Friday, March 29
3 win ‘Match Madness’ ping-pong tournament
Three Richmond area players won top honors in the first Match Madness ping-pong tournament sponsored last Saturday by the Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities at the Hickory Hill Community Center, according to Emmanuel U. Asquo, tournament director.
4 area principals win R.E.B. Awards
Four area public school principals have received the R.E.B. Award for Distinguished Educational Leadership.
Suspect arrested in death of W&M football player Nate Evans
The investigation continues into the death of Nate Evans, a Lee-Davis High School graduate and sophomore football running back at the College of William & Mary. Evans, a 19-year-old native of Mechanicsville and 2017 Lee-Davis graduate, was shot as he was being robbed shortly before midnight Thursday, March 21, in Norfolk near the campus of Old Dominion University.
NSU bows to Colorado in NIT
Norfolk State University’s long basketball season ended a long way from home in thin Rocky Mountain air. The final chapter was a 76-60 loss at the University of Colorado in Boulder on Monday night in the second round of the National Invitation Tournament.
Flying Squirrels to add Latin flavor
Get ready for some béisbol on Arthur Ashe Boulevard. The Richmond Flying Squirrels will open the season at home on Thursday, April 4, against the Hartford (Conn.) Yard Goats.
3 African-American coaches remain in NCAA Tournament
African-Americans continue to dominate NCAA Basketball Tournament action as players, but not so much as coaches.
Financial Literacy Fair to be held April 5
Want information on how to budget and save? Need to learn about bank accounts and loans?
GRTC wins State Roadeo
For the second year in a row, a seven-member team from GRTC has won top honors at the Annual State Roadeo competition for bus drivers and mechanics. The Richmond team beat rivals from 10 other transit companies from across Virginia to retain the “Best Overall Property” trophy.
City introduces 4 new executives
Four people have been named to executive positions at City Hall, including one charged with ferreting out fraud, waste and abuse of taxpayer dollars.
Henrico woman wins settlement in $1M discrimination lawsuit against county
Jeanetta Lee appears to have secured a signal victory in her lawsuit claiming that Henrico County engaged in racial discrimination in bypassing her in 2017 to promote a less qualified white man to manage the county’s in-house insurance office known as the Risk Management Division.
Kamras explains granting RPS employees vacation days with $1M price tag
The loss of one word from the official Richmond Public Schools calendar apparently will cost the city’s school system up to $1 million in extra vacation pay. The word: Designated.
City going all in for electric bikes
City Hall is trying to turn around its failing bike share program by adding battery-powered bikes to make it easier for riders to travel longer distances and get up the city’s hills.
AG opinion paves way to rename Jefferson Davis Highway
The portion of Jefferson Davis Highway that runs through Arlington County could be renamed as early as this summer thanks to the discovery of a loophole in state law and a legal opinion from the Virginia attorney general.
City honors cousins
Annie Reese spent five decades helping Richmond children cross the street safely as they traveled to and from school.
Dismissal of charges raises more questions in Smollett case
Prosecutors still insist Jussie Smollett faked a racist, anti-gay attack on himself in the hopes that the attention would advance his acting career. The star of the hit Fox network television show “Empire” still says he was assaulted by two men late at night in downtown Chicago.
White nationalist pleads guilty to federal hate crimes, avoiding death penalty in Charlottesville case
An Ohio man pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal hate crime charges in a deadly car attack at a 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, a case that stirred racial tensions across the country.
Markers unveiled honoring the late Dorothy I. Height, with small error
The unveiling of a new historical marker saluting late Richmond native Dorothy I. Height for her role as a national civil rights leader was a gala affair. Sunday’s event drew a big crowd to the ceremony at First Baptist Church of South Richmond on Decatur Street that included several of Ms. Height’s relatives, Mayor Levar M. Stoney, Lt. Gov. Justin E. Fairfax, Gov. Ralph S. Northam and other officials and admirers of the woman former President Obama called the “godmother of the Civil Rights Movement.”
First African-American player with Cincinnati Reds dies at 94
Chuck Harmon, a trailblazing African-American athlete in both baseball and basketball, died Tuesday, March 19, 2019, at age 94. Mr. Harmon became the first African-American to play for the Cincinnati Reds baseball team in 1954, and remained a familiar figure around the Queen City of the West as a regular participant in fan and community events.
