Free community testing for COVID-19 continues
For the week of Saturday, May 18, confirmed hospital admissions for COVID-19 in Virginia dropped 16.3% from the previous week. No deaths associated with COVID-19 were reported statewide that week. COVID-19 wastewater levels in Central Virginia remain below detection. Free community testing for COVID-19 continues.
RPS graduation schedule, procedures
Graduation ceremonies for Richmond Public Schools will be at the Greater Richmond Convention Center or Virginia Union University. All graduation attendees must follow a set of protocols, including going through metal detectors, no loitering, no re-entry and only bringing clear gallon-size Ziploc bags. Graduates cannot enter the venue in regalia and attendees must exit the premises immediately after the ceremony.
Click It or Ticket campaign launches ahead of Memorial Day
As the Memorial Day holiday approaches and summer beckons, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles and law enforcement emphasize the importance of seat belt usage. The national Click It or Ticket enforcement campaign is now underway, running until June 2, aiming to enhance road safety across the state.
Department of Veterans Services hosts Memorial Day ceremonies
The Virginia Department of Veterans Services will hold a Memorial Day ceremony 11a.m. Monday, May 27, at the Virginia War Memorial, at 621 S. Belvidere St.
DEI on campus, in corporations due for a change, by Clarence Page
Reports of the death of DEI, the widely praised and reviled— take your pick—employment policies to improve diversity, equity and inclusion, have been greatly exaggerated, as Mark Twain famously said of reports of his own death.
Protests of controversial graduation speakers useful, have a history, by Roger Chesley
High-ranking elected official comes to campus to pontificate at graduation. University bigwigs pat themselves on the back for the PR boost. Noticeable numbers of graduates then protest at the ceremony, outraged at the luminary — and the university’s tone-deaf selection.
GRASP awards $74K to Richmond high schoolers
This year, GRASP—Great Aspirations Scholarship Program, Inc.—initiated a new program for students who attend Armstrong, Huguenot, John Marshall, Richmond High School for the Arts and Thomas Jefferson high schools. The program, Richmond Pathways Scholarship & Stipend, helps students bridge the gap and overcome barriers to higher education.
Guess who ain’t coming to dinner?
It appears Virginia State University won’t be hosting a presidential debate this year. This is a tough blow for the school, which was preparing for the national spotlight such an event would provide.
Statues of limitations
Gov. Glenn Youngkin should thank his predecessor for putting the stone statues of Confederate leaders out of reach after they were dismantled and hauled away. He may have saved the governor from himself.
University of Richmond law professor receives grant to research Black legal issues
Marissa Jackson Sow, a law professor at the University of Richmond, was recently awarded a $27,000 grant from the Institute of International Education to support her research on Black and Indigenous legal issues.
Fiber artist Lauri Jenkins wins Arts Center’s Master Teacher Award
Lauri Jenkins, a fiber artist whose journey with sewing began in her teenage years, was recognized for her contributions to the Visual Arts Center of Richmond with the 2024 Shelly Shepherd Master Teacher Award. Ms. Jenkins received the award May 11 at the center’s 38th Annual Collectors’ Night, a fundraising event presented by Dominion Energy.
Museum appoints curator of Indigenous American art
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts recently named Siera Hyte (Cherokee Nation) as its first Schiller Family Curator of Indigenous American Art. Hyte starts her role on Aug. 26.
Memorial Day
Unlike the aforementioned monuments, at least one idea from the Civil War era has rightfully endured – Memorial Day.
Poor and low income people need to vote, by Julianne Malveaux
“There were 15 presidential debates in 2020,” thunders the Rev. William Barber, the co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for a Moral Revival (www.poorpeoplescampaign.org). I’ve heard him make this point many times, and sometimes the exclusion so rankles him that he shifts from conversational mode to preacher mode, with all the thunder that comes with the shift.
VUU nabs All-Sports nod
For the first time, Virginia Union University has won the C.H. Williams All-Sports Award for CIAA men’s athletics. The annual award goes to the school with the highest overall finish among all men’s sports.
Washington draws ‘soft’ schedule
There are advantages to going 4-13, as the Washington Commanders did last NFL season.
University of Richmond Spiders football joins Patriot League
The University of Richmond has accepted an invitation for its football team to join the Patriot League, the institution announced Tuesday. This move comes after the Spiders’ successful stint in the Colonial Athletic Association, with the transition expected to occur ahead of the 2025 season.
The Legendary Ingramettes headline Friday Cheers
The Legendary Ingramettes, a renowned local gospel group founded in the 1960s, will headline the Friday Cheers concert series on Brown’s Island this week. Known for their powerful vocals and inspirational performances, the Ingramettes are part of a special night of music of artists from Richmond.
David Sanborn, jazz saxophonist, dies at 78
David Sanborn, the Grammy-winning saxophonist who played lively solos on such hits as David Bowie’s “Young Americans” and James Taylor’s “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” and enjoyed his own highly successful recording career as a performer of melodic, contemporary jazz, has died at age 78.
Virginia Museum of History & Culture offers free admission to military on Memorial Day
The Virginia Museum of History & Culture honors active duty military personnel and veterans by offering free admission on Monday, May 27. This initiative is part of the museum’s Memorial Day observance, aimed at expressing gratitude to those who have served in the armed forces.
