Thursday, August 31
Changes in Youngkin administration
Kay Coles James has stepped down as Secretary of the Commonwealth, and Harold W. Clarke is retiring as director of the state’s prison system. The departure of the two senior Black state officials will usher in new leadership at several agencies in Gov. Glenn A. Youngkin’s administration.
Oh ye of little faith
Gov. Glenn A. Youngkin and Attorney General Jason S. Miyares both profess to be men of Christian faith, which calls on adherents to be accepting of people no matter their status, resources or appearance. So why do they take such comfort supporting the oppression of transgender people?
Simone Biles wins a record 8th U.S. gymnastics title a full decade after her first
Simone Biles is not going to explain herself. Part of this is by design. Part of this is because she simply can’t.
VCU Health’s Bridging the Gap program receives $5M grant for community violence intervention initiatives
Bridging the Gap, a VCU Health program geared toward community violence intervention at the bedside and in the community, was among six recipients of a $5 million grant to sustain the work of hospital-based community violence intervention programs (HVIPs) in Virginia.
Science Museum’s space exhibit closing
Richmonders interested in space and how astronauts survive it have just a few days to experience it at the Science Museum of Virginia, as the “Space: An Out-of-Gravity Experience” exhibition will end on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 4.
Pollen counts Richmond a top 25 attraction
If you are coughing and sneezing more than previous summers: you are not alone. Richmonders are feeling the effects of summer heat and worsening allergies.
National Recovery Month program
A Church Hill restaurant is teaming with Richmond area playwright and author Raymond Goode to mark September as National Recovery Month in the city, it has been announced.
10 drugs targeted for Medicare price negotiations as Biden pitches cost reductions
President Biden touted the potential cost savings of Medicare’s first-ever price negotiations for widely used prescription drugs on Tuesday as he struggles to convince Americans that he’s improved their lives as he runs for reelection.
Free community testing for COVID-19 continues
The Richmond and Henrico County health districts are offering testing at the following locations:
RPS lunch times to be extended
The Richmond School Board unanimously approved a motion during their meeting Monday evening for a minimum 20-minute seated lunch time.
Labor Day holiday prompts no public celebrations for City workers now represented by unions
Cookouts, parties at breweries and restaurants and free admission to the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens. Those are among the events planned for Labor Day in Richmond on Monday, Sept. 4, according to websites listing events. Missing from the list are parades, celebrations or other activities related to working people and labor unions — even though this holiday was created to celebrate workers.
New principals appointed at RPS schools
Richmond Public Schools welcomed one new principal and five new interim principals with the start of a new school year and Superintendent Jason Kamras used his daily newsletter, RPS Direct, to give each of the appointees a brief introduction last Thursday.
Safety Damar Hamlin makes the 53-player cut after Buffalo Bills pare roster, AP source says
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin made the cut, a person with direct knowledge of the decision confirmed to The Associated Press on Tuesday and according to NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero.
Transparency and speaking truth to power
I am a 19-year veteran of the Richmond Fire Department and a candidate for the City of Richmond Personnel Board to represent the classified service. I have been closely following the narrative of the proposed burn building at Hickory Hill. I was in support of the burn building until I understood the entire narrative.
Labor Day 2023: Celebrating the union difference and building tomorrow’s public service workforce, by Lee Saunders
As we prepare to celebrate Labor Day, it’s as exciting a time as any to be a part of a union. Working people are seeing what the union difference is all about, and they want to be a part of it. Unions are overwhelmingly popular as the newest Gallup poll on attitudes toward labor unions shows.
60 years after the March on Washington, please read Dr. King’s full ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, by Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan
It’s been 60 years since the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. One of the most famous speeches in American history, it is named for its most quoted line: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
Best in class
Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras announced in his weekly newsletter that Open High School and Richmond Community High School recently ranked as the No. 2 and No. 3 best high schools in Virginia, according to U.S. News and World Report’s 2023 Best High Schools edition!