VCU ends season at tourney
In a proverbial sense, Virginia Commonwealth University’s basketball team scaled numerous mountains this season.
African-American millennials more likely to skip church than white counterparts
African-American young adults are more likely than their Caucasian counterparts to drop out of Protestant churches during their early adult years, new research shows. But equal percentages of black and white young adults say they currently attend services regularly.
Personality: Joyce Woolridge
Spotlight on chair of 3rd Annual Women of Faith Praying for A Cure prayer brunch
Joyce Woolridge is an advocate for people to have their annual health checkups and cancer screenings. “Cancer checkups are not to be run from,” she says. “They are to be run to, especially women. It is also important for men because they can have breast or prostate cancer, as well as other forms of the disease.
City Council acts to reduce ‘drama’ during annual school funding debates
Richmond Public Schools each year would receive at least 55.4 percent of all real estate tax revenue City Hall collects under a policy unanimously approved Monday night by Richmond City Council.
Overcharged? 4 Richmond School Board members question surging costs to build new schools in city
The projected cost of the three new schools that Richmond is preparing to build has jumped an average of $107 per square foot in just five months, adding tens of millions of dollars to the cost, according to four members of the Richmond School Board.
Mueller report may be available in April
U.S. Attorney General William Barr is combing through special counsel Robert Mueller’s report, removing classified and other information in hopes of releasing the report to Congress in April.
Reject violence, affirm life
Words fail to express the depth of our sorrow at the horrific violence against the Muslim community at the Al Noor and Linwood Mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.
We must invest in ourselves
Let’s get one thing straight: Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s 2020 budget proposal to invest in public education and to improve basic services is an effort to remedy racism. It’s effectively universal affirmative action with a price tag. Simply put, the mayor asks us city dwellers to invest in ourselves.
Speak truth to power
Last week, you signed a bill sponsored by Virginia Legislative Black Caucus chairman Delegate Lamont Bagby of Henrico to create a state African-American Advisory Board. According to the legislation, House Bill 2767, this 21-member board composed of citizen members — not lawmakers — is to advise you on developing economic, professional, cultural, educational and governmental links between state government and the African-American community.
The Mueller report
Make no mistake: In no way has President Trump been vindicated by the Mueller report — at least not according to the scant, four-page letter released Sunday by U.S. Attorney General William Barr that allegedly outlines the conclusions of the special counsel’s 22-month probe
Friday, March 22
Calling out white terrorists
An Australian white nationalist who says he hates immigrants acted out his hate by murdering at least 49 people and seriously injuring dozens more last week. He
Too late in Venezuela?
The United States is pushing for an overthrow of the government of Venezuela. The Trump administration has denounced Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro as a “dictator,” dismissing the 2018 election, which the opposition boycotted.
Parity and equity
Several searing events during the past two weeks have again raised serious questions about the lack of parity and equity in this nation.
Congratulations!
Well played!
Congratulations to the Virginia Union University Lady Panthers and the Virginia State University Trojans men’s basketball teams!
Personality: Mary R. Sadovszky
Spotlight on chair of CancerLINC’s Bags & Bourbon Benefit
Mary R. Sadovszky, chair of the Bags & Bourbon Benefit, a live and silent auction to benefit CancerLINC, is working weekends and nights to make this charitable event Richmond’s most memorable spring fundraiser.
New Zealand shooting hits home for American Muslims
For Muslims, Fridays are special. Mosques come to life with the mandatory Jummah prayer services, where imams deliver sermons and lead rows of worshippers in congregational prayer. Muslims dress in their Friday best and greet one another with “Jummah Mubarak” or “blessed Friday.”
Chesapeake’s Grant Holloway is breaking records all the way to the Olympics
Track and field aficionados in Virginia discovered Grant Holloway years ago. Now the whole country knows.
Richmond Christian School girls’ basketball team wins VISAA state title
The Richmond Christian School girls’ basketball team didn’t even have enough players for a full 5-on-5 scrimmage this season.
John Marshall H.S. students make All-State team
John Marshall High School guards DeMarr McRae and Levar Allen have made Virginia’s 3A All-State basketball team.
VCU loses in A-10 Tourney, heads to NCAA
If you’re Virginia Commonwealth University center Marcus Santos-Silva, here’s your weekend assignment: On Friday, you’ll be trading elbows with the nation’s tallest player.
