard, who sees these controls working together throughout American history — from Jim Crow to lynchings to the war on drugs to the privatization of prisons.
Dr. Marshall Banks, retired urologist and Roman Catholic deacon, dies at 78
Dr. Marshall D. “Billy” Banks devoted his life to ministering to people as a physician and as a deacon at Cathedral of the Sacred Heart near Virginia Commonwealth University.
Former rapper Craig Mack dies at 47
Former rapper Craig Mack, best known for the platinum 1994 hit “Flava in Ya Ear” has died in South Carolina. Colleton County Coroner Richard Harvey says the 47-year-old Mr. Mack died at his home in Walterboro around 9 p.m. Monday, March 12, 2018. Dr. Harvey said it appeared Mr. Mack died of natural causes.
Personality: Alex Mejias
Spotlight on president of nonprofit Business Coalition for Justice
Alex Mejias, president of the Business Coalition for Justice, believes Richmond and the nation face new challenges requiring new ideas, new coalitions and new leadership.
School Board approves Kamras’ smaller, better-paid cabinet
A divided Richmond School Board voted 5-4 on Monday night to approve the hiring of four members of Superintendent Jason Kamras’ new cabinet, overruling members who objected to the enlarged salaries they are to be paid.
China’s new policy threatening recycling in U.S.
At least half the cans, bottles, plastics and paper collected for recycling used to end up in one place — China. Now China has decided to stop accepting most of the recycled materials that it once purchased. And that decision is having huge ripple effects on recycling programs in Richmond, as well as other communities in this country and overseas.
March for Our Lives rally Saturday
Richmond will host its own student-led protest against gun violence in schools and communities on Saturday, March 24, to lend support to a national rally being held in Washington that day.
Annual VCU Wellness Block Party March 24 at MLK Middle School
The annual VCU Wellness Block Party offering health screenings, blood pressure checks and other services to the public will be held Saturday, March 24, it has been announced.
City Democratic Committee election overturned
The Richmond City Democratic Committee has been temporarily shut down and its current officers, including its politically connected chairman, James E. “J.J.” Minor III, removed after an arm of the state Democratic Party nullified the recent election, the Free Press has learned.
Wilder sues VCU president, dean of school named for him
He may be 86, but former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder is showing Virginia Commonwealth University he is not to be trifled with.
‘Immortal’ Henrietta Lacks to be honored with cancer center
The year was 1951. The place: Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, where Henrietta Lacks, a native of Halifax County, Va., sought treatment for cervical cancer.
Play it forward
Richmond Flying Squirrels go to bat for the community
As the Richmond Flying Squirrels prepare for the spring season and the opening home game on April 13 at The Diamond, the baseball team continues stepping up to the plate in the Richmond community — on and off the field. “Our philosophy, and what the team hinges on, is three things,” said Todd “Parney” Parnell, the Squirrels’ vice president and chief operating officer who has been with the team since its Richmond debut in 2009.
Thursday, March 22
Henry L. Marsh III to introduce his memoir
He had his sights set on making his living as a truck driver. Then Henry L. Marsh III went with a group of high school buddies to hear a school desegregation case in Richmond, and that experience changed his life.
Joe Morrissey fights to save his law license on March 26
Once again, Joseph D. “Joe” Morrissey is in a fight to save his law license. A three-judge panel is gearing up to decide his future to practice law.
Dr. Aashir Nasim named VCU vice president
Dr. Aashir Nasim is being handed the challenge of improving diversity and inclusion at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Friday, March 16
A city cigarette tax would help fund school maintenance
Let’s be honest. Richmond needs a cigarette tax.
Honoring a new generation of leadership
All too often, our “history” month turns into a tribute to the past. And while the past is an important place to lift up, it is, indeed, a tributary, a stream that flows into the larger stream of an unbounded future. The future must always be greater than the present, or there has been no progress. And, in the words of Frederick Douglass, “progress concedes nothing without a demand.”
Trump’s budget would hurt us
If you want to know how a president feels about your community, then all you need to do is look at his or her budget because it reflects their values — both what they value and what they don’t.
