Thursday, July 29
Va. University of Lynchburg announces 2021 football schedule
Virginia University of Lynchburg football players will be spending a lot of time on the road this upcoming season.
MJBL to host annual Inner City Classic baseball championship and symposium Aug. 4-8
The Metropolitan Junior Baseball League will host its annual Inner City Classic championship week of activities with a virtual Bobby Bonds Memorial Symposium, an in-person home run derby and nine in-person baseball games at fields around Metro Richmond.
3-day women’s business conference begins Aug. 5
A three-day program to encourage women to open or expand a business is to take place Thursday, Aug. 5, through Saturday, Aug. 7, it has been announced.
Kanye hosts Atlanta ‘listening party’ for new album ‘Donda’ ahead of Aug. 6 release
Kanye West barely said a word during his impromptu album listening session on July 22, but the mercurial rapper still had most attendees standing on their feet while hanging on every word of his new project.
Happy Birthday, Mrs. Walker!
Richmond area residents took time recently to remember pioneering Richmond businesswoman Maggie L. Walker in honor of what would have been her 157th birthday on July 15.
‘From monument desecration to grave robbing’
Re “Wrinkle in removal: City doesn’t own Confederate Gen. A.P. Hill’s statue,” Free Press July 22-24 edition:
Insurance giant prioritizing profits over patients, by Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr.
In the past year, a reckoning has happened across the country.
The “New Normal’, by Marc H. Morial
Few events have shaped American history and our national perspective on racial inequity as profoundly as the grief, civil unrest and economic devastation brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Black women and the pay gap, by Julianne Malveaux
It takes Black women until Aug. 3, or 19 months after the start of the previous year, to earn what a white man earns in a year. Most years, Pay Equity Day happens in March—this year on March 24—when all women finally make as much as white men.
Still the G.O.A.T.
It took real courage for gymnast Simone Biles to withdraw from team and individual all-around events this week at the Olympics in Tokyo.
Saxophonist James ‘Plunky’ Branch to headline 2nd Street Festival in Oct.
Saxophonist James “Plunky” Branch and his progressive jazz group, Plunky & Oneness, will headline this year’s 2nd Street Festival that is set to return Saturday, Oct. 2, and Sunday, Oct. 3, to Jackson Ward, it has been announced.
JaVale McGee may follow mother, Pamela McGee, in winning Olympic gold
Pamela McGee helped the United States win an Olympic gold medal for basketball. Now her son, JaVale McGee, is in position to earn one himself.
Aqeel Glass named Black College Football Player of the Year
Aqeel Glass has won the top individual prize for Black College Football.
VUU Panthers anxious to get back to the game
The upcoming Virginia Union University football season might be titled unfinished business.
Richmond high schools get back to the gridiron after pandemic hiatus
Strike up the band. Following a full football season of inactivity due to the pandemic, Richmond Public Schools are returning to the gridiron. Many schools from the surrounding counties chose to play an abbreviated spring season in 2021 while RPS sat out the entire school year.
VSU to hold free Agriculture Field Day at Randolph Farm
Virginia State University is hosting its annual Agriculture Field Day at Randolph Farm, its 416-acre research farm in Petersburg, from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. Friday, July 30.
Monica L. Jefferson named interim director of HOME
The Richmond-based fair housing watchdog Housing Opportunities Made Equal is undergoing a leadership change.
Annie Giles Center to have grand reopening ceremony July 31
It has been a soup kitchen and a shelter for the homeless during the winter.
Possible new home for Richmond Police Memorial?
Move it to Capitol Square. That’s where supporters of the Richmond Police Memorial statue want it to go.
City wants to know residents’ wish list for spending $77M
“How would you spend $77 million on your city?”
2 groups step up to manage city’s motel shelter program for homeless
More than 300 homeless men, women and children will continue to stay in motels in South Side after Saturday, July 31, rather than being discharged to the streets as some feared would happen.
RPS will reopen with mask requirement
Richmond Public Schools will reopen Sept. 8 under the inescapable cloud of the COVID-19 delta variant, with officials announcing that students, teachers and staff will be required to wear masks in schools and on buses regardless of their vaccination status.
Silk Hair Studio becomes touch point for COVID-19 vaccination effort
Silk Hair Studio bustled with talk and activity Tuesday afternoon, though not just about hair care and other conversations between patrons in dryer chairs.
