Thursday, June 24
The dope on marijuana
Here’s what’s legal and what’s not in Virginia beginning Thursday, July 1
Potheads, rejoice. Smoking a joint will be legal in Virginia beginning next Thursday, July 1.
Unbridled joy
RPS’ first full graduation since COVID-19 brings smiles, cheers and joy at The Diamond
Huguenot High School’s graduation Monday was a day to remember — the first Richmond Public Schools gradu- ates to walk across a stage and receive their diplomas in a traditional, big group ceremony since the pandemic hit in March 2020.
Elegba Folklore Society hosts Juneteenth 2021, A Freedom Celebration on June 27
For 25 years, the Elegba Folklore Society under the artistic direction of Janine Bell, has been observing Juneteenth. This year will be no different.
Good news and bad news for the Rams
After a decade of playing professional basketball overseas, Brandon Rozzell has come home.
Complexion of U.S. soccer team changes
With 15 players of color on a 23-man roster, the U.S. Men’s Soccer Team is diverse like never before. Now Americans are hoping the team will win like never before.
Aggies bound for the Olympics
North Carolina A&T State University will be well represented at the upcoming Summer Olympics in Tokyo—and it won’t be just the United States scripted on their uniforms.
Sha’Carri Richardson blazes new trail to Tokyo Olympics
Whether watching from Jamaica, Japan or the United States, it was hard to miss that shock of flowing, orange hair that came streaking across the finish line first in Eugene, Ore., last Saturday night.
NBA playoffs now down to Final Four
The NBA Final Four consists of four franchises long overdue for a champagne celebration.
Witches celebrate the summer solstice wth cakes, mead – and salsa
To Lidia Pradas, the summer solstice “always recharges my energy and makes me want to start new projects,” she shared on her popular Instagram account, Wiccan Tips.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, others encourage U.S. to rebuild refugee resettlement
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota thanked Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service during an online event June 17, in the name of “all the refugees you have settled and the millions around the world who have benefited from your work.”
History marker to be placed at Shockoe Hill African Burying Ground
A historic but forgotten Black cemetery in Richmond will soon be recognized with a state history marker.
Who is Naftali Bennett, Israel’s new prime minister?
Naftali Bennett, who was sworn in June 13 as Israel’s new prime minister, embodies many of the contradictions that define the 73-year-old nation.
Eva Davis Brinkley, Armstrong High guidance director, dies at 91
Eva Davis Brinkley went above and beyond for Richmond students at Armstrong High School.
Secure health info profiles can help first responders in emergencies
Richmond residents can create a digital health profile that paramedics and other emergency personnel can access after a health emergency strikes, the city Department of Emergency Communications has announced.
City rejects painting contractor’s claims of non-payment
City Hall is pushing back against claims from a Richmond contractor who has alleged that he has not been paid nearly $200,000 for painting work he did on the new River City Middle School last year.
City Hall to be draped in 16-story art project ‘Freedom Constellations’
Huge, dramatic banners soon will cover two sides of City Hall.
Community members call for School Board to work with city on new George Wythe
The George Wythe High School community has a clear and strong message for the Richmond School Board: George Wythe can’t wait; build a new high school now.
Virginia hopes to remove time capsule along with Lee statue
If a court clears the way, the state of Virginia expects to remove not just a soaring statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from Richmond’s historic Monument Avenue, but also a little-known piece of history tucked inside the massive sculpture’s base: A 134-year-old time capsule.
Judge Roger Gregory to speak June 30 in virtual session on African-American women and equal access to education
Judge Roger Gregory, chief judge of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and Beth Hopkins, retired professor at Wake Forest University School of Law, will speak at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 30, on “African- American Women: The Road to Brown & Beyond.”
Coach Willard Bailey inducted into Black College Football Hall of Fame
It was a long climb, but Willard Bailey has reached the apex of college football coaching.
COGIC church gets whopping tax bill after city revokes tax-exempt status
A Richmond church that has been in operation for 112 years has been hit with a surprise $46,128 property tax bill from City Hall after its tax-exempt status was revoked.
RPS career educator and principal Fred A. Cooper dies at 91
Fred Adolphus Cooper sought to inspire students to learn during his nearly 60-year career as an educator that included service as principal of Richmond’s former Armstrong-Kennedy High School complex and later as co-owner of a student tutorial business in Chicago.