March madness
A hearty congratulations to the John Marshall High School and Varina High School boys’ basketball state championship teams!
Keep the pressure on
We are encouraged and inspired by the activism of students in Metro Richmond and across the nation who staged school walkouts on Wednesday to remember the victims of the Valentine’s Day school massacre in Parkland, Fla., and to push federal and state lawmakers for tougher gun laws.
Women’s History Month presentation March 24 at Black History Museum
In celebration of Women’s History Month, historian Elvatrice Belsches will present a talk about the four trailblazing African-American women who will be featured on the Virginia Women’s Monument in Capitol Square. “Monuments of Virtue, Pillars of Grace: A Celebration of the Legacies of Dr. Sarah G. Jones, Elizabeth Keckly, Virginia Randolph and Maggie Walker” will be presented 2 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, March 24, at the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, 122 W. Leigh St. in Jackson Ward.
Southern Women’s Show this weekend
The Southern Women’s Show returns to Richmond this weekend with fashion shows, cooking demonstrations, celebrity appearances and booths and exhibitors offering information, products and services, including boutiques with the latest styles, trendy jewelry, home décor, gourmet treats, health and fitness and beauty items. The event will be held at the Richmond Raceway Complex, 600 E. Laburnum Ave., from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, March 16; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, March 17; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 18.
Emmy winner Jesse Vaughan, 6 others to be inducted into Va. Communications Hall of Fame
Emmy Award-winning director and producer Jesse Vaughan, a Richmond native and creative director of Advance Creative Service Group at Virginia State University, is among seven people who will be inducted into the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame.
Couple helps children, families with autism
For nearly a decade, Cedric and Melinda Moore have been providing services to children and adults diagnosed with autism.
Ribbon-cutting for Native American monument April 17
After years of planning and several months of construction, a monument honoring the lives, legacy and achievements of Native American tribes in Virginia has been completed and now stands on the grounds of the state Capitol.
Varina High School claims state 5A crown
The Varina High School Blue Devils kept winning and winning until there were no more games to win. The Eastern Henrico County school ended its best-ever season on the hardwood on March 8 by defeating Wakefield High School of Arlington 64-60 to clinch the state 5A basketball title.
U.Va. goes into March Madness ranked No.1
The University of Virginia has enjoyed having the nation’s best basketball team throughout this regular season. Now the Cavaliers hope to maintain No. 1 status throughout “March Madness.”
VUU loses in first round to VSU
For college coaches, basketball season is never ending. As soon as one campaign ends, the next begins in terms of recruiting and preparation.
VSU has one of best seasons despite NCAA loss
This basketball season will go down as one of the best in Virginia State University history. Before the Trojans’ season-ending, 77-58 loss Sunday to visiting Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania in the NCAA Division II Atlantic regionals, the Trojans achieved these firsts:
Lady Panthers face heartbreaker in 1st round
On a scale of one to 10, it hurt like an 11. When the final curtain fell on the Virginia Union University Lady Panthers’ basketball season, it dropped with a bone-chilling thud, and long before anyone expected.
VSU women also lose in NCAA opener
Both area teams in the women’s NCAA Division II Atlantic Region lost last Friday on opening night.
VCU Rams locked out of NCAA by A-10 loss
The big story individually this basketball season at Virginia Commonwealth University was the forceful showing by All-Atlantic 10 senior Justin Tillman.
‘Battle of the Bay’ is history
The popular “Battle of the Bay” football game is history — at least for now.
Hampton loses MEAC final, NIT in first round
Hampton University’s final MEAC basketball season included many cheers, but ended with a double downer in tournament play.
Claflin University joining CIAA
Claflin University in Orangeburg, S.C., has been accepted as the 13th member of the CIAA, the nation’s oldest historically African-American athletic conference.
Va. native Floyd Carter Sr., one of the last of the Tuskegee Airmen, dies at 95
Floyd Carter Sr., one of the last of the Tuskegee Airmen, died Thursday, March 8, in New York, where he served with the New York Police Department for 27 years. He was 95.