Washington Football Team returns to Richmond training camp
Welcome back, burgundy and gold, even if it’s only for a quick pit stop.
Dr. James Edward Leary, who pastored churches for more than 60 years, dies at 86
Dr. James Edward Leary, who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in civil rights protests in the 1960s and provided pastoral services for 60 years to at least 12 churches in Richmond and other states, died Friday, July 23, 2021.
Personality: Betty L. Squire
Spotlight on president of Engine Company #9 and Associates
For nearly 30 years, Engine Company #9 and Associates has recognized the trailblazing path of the first African-American firefighters and police officers in Richmond. And now, the organization’s president, Betty L. Squire, is overseeing the group’s latest effort to showcase the pioneers in a new and big way.
Racism of rioters takes center stage in Jan. 6 hearing
It had only been hinted at in previous public examinations of the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection: Scores of rioters attacked police officers not just with makeshift weapons, stun guns and fists, but with racist slurs and accusations of treason.
More than gold
Gymnast Simone Biles stuns the world, her teammates and her competitors by withdrawing from Olympic team and individual all-around competition to focus on her mental health
Gymnastics superstar Simone Biles was expected to again helped lead the American team to gold medal glory at the Tokyo Olympics just as she had at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Instead, the reigning queen of the sport help draw attention to the stresses that top athletes face Tuesday after she voluntarily withdrew from further competition, citing concerns about her mental fitness to continue.
Casino gets green light from Richmond City Council
Richmond is moving closer to achieving its dream of having a gambling resort in South Side.
Thursday, July 22
Tightening the reins
Richmond School Board votes 5-4 to issues its own design request for a new George Wythe High School and empanel new evaluation team after 3-hour debate
After four months of heated debate, the Richmond School Board on Monday night pushed ahead with its own plan to build a new George wythe High School and two other schools in hewing to its mantra that “schools build schools.”
VEC brings suffering to thousands of unemployed
After seven and one-half months waiting for unemployment insurance or pandemic unemployment assistance benefits, I am in dire straits: I am driving dirty, i.e., with no car insurance and an expired inspection sticker, because I have no income.
Create a ‘Social Justice Trail’ in Richmond
Re Column “Reimagining Monument Avenue,” Free Press July 1-3 edition:
Commit to country, rather than party, by Ben Jealous
One year after the death of the great civil rights icon Congressman John Lewis, a group of Texas Democratic lawmakers is following Rep. Lewis’s lifelong call for people to make “good trouble” and “necessary trouble” to secure equality and justice for all.
‘Please run for School Board’, by Julianne Malveaux
Critical race theory, or CRT, asserts that racism is woven into the very fabric of our nation’s institutions.
The daily
We read with great interest “How the White Press Wrote Off Black America,” an opinion piece by New York Times editorial board member Brent Staples published in the newspaper’s July 10 edition.
Hip-hop classic Biz Markie succumbs at 57
Biz Markie, a hip-hop staple known for his beatboxing prowess, turntable mastery and the 1989 classic “Just a Friend,” died Friday, July 16, 2021, with his wife by his side.
‘Bones’ Hyland wants to be 22nd VCU Ram drafted by NBA
If someone were to update Virginia Commonwealth University’s history in the NBA draft, an apt title might be “From Bodine to Bones.”
Positive COVID-19 tests dash U.S. Olympians’ dreams
When the flame is lighted Fri- day, July 23, kicking off the Olympic Games in Tokyo, the U.S. team will be minus several competitors because of COVID-19.
Sewer system upgrades may result in bills tripling for city customers
Richmond faces many challenges, but one of the biggest and most expensive lies underground in the sewer system.
Trayvon Bromell running for ‘World’s Fastest Human’ crown, gold
Trayvon Bromell’s first trip to the Olympics ended with no medals, a painful injury and a ride out of the stadium in a wheelchair.
U.S. women’s basketball team going for 7th straight gold medal
If there is such a thing as a “lock” for an Olympic gold medal, it may be the U.S. Women’s National Basketball Team—aka Team USA.
Virginian Keldon Johnson of San Antonio has new title: Olympian
On his life journey, Keldon Johnson will have gone from Richmond to the Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Harry Hughes, chief schools officer for RPS, is leaving
Harry Hughes, the chief schools officer for Richmond Public Schools, is leaving at the end of July.