Who gets to play?, by Julianne Malveaux
As summer winds down, and folks start rushing back to school or work, the memories of their vacations perhaps sustain them when, after Labor Day, the business of fall quickly engulfs them. There’s that Gershwin song from Porgy & Bess, “Sum- mertime and the Living is Easy,” record- ed more than 25,000 times with artists as diverse as Ella Fitzgerald and Willie Nelson. There’s that no-caring vibe that so many exude. Summer feels like, “Let’s go out to play.” Which begs the question: Who gets to play? In the European Union, workers get 20 days a year for vacation. Stores are nearly deserted in Paris this August because people have time off! In contrast, the average worker gets just 11 days of vacation in the United States. If they’ve worked in corporate America, the average worker gets just one week and has to work for up to five years before getting even two weeks. Many think educators get the summer off, and some faculty have the summer for research and preparation. But many K-12 teachers are paid so little that summer is when many of them get their side hustle on. Some teachers are driving for ride- share companies such as Uber and Lyft. Others have lined up consulting, tutoring, or other assignments. The other day, I had a ride with a math teacher who said his salary was too low to sustain his family. During Julianne Malveaux the summer, he clocks 12-hour days into ride-sharing. He’s one of the millions who don’t get to come out to play. Then there are the people who cobble a living working two or three part-time jobs. More than 8 million people have multiple jobs. Who knows what kind of juggling they are doing? Do any of their jobs provide them with vacations? When do they unplug? Reflect? Spend time with family or simply get to exhale? Just like everything else in our society, leisure is unevenly distributed. Those with more means and more access have more opportunities to play. Those who are simply surviving don’t have playtime, reflection time, or other downtime. The European Union edict that everyone, regardless of where they sit on the economic totem pole, gets 20 days a year off is an egalitarian recognition of the human right to relax. We in the United States are not as far along. Instead of rewarding labor with time off, we exploit workers in as many ways as possible, extracting surplus value from their work. There is little data on leisure, so most of my thoughts are in- terpretations and extrapolations. But as I listen to people wax rhapsodic about their vacations, their “happy places,” the wind and the sun and the beaches, I can’t help but think of those who don’t get time to enjoy wind, sun and beach. Summer is a time when many come out to play. What happens to those who don’t have that opportunity? Do they live in Langston Hughes’dream deferred? Do they dry up like a raisin in the sun, fester like a sore, and then run? Do they sag like a heavy load? Do they explode? In a growing number of American cities, workers are exploding, striking and demand- ing more money and more days off. It’s about time. Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author, commentator and activist.
VUU’s Garcia named All-American
Virginia Union University’s Hayden Garcia, who competed in 2022-23 as a graduate student for the VUU Golf Team, has been named an All-American by The Black College Golf Coaches Association and Golf Coaches Association of America, it was announced last Thursday.
Once more, America faces a reckoning, by Rev. Jesse Jackson
This country faces a reckoning. The question is whether we will come together or fall apart, move forward or descend toward a moral abyss. In this time of deep discord, of partisan divide, racial tension, extreme inequality, the outcome is far from certain. As fraught as this time is, however, it is not unique. We have faced such moments before.
Rev. Ellison now part of Sears' staff
The Rev. Joseph F. “Joe” Ellison Jr. is the new director community engagement for Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears.
Richmond Divine Nine members go to D.C.
About 85 members of several Richmond area fraternities and sororities attended last Saturday’s March on Washington in Washington, D.C., where they joined thousands of others to commemorate the historic event’s 60th anniversary.
Turf takes the field in Chesterfield County
The first turf field in Chesterfield County Public Schools officially opened Aug. 24. Before the L.C. Bird High School Skyhawks hosted the Rapids of James River High School to kick off football season, a ribbon-cutting took place on the 50-yard line of Bird High’s new Sprinturf Ultrablade field.
September set off
The VSU Trojans, NSU Spartans and HU Pirates will swing into action Sept. 2 for their season openers.
A’ja Wilson ties record for most points in WNBA
The Las Vegas Aces might be the surest bet in the city known as “The Gambling Capital of the World.” A’ja Wilson is a towering reason why.
VUU readies for show in Ohio against Morehouse
On Sunday, Sept. 3, Virginia Union University will have a national audience watching its performance.
Richmond’s bike share program back in business
Richmond’s bicycle rental system is back in business, with free rides being offered through the end of the year to re-energize, raise awareness and boost interest.
Labor Day 2023 closings
In observance of the Labor Day holiday on Monday, Sept. 4, please note the following:
Black women benefit from more mind, body, spirit practices
Khepera Sankara was at rock bottom when she attended her first yoga class in 2013. It was an Ashtanga class taught by yoga teacher Robbie Norris as part of a program that brought yoga to the Richmond City Jail, where Ms. Sankara was incarcerated for shoplifting. “It was a godsend,” she said in a recent phone interview. “I found it so profoundly transformational. Just the physical practice helped change my
Noah Lyles, Sha’Carri Richardson and lots of unknowns as track gets ready for Paris Olympics
In some ways, track and field served up a tantalizing preview of what’s to come next year at the Paris Olympics. In others, the sport left the nine-day world championships with as many questions as answers.
Black quarterback numbers show progress
The NFL’s fraternity of starting Black quarterbacks continues to grow.
Thousands gather for March on Washington’s 60th anniversary
Thousands of people assembled near the Lincoln Memorial on Aug. 26 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington, paying tribute to the historic civil rights gathering led by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. while voicing new frustrations with political extremism that threatens racial progress.
Personality: Nicole Unice
Spotlight on Rise Richmond’s board chairwoman
The Rev. Nicole Unice says the best thing her parents ever taught her was that life is a great adventure.