Rev. Craig A. Matthews, longtime artistic director of the Richmond Boys Choir, dies at 63
The 18-member Richmond Boys Choir is celebrating the life of their caring and talented artistic director, the Rev. Craig Alexander Matthews.
Personality: John D. Freyer
Spotlight on first U.S.-based Tate Exchange Associate at Tate Modern, London
Artist John D. Freyer, an assistant professor at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts, has a unique specialty.
Former Highland Park church to become affordable housing
A derelict church building on North Side is headed for conversion into 76 apartments. The new apartments would replace the long vacant former Mizpah Presbyterian Church in the 1200 block of East Brookland Park Boulevard near the Six Points intersection in Highland Park.
Musician Daryl Davis, who works to convert the KKK, to speak March 17
Blues mus ician Daryl Davis is coming to the Richmond area to talk about his pioneering efforts to use conversation to steer Ku Klux Klan members away from racial hatred.
John Marshall High wins state basketball championship
The best may be yet to come for the John Marshall High School basketball team. Tall, talented and boasting of having almost everything but seniors, the team strolled to the 3A state basketball championship title last Friday, routing Western Albemarle High School 63-42 before a crowd of 5,400 at the Siegel Center in Richmond.
VCU center developing master plan for historic Evergreen Cemetery
Richmond’s biggest university is taking a role in restoring the historic, but neglected Evergreen Cemetery. The Enrichmond Foundation, the new owner of the 127-year-old African-American cemetery, has hired the center for Urban and Regional Analysis in Virginia Commonwealth University’s Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs to create a master plan for the burial ground, which includes the graves of such notables as banker and businesswoman Maggie L. Walker and newspaper editor and banker John Mitchell Jr.
Confederate group calls for more rebel statues in Richmond
As the city of Richmond grapples with whether to remove the statues to Confederates from Monument Avenue, the Sons of Confederate Veterans is calling for more to be built — with signs putting them in context to be placed at the African Burial Ground in Shockoe Bottom.
General Assembly adjourns with special session planned on Medicaid expansion
The Virginia General Assembly’s 2018 session came to a close on Saturday but remained divided over the state budget and Medicaid expansion, forcing a special session to resolve its differences.
Proposed city budget includes $900,000 boost for GRTC
As construction is taking place on Richmond’s new bus rapid-transit system, City Hall is proposing to boost the GRTC subsidy to cover operating losses after July 1.
Walkout
City students join Wednesday’s national demonstration for tougher gun laws on one-month anniversary of Florida high school massacre
Hundreds of Richmond area students joined their peers across the country and walked out of classrooms at 10 a.m. Wednesday to demand stricter gun laws in a national show of unity and solidarity one month after the bloody massacre that killed 17 students and staff at a Florida high school.
ACLU urges no penalty for students in March 14 walkout
Students from Richmond, Va., to Richmond, Calif., are poised to take part in a 17-minute walkout from schools at 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 14.
City vehicle registration fee headed to Attorney General
Richmond’s $33 annual vehicle registration fee for cars and $38 fee for trucks are the maximum allowed by law, according to City Attorney Allen L. Jackson.
City tax relief applications due April 2
Applications are due Monday, April 2, for the city’s Tax Relief for the Elderly and Disabled Program. Qualifying elderly and disabled Richmond residents can have their annual real estate tax bill reduced, depending on their household income.
Stoney fills 3 posts at City Hall
Richmond Mayor Levar M. Stoney has filled three key posts at City Hall.
Saturday, March 10
Hundreds urge support for Medicaid expansion in Va.
Under the shadow of the Bell Tower on Capitol Square, hundreds of people from across Virginia rallied on a rainy day last week in support of a state budget that would expand Medicaid to about 400,000 low-income residents.
Leadership on school modernization ‘requires hard decisions’
Re “Put Schools First offers $650M plan to modernize city schools,” Free Press March 1-3 edition: The Paul Goldman plan to modernize our schools rightfully recognizes that we spend a disproportionate share of the taxpayers’ dollars on big salaries for bureaucrats at the expense of fixing problems like crumbling schools.
Vote on Medicaid expansion will tell if black lives matter
The decision to expand Medicaid in Virginia should be a no-brainer: Accept federal dollars already allocated to the state and give affordable health care coverage to nearly 400,000 uninsured Virginians.