Personality: Marquis D. Mapp
Spotlight on board chair of Virginia Pride
Virginia Pride has emerged in the decades since its founding in the 1970s as a major force bringing awareness of the LGBTQIA+ community to Richmond and around the state, as well as promoting diversity and unity among the local LGBTIA+ community.
Hold the Juneteenth celebrations
It took two years after the Emancipation Proclamation for Black people in Texas to find out that they had been proclaimed free. Juneteenth has now, in regards to that history, been validated as a national holiday.
‘A mind is a terrible thing to waste’, by Venson Jordan
As a boy growing up Black in America, I remember that there were a few TV advertisements that spoke directly to me. The most memorable was the United Negro College Fund. The words rang in my head like the bells of truth. The heavy, articulate voice would say, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”
3 urgent steps to defend democracy, by Ben Jealous
The far right attack on voting rights is fierce. And the unwillingness of some U.S. Senate Democrats to challenge rules that allow a Republican minority to block voting rights bills is making some question whether we can turn back the tide of voter suppression.
Rebirth of a nation, by Dr. E. Faye Williams
Some of my “vintage” or “experienced” readers may remember or actually saw the movie, “Birth of a Nation.” Not the 2016 Nate Parker version, I refer to the 1915 silent film, originally called “The Clansman” by D.W. Griffith. In short, it glorified the Ku Klux Klan and denigrated civil and human rights for formerly enslaved people using the “Black man, white woman” paradigm.
The NCAA, Justice Kavanaugh and student-athletes
We were quite interested in the U.S. Supreme Court’s opinion this week regarding the NCAA and student-athletes and what compensation students can expect for providing their talent to a college or university.
Thursday, June 17
The gender pay gap by Dr. E. Faye Williams
The postponed and rescheduled 2020 Olympic Games are only a few weeks away. If the Japanese and International Olympic committees can manage a COVID-safe environment, I welcome them. I consider this event to be one of the purest forms of athletic competition.
Fair and equal representation needed among food vendors at NFL team training camp
Letters to the Editor
Re “Washington Football playing again at Richmond camp in July,” Free Press June 10-12 edition: It was announced that the Washington Football Team will open training camp from July 27 through 31 here in Richmond.
Southern history and Confederate monuments
Letters to the Editor
It is time to call the truth to that which is argued as “Southern history.”
Ambulance Authority struggling to keep up with calls
The Richmond Ambulance Authority has long boasted of being a role model in emergency response.
Tops in their class
Richmond Public Schools valedictorians take the stage next week to speak at high school commencements
It’s graduation time — and time to celebrate.
Mayor Stoney turns up the heat, orders RFP for new George Wythe to be issued
Mayor Levar M. Stoney is moving to hire an architectural firm to design the new George Wythe High School whether the Richmond School Board likes it or not – even as he acknowledged that City Hall would need the board’s consent to actually build the school.
City Council gives greenlight to casino project
Richmond easily leaped the first hurdle in its quest to become a casino city — City Council approval.
VCU opens COVID-19 clinic for ‘long haulers’
The spread of COVID-19 has slowed significantly. But plenty of people who contracted the virus are still dealing with the effects.
VUU launches new Hezekiah Walker Center for Gospel Music with Juneteenth concert
VUU officials said the curriculum will “revolve around the study of sacred arts and their relation to African heritage. Furthermore, the center will explore music and worship traditions that promote the comprehension of biblical texts.”
Richmond’s banking desert grows
Outside of Downtown, the eastern half of Richmond – which tends to be largely African-American and Latino—has increasingly become a banking desert, bereft of branch banks that are more commonplace in the Downtown and western half of the city.
GRTC free rides to continue for next 12 months
Free rides on GRTC buses, including Pulse and CARE vans, will continue for at least 12 more months, the bus company’s six-member board of directors agreed Tuesday.
My’chael Jefferson-Reese to head new Chesterfield Public Defender’s Office
My’chael D. Jefferson-Reese relishes being a champion for people facing legal trouble.