Judge holds Giuliani liable in Georgia election workers’ defamation case and orders him to pay fees
A federal judge on Wednesday held Rudy Giuliani liable in a defamation lawsuit brought by two Georgia election workers who say they were falsely accused of fraud, entering a default judgment against the former New York mayor and ordering him to pay tens of thousands of dollars in lawyers’ fees.
University of North Carolina graduate student left building right after killing adviser, police say
A University of North Carolina graduate student walked into a classroom building, shot his faculty adviser and quickly left, authorities said a day after the attack paralyzed the campus as police searched for the gunman.
Jacksonville shootings refocus attention on city’s racist past and the struggle to move on
By some measures, Jacksonville was making strides to emerge from its racist past. But the killing of three Black people by a young, white shooter was a painful and startling reminder that the remnants of racism still fester in the Florida city.
Groups agree to disagree
Gun violence talks bear limited resolve
It may have been discouraging, but we’re not discouraged.’ — The Rev. Don Coleman
Thursday, August 24
Woody Foundation, Military Retirees at odds over admissions tax
For at least 10 years, Christopher J. Woody Sr. raised money for his charity, The Woody Foundation, by throwing at least 17 parties and events a year at the Military Retirees Club of Richmond in North Side, a large private space that permits alcohol.
Free Press announces new hires, summer interns from Stanford, VCU
Managing editor Bonnie Newman Davis recognized during Black journalists convention
The Richmond Free Press continues to expand, with two summer interns helping to cover some of the most important topics for the Richmond community and longtime contributors joining the staff in a full-time or extended capacity.
UPAL, Sa’ad El-Amin partnership seeks to decrease high levels of lead in soil, water
‘Our goal is to prevent thousands of children from experiencing lead poisoning like those in Flint’
To increase awareness of lead hazards in water and implore the City of Richmond to support a full retrofit of lead service lines, United Parents Against Lead (UPAL) on July 15 joined forces with 1619 Inc., headed by former Richmond Councilman, Sa’ad El-Amin.
Under the microscope
An experiment to fight pandemic-era learning loss launches in Richmond
After intense opposition and skepticism, two elementary schools opened 20 days early to help students make up for what they missed during the time of remote learning. The first question: Would kids show up in the middle of summer for extra schooling?
At March on Washington’s 60th anniversary, leaders seek energy of original movement for civil rights
Sixty years ago, Andrew Young and his staff had just emerged from an exhausting campaign against racial segregation in Birmingham, Ala. But they didn’t feel no ways tired, as the Black spiritual says. The foot soldiers were on a “freedom high,” Mr. Young recalls.
Personality: Joi Dean
Spotlight on Partnership for the Future board chair
Joi Dean believes she has been given much in her life and working with Partnership for the Future (PFF) is a way for her to give back.
August spells spirit of giving
Churches, corporations and RPD provide resources for schools, students
In the weeks and days leading up to Richmond area students entering a new school year, several churches, businesses and other organizations stepped up to provide backpacks, clothing, shoes, lunchboxes and even cash in an effort to ensure that children have the basics for learning.
John Marshall athletes heading to Africa
The boys and girls basketball teams at John Marshall High School depart for Luanda, Angola, in Africa on Friday, Aug. 24. They will return on Sept. 5.
Richmond man seeks parole after nearly four decades in prison
Since 2002, the Virginia Parole Board has approved the release of 69 people who were convicted of murder, including some serving two life sentences. Marvin M. Mundy, who already has served 36 years for his role in the 1988 murder of the night manager and a guest at a Henrico County hotel, is keeping his fingers crossed that he will be next.
McClellan announces photo competition
Congresswoman Jennifer L. McClellan is inviting residents of Virginia’s 4th Congressional District to share their vision of the area and its community with her and, potentially, the nation at large.
Virginia Museum of History & Culture receives national Award of Excellence
The American Association of State and Local History (AASLH) recently awarded the Virginia Museum of History & Culture its highest honor for achievement in the preservation of state and local history — the Award of Excellence. The VMHC was the only museum in Virginia to be given this recognition in 2023.
Ron Cephas Jones, ‘This Is Us’ actor who won 2 Emmys, dies at 66
Ron Cephas Jones, a veteran stage actor who won two Emmy Awards for his role as a long-lost father who finds redemption on the NBC television drama series “This Is Us,” has died at age 66, a representative said Saturday.
Former Wythe star Alex Cole dies at 58
Alexander “Alex” Cole Jr., one of Richmond’s greatest baseball players, died Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023, at age 58.
Sanders’ exit changes SWAC rankings
With no more Coach Deion Sanders at Jackson State, there may be a changing of the guard in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).
Belmar’s been here, there, everywhere
Kharlton Belmar is the Richmond Kickers’ traveling man. Both his suitcase and soccer cleats are high mileage.
VUU’s Anderson draws national ‘Watch’
Virginia Union University has played football games with and against Isaac Anderson.