RPS to host Summer Fest
Richmond Public Schools is hosting two weekend parties to help spread the word to parents, students and community residents about the plans for in-person classes that are scheduled to begin Wednesday, Sept. 8.
VSU eliminates debt for 1,200 students
At least 1,200 students attending Virginia State University no longer have to worry about the money they owe the school.
’Where are people to go?’
Cityscape: Slices of life and scenes in Richmond
Homeless residents of a small tent city outside the vacant Richmond Coliseum received a final notice to move before a 12-foot fence blocking access is completed. The fence is being installed as a squad of city workers prepare to salvage useful items from the building before its demolition.
RRHA extends eviction moratorium; halts CEO search
Just weeks before more than 1,500 of Richmond’s public housing residents were facing losing their homes, the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority has extended its eviction moratorium to September, but not beyond Oct. 31.
Wrinkle in removal: City doesn’t own Confederate Gen. A.P. Hill’s statue
The City of Richmond apparently never has owned one of the Confederate monuments it is trying to get rid of, and that could add a new complication to its removal.
License plate campaign pays homage to Richmond Planet
Reginald L. Carter is within striking distance of scoring another victory for his campaign for Black history and racial justice.
Milwaukee Bucks bring home trophy after 50 years
Giannis Antetokounmpo had the Larry O’Brien Trophy in one arm, the NBA Finals MVP trophy in the other and there was a cigar on the table in front of him.
Muslims scale back Eid al-Adha observance in midst of pandemic
Muslims around the world this week begin observing a major Islamic holiday in the shadow of the pandemic amid growing concerns about the highly infectious delta variant of the coronavirus.
Unsung civil rights pioneer Gloria Richardson dies at 99
Gloria Richardson, an influential yet largely unsung civil rights pioneer whose determination not to back down while protesting racial inequality was captured in a photograph as she pushed away the bayonet of a National Guardsman, has died. She was 99.
Personality: Darrick Hanks-Harris
Spotlight on founder of The Black Village of RVA
In early December, Darrick Hanks-Harris began a new initiative to aid Black-owned businesses struggling in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Concerns raised over lack of diversity among regional grand jury members
A regional grand jury vested with sweeping powers to investigate and issue indictments appears to have been exempted from the push to ensure racial equity in criminal justice.
Rev. Jesse Jackson honored with France’s highest award
The Rev. Jesse Jackson was awarded France’s highest award on Monday for helping “change the destiny of the United States” and with it, the world.
Thursday, July 15
Court ruling allows handgun sales to 18- to 20-year-olds
If you are old enough to vote, you are old enough to own a handgun, a panel of the Richmond-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decided Tuesday.
Petersburg jury awards $300,000 to woman injured by officer
A Petersburg jury has awarded $300,000 in damages to a Black woman who sued a police officer for excessive force and false arrest after she was forced face-down onto the pavement during a traffic stop.
School fight
Students, parents and community members pleadfor speedy replacement of George Wythe High School regardless of who is in charge. Two-hour public hearing reveals deplorable rodent, structural problem.
Richmond can build and open by September 2024 a new George Wythe High School and two other school buildings that also are top priorities if City Hall would just begin cooperating with the School Board instead of throwing up roadblocks.
Charlottesville removes Confederate statues that sparked bloodshed
Cheers erupted last Saturday as a Confederate statue that towered for nearly a century over downtown Charlottesville was carted away by truck from the place where it had become a flashpoint for racist protests and deadly violence.
Misinformation, distrust keep Black vaccination rates low
In the world of sports, winning the game in the homestretch sometimes seems the toughest part of the challenge. That certainly is the case with getting people immunized against the deadly COVID-19 virus, public health and government officials are finding.
Personality: Julian M. Day
Spotlight on 2021 Henrico County Firefighter of the Year
After nearly a decade of service in multiple localities, Julian M. Day received a new kind of spotlight last month.
Educator, counselor Susie Banian succumbs at 82
Susie Ann Banian, a veteran Richmond teacher and guidance counselor who also sang in multiple church and community choirs, has died.
Chris Paul wants NBA championship ring
While it would seem he has it all, Chris Paul has a conspicuously empty space in his jewelry box.
Can you spell ‘historic?’