Michael Paul Williams wins Pulitzer Prize
Michael Paul Williams was at home writing his latest column for the Richmond Times-Dispatch when the newspaper’s managing editor called him with the stunning news: He had just been awarded the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for commentary – journalism’s equivalent of an Oscar.
Plans proceed to put federal money toward homeless services, affordable housing
City Council is recommending that the administration pour $5.6 million in new federal dollars into homeless services and pump $7.1 million into a city fund to boost assistance to developers creating apartments and homes with reduced rents and price tags.
VP Kamala Harris announces $1.25B for community lenders
WASHINGTON Vice President Kamala Harris announced Tuesday that the Biden administration is distributing $1.25 billion to hundreds of community lenders in an effort to help boost the economic recovery from the coronavirus for small businesses in underserved and minority communities.
Personality: Harold Aquino-Guzman
Spotlight on Richmond Public Schools’ highest achieving student
Harold Aquino-Guzman has a lot to celebrate this month. The George Wythe High School senior class president is not only the valedictorian at the South Side school, he is the top achieving student in Richmond Public Schools with a GPA of 5.1392.
Hundreds join ‘Moral March on Manchin’ as he blocks voting rights legislation
CHARLESTON, W.Va. Hundreds of demonstrators outraged with U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin’s opposition to a sweeping overhaul of U.S. election law marched through West Virginia’s capital city Monday evening.
North Carolina A&T sprinters win big at NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships; next stop Olympic trials
If North Carolina A&T State University wasn’t respected as a national track and field powerhouse before, it is now.
Sandro Fabian puts the altitude in the Flying Squirrels
This is the year the Richmond Flying Squirrels are living up to their name: They’re flying high.
Toronto Blue Jays’ Guerrero is a ‘Triple Crown’ threat
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. might be described as the “homeless home-run slugger.”
Nikola Jokić named NBA’s regular season MVP
The Denver Nuggets apparently struck gold when they drafted Serbian-born Nikola Jokić in 2015.
Jim ‘Mudcat’ Grant, one of the first top Black pitchers in MLB, dies at 85
Jim “Mudcat” Grant, who was among the first dominant Black pitchers in Major League Baseball, died Friday, June 11, 2021, in Los Angeles. He was 85.
Former VCU basketball player Dave Edwards dies
In the early 1970s, Virginia Commonwealth University had dreams of going to Division I in basketball. Dave Edwards was among those helping the Rams reach their goal.
Juneteenth celebrations planned around Metro Richmond
The first official Juneteenth celebration in Virginia will be recognized with a variety of events throughout the area sponsored by a range of organizations, groups and churches.
Race, racial issues major topics for Pulitzer Prize winners for the arts
NEW YORK Stories of race, racism and colonialism in the United States swept the Pulitzer Prizes for the arts, from Louise Erdrich’s novel “The Night Watchman” to a Malcolm X biography co-written by the late Les Payne to Katori Hall’s play “The Hot Wing King.”
Oprah’s new book pick: ‘The Sweetness of Water’
NEW YORK Oprah Winfrey’s next book club pick is a debut novel set in Georgia at the end of the Civil War: “The Sweetness of Water” by Nathan Harris.
‘In the Heights’ opens to low numbers
NEW YORK Just when a party was poised to break out in movie theaters, the below-expectation debut of “In the Heights” last weekend dampened Hollywood’s hopes of a swift or smooth recovery at the summer box office.
Juneteenth
We are impressed by the scope of activities planned for Juneteenth and the great effort put forth by so many individuals and organizations to make a success of its first celebration as an official state holiday.
Hats off to graduates
We send hearty congratulations to Richmond Public Schools’ valedictorians, as well as all high school seniors in Richmond and the surrounding counties as they graduate this month.
Juneteenth and confronting hard history by Marc H. Morial
“Slavery is hard history. It is hard to comprehend the inhumanity that defined it. It is hard to discuss the violence that sustained it. It is hard to teach the ideology of white supremacy that justified it. And it is hard to learn about those who abided it.
Thursday, June 10
Black-owned beauty brands move into the retail spotlight
When Dr. Rose Ingleton launched her own namesake skincare line two years ago, she couldn’t break into the big chains and was forced to use her own funds and get financial help from family and friends.