Football momentum building in the East End
Jeremy Pruitt teaches chemistry in the classroom and, as football coach, seems to have found the right formula at Armstrong High.
COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations increase
COVID-19 hospitalization rates have risen 77% in Virginia so far this month amid signs of a late summer wave sweeping the country, according to Axios. COVID diagnoses in Virginia emergency rooms have risen every week since the end of June, per data released by the Virginia Department of Health yesterday.
Richmond judge clears way for casino vote
Richmond voters will have a second chance to vote on hosting a $560 million casino in South Side. Judge W. Reilly Marchant cleared the way Wednesday by blocking a Richmond charity bingo group’s attempt to challenge the constitutionality of the order he signed July 25 to put the issue on the Nov. 7 general election ballot.
Women at the first March on Washington: A secretary, a future bishop and a marshal
In front of the crowds and the cameras, the speeches of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other men loomed large 60 years ago at the March on Washington. But the women, including those of faith, who played roles in its organization, its music and its news coverage were mostly left off the official program.
Racist attacks can’t hide lawlessness in Fulton County’s case against Trump, by Marc H. Morial
“With Trump, you don’t need to look for a dog whistle. It’s a bull horn when it comes to race. And I do think that’s deliberate. We’ve seen the — I mean, slanderous attacks that he has put out against Fani Willis, you know, alleged things I won’t even repeat. So, he’s not really hiding that he’s going to lean into that element, and this is, you know, taking place just outside of Atlanta. When you saw the courtroom, it was a lot of Black men and women who are serving in that courtroom ... It’s textbook Donald Trump but it comes as no surprise.” — Alyssa Farah, Former White House Director of Strategic Communications
Georgia’s case against Donald Trump’s team shows the real crime — against voters, by Clarence Page
Are you the sort of aging baby boomer who can’t hear the opening notes of Rossini’s “William Tell Overture” without thinking of the Lone Ranger?
Hurray for compromise
Good news. Virginia lawmakers are reportedly on the verge of a budget deal that would ensure increased funding for public schools and mental health services, while restoring a subsidy that will protect against a projected leap in health insurance premiums.
Back to school
Richmond area students are back in the classroom, a new experience for those of us who are used to public schools starting after labor Day.
Demands for better staffing, racial literacy course continue as VCU begins semester
Virginia Commonwealth University students moved into the residence halls last weekend amid ongoing calls for the university’s leadership to address issues regarding firings, hirings tuition increases and on-campus living conditions.
VUU enrollment increases
Virginia Union University is experiencing a surge in freshmen enrollment to start the fall semester, joining other area universities in reporting an increase in first-time students.
WREJ Rejoice sold
‘The Gary Flowers Show’ host plans to ‘carefully consider options before me’
Jim Jacobs, the station’s current owner through Radio Richmond, LLC, confirmed that the $500,00 deal to sell WREJ 990 AM/101.3 FM to Relevant Radio is moving forward. An announcement on “The Gary Flowers Show” Monday morning made it official that the station’s current programming will cease effective Aug. 31.
Thursday, August 17
School Board demands third-party investigation into June 6 shooting
Richmond Public School leaders have demanded a third-party investigation into the events and RPS actions leading up to the mass shooting in Monroe Park following the Huguenot High School graduation ceremony on June 6 that led to the deaths of graduate Shawn Jackson and his stepfather, Renzo Smith.
Changing the trajectory
RRHA ushering in new initiatives for jobs, health and safety
Steven B. Nesmith promised to transform the operation of Richmond’s public housing and the opportunities for residents when he assumed leadership of the authority last fall.
Recovery and reflection
Hawaii works to identify wildfire’s 107 dead
Hawaii Hawaii officials worked painstakingly to identify the 107 people confirmed killed in wildfires that ravaged Maui and expected to release the first names Tuesday, even as teams intensified the search for more dead in neighborhoods reduced to ash.
Kim D. Saunders, former president and CEO of Consolidated Bank, dies at age 61
Kim D. Saunders, who ran a financial consulting firm after leading banks in Richmond, Washington and Raleigh-Durham, N.C., has died.
Personality: Mitchell Haddon
Spotlight on Richmond SPCA’s outgoing board chairman
About a decade ago, Mitchell Haddon met Robin Robertson Starr, who then was CEO of the Richmond SPCA. Because of Mr. Haddon’s experience in construction, Ms. Starr had questions about a veterinary hospital that the nonprofit SPCA was considering building. Their conversation soon segued into the mission of SPCA and its journey.
The NBA has been playing to a hip-hop beat for nearly 50 years
From his booth at the corner of the court, Miami Heat disc jockey M Dot has a front-row look at the harmonious fusion of basketball and music.
Gilpin Court residents ancestry project enables them to reclaim their time
Michelle Bryant wants to learn more about herself and her ancestors.