Zaila Avant-garde, 14, is first African-American Scripps National Spelling Bee winner
Zaila Avant-garde twirled around in a spin, her smile radiating from the clear braces covering her teeth as confetti fell from the ceiling. The 14-year-old from Harvey, La., had reason to twirl and spin, and most importantly, she had more than enough reasons to smile.
Barbers strike at Fort Lee and Fort Pickett after attempts to cut pay
Military personnel at Fort Lee and Fort Pickett in Virginia are struggling to get haircuts.
Elections Board chair says state law was followed in certifying House candidates
The chairman of the Virginia Board of Elections defended the June 30 board action to allow some late-filing Republican nomi- nees for House of Delegate seats to make the Nov. 2 ballot. Chairman Robert H. Brink also rejected any claim that racial preference was involved in the decision-making.
Staffing shortages leads to temporary state mental hospital shutdown
Virginia temporarily closed admissions at five mental hospitals last week amid a staffing crisis. The move will allow the hospitals to reduce the number of patients through attrition, not discharges, until there are enough employees to care for patients safely, an official said.
RPS names four new principals
Richmond’s George Wythe High School and three elementary schools will have new principals in the fall.
Richmond and Henrico health districts host immunization, school physical clinics
The Richmond and Henrico health districts are hosting clinics for school-age students to get vaccines and physicals.
Ambassadors needed for Washington Football Team training camp
The Washington Football Team is looking for volunteers to serve as ambassadors at its training camp in Richmond Tuesday, July 27, through Saturday, July 31.
At 16, Jalen Lewis is youngest baller to sign pro contract in U.S. history
Jalen Lewis has become the youngest professional basketball player in U.S. history.
The U.S. men’s basketball team is headed to the Tokyo Olympics with a chip on its shoulder, but with history on its side.
The U.S. men’s basketball team is headed to the Tokyo Olympics with a chip on its shoulder, but with history on its side.
Stanley Cup champs Tampa Bay Lightning made history with all-Black forward line
The Tampa Bay Lightning made headlines July 8 by capturing their second straight National Hockey League Stanley Cup.
Former NBA player-coach Reggie Theus named AD, coach at Bethune-Cookman
Bethune-Cookman University is hoping a big-name former athlete will lead to big-time success in athletic competition.
Jordan Lawlar snagged sixth in MLB draft
The Arizona Diamondbacks are hoping fleet-footed Jordan Lawlar will be their shortstop of the future.
Free, virtual panel to discuss slave housing sites
Historic Richmond, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving, rehabbing and revitalizing the city, is hosting a free virtual panel next week titled “The History and Documentation of Slave Housing in Virginia.”
Diane Walker stepping down from NBC12 after 41 years
She has been on Richmonders’ side for 41 years.
Honoring true trailblazers
Engine Company No. 9 & Associates celebrated the 71 anniversary of the hiring of the first professional Black firefighters in Virginia.
Fayetteville State clears tuition debt for nearly 1,500 students
Fayetteville State University has used pandemic relief funds to clear $1.6 million in tuition debt for nearly 1,500 students.
Washington Football Team
This week marks the year anniversary of enlightenment for the NFL Washington Football Team, which announced on July 13, 2020, that it was dropping the offensive name the franchise had used since 1933.
Justice movement will not be deterred, by Jesse L. Jackson, Sr.
The right wing majority on the U.S. Supreme Court has undercut the federal Voting Rights Act again. Having gutted the section that required pre-approval of state voting laws to protect the rights of minorities to vote in Shelby v. Holder, Republican-appointed justices now have castrated the backup clause, Section 2, that bans racial discrimination in election practices in Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee.
Use stimulus aid for summer jobs for youths, by Marc H. Morial
“The Harlem Youth Action Project was a city-funded attempt to keep some of the smarter kids off the street ... the next time I saw JET magazine there I was, all the way in the top left-hand corner of a news photo, leaning over Dr. King with my trusty tape recorder in my hand, looking for the last word. I was anything but a Power Memorial junior; I was starting to feel like what I thought of as a man.” — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Setting the record straight on state Elections Board action
Re “Councilman Michael Jones blasts ‘blatant discrimination’ by state Board of Elections,” Free Press July 8-10 edition:
Thursday, July 8
Judge dismisses effort to remove state Sen. Louise Lucas
A Chesapeake judge swiftly rebuked a conservative group’s effort July 2 to remove a Black state senator from office over her role in a protest that ended with heavy damage to a Confederate monument in Portsmouth.