Kamras: New George Wythe won’t be completed until 2027
Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras is insisting that it will take six years to produce a replacement for George Wythe High School, or three years longer than City Hall has insisted it would take if its personnel led the construction.
Safe bets
More than 488,000 voters cast ballots in Tuesday’s Democratic primary, choosing former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, Delegate Hala S. Ayala and Attorney General Mark R. Herring to carry the banner in November
After casting her ballot Tuesday at a North Side precinct, Justine Farmer said she felt she had to go with a familiar Democrat who could win in the fall. That’s why the Richmond office worker said she voted for former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, the happy warrior of Virginia politics who appears to draw energy from being on the campaign trail.
A shot at some swag
Rewards to get a COVID-19 vaccine
Want tickets to the Super Bowl? An all-expenses-paid cruise through the Caribbean? A check for thousands of dollars?
Personality: Keya D. Wingfield
Spotlight on winner of the Food Network’s 2021 Spring Baking Championship
From the confines of her home to the heights of national television, Keya Desai Wingfield is making waves in the world of cooking.
Olympian and activist Lee Evans, who took iconic stand at 1968 Mexico City Games, dies at 74
Lee Evans, the record-setting sprinter who wore a black beret in a sign of protest at the 1968 Summer Olympics and then went on to a life of humanitarian work in support of social justice, died Wednesday, May 19, 2021, at age 74.
Bethlehem Baptist Church leaving East End for the suburbs
Bethlehem Baptist Church, which bills itself as “The church in the heart of the city with the city in our hearts,” is moving from Fairmount Avenue in the East End to the suburbs, according to Carolyn Demery, chair of the church’s Deacon Board.
Possible NBA title for Brooklyn Nets?
If the Brooklyn Nets are to ever win an elusive NBA title, this might be the year.
’How the Monuments Came Down’ documentary premieres June 10 at Maymont
“How the Monuments Came Down,” a new documentary detailing Richmond’s long love affair with its Confederate monuments and the social justice movement last summer that resulted in most of them coming down, will premiere Thursday, June 10, at Maymont.
Pressure mounts on UNC in Nikole Hannah-Jones tenure dispute
The pressure on trustees at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to grant tenure to investigative journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones continued to mount last week as a major funding partner joined the call to change her status and a sought-after chemistry professor decided not to join the faculty over the dispute.
Police K9s forced into retirement with state legalizing marijuana
What do marijuana-sniffing police dogs do when pot is no longer illegal?
Officials confirm new regional discussions to address homelessness using federal money
Richmond and its two biggest neighbors, Chesterfield and Henrico counties, have begun talks on a regional approach to the needs of the hundreds of people who are homeless in the area, including the potential for creating a year-round emergency shelter with support services.
Washington Football playing again at Richmond camp in July
The Washington Football Team will return to Richmond next month for the start of summer training camp.
Primary victories put several Black candidates in position to win
Black influence in Virginia politics appears to be growing.
Colette W. McEachin wins decisive victory over primary challenger for commonwealth’s attorney
The race for Richmond’s next commonwealth’s attorney ended late Tuesday evening, as incumbent Colette W. McEachin emerged victorious against a Democratic primary challenge from attorney Thomas P. Barbour Jr.
Incumbent Sheriff Antionette V. Irving beats back primary challenge
Richmond Sheriff Antionette V. Irving won a close primary race Tuesday, defeating challenger William J. Burnett in his attempt to take over the job of managing the city jail and supervising hundreds of deputies and staff who work in the jail, provide security in city courts, serve subpoenas and other documents and handle evictions.
RRHA board eyes reopening of Calhoun Center pool
A fix may be on the way for the long-closed indoor swimming pool at the Calhoun Center that the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority owns in its Gilpin Court public housing community.
New grocery store, restaurant coming to Jackson Ward
A small grocery store and a restaurant have signed leases to occupy retail space in the new, 154-unit Jackson Ward apartment complex at 1st and Duval streets early next year, it has been announced.
Virginia Supreme Court hears arguments in Lee statue cases
Can a group of landowners block the governor and the legislature from removing a giant symbol of white supremacy?