GRTC increasing drivers, ridership
GRTC is starting to fill driver vacancies and could have a full complement of 300 drivers before the end of the year based on current recruitment, according to a report to the regional transit company’s board Tuesday.
Plunky & Oneness at the Kennedy Center
Richmond funk group Plunky & Oneness will offer a free concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 2, it has been announced.
Glen Lea teacher receives health and physical education award after facing personal health challenges
When diagnosed with heart failure during the 2021-2022 school year, Glen Lea Elementary School educator Dexter Price did not plan to continue teaching.
Free community testing for COVID-19 continues
The Richmond and Henrico County health districts are offering testing at the following locations:
Afro-Puerto Rican orchestra Kadencia appears on Apple TV+ Series ‘Swagger’
Virginia-based Afro-Puerto Rican orchestra, Kadencia, appears in Season 2, Episode 7 of the Apple TV+ series “Swagger.”
I-95 Express Lanes, Fredericksburg extension open
New road estimated to save drivers 35 minutes when coming from D.C. during rush hour
A new, 10-mile extension of the 95 Express Lanes to Fredericksburg opens to mainline traffic late on Aug. 17, according to the Gov. Glenn A. Youngkin administration.
Arthur Ashe Center agreement reached
A potential roadblock for the projected $2.4 billion Diamond District development appears to have been cleared, the Free Press has learned, though questions remain on other aspects.
Judge suspends order to put casino issue on Nov. ballot
A Richmond judge will decide whether to allow a charitable gaming group to challenge the constitutionality of the city’s selection of a casino operator and potentially prevent a planned vote on whether to have a casino in the Nov. 7 general election.
What’s in a name?
Richmond has gone to considerable expense to get rid of its public display of affection for its Confederate and slavery past.
Defend democracy, demand diversity, defeat poverty, by Marc H. Morial
“For more than 100 years, this organization has worked to bring our country together in coalition in the collective fight for the freedom, rights, and justice of all people. ... We know we have more work to do, being clear-eyed about the moment we are in - a moment when state by state in places like Texas and Florida, extremist so-called leaders attack hard-won rights and freedoms.” — Vice President Kamala Harris, National Urban League 2023 Conference
Vaccines provide hope and care, by Bel-Kelly Russo
Seven years after my father passed, I recently experienced an unexpected emotion: Hope.
Holmes, Myers are VUU’s foot soldiers
Brady Myers and Marvin Holmes put the “foot” in football at Virginia Union University.
Clarence ‘Chip’ Howard plans JM resurgence
Clarence “Chip” Howard is a big man with a big assignment: To try and return football glory to the North Side.
Slyderz shine in Inner-City Classic
Carl Smith has seen baseball from an up-close-and-personal vantage point few can match. Now he’s passing along that wisdom to area up-and-comers.
Robinson’s size and speed commands attention in D.C.
Brian Robinson Jr.’s rookie season in Washington couldn’t have started much worse. Nor could it have ended with much more promise.
Clarence Avant, ‘Black Godfather’ of entertainment, and benefactor of athletes and politicians, dies
Clarence Avant, the judicious manager, entrepreneur, facilitator and adviser who helped launch or guide the careers of Quincy Jones, Bill Withers and many others and came to be known as the “Black Godfather” of music and beyond, has died. He was 92.
Dr. Evora W. Jones, who mentored authors and educators at VUU, dies at age 88
Dr. Evora Williams Jones, a retired English professor at Virginia Union University who focused on Southern women writers, has died.
Longtime RPS educator Eleanor R. Binford remembered
Eleanor Redd Binford influenced hundreds of elementary schoolchildren during the 35 years she taught in Richmond Public Schools.
Thursday, August 10
Pregnant woman sues Detroit, police officer after arrest involving facial recognition
A Detroit woman is suing the city and a police officer, saying she was falsely arrested when she was eight months pregnant and accused of a carjacking based on facial recognition technology that is now the target of lawsuits filed by three Black Michigan residents.
Summer sounds visit Highland Park
The St. Elizabeth Catholic Church Jazz & Food Festival bills itself as blending traditional and contemporary jazz with great food in a Christian, family-oriented atmosphere.
Services scheduled for Dr. Adelaide Winfree Simpson
Dr. Adelaide Winfree Simpson loved helping people learn to cope with challenges, deal with traumas and handle the troubles in their life. For more 36 years, she worked with a wide array of individuals as a practicing clinical psychologist in the Richmond area.
Down Home Family Reunion is ‘Bringing the World Home’
The 32nd Annual Down Home Family Re- union will bring music, dance, stories, food, shopping and enrichment to Jackson Ward’s Abner Clay Park on Saturday, Aug. 19. Presented by the Elegba Folklore Society, this year’s cultural arts festival highlights “A Celebration of African American Folklife.”