‘National anthem doesn’t speak for me’, by Julianne Malveaux
Frances Scott Key, author of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” our national anthem, was a dyed-in-the-wool racist. He opined that “Negroes” were a “distinct and inferior race.” He was a slaveholder from a family of slaveholders who influenced the odious seventh President Andrew Jackson to appoint Roger B. Taney, the author of the Dred Scott decision (“Blacks have no rights that whites are bound to respect”) to the U.S. Supreme Court.
D.C. statehood must be achieved, by Marc H. Morial
“Congress has both the moral obligation and the constitutional authority to pass the D.C. state- hood bill. This country was founded on the principles of no taxation without representation and consent of the governed, but D.C. residents are taxed without representation and cannot con- sent to the laws under which they, as American citizens, must live.” — Eleanor Holmes Norton, delegate to U.S. House of Representatives representing the District of Columbia
Will Smith paid for NOLA’s fireworks
Residents and visitors to New Orleans have actor Will Smith to thank for the fireworks display on Independence Day.
Monument to activist-journalist Ida B. Wells unveiled in Chicago
A monument to journalist and civil rights activist Ida B. Wells was unveiled June 30 in Chicago.
WNBA’s Maya Moore to receive Arthur Ashe Courage Award
Maya Moore, who put her brilliant WNBA career on hold to address the need for criminal justice reform, is this year’s winner of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award.
Olympic-bound JuVaughn Harrison hopes to bring back gold in long, high jumps
Among the highest compliments for any athlete is to be mentioned in a comparison to Jim Thorpe.
’Let Sha’Carri run!’
Nearly 500,000 sign petition calling for her reinstatement in the Olympics
More than a half million fans are coming to the defense of America’s fastest woman, flamboyant track star Sha’Carri Richardson, who has been barred from Olympic competition over marijuana use after winning the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.86 seconds during the U.S. Olympic trials in Eugene, Ore., on June 19.
Players of color dominate AL lineup in MLB All-Star Game
Players of color will be front and center at next week’s Major League All-Star Game.
AME bishops address COVID-19, critical race theory, voting rights as annual meeting opens
The bishops of the African Methodist Episcopal Church opened their denomination’s major meeting — a year after it was delayed due to the coronavirus — with a call for greater worldwide access to COVID-19 vaccines and testing.
Marijuana legalization comes with info, warnings from health officials
Treatment for chronic pain. Possible addiction. Improving muscle spasms. Mood changes.
VSU to create program for minority entrepreneurs to launch businesses
Virginia State University plans to use a $453,000 grant to help Black and minority entrepreneurs launch new businesses, it has been announced.
Goldman files challenge to November House of Delegates elections
Instead of being elected for two years, winners of the 100 Virginia House of Delegates seats in November would only get one year in office if Paul Goldman has his way.
Councilman Michael Jones blasts ‘blatant discrimination’ by state Board of Elections
In a stunning reversal, the state Board of Elections has voted 2-1 to allow seven white candidates extra time to file missing paperwork needed to qualify for the Nov. 2 general election ballot.
Hundreds of RRHA families may face eviction after moratorium ends July 31
Hundreds of people living in public housing in Richmond could be at risk of eviction in the coming months as the last moratorium on tenant ousters for nonpayment expires July 31.
Henrico Public Schools holds free vaccination clinics for middle and high school students
Henrico County Public Schools and the state Department of Health are offering free vaccination clinics for middle and high school students each Wednesday in July.
Free COVID-19 testing, vaccines
COVID-19 testing is available at various drug stores, clinics and urgent care centers throughout the area for people with and without health insurance. Several offer tests with no out-of-pocket costs.
Old forgotten cemeteries dot the city
Peggy Stoots made an urgent call to the Richmond City Attorney’s Office just two days before a vacant quarter-acre parcel in South Side was to be auctioned off to recover more than $2,000 in past due property taxes. Ms. Stoots, who has lived near the property for 60 years surprised a staff member by saying, “You can’t auction that property. It’s a cemetery.”
Union vows to defend teachers in CRT fights
One of the nation’s largest teachers unions on Tuesday vowed to defend members who are punished for teaching an “honest history” of the United States, a measure that’s intended to counter the wave of states seeking to limit classroom discussion on race and discrimination.