Actor Clarence Williams III dies at 81
Clarence Williams III, who played the cool undercover cop Linc Hayes on the counterculture series “The Mod Squad” and Prince’s father in “Purple Rain,” died Friday, June 4, 2021, at his home in Los Angeles. He was 81.
PayPal buys carbon credits from Enrichmond Foundation
PayPal, the well-known electronic payment and money transfer company, agreed to buy carbon credits from the Enrichmond Foundation to support the Richmond-based nonprofit’s ongoing efforts to restore two historic Black cemeteries, Evergreen and East End, it has been announced.
Simone Biles wins 7th title
There’s no disputing that Simone Biles is a champion. After Sunday, she is now a champion seven times over.
Odicci Alexander leads JMU to early wins before bowing in Women’s College World Series
When the curtain finally fell, Odicci Alexander left behind a show that won’t soon be forgotten.
NSU’s Danny Hosley is among 5 finalists for Olerud Award
Norfolk State University’s Danny Hosley is one of five finalists for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award.
Pride Month and the Equality Act, by Marc H. Morial
“Rather than divide and discriminate, let us come together and create one nation. We are all one people. We all live in the American house. We are all the American family. Let us recognize that the gay people living in our house share the same hopes, troubles and dreams. It’s time we treated them as equals, as family.” — The late Congressman John Lewis
Truth and guilt, by Dr. E. Faye Williams
I’ve always enjoyed observing the unique behaviors of children. With youngsters, what you see is what you get. They present an unvarnished, no-excuse look at human behavior and become genuinely interesting when they are old enough to understand the difference between right and wrong.
Black voter suppression is descendant of racist past
Anyone who is shocked or surprised by what the states of Texas and Mississippi currently are doing to suppress Black voting must have little, if any, knowledge of the history of the two former Confederate states. Otherwise, they would know that on Feb. 2, 1861, Texas adopted “A Declaration of the Causes which Impel the State of Texas to Secede from the Federal Union.”
Luther H. Foster’s name needs to be returned to Nottoway County school
I call for the name of Nottoway Intermediate School to be changed back to Luther H. Foster School.
VCU baseball season ends at NCAA regional in Mississippi
The Virginia Commonwealth University baseball season hit a dead end in Starkville, Miss.
Harrison names to baseball’s All-Prep League
Josiah Harrison capped an outstanding junior season at Trinity Episcopal School in South Side by being named All- Prep League and All-Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association.
Bamisile transferring from Va. Tech to GW
Joe Bamisile has taken his jump shot from Blacksburg to Washington, D.C.
Meghan and Harry welcome second child, Lilibet ‘Lili’ Diana
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, welcomed their second child Friday, June 4, with the birth of a healthy girl, Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.
Thursday, June 3
Polls open Tuesday, June 8, for Democratic primary
Voters are in the midst of choosing the Democratic standard bearers who will run for state and local offices in the fall election, with the nomina- tion contests to be settled by a primary election Tuesday, June 8.
Recognizing a naval pioneer
The late Adm. Samuel L. Gravely Jr., a Richmond native who was the first African-American to reach the rank of admiral and the first African-American to command a U.S. Navy fleet, was remembered and honored Wednesday during a ceremony at the Virginia War Memorial commemorating the 50th anniversary of his promotion to the rank of admiral.
Racial justice and democratically governed schools, by Kenya J. Gibson
I am writing in response to a letter the Richmond School Board received this spring from the Virginia Department of Education regarding the body’s ability to effectively govern. It is a letter that I believe should concern us all.
GOP senators block truth, by Ben Jealous
Republicans in the U.S. Senate are a threat to our democracy.
Tulsa: Legacy of white supremacism by Marc H. Morial
“I will never forget the violence of the white mob when we left our home. I still see Black men being shot, Black bodies lying in the street. I still smell smoke and see fire. I still see Black businesses being burned. I still hear airplanes flying overhead. I hear the screams,” she said. “I have lived through the massacre every day. Our country may forget this history but I cannot.” — 107-year-old Viola Fletcher, survivor of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre.
Tulsa
As the nation turned its attention this week to the 100th anniversary of the horrific massacre of Black people in Tulsa, Okla., in 1921, we have two main thoughts:
Sports respite
Good for tennis star Naomi Osaka, 23, who put her mental health needs above the demands of Grand Slam organizers, media and spectators this week.