Former VUU star Fairley dies
Nathan Fairley, a swift, bruising fullback during a highly successful era of Virginia Union football, died Monday, July 31, 2023, of natural causes. He was 65.
Simone Biles dazzles in her return from a 2-year layoff to dominate the U.S. Classic
Simone Biles spent two years trying to distance herself from those strange days in Tokyo and all the outside noise that came along with it.
VCU Rams score victories in Greece
New VCU basketball Coach Ryan Odom is piling up the miles on his “Odometer” before his first season begins.
Graham is VUU’s human stop sign
Shamar Graham wears jersey No. 36, but an octagon stop sign in maroon and steel colors might better describe his gridiron duties. Not much in the way of ball carriers or pass receivers get past Virginia Union University’s aggressive, always ready to rumble linebacker out of nearby (3.2 miles apart) Thomas Jefferson High. “You don’t get 80 tackles standing around in a great defense like ours,” Coach Alvin Parker said. “Shamar makes plays ... he’s a playmaker.” In his first season as a starter, Graham had 84 tackles in 2022, including 7.5 for losses. He added two sacks, and three passes broke up. “I like to go full speed to the ball, sideline to sideline ... and never give up on a play,” Graham said. His ability to crush oppo- nent’s best-laid plans has earned him a nickname – “Showtime.” Among all returning CIAA players, Graham has the most tackles from the 2022 season. “He plays at such a high speed,” Coach Parker said. “He sees where the ball is going, and he goes after it.” The 6-foot-1, 225-pound Graham was here, there and ev- erywhere in a defensive unit that dominated opponents in a 9-2 season that produced an NCAA Division II invitation. Allowing just 17.9 points per game, VUU ranked second in the CIAA behind only conference champion Fayetteville State (17.3). Graham hails from a winning background. As a TJ senior in 2019, he earned All-State honors as a running back and linebacker as the Vikings reached the Class 2 state semifinals. The Richmonder is just warming up at VUU. Despite his tackling heroics, he didn’t make All-CIAA as a sophomore. That’s an award he’s in line for in 2023. The stop sign isn’t going away. There is good news and bad news regarding players coming and going. All-CIAA receiver John Jiles entered the transfer portal and will not likely be back, according to Coach Parker. The North Carolina native caught 40 passes for 627 yards and nine TDs last season after transferring to VUU from Fort Scott Community College in Kansas. On the plus side, 6-foot-3, 215-pound quarterback J’Bore Gibbs, a former starter at FCS power South Dakota State, has transferred to VUU where he will compete with returnees Chris- tian Reid and R.J. Rosales. Gibbs, a native Chicagoan, had a banner freshman year at South Dakota State in 2019 before suffering a knee injury. He later transferred to the University of Idaho where he had yet another knee injury.
Richmond Area SCLC opposes closing early voting locations
The Richmond Area Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which represents Central Virginia as a chartered member of the national SCLC, would like to express our disappointment with and determination to address the decision by the City of Richmond Electoral Board to close two satellite early voting offices for the upcoming 2023 November election.
Virginia NAACP responds to traffic stop data
The Virginia State Conference NAACP (Virginia NAACP) acknowledges the findings of the 2023 Report on Analysis of Traffic Stop Data Collected under Virginia’s Community Policing Act. It continues to be alarming that Black drivers are 19.4% of the driving population but make up 30.4% of those who are stopped. The report findings are also alarming that Hispanic and Native American/Indian Americans also are stopped at a higher percentage than their population.
FTC hindering Black economic achievement, by Julianne Malveaux
The Biden administration has been pushing hard for credit for its significant economic successes. Coining the phrase “Bidenomics,” the term is meant to direct attention toward the administration’s striking successful economic agenda.
Handling extremism, by Dr. E. Faye Williams
At one time we could confidently turn to the U.S. Supreme Court for relief from extremist behavior that attempted to take away rights we already had or rights we were fighting to achieve. Today, unfortunately, we experience extremism in so many areas of our lives.
Smoke and mirrors
Last week, City Hall pulled back from installing a “burn building” where firefighters could train in handling simulated fires on 2-acres of lawn at the Hickory Hill Community Center in South Side.
Riverfront brawl brings unwelcome attention to historic civil rights city in Alabama
Three white boaters in Alabama’s capital city will be charged with misdemeanor assault for a riverfront brawl with a Black boat captain that drew nationwide attention, with more charges likely to come, police said.
Richmond’s new police chief details plans to deter crime, build community outreach, be transparent
After a nationwide search, Richard “Rick” Edwards’ interim position as Richmond’s police chief became permanent when the 24-year veteran of the Richmond Police Department was sworn in July 24 as the city’s 21st police chief.