Damon Hewitt named new executive director of Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
The executive committee of the Washington, D.C.-based Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law has announced that veteran civil rights attorney and policy expert Damon Hewitt will serve as the organization’s next president and executive director.
Want a job? Employers say talk to the computer
A day after her interview for a part-time job at Target last year, Dana Anthony got an email informing her she didn’t make the cut.
Pulitzer-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones chooses Howard University after tenure tug-of-war with UNC
Acclaimed journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, who won a Pulitzer Prize last year for her groundbreaking work on the legacy of slavery in the “1619 Project” that she spearheaded for the New York Times Magazine, announced Tuesday that she will not join the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill following an extended tenure fight marked by allegations of racism and conservative backlash about her work.
Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks go head to head in the NBA Finals
With the very first pick of the 2018 NBA Draft, the Phoenix Suns selected Deandre Ayton out of the University Arizona. Since then, the Suns have risen from the NBA’s worst team (21-61 in 2017-18) to being on the cusp of their first-ever championship.
Jehovah’s Witnesses move annual conventions online for second year
For the second consecutive year, the Jehovah’s Witnesses have canceled their large, in-person annual three-day conventions in Richmond and around the globe because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Personality: John S. ‘Johnny’ Newman Jr.
Spotlight on recipient of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity’s Elder Watson Diggs Award
A storied pro basketball career, educational and entrepreneurial success and helping to better the lives of African-American youths.
11 U.S. mayors commit to reparations as national example
Eleven U.S. mayors — from Los Angeles to tiny Tullahassee, Okla., — have pledged to pay reparations for slavery to a small group of Black residents in their cities, saying their aim is to set an example for the federal government on how a nationwide program could work.
Not so fast
Richmond City Council informed that planned ONE Casino + Resort opening will be delayed 9 months or more, with casino opening in late 2024 and hotel not opening until late 2025
The 2024 campaign for Richmond’s next mayor will be in full swing before the planned ONE Casino + Resort will welcome the first players to try their luck at the slot machines, roll the dice on a craps table or play blackjack.
‘Telling the whole story’
Statue of Virginia segregationist Harry F. Byrd Sr., architect of ‘Massive Resistance,’ removed from Capitol Square
After 45 years in Capitol Square in Downtown, the statue commemorating arch-segregationist Harry F. Byrd Sr. was removed Wednesday morning, marking the latest undertaking in Virginia’s long reassessment of and reckoning with its history of oppressing Black people and other people of color.
Mayor and School Board must work out differences for sake of the city
Re “Community members call for School Board to work with city on new George Wythe,” Free Press June 24 edition:
Voting rights: What’s next after U.S. Supreme Court decision?, by Da’Quan Love
One step forward, two steps backward.
Thursday, July 1
Derek Chauvin sentenced to 22 ½ years in murder of George Floyd
Not enough. That was the sentiment of the late George Floyd’s family members after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chau- vin was sentenced late last week to 221⁄2 years in prison for the murder of Mr. Floyd in May 2020.
Cosby freed
After spending 3 years behind bars for drugging and assaulting a woman in 2004, entertainer Bill Cosby was released from prison on a legal technicality, drawing mixture of public praise and criticism
Pennsylvania’s highest court threw out Bill Cosby’s sexual assault conviction and released him from prison Wednesday in a stunning reversal of fortune for the comedian once known as “America’s Dad.”
VUU to induct 8 people, 1 team into Athletic Hall of Fame
Virginia Union University’s rich athletic tradition will be celebrated Oct. 1 with its Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Church’s tax-exempt status restored
The Community Church of God in Christ is once again being recognized by the city as an active, functioning church, according to 2nd District City Councilwoman Katherine Jordan.
Continue to say their names, by Rev. Reginald Bachus
The Black experience in America has always been a story of struggle.
Dr. Thelma Bland Watson, who was dedicated to advancing the needs of the elderly, dies at 70
Dr. Thelma Bland Watson was 9 when she began providing assistance to her maternal grandmother. That experience turned Dr. Watson into a champion for the elderly.
Personality: Ngoma Hill
Spotlight on New Generation Beat Poet Laureate
From Alexandria to Richmond to Vietnam and Harlem, Ngoma Hill has built an impressive artistic career. He is now being recognized for his work on another level.