‘Scared Negro Disease’ remains
As another Black History Month has passed, I revisited the relevant speech given by former Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson in 2002 while speaking in Portland, Ore., titled, “The Scared Negro Disease.” Mayor Jackson’s diagnosis is seemingly cancerous in black politicians in the Commonwealth of Virginia, particularly as it relates to the removal of Confederate statues.
Black immigrants’ lives matter, too
We are long overdue for a discussion about immigration as it relates to black immigrants, particularly at this moment as the current presidential administration clamors to end legal protections for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA recipients. Congressional leaders lurch from one proposed bipartisan solution to another in search of a permanent legislative fix.
Street sign
This week, we honor the late Raymond H. Boone Sr. from whose vision and purpose the Richmond Free Press was born.
Get out! … Jordan Peele makes history with Academy Award
Film writer and director Jordan Peele made history Sunday night when he took home the Academy Award for best original screenplay for his thought-provoking movie on race in America, “Get Out.”
John Marshall heads to Saturday’s state final
John Marshall High School has proven it’s tops in the Richmond area. Now the Justices are out to show they are No. 1 in Virginia.
Huguenot’s Deshawn Ridley snags regional Player of the Year
Deshawn Ridley’s trek to basketball stardom hasn’t always been the smoothest of rides. Twice, he was cut from his school teams — first as a seventh-grader at Elkhardt Middle School, and again as a Huguenot High School freshman.
Lady Panthers win CIAA; headed back to NCAA playoffs
The Virginia Union University Lady Panthers have enjoyed a steady drumbeat of success during the last three years, and the drummer shows no signs of weariness.
VUU men come alive to take CIAA title
Virginia Union University arrived at the CIAA Tournament in Charlotte, N.C., with a whisper, and left with a sonic boom.
VCU Rams open in A10
Plenty of lunchtime basketball is on the menu for Virginia Commonwealth University. The eighth-seeded Rams will open Atlantic 10 Tournament play at noon Thursday, March 8, against No. 9 University of Dayton at Capital One Arena in Washington.
Russell Wilson leaves Yankees training camp
Russell Wilson’s baseball comeback has ended, but not without some notable action on the field — and generosity off it.
Black churches across nation host screenings of ‘Black Panther’
Xavier Cooper went straight from his shift as a cook at a fast food restaurant to an early showing of the “Black Panther” — sponsored by his church.
30 members of Congress make pilgrimage to civil rights sites
About a dozen Democrats and Republicans prayed and sang “Amazing Grace” during a solemn ceremony last Friday at the site where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated nearly 50 years ago. The ceremony marked the start of a three-day congressional “pilgrimage” to sites with ties to the Civil Rights Movement in the South.
Interfaith film misses Oscar, but raises hope in Kenya
It didn’t bring home an Oscar this week, but a film nominated for an Academy Award is spreading a message that many Africans said is too rarely heard — that people from different religious groups on the continent can be each other’s heroes.
Personality: Gwendolyn D. Douglas
Spotlight on president of American Business Women’s Association, Cavalier Chapter
For the 10th year, the Cavalier Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association is celebrating Women’s History Month with Hattitude RVA — “Hats Off to Women” Awards Luncheon, a salute to the accomplishments of area women.
City Council poised to revive Human Relations Commission
Richmond soon could have a new Human Relations Commission as a platform to hear and investigate residents’ complaints about bias, bigotry and discrimination in areas ranging from race and religion to gender orientation, disability and pregnancy.
Friday, March 9
City School Board reviewing Patrick Henry’s charter for renewal
Parents connected with the Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts must wait another 10 days or so to learn whether their children’s elementary charter school will be open for the 2018-19 school year.
General Assembly approves city charter change for school modernization
By Jeremy M. Lazarus 40-0 in the state Senate.
Winners and losers
Mayor Levar M. Stoney offers details of his $1.42B, 2-year budget plan
High school students would be able ride GRTC buses without charge on an unlimited basis for a year. After-school programs for city youths would be expanded by enabling six city recreation centers to stay open longer and through support for programs offered by the YMCA, the YWCA and several other youth-serving groups.