New law addresses temporary detention orders during mental health crises
‘A law like this was needed’ says woman who faced hospital stay
A new state law might have prevented Jamisha L. Seward’s ordeal nearly a year ago when she was handcuffed and shackled by her leg to a hospital bed for more than 80 hours while a rotating shift of Henrico County police officers kept an eye on her.
Going green with RVA Urban Ag Kickoff
Urban agriculture and the benefits of a sustainable community will be the focus of a new event in Richmond on Thursday, Aug.17, as the inaugural RVA Urban Ag Kickoff is set to be held at Miles Jones Elementary School at 200 Beaufont Hills Drive from 1 to 3 p.m.
A 6-year-old said ‘I did it’ after shooting his teacher at Virginia school, warrants say
In the moments after a 6-year-old shot his teacher in a Virginia classroom last January, the boy made statements, including “I shot that (expletive) dead,” and “I did it. I got my mom’s gun last night,” according to recently unsealed police search warrants.
City hires urban forester
Michael Webb is the City’s first urban forester. Mr. Webb will work with the community to develop the City’s Urban Forestry Master Plan.
Free community testing for COVID-19 continues
The Richmond and Henrico County health districts are offering testing at the following locations:
COVID-19 hospitalizations show slight increase
Local and national health officials are reminding the public to stay safe during the summer season amid record high temperatures and a small but noticeable increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
Electoral Board reverses decision after earlier action ruled illegal
The Richmond Electoral Board, as anticipated, voted last Friday at a special meeting to reverse course and open two more sites for in-person early voting that will begin next month 45 days ahead of the Nov. 7 general election for General Assembly seats.
Richmond fireman Rodney Jermaine Coles, 49, dies
The Richmond Fire Department has announced the death of a 15-year veteran, Rodney Jermaine “Cup” Coles.
Library workshop details new laws about expungement reform
At age 19, John Campbell III, was convicted of highway robbery and sentenced to 25 years in prison with 10 years suspended. After his first release, he was in and out of prison 10 times. Now 74 years old, he has not been back to prison since 2005, he said. Mr.Campbell’sconvictionofhighwayrobbery is the one offense that bars him from opportuni- ties to advance, he said. He receives disability benefits and seeks jobs where he can counsel others in situations similar to his. However, he has been dismissed from these jobs as soon as employers learn about his conviction, he said. Mr. Campbell was among nearly two dozen
Harris takes his turn steering Vikings ship
‘I knew all along I’d come back,’ says TJ’s coach
Eric Harris, a familiar face around Richmond for decades, is the new head football coach at Thomas Jefferson High.
Jay-Z’s Made in America fest canceled
Fans spot rapper, producer during wife Beyoncé’s performance at Fedex Field
Jay-Z’s annual Made in America festival, scheduled for next month in Philadelphia, has been canceled.
Charles Ogletree, longtime legal and civil rights scholar at Harvard Law School, dies at 70
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. Charles J. Ogletree Jr., a law professor and civil rights scholar with a distinguished career at Harvard Law School, and whose list of clients ranged from Anita Hill to Tupac Shakur, died Friday, Aug. 4, 2023, after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was 70.
Personality: Raven Bates
Spotlight on Art on Wheels board president
Raven Bates, the board president of the Richmond-based nonprofit Art on Wheels, says the best thing her parents Robert and Tracey Wilkinson ever taught her was not to fear being different or independent.
Millions struggle to pay AC bills in heat waves
Federal aid reaches only a fraction
Bobbie Boyd is in a losing battle against near triple-digit temperatures in Northwest Arkansas.
Hot and unhoused
Councilwoman urges city to open shelter for disabled people, families and children; Efforts to ‘expand the safety net’ for homeless coming early September, says official
Staying outdoors in the summer heat “is no fun,” said Thomas Bateman, a disabled factory worker. The bedraggled 63-year-old Richmonder hasn’t been able to find an affordable place to stay in the city, and his only income, a government disability check, allows him to pay for a motel stay just one night a month.
City’s Charter Review Commission releases report
After eight months of work, a commission set up to review Richmond’s constitution or City Charter has stopped short of recommending a major overhaul of the city’s form of government.
Thursday, August 3
‘He took the bait’
Kamala Harris pushes back over Florida’s new teachings on slavery
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, facing heavy criticism for defending “anti-woke” teaching in Florida, this week teed up an unusual proposal to the nation’s first Black vice president: Come debate the merits of the state’s new curriculum on African-American history.
Roxanne W. Brinson, former RRHA manager, remembered
Roxanne White Brinson wore multiple hats in seeking to benefit others.
VSU, NSU to play charity baseball
Time for the “old-timers” to loosen up their arms and rub a little oil into their fielding gloves.
NSU, HU facing uphill climb
Norfolk State University will have a chip on its shoulder pads during the upcoming football season.
Inner-City Classic to include softball
This year’s activities include fast-pitching girls
The 32nd Annual Inner-City Classic is back in the Richmond area this week with an added attraction.