NSU loses in MEAC final; heads to NIT
When one door closed, another opened for the Norfolk State University basketball team.
Second round no charm in NCAA Division II: VSU Trojans lose 82-80 squeaker to West Liberty
Virginia State University’s best basketball season in school history stalled just this side of Pittsburgh.
Second round no charm in NCAA Division II: Lady Panthers take a fall to Indiana Univ.
Full of hope, the Virginia Union University Lady Panthers traveled six hours by bus to mountainous Glenville, W.Va., for the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional playoffs.
Cityscape: Slices of life and scenes in Richmond
Large, triangular public art stands on the future site of the Historic Fulton Memorial Park at 5001 Williamsburg Road at the foot of Powhatan Hill in the East End.
School Board to take up rezoning, budget resolution April 8
The Richmond School Board is still far from making specific decisions on rezoning the city’s 44 public schools, but it is starting to take preliminary steps to address a long sought goal of “right-sizing” the division.
New bridge named for longtime school volunteer
Robert S. “Bob” Argabright II is receiving special recognition for his volunteer service to Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary School in South Side.
Federal appeals court rejects VSU professor’s claim on pay discrimination
Studies show that men make more money than women for doing the same work, but proving in court that gender bias is the reason a woman is receiving lower pay turns out to be very difficult.
New RRHA chief takes over March 25
The new chief executive officer of the 79-year-old Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority is scheduled to arrive Monday, March 25, to take charge of the independent agency that manages more the 4,000 public housing units.
Discrimination lawsuit against Henrico County to go to trial Monday
Jeanetta Lee is hoping a federal jury will agree with her that Henrico County engaged in racial discrimination in awarding a plum job promotion to a less qualified white man.
Virginia teams at ‘The Big Dance’
The NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament — “The Big Dance” — begins this week with 68 schools ready to kick up their heels.
Fewer, higher paid school liaisons would replace RPS’ 17 attendance officers under Kamras plan
Jason Kamras is rejecting initial criticism of his plan to try a new approach to ensure Richmond students attend school daily.
No answers yet on why new Richmond schools costs to be higher than many other locales
Richmond is preparing to spend $140 million to build three new schools financed by an increase in the city’s meals tax — $30 million more than the school system first projected and far in excess of what most school divisions are paying for new buildings.
Former New Orleans mayor calls for honest dialogue on race
If Civil War history is to be displayed across the American South, it must be portrayed fairly and accurately, with an open dialogue about racial disparities in the region, the former mayor of New Orleans told Richmond’s mayor Tuesday.
Still funding Confederacy
Years of taxpayer money has kept Confederate cemeteries in pristine condition. Can there be true equity for historic African-American burial grounds?
On most Saturdays since 2013, volunteers have met at East End Cemetery in Henrico County to hack away at the vines and weeds that have choked gravesites there for decades.
New $720,000 policy gives RPS employees a week off for spring break
For the first time, principals, maintenance workers and other 12-month public schools employees in Richmond will receive a week of paid leave during the upcoming spring break, even though it will cost more than $720,000.
Youth Matter Showcase wraps up youth violence Prevention Week activities
A Youth Matter Showcase, presented from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 21, at Pine Camp Cultural Arts and Community Center, will help round out the 2nd Annual Youth Violence Prevention Week coordinated by Richmond’s Youth Violence Prevention Coalition and the INSPIRE Workgroup.
Documentary on African-American men and mental health Saturday
Black men’s mental health is spotlighted in a documentary film being screened this weekend in Richmond.
Richmond Raceway will host first eSports event
Rocket-powered cars are coming to the Richmond Raceway, but they’re not racing — they’re playing soccer.
Markers to honor late city native Dorothy I. Height on March 24
Dorothy Irene Height left segregated Richmond at age 5 and went on to earn national recognition as a civil rights and women’s rights activist who devoted her life to uplifting people.
No more taxes
Letters to the editor
Re “More taxes: Mayor Stoney proposes tax hikes on real estate, cigarettes and utility rates to generate more money for city needs,” Free Press March 7-9 edition: I see that Mayor Levar M. Stoney wants to raise more taxes in Richmond. The tax hikes would include real estate, cigarettes and utilities to help offset city expenses.