Monday, March 5
Put Schools First offers $650M plan to modernize city schools
The volunteer Put Schools First committee is rolling out a plan that calls for spending $650 million to modernize all of Richmond’s public schools — with a goal of having 19 completed within seven years and the remaining buildings done within 12 years.
50 years and counting
Metropolitan Business League continues growing services, membership a half century after founding
Four days after Christmas, Floyd E. Miller II was in the Metropolitan Business League’s offices at 707 W. Main St. preparing for “a new year and new opportunities for new sources of funding” for the league through grants, foundations and fundraising events.
Thursday, March 1
‘Never again’ to Washington NFL training camp expense
Re “Taxpayers on hook for $11.25M for NFL training camp,” Free Press Feb. 22-24 edition: For taxpayers to be on the hook for $11.25 million dollars for the Washington NFL team’s training camp is asinine. This type of taxpayer money never should have been spent while schools are crumbling and need fixing. With the meals tax going up to help our beloved schools in Richmond, this money could have been better used.
Similar themes in ‘Black Panther’ and Haitian documentary
Re “ ‘Black Panther’ pounces on box office,’ Free Press Feb. 22-24 edition: My family and I enjoyed the documentary “1804: The Hidden History of Haiti” hosted by the Elegba Folklore Society on Feb. 17. It was a great opportunity to learn about Haitian history. On Feb. 18, we saw the amazing “Black Panther” movie.
Nothing positive will be done’
President Trump urges ban on gun devices?
Redesign schools for safety
Like many others, your article about the mass shooting in Florida, included the words “gun tragedies” and “inaction” in the same story. Lawmakers are pondering decisions of gun control, while the lives of people are truly being affected for life.
Issue pink slips to lawmakers who vote against gun laws
Now is the time to discuss gun control and how to stop these murders. We should continue to have these discussions until it is resolved. We can’t forget about this one in Florida and go on until the next one. The real problem is access to guns. You can’t cover this with a bandage or blame it on anyone else, other than those who are responsible.
‘I pray that the students voices may be heard’
‘I pray that the students voices may be heard’ Re “Fla. school shooting survivors hoping to be catalyst for tougher gun laws,” Free Press Feb. 22-24 edition:
‘We need climate action, environmental justice’
As Americans came together in February to recognize the immense contributions made by African-Americans during Black History Month, it is important to talk about environmental justice because if we can’t breathe free, we can’t be free.
Courage, political will and gun control
“This is our first task, caring for our children. It’s our first job. If we don’t get that right, we don’t get anything right. That’s how, as a society, we will be judged. And by that measure, can we truly say, as a nation, that we’re meeting our obligations? Can we honestly say that we’re doing enough to keep our children, all of them, safe from harm?” — Former President Obama, during 2012 prayer vigil for victims of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Conn.
Having an impact
The latest proof that the activism of the students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., is having an impact:
Settling the debt
Like a weed sprouting from the crack in a sidewalk, the truth always comes out. Take, for example, the rancid deal struck in 2012 by City Hall and the Washington NFL team for a Richmond training camp. City Council was left out of the negotiations between the team, former Mayor Dwight C. Jones and the city’s Economic Development Authority that resulted in construction of the Leigh Street training camp that is used by the team, at most, two to three months of the year.
RVA Night League for Safer Streets builds life skills, relationships along with basketball
RVA Night League for Safer Streets is set to start its second season of night basketball with more jumps shots and lifestyle workshops.
Richmond Symphony to sponsor music festivals throughout city
The Richmond Symphony is collaborating with the City of Richmond and civic organizations to produce community festivals under the Big Tent project starting this spring.
VUU Lady Panthers, VSU Trojans favored in CIAA Tournament
Virginia State University’s men and Virginia Union University’s women are clear favorites on paper at this week’s CIAA Tournament in Charlotte, N.C.
John Marshall hoping to go the distance at state tourney
Richmond’s John Marshall High School is rumbling into the State 3A basketball tournament with a full head of steam.