NCAA golf tournament offers time for reflection on Tiger Woods’ early career
Since its inception in 1897, college golf’s most prestigious tournament has been a mostly all-white affair.
Naomi Osaka’s withdrawal from French Open highlights mental health, expectations of athletes
The world’s No. 2-ranked tennis player shined a light on mental health awareness and the sports world when Naomi Osaka stunningly withdrew Monday from the French Open after boycotting a post-match news conference, explaining she has been suffering from depression for almost three years.
NSU heads to NCAA Track and Field Nationals
Norfolk State University’s 4x100 relay team is heading to Eugene, Ore., for the NCAA Track and Field Nationals June 9 through 12.
UU’s football season to open against Hampton on Sept. 4
Finally, some good news for Virginia Union University football.
Student-athletes shine at VUU, VSU
Athletes at Virginia Union University and Virginia State University who have been standouts in their sports are being recognized as stars in academics.
JMU to face Oklahoma in Women’s College Softball World Series
James Madison University has ridden the powerful and tireless right arm of Odicci “Ci Ci” Alexander to the Women’s College Softball World Series.
Brandon Henson brings firepower to VCU Rams baseball
Brandon Henson is a notable reason why Virginia Commonwealth University hasn’t lost a baseball game in about seven weeks.
Is it safe to sing at church yet? Depends on who you ask
On Pentecost Sunday, some members of Southwood Lutheran Church in Lincoln, Neb., sang hymns without masks for the first time in more than a year.
Painting contractor still waiting for payment on work at River City Middle School
Months after Richmond’s new River City Middle School was completed and turned over to Richmond Public Schools, William Bullock is still waiting to get paid nearly $200,000.
Richmond native rapper Brax lives on in mural to be unveiled
A new mural will be unveiled this weekend in North Side celebrating Braxton Trenae Baker, a Richmond-born rapper who performed as Brax and made a major splash on social media before her death last year at age 21.
City, VUU and RRHA join forces to help boost Gilpin Court residents through new partnership
The City of Richmond announced a new 20-year partnership with Virginia Union University and the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority to help support residents of the Gilpin Court public housing community.
Report details racism, sexual assault at VMI
The Virginia Military Institute has tolerated and failed to address institutional racism and sexism and must be held accountable for making changes, according to a state-sanctioned report released Tuesday.
Monthly food distribution program launches in Henrico
A new monthly curbside food distribution effort began last Saturday at Quioccasin Middle School in Henrico County, drawing long lines of people in their vehicles despite the intense rainfall.
Wilberforce forgives graduates’ debt
Wilberforce University graduates had another reason to celebrate after an announcement at last Saturday’s commencement for the Classes of 2020 and 2021.
Howard U. renames College of Fine Arts in honor of late alumnus Chadwick Boseman
While studying at Howard University, young Chadwick Boseman helped lead a student protest against plans to merge his beloved College of Fine Arts into the College of Arts and Sciences. He failed in that goal.
NSU wins MEAC baseball championship with help from area players; next stop NCAA Regional
Two athletes from Chesterfield County have helped Norfolk State University win its first MEAC baseball title.
Judge blocks meeting called by Fourth Baptist pastor
A Richmond judge on Tuesday blocked the pastor and the deacon board of a divided Fourth Baptist Church from holding a special congregational meeting on Saturday, June 5, to take a second vote on removing trustees, the church treasurer and the chair of the finance committee.
Personality: Tyrone E. Dickerson
Spotlight on recipient of the Ruth Coles Harris Advancing Diversity and Inclusion Award
In the world of number crunching and accounting, Tyrone E. Dickerson stands out. And he’s working to create a more equitable place for others like him.
’I have lived through the massacre every day’
She was just 7 years old when the white mob stormed through her neighborhood, killing every man they could find, raping defenseless women and burning to the ground virtually every building in a 35-block area.
Stay or go?
The Virginia Supreme Court will hear arguments next Tuesday on whether Gov. Ralp S. Northam has the authority to remove the Monument Avenue statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee
The fate of the giant statue of slavery-defending Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee that has loomed over Monument Avenue for more than 130 years now rests with the seven justices of the Virginia Supreme Court.