Gaming the college admissions system and defunding K-12 public education
Letters to the editor
Re “Stand by your plan: Mayor Levar M. Stoney pushes his proposed tax hikes despite opposition and criticism” and “Fallout continues from college admissions scandal,” Free Press March 14-16 edition: The indictment of 50 people in a fraudulent scheme to gain admission to elite universities and colleges for already privileged children exposes an appalling but unsurprising reality.
Vote out those who weakened school truancy law
Letters to the Editor
Re “RPS attendance officers’ jobs on chopping block despite crucial need, service,” Free Press March 14-16 edition: It was unconscionable for members of the Richmond delegation to the General Assembly to vote to defang the truancy law.
Remembrance and justice: Shockoe Bottom Memorial
Letters to the editor
Every week, a new story of some city, county or state’s decision to keep or remove a memento of the Confederacy captures our nation’s attention.
Friday, March 15
Ge’Shanti Atkins takes Maggie L. Walker to state semifinals
Call it the return of the Green Dragons. The girls’ basketball team at the Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School came so close to scratching a four-decade Green Dragons’ itch this season.
RPS attendance officers’ jobs on chopping block despite crucial need, service
With little public attention, the Richmond delegation to the General Assembly joined most Democrats and Republicans last year in voting to dismantle most of the 20-year-old requirements imposed on Virginia public schools to prevent truancy.
Stand by your plan
Mayor Levar M. Stoney pushes his proposed tax hikes despite opposition and criticism
Mayor Levar M. Stoney plans to take his case for tax hikes to Richmond residents in coming weeks, even as his plan draws resistance and foes express gratitude to one of his outspoken opponents, 8th District City Councilwoman Reva M. Trammell, by showering her with bouquets of flowers.
Fallout continues from college admissions scandal
Colleges and companies moved swiftly this week to distance themselves from employees swept up in a nationwide college admissions scheme, many of them coaches accused of taking bribes as well as prominent parents accused of angling to get their children into top schools by portraying them as recruited athletes.
Winston-Salem removes Confederate statue from old courthouse
The city of Winston-Salem, N.C., removed a Confederate statue Tuesday from the grounds of an old courthouse, drawing applause from onlookers for the rare move in a state where such monuments are largely protected by law.
Alabama law protecting Confederate statues remains in effect during appeal
An Alabama law that prohibits cities from removing Confederate monuments will remain in effect while the state appeals a judge’s ruling that declared the statute constitutional, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled last month.
Artist wants money from city for damaged works, studio
S. Ross Browne was painting in his South Side studio at 4 a.m. Nov. 1 when he heard an explosion outside. The hydrant in front of his studio at 1100 Hull St. had burst. Water was gushing down the sidewalk and street as if the James River has suddenly flooded South Side.
Garden at MLK Middle School is part of new city Food Justice Corridor
Richmond’s new Food Justice Corridor is starting to take root. On Saturday, nine new raised garden beds were installed in an interior courtyard at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, building on fledging steps begun last year.
Descendants of Dred Scott, plaintiff in noted racist U.S. Supreme Court decision, to come to Richmond
In Richmond, a city with a history of racism, descendants of Dred Scott and the judge who denied him his unalienable rights will come together in hopes of reconciliation.
Problems prevent lead abatement program from advancing
Daniel Mouer has $2.7 million to spend on removing hazardous lead paint lingering in Richmond residences more than 40 years after it was banned.
City, police officer ask for $30M lawsuit to be dismissed
City Hall and Richmond Police Officer Benjamin Frazer are asking the Richmond Circuit Court to throw out a $30 million lawsuit that a Richmond woman filed after being handcuffed during a police traffic stop.
New VCU building to open
Virginia Commonwealth University students soon will have new space to train for futures in occupational therapy, physical therapy, nurse anesthesia and other health fields.
NCAA bound: VSU men’s team plays Notre Dame College Saturday
If the Virginia State University men’s basketball team is to advance in the NCAA Division II playoffs, it will have to avoid a roadblock standing 6-foot-8 and weighing 240 pounds.
NCAA bound: No. 2 seed VUU Lady Panthers take on Edinboro Friday
The Virginia Union University Lady Panthers basketball team was hopeful it would be playing on campus this weekend at Barco-Stevens Hall.
NSU looking for MEAC title
The hometown advantage hasn’t worked previously for Norfolk State University in the MEAC Tournament. But this season could be different.