Darrell Purdie poised to take George Wythe to state finals
Darrell Purdie may be the area’s MVP — most versatile player.
Despite no home court, Huguenot goes to state quarterfinals
A basketball season that couldn’t have started much worse is now on track to be Huguenot High School’s best ever.
Trinity Episcopal’s Donavan Goode takes record in 55-meter dash
Donavan Goode excels in acceleration. Renowned for his Road Runner-style takeoffs, the 17-year-old Trinity Episcopal School senior is the fastest 55-meter dash man in Virginia private school history.
2018 Winter Olympics end with silver for 2 African-American athletes
African-American athletes were long on desire but short on medals at the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, that concluded on Feb. 25.
Dr. Grace Harris remembered for her ‘spirit of hope’
Dr. Grace E. Harris, whose life and career stretched from the roads of rural Halifax County to the halls of the Virginia State Capitol, was remembered last Saturday as more than 200 people, including family, friends, legislators and educators, assembled at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.
Allie Ragin Jr., teacher, sports coach, dies at 76
Allie Ragin Jr. used his education and athletic skills to benefit and support youth sports programs in Richmond.
Rev. Billy Graham, evangelist, presidential confidante and supporter of Dr. King, to be laid to rest March 2
Thousands of people from all walks of life filed slowly past the casket of the Rev. Billy Graham on Monday to pay their final respects to a man who reached millions with his message of salvation through Jesus Christ.
Personality: Amy ‘MiMi’ Wentz
Spotlight on co-founder of Richmond Black Restaurant Experience
Amy “MiMi” Wentz believes Richmond should be on the map for its dynamic and diverse dining scene. “We (Richmonders) also must make sure that everyone knows that we have some amazing minority-owned businesses — an important part of that big picture — that deserve to be highlighted, supported and celebrated,” she continues.
City Council OKs expensive NFL training center refinancing
Taxpayers cannot escape paying for the Washington pro football team’s summer training camp, a reluctant Richmond City Council has decided.
Petersburg youths treated to ‘Black Panther’ courtesy of Trey Songz
Grammy nominated R&B singer Trey Songz and his Angels with Heart Foundation treated 100 Petersburg youngsters to the smash hit “Black Panther” last week at the movie theater at Southpark Mall Park.
New street sign to honor Free Press founder
A new street sign is being put in place at 5th and Franklin streets to honor Raymond H. Boone Sr., the late founder and publisher of the Richmond Free Press.
Public meeting March 1 on Henrico schools superintendent search
The public will have an opportunity to tell Henrico officials what they want to see in a new Henrico schools superintendent at a meeting 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 1, at L. Douglas Wilder Middle School, 6900 Wilkinson Road.
RRHA heating problems, repairs continue
Three steps forward and one step back. That’s how it seems to be going for the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority in dealing with the heating problems afflicting nearly 10 percent of its 4,000 public housing units.
City Council votes to expand bulk and brush pickup
Richmond residents can now dispose of used mattresses, old sofas, broken chairs and worn-out kitchen tables, along with brush and tree limbs from their yards, at no additional charge. A divided Richmond City Council voted 5-4 Monday night to expand the bulk and brush program to include items that previously were banned.
Inequality persists 50 years after landmark Kerner Commission report
Barriers to equality are posing threats to democracy in the United States as the country remains segregated along racial lines and child poverty worsens, according to a study examining the nation 50 years after the release of the landmark 1968 Kerner Report.
‘Becoming Kareem’ coming to a city near you
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has been a best-selling author, civil rights activist, actor, historian and one of the greatest basketball players who ever lived.
City apparently losing money on vehicle registration fees
Last year, the City of Richmond charged city vehicle owners a $33 annual registration fee for each of their cars, a $38 fee for each pickup or heavy-duty truck and $18 for each motorcycle.
Dance club sold to VCU for $3.5M
For years, Nathaniel Dance III battled Virginia Commonwealth University to keep the popular dance club he established at 534 N. Harrison St.
Application deadline March 18 for Governor’s Fellows Program
College and graduate students have a little less than a month to apply to the Governor’s Fellows Program, an opportunity to learn firsthand about the workings of Virginia state government.