Thank you to Richmond’s hospitals and health care providers, by Mayor Levar M. Stoney
The last few weeks have seen positive news for the Richmond community in our battle against COVID-19. Cases have started to decline, roughly 54 percent of Richmond’s adult population has received at least one dose of the COVID- 19 vaccine and Virginia is on the way toward a return to pre-pandemic normalcy with Gov. Ralph S. Northam lifting the State of Emergency Declaration on June 30. This is all excellent news for both the health of Richmonders as well as our local economy.
Black people and psychological warfare, by A. Peter Bailey
In his must-read 1926 book, “The Miseducation of the Negro,” Dr. Carter G. Woodson stated, “Starting out after the Civil War, opponents of free- dom and social justice decided to work out a program which would enslave the Negro’s mind, in as much as the freedom of the body had to be conceded.” That is psychological warfare.
Reimagining Monument Avenue, by Burt Pinnock and Julie Weissend
In the summer of 2020, a group of citizens began a dialogue about the future of Monument Avenue.
Flying Squirrels pitcher Akeel Morris has major league experience
The Richmond Flying Squirrels and fireworks may be the most tantalizing entertainment combo since popcorn and butter.
Kumar Rocker shakes up College World Series
Kumar Rocker’s father and uncle used their strong arms to make tackles on the college and professional football fields.
RPS offers plan to boost student literacy
Nearly half of all Richmond students cannot read proficiently when they enter high school, leading to high dropout rates and a host of other ills, Richmond Public Schools acknowledges.
Devin Booker and Trae Young take on superstar roles during NBA finals
Devin Booker and Trae Young take on superstar roles during NBA finals.
Ben Wallace brings luck to the Detroit Pistons in draft lottery
Ben Wallace delivered much good fortune to the Detroit Pistons as a player. Now he has become something of a 6-foot-9 rabbit’s foot as a retiree.
McLaughlin breaks world record during trials
Among a galaxy of stars at the U.S. Olympic Track & Field championships, Sydney McLaughlin shined brightest.
Biles to lead diverse U.S. women’s gymnastics team to Tokyo Olympics
Simone Biles’ Olympic encore is finally here.
Jewish community prays for miracles after condo collapse
Numerous members of an Orthodox synagogue are among those missing after the collapse last week of a seaside condominium tower in Surfside, Fla.
Hindu group holds healing ceremony at Hanover County plantation before selling
A Hindu group that had hoped to build a temple on a former plantation in Hanover County held a ceremony last week to honor and bless the enslaved who had worked there and to heal the land that they now are selling.
‘Lifeguard legend,’ city swim instructor Horace A. ‘Bubba’ Carter III dies at 81
Horace Alfonso “Bubba” Carter III wanted everyone in Richmond to learn to swim and to be safe doing it.
Free Press honored with top awards in NNPA contest
The Richmond Free Press has received national recognition for its commitment to the local community with the Carl Murphy Award for community service presented by the National Newspaper Publishers Association.
Slot machine-style ‘skill games’ end July 1, taking away some people’s ‘joy’
James E. Henson is not going to wear black. But he will join in mourning the loss of the so- called “gray machines” that are on the way out of convenience stores, truck stops and a host of other retail establishments with Virginia ABC licenses to sell beer, wine and other alcoholic beverages.
Black Voters Matter brings ‘Freedom Ride for Voting Rights’ to Richmond
Black Voters Matter brought its “Freedom Ride for Voting Rights” bus caravan to Monroe Park last week, continuing the civil rights efforts of the first Freedom Riders 60 years ago and to push voting access and equity locally and nationally.
Medicaid adds dental coverage
Adults with Medicaid just became eligible for teeth cleaning and other dental services.
Fourth of July closing schedule
In observance of the Fourth of July holiday on Sunday, July 4, please note the following:
Area Independence Day celebrations to feature fireworks
Want fireworks with your Independence Day celebration?
Fulton family receives unexpected blessing of mortgage payoff
It began as a casual conversation. Then it quickly turned into what Travis L. and Latarsha F. Woods can only call “a blessing from God.”
Free COVID-19 testing and vaccines
COVID-19 testing is available at various drug stores, clinics and urgent care centers throughout the area for people with and without health insurance. Several offer tests with no out-of-pocket costs.
14 African-Americans connected to Jackson Ward to be recognized with honorary street signs
Honorary brown street signs soon will go up in Jackson Ward to call attention to 14 deceased Black men and women who made a lasting imprint on Richmond and often on the nation.