VSU football snags 2 top quarterbacks
Virginia State University’s most recent recruiting class features two of the state’s premier quarterbacks. D’Vonte Waller from Highland Springs High School in Henrico County and Dinwiddie High School’s K’ymon Pope will be joining the VSU Trojans this fall.
Personality: Zion C. Neverson
Spotlight on 2019 Boys & Girls Club of Metro Richmond Youth of the Year
For 72 years, The Boys & Girls Clubs of America Youth of the Year program has honored the nation’s most awe-inspiring young people and encouraged them to lead, succeed and inspire. Zion Caliq Neverson joined the local Southside Boys & Girls Club on Bainbridge Street at age 10 when his mother could not pick him up after school from the Commonwealth Christian Academy.
Longtime educator Joyce Clay Dennis dies at 85
Joyce Clay Dennis laid the academic foundation for hundreds of Richmond children who came through her elementary classrooms in Richmond.
Rev. Janie M. Walker retiring as co-pastoral director of Richmond Hill
After a 15-year relationship with Richmond Hill, the Rev. Janie M. Walker, co-pastoral director of the religious community on Church Hill, is retiring. Rev. Walker, whose last day is May 15, has led the residential ecumenical Christian community since 2014.
Kazoos, chants drown out church’s message of hate
Anti-gay demonstrators from the controversial Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas were met by Randy Blythe of Richmond’s heavy metal band Lamb of God at the Virginia State Capitol on Monday with an unlikely weapon — kazoos.
Rep. Omar, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia
A Muslim civil rights organization has called on Fox News to fire host Jeanine Pirro for questioning Rep. Ilhan Omar’s loyalty to the United States in a monologue on her weekend show “Justice with Judge Jeanine” and suggesting the Minnesota Democrat’s decision to wear a hijab is “antithetical” to the U.S. Constitution.
2019 Richmond History Makers honored
Five people and two organizations were honored Tuesday as the 2019 Richmond History Makers by The Valentine and the Capital Region Collaborative.
28th Annual Southern Women’s Show March 22-24 at Richmond Raceway Complex
The 28th Annual Southern Women’s Show is coming to Richmond with fashion shows, cooking demonstrations, celebrity appearances 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.
Elizabeth Keckly documentary screening March 23 at BHM
The Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia is screening the documentary, “The Life and Times of Elizabeth Keckly,” about the enslaved Dinwiddie County native who became a seamstress and dress designer, bought her freedom and that of her son and moved to Washington, where she became a confidante to President Abraham Lincoln’s wife, Mary Todd Lincoln.
UR to host author Lawrence Ross
Best-selling author Lawrence Ross will discuss his new book on free speech issues at universities, “Blackballed: The Black and White Politics of Race on America’s Campuses,” on Tuesday, March 26, at the University of Richmond.
The only plan on the table
Mayor Levar M. Stoney has presented what he calls a “bold” new budget to Richmond City Council that goes all in for greater investment in public schools and road and street improvements.
‘Something in the Water’
Planning to attend “Something in the Water,” the three-day music festival in late April spearheaded by Pharrell Williams in Virginia Beach? According to the latest reports, the cheapest tickets are sold out, along with most of the hotel rooms on the oceanfront.
Young people and vaping
Nearly half a million people die every year from complications from smoking. About a tenth of them never put a cigarette to their lips; they die from exposure to second-hand smoke.
Help end gun violence
H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019, is the most significant gun safety bill approved by the U.S. House of Representatives in more than two decades. The legislation requires background checks on all firearm sales in the country.
From the ground up
Cityscape: Slices of life and scenes in Richmond
Church Hill North is going vertical three years after ground was broken for the development at the former site of Armstrong High School in the East End.
Women, the draft and equality
A federal judge in Texas ruled last month that the all-male draft in the United States is unconstitutional. For many decades, there have been divisions in our military — the 442nd Infantry Regiment of Japanese Americans, the African-American Tuskegee Airmen, the African-American cavalry regiment known as Buffalo Soldiers and the American Indian code talkers.
Virginia, change and the ERA
People have said the Democrats have no central focus. I think we do — and that’s inclusion.
Friday, March 8
Pharrell launching ‘Something in the Water’ in Va. Beach
Singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams is heading home to Virginia Beach to launch a new music and culture festival.