Historically Black fraternity drops Florida for convention because of DeSantis policies
The oldest historically Black collegiate fraternity in the U.S. said it is relocating a planned convention in two years from Florida because of what it described as Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration’s “harmful, racist and insensitive” policies toward African-Americans.
It’s time to act, by Jesse Jackson
If things don’t add up, it makes sense to see if something has been left out of the equation. That’s the case today. The experts tell us that the economy is as good as it has been in decades – unem- ployment at record lows, inflation under control, wages finally rising faster than prices. Yet, most people are unhappy and pessimistic. President Biden’s approval rating is still underwater. Donald Trump, his likely opponent in the presidential race, is even less popular. What’s going on?
City reverses course on Hickory Hill
In a surprise reversal, City Hall has dropped its plan to build a new training building for the city Fire Department on 2 acres of lawn at the Hickory Hill Community Center in South Side after a two-year effort to make it happen.
A ‘woke’ military? Don’t forget the messy race relations that got us here, by Clarence Page
Recent Republican moves to limit diversity training and transgender rights and other hot button controversies stemming from the annual defense authorization bill remind me of my own days in uniform back when some of those diversity policies were being created.
Lives well lived in service to others
Let us pay tribute to two remarkable women who left their mark on the world: New Jersey Lt. Gov. Sheila Y. Oliver and educator and perennial Richmond volunteer Dr. Cora S. Salzberg.
VCU Medical Center leads again in annual ranking
For the 13th consecutive year, Virginia Commonwealth Uni- versity Medical Center has been recognized as the No. 1 hospital in the Metro Richmond area by U.S. News & World Report in its Best Hospitals rankings for 2023 and 2024.
Rep. McClellan addresses climate crisis during museum roundtable
Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan, a member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, was joined by National Aeronautics and Space Administration and Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy on Monday to tour the Science Museum of Virginia’s exhibit, “Space: An Out-of-Gravity Experience.”
Richmond Electoral Board to reverse course
The Richmond Electoral Board is preparing to retreat from its controversial and evidently illegal plan to eliminate two early voting sites for the upcoming Tuesday, Nov. 7, general election, one at Hickory Hill Community Center in South Side and the other at City Hall. Hit by strong backlash after the vote last month to shutter those sites as well as a stern, official legal opinion stating the action violated state law, the Republican-led board already has scheduled a special meeting for Friday, Aug. 4, to reverse course.
Feeling the heat
Local libraries, other facilities offer relief for some
It’s been a record-breaking hot summer and, according to the World Meteorological Organization and the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, July was the world’s warmest month ever recorded.
Trump indicted for efforts to overturn 2020 election and block transfer of power
Donald Trump was indicted on felony charges Tuesday for working to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the run-up to the violent Jan. 6, 2021, riot by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol, with the Justice Department acting to hold him accountable for an unprecedented effort to block the peaceful transfer of presidential power and threaten American democracy.
Free community testing for COVID-19 continues
The Richmond and Henrico County health districts are offering testing at the following locations:
Goldman prepares to sue over casino
In mid-June, Richmond City Council voted 8-1 to select RVA Entertainment Holdings LLC as its preferred choice to operate a resort casino in the city — setting the stage for a second attempt to win city voter support for a gambling operation that was defeated two years ago. However, political strategist Paul Goldman believes the no-bid award to the company could violate a provision of the state constitution as well as the Virginia Public Procurement Act. He said he is preparing a lawsuit to test whether the city was required to go through a bidding process before making what amounts to a perpetual right for that company to operate the casino.
Meade clears Byers for takeoff
If Jada Byers is the leading man at Virginia Union University, then Justin Meade represents the powerful supporting cast.
Music week features folk, hip-hop, jazz, metal, pop, rock, R&B and more
Entertainment will be in the spotlight during the first ever Richmond Music Week.
Dr. Cora S. Salzberg, a state, national and international champion of education, dies at age 81
Dr. Cora Slade Salzberg, a leader in promoting higher education in Virginia and the leader of The Links’ national program aimed at aiding underachieving K-12 students to become more successful in school, has died.
Personality: Jessica B. Brooks
Spotlight on Peter Paul Development Center board chair
Four years ago, Jessica B. Brooks joined the board of the Peter Paul Development Center after hearing her husband speak of the East End facility’s positive impact during his youth.
Henrietta Lacks’ family settles lawsuit with biotech company
More than 70 years after doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital took Henrietta Lacks’ cervical cells without her knowledge, a lawyer for her descendants said they have reached a settlement with a biotechnology company that they accused of reaping billions of dollars from a racist medical system.
Good times, good cause
Many South Side residents celebrated the 40th anniversary of National Night Out in Richmond at Hobson Lodge on Tuesday. During the event, Mayor Levar M. Stoney issued a proclamation commemorating the 40th year celebrating police and community partnership.