Community paint party Saturday for Maggie Walker Murals
A community paint party to create murals inside the Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School will be held 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 9, at the school, 1000 N. Lombardy St., it has been announced.
Petersburg schools superintendent retiring June 30
Dr. Marcus J. Newsome is retiring as superintendent of Petersburg Public Schools at the end June with his school improvement plan only half completed.
Black activist says he took over neo-Nazi group to kill it
A black activist said he has taken the helm of what has been billed as one of the nation’s largest neo-Nazi groups to put it out of business.
Cotton boll becomes pressure point during tour with Mrs. Northam
Virginia First Lady Pam Northam met privately Saturday with a mother and daughter to discuss their concerns that went viral about Mrs. Northam’s efforts to offer Executive Mansion visitors insight into the hardships enslaved people had endured.
Herring breaks silence on blackface; GOP offers reward for evidence
The Republican Party of Virginia is offering a $1,000 reward for photographic evidence of Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring in blackface.
More taxes
Mayor Stoney proposes tax hikes on real estate, cigarettes and utility rates to generate more money for city needs
More money, more money, more money.
Kamras releases details of approved schools cuts
Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras made public on Monday details of the 74 positions to be eliminated in a $300 million budget plan that was adopted Feb. 25 by the Richmond School Board.
$6.3M raised for synagogue massacre families, survivors
A fund established in the wake of the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre has raised $6.3 million that will be split primarily among the families of the dead and survivors of the worst attack on Jews in U.S. history.
NFL team owner, human trafficking and faith-based communities
The news that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has been charged with soliciting sex and prostitution in a spa as part of a monthslong investigation into a massive human trafficking ring is dominating headlines for its shocking revelation about a legendary owner and current Super Bowl champion.
United Methodist Church keeps ban on gay clergy, same-sex marriage
“We’re in this to the end,” sang LGBTQ United Methodists and their allies.
Devotional guide marks 400 years since the arrival of Africans in Virginia
A Christian anti-hunger group has released a devotional guide to mark the 400th anniversary of the arrival of enslaved Africans in Jamestown.
Breakdancing an Olympic sport?
Breakdancing, an art form started by African-American teenagers that has spread all over the world, may break into the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris as a new sport.
VCU in place to win A-10 Tournament
Since joining the Atlantic 10 Conference, VCU has compiled the conference’s best basketball record while being shut out for two prestigious individual awards.
VUU men’s team still one to watch next season
You can make a case for Virginia Union University being the team to beat next CIAA basketball season.
VSU Trojans, VUU Lady Panthers win CIAA; next stop NCAA regionals
The powerful engine that is Virginia State University basketball barely tapped its brakes rumbling through Charlotte, N.C., and the CIAA Tournament championship last weekend.
No repeat for John Marshall H.S.
John Marshall High School’s standout basketball season ended Tuesday night.
2nd Annual Richmond Children’s Business Fair Saturday
Young entrepreneurs who have created a product or service will show off their wares at the 2nd Annual Richmond Children’s Business Fair 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 9, at the Children’s Museum of Richmond, 2626 W. Broad St.
Due process for Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax
Speaking on behalf of thousands of voters who voted for Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax in 2017, we urge Mr. Fairfax not to resign.
Selma can be a beacon
Political leaders from across the country gathered last weekend in Selma, Ala., to commemorate “Bloody Sunday,” the 1965 march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge where peaceful demonstrators, attempting to cross the bridge, were violently driven back by Alabama State Troopers, Dallas County sheriff’s deputies and a horse-mounted posse wielding billy clubs and water hoses to savage the crowd.
Think F.A.S.T. when it comes to strokes
The idea of a stroke can be frightening because it comes without warning and can change your life forever.
Herring and blackface
We listened to Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring’s radio interview Monday on the Kojo Nnamdi Show on WAMU in Washington.
Personality: Kimberly Battle
Spotlight on Richmond Branch president of the National Association of University Women
A small, low-key group of women is working hard to address education issues in the United States and abroad by working with women, youths and the disadvantaged in local communities and in developing countries. “We are small … but mighty,” says Kimberly Battle, president of the Richmond Branch of the National Association of University Women.
No details released on meeting about Councilman Agelasto
Will he or won’t he? Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael N. Herring remains mum about whether he will file for a special writ in Richmond Circuit Court to remove 5th District City Councilman Parker C. Agelasto.
Settlement reached in former city employee’s legal suit
A former city employee is moving to settle her federal lawsuit against the City of Richmond for wrongful termination and violations of federal laws regarding medical leave and overtime pay.
Google to host free internet workshop Friday
Google, the giant internet search engine, will host a free workshop aimed at boosting the digital skills of job seekers and small business owners at 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 8, at the Richmond Public Library’s Main Branch, 101 E. Franklin St.
Cityscape
Slices of life and scenes in Richmond
New upscale apartments are filling 15 acres on the campus of Union Presbyterian Seminary in North Side.
Mayor says Coliseum plan on hold for now
The $1.4 billion plan to replace the Richmond Coliseum and build new offices, hotels, retail stores and more than 2,800 apartments in 10 blocks near City Hall has been moved off the fast track.
Friday, March 1
Rogers named Dumfries town manager
On Tuesday, Mr. Rogers reported to his new position — town manager of Dumfries in Prince William County. The post pays nearly $134,000 a year.
Doris Causey honored with Hill-Tucker Public Service Award
One of the top civil lawyers for low-income residents in the Richmond area has received recognition for the important work she is doing. Doris H. Causey, managing attorney for the Richmond Office of the Central Virginia Legal Aid Society, is the 2019 winner of the Hill-Tucker Public Service Award.
State NAACP officer charged with embezzlement from local branch
The Virginia State NAACP, already under national scrutiny, is facing more woes following the disclosure that an officer has been charged with misdemeanor embezzlement from the Chesterfield Branch NAACP.
City Council approves expansion of real estate tax relief
Elderly and totally disabled homeowners won increased relief from real estate taxes beginning in January 2020.
Mayor names members of new city History and Culture Commission
Nine people, including a university president, three museum officials and an African-American history advocate, were named Tuesday to Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s new History and Culture Commission.
School Board sends proposed $310.6M budget to mayor
The Richmond School Board voted 6-3 Monday night to send to Mayor Levar M. Stoney a proposed $310.6 million operating budget for the 2019-20 fiscal year that will begin July 1 — equaling a per pupil cost of $13,362 for each of the estimated 23,200 students expected to be enrolled in city schools next fall in preschool through 12th grade.
Making moves
Legal battle to remove Parker Agelasto from City Council ramps up
The legal fight to remove 5th District City Councilman Parker C. Agelasto from office as the result of his move to the 1st District last year is gaining new energy.
Blackface dehumanizes African-Americans
Gov. Ralph S. Northam’s past actions are inexcusable and his current behavior is awful. Explicit, intentional racism is condemned in much of America, but we’re still failing to eliminate implicit racism caused by ignorance, status quo and apathy. Regardless of Gov. Northam’s intentions, he has failed to empathize with African-Americans.
Dismantle racist systems and start anew
The culture of white supremacy is the foundation upon which this nation was built. It has dominated every system of power in this country for the past 400 years.
Accountability, not disrespect
I could not help but notice the African-American politicians, religious and community leaders who have chosen to side with Gov. Ralph S. Northam. Either they have forgotten or just overlooked his nickname, “Coonman.” Of all the people they could have put their trust in, they chose the “Coonman.” And that is not a nickname you are given by accident.
Slavery, history and warped games
According to some historians, Afrodescendants first entered these United States in 1619 off the coast of Virginia. If we believe that narrative, Afrodescendents have been in this country for 400 years. If the people who were kidnapped and brought here had to tell the story, would they tell the same one?
Smollett and real hate crimes
Last week, the Southern Poverty Law Center announced that the number of hate groups in the United States continued to rise for the fourth consecutive year in 2018.
R. Kelly pleads not guilty to sexually assaulting teens, posts $100,000 bail
Grammy-winning R&B star R. Kelly pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges that he sexually assaulted three teenage girls and a woman in alleged incidents dating back to 1998, weeks after a television documentary leveled new accusations against him.
Diversity a big winner at 91st Academy Awards
Filmmaker Spike Lee won his first competitive Oscar Sunday night at the 91st Annual Academy Awards that was awash in historic wins for diversity, including awards for Ryan Coogler’s superhero sensation “Black Panther,” Alfonso Cuaron’s black-and-white personal epic “Roma” and the Freddie Mercury biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
7 recognized at UR’s inaugural Black Excellence Gala
Five students, a faculty member and an administrator at the University of Richmond were celebrated for achievements during the school’s inaugural Black Excellence Gala held at the campus last Saturday.
Kaepernick, Reid reach settlement with NFL
In what amounts to a secret agreement, Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid last week resolved their grievances with the NFL. They will receive an undisclosed settlement based on claims that NFL owners colluded against them as retaliation for kneeling during the playing of the national anthem.
John Marshall rolling toward second straight state title
In its quest for a second straight state basketball title, Richmond’s John Marshall High School has switched from a No. 1 single star to a galaxy of shining lights.
VSU’s Lonnie Blow named Coach of the Year
Virginia State and Virginia Union universities are well represented on what amounts to the CIAA’s men’s’ and women’s basketball honor rolls.
VSU could meet VUU in men’s final
It’s possible something could occur this week that’s never happened in CIAA Basketball Tournament history dating to 1946.
Pope calls for ‘all-out battle’ against sexual child abuse
In his final address to nearly 190 bishops attending last week’s Vatican summit on sex abuse, Pope Francis called for the eradication of abuse both inside and outside the Roman Catholic Church.
Pitching legend Don Newcombe dies at 92
In the late 1940s, the Brooklyn Dodgers rattled baseball’s foundation by boldly breaking the color line. It was to be a major turning point in all professional sports.
Dominion to ask U.S. Supreme Court to hear pipeline appeal
Dominion Energy said Tuesday it will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to hear its appeal after a lower court refused to reconsider a ruling tossing out a permit that would have allowed the Atlantic Coast Pipeline to cross two national forests, including parts of the Appalachian Trail.
General Assembly wraps up 2019 session
Virginia lawmakers wrapped up this year’s scandal-marked legislative session Sunday after passing a state budget that includes pay raises for teachers and state employees and significant new spending on public education.
Lt. Gov. Fairfax compares ‘rush to judgment’ against him to Jim Crow-era lynching
With his political career in tatters, embattled Democratic Lt. Gov. Justin E. Fairfax took a stand against his critics in the final moments of the 2019 General Assembly session.
New study shows disparity in number of city police encounters with African-Americans
African-Americans in Richmond are involved in nearly two out of three civilian encounters with police officers, with lopsided contacts when police are checking out suspicious persons or activities, a new study finds.
Richmond woman files $30M lawsuit alleging rights violation in police traffic stop
An African-American resident of Richmond is seeking $30 million in damages from the City of Richmond and the white police officer who put her in handcuffs during a traffic stop for a defective headlight and tail light — a restraint practice the suit alleges affects mostly African-American drivers in violation of their constitutional rights.
The price of reconciliation
Out of crisis comes opportunity. And the blackface scandal that has thrown Virginia into chaos during the last month is no exception. But while Gov. Ralph S. Northam selfishly is determined to hang on to his seat rather than do the right thing and resign, we urge our community to understand and walk through the door of opportunity this horrid situation presents.
New History and Culture Commission
We were interested to see the list of appointees on Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s new History and Culture Commission that was released this week. It has been charged with advising the mayor and the city on creating more “equitable spaces and opportunities” when it comes to public monuments and spaces of historical and cultural significant.
Richmond Black Restaurant Experience starts serving it up Sunday
The city is set to celebrate and consume a wide range of culinary delights during the Richmond Black Restaurant Experience.
Lady Panthers expected to dominate CIAA
Twin sisters Shameka and Shareka McNeill should feel right at home at this weeks’ CIAA Tournament in Charlotte, N.C.
Local chef-caterer turns empty church kitchen into a busy business
On weekdays, the kitchen at Faith Community Baptist Church in Richmond’s East End is a beehive of activity six hours a day.
City’s first African-American fire chief Ronald C. Lewis dies at 84
Ronald Charles “Ron” Lewis led the modernization of Richmond’s Fire Department after being installed as the city’s first African-American fire chief in 1978.
Personality: Jamon K. Phenix
Spotlight on VUU Student Government Association president
Jamon K. Phenix, president of Virginia Union University’s Student Government Association, takes this position as a student leader and one of the gatekeepers of his university.
Virginia Reads One Book kicks off Friday in city elementary schools
Richmond elementary schools are joining Virginia Reads One Book, a program designed to help schools and communities build reading habits, increase student and family literacy and family financial literacy.
