Elegba Folklore Society presents 27th annual Juneteenth celebration
Elegba Folklore Society’s “Juneteenth 2023, A Freedom Celebration” will take place Saturday, June 10, and Sunday, June 11. Saturday’s program, “Torch Lit Night Walk Along the Trail of Enslaved Africans,” begins at 7 p.m. at the Manchester Dock, 1308 Brander St. It is free to attend, however donations are welcome.
June is Pride month
Richmond once again is raising the Progress Pride flag over City Hall to open Pride Month in the city.
Gov. Youngkin scraps college degrees for most state jobs
Most Virginia government jobs will be open to high school graduates, beginning July 1.
Youngkin hails new digital hub for veterans benefits
Earlier this month Gov. Glenn A. Youngkin announced the rollout of a Gold Standard Digital Hub for Virginia veterans and their families to ensure easier access to information regarding earned benefits and resources tailored to their needs.
Operation Safe Summer gears up
Richmond, state and federal law enforcement will be working closer together than ever as part of a new initiative they say will seek to stop violent crime and protect children, during a season when crimes tend to increase.
Alphas trailblazers — again
When Tyler Parker, a member of the Henrico County Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, was informed by the Virginia Board of Historic Resources on Sept. 15, 2022, that its application for a “Trailblazers of a New Era” highway marker was approved, he knew the organization’s next steps.
Chesterfield’s Memorial Day event to unveil Tomb of the Unknown Soldier replica
During a Memorial Day ceremony on Monday, May 29, Chesterfield County will include the unveiling of a replica of the iconic Tomb of the Unknown Solider and present a live re-enactment of the changing of the guard by the Chesterfield County Sheriff Honor Guard. The ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. on the Historic 1917 Courthouse Green.
Petersburg city pool opens Memorial Day weekend
Petersburg’s public swimming pool located at 1216 Farmer St. will open for the season on May 27, it has been announced. The pool will remain open through May 29, from 12 to 6 p.m. each day for the holiday weekend.
Virginia Department of Veterans Services to host Memorial Day ceremonies
Memorial Day will be commemorated at four special ceremonies hosted by the Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) on Monday, May 29. The events are free and open to the public.
Virginia Career Works hosts job fair May 31
Former Tyson workers, immigrant communities encouraged to attend
Virginia Career Works-Capital Region will host a job and resource fair Wednesday, May 31, that is open to all job seekers, but largely tailored to former employees of the closed Tyson plant in Glen Allen and members of immigrant communities, the organization has announced.
RVA Bike Share shuts down
Richmond’s bike share program shut down abruptly Monday after the Canadian operator, Bewegen Technologies, ended service, according to a city statement.
Erasing redlining
Nearly 100 years since redlining left Richmond’s communities of color marginalized, Coming Together Virginia will host a discussion about how such discriminatory practices caused long-term environmental effects for Richmonders and others.
UR names new museum director
Issa Lampe is the new executive director of University of Richmond Museums effective June 1.
Grey Garrett is Virginia Rep’s Carole King
The Virginia Repertory Theatre has found its Carole King. Richmond theater actress Grey Garrett has been selected to play the award-winning musician in the regional premiere of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at the November Theatre beginning Friday, June 23.
Jamestown Settlement to commemorate Jamestown’s founding
Jamestown Settlement, a museum of 17th century Virginia, will present a full day of programs and live demonstrations Saturday, May 13, to commemorate the 1607 founding of Jamestown, America’s first permanent English settlement, and honor the enduring legacies and traditions of the Virginia Indians who have occupied the land for centuries.
Bus transfer center opening soon
The replacement GRTC transfer center in Downtown is projected to open around Thursday, June 15, the transit company has indicated.
Honorary street signs for Davis, Dennis and Hamilton
Over the coming weeks, three Richmonders will receive posthumous recognition for their contributions to the civic, religious and business life of the city.
RPD names LGBTQ+ community liaison
The Richmond Police Department has named Capt. Kimberly Mooney as the Department’s LGBTQ+ community liaison (lesbian, gay, transgender and queer/questioning community).
Rep. McClellan named to Biden-Harris Campaign National Advisory Board
U.S. Rep. Jennifer McClellan is among the team of Democratic leaders who will help deliver President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ message and engage voters across the country, the Biden-Harris 2024 re-election campaign said yesterday in announcing its National Advisory Board.
Margaret O. Daramola is Virginia’s poet laureate
Margaret O. Daramola has been named the Commonwealth of Virginia’s new poet laureate.
J.C. Poma to lead Chesterfield’s sports tourism expansion efforts
J.C. Poma will become Chesterfield County’s first-ever executive director of sports, visitation and entertainment. His appointment was effective May 1.
Free Press wins 18 awards in annual VPA contest
The Richmond Free Press continues its 30-year tradition of award-winning excellence.
Brotherhood, sisterhood and service
In his 2001 book, “The Divine Nine: The History of African American Fraternities and So- rorities,” author Lawrence C. Ross Jr. explains “the vital role of America’s Black fraternities and sororities,” which includes providing young black achievers with opportunities to support each other while they serve their communities and the nation.
UPAL’s garden
Anew community garden shaped as a labyrinth with circular walking paths will be dedicated at noon Saturday, May 6, on the grounds of 4809 Warwick Road in South Side, it has been announced.
Massey vans drive cancer awareness message
The VCU Massey Cancer Center recently announced its collaboration with two Richmond area street artists whose colorful works will wrap two mobile health vans. The customized vehicles will soon bring cancer education, prevention, screening and care coordination directly to underserved communities in central and southern Virginia.
Kamala Harris Richmond visit scheduled
On Thursday, May 4, Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Richmond in honor of Small Business Week and to highlight the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to uplifting small businesses.
Fort Gregg-Adams
New name for Army base honors 2 Black officers
Fort Gregg-Adams replaced Fort Lee as the official name for the U.S. Army Base during a Redesignation Ceremony on April 27. Located in Prince George County, Fort Gregg- Adams recognizes two Black officers, Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg and Lt. Col. Charity Adams.
Whitehead named VSU band director
Virginia State University announced this week that Dr. Taylor Whitehead is its new director of Marching and Pep Bands.
VMHC welcomes students to State History Day competition
Elementary, middle, and high school students from across the Commonwealth will compete this weekend in the Virginia History Day State Contest at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.
Derby Day returns
A Richmond-based foundation once again will be throwing a benefit bash to accompany the running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 6.
Credit Union tours city
The Richmond Heritage Federal Credit Union, the largest Black-owned financial institution in the city, marks its 87th anniversary with a tour of the city to celebrate the expansion of its ATM network, it has been announced.
UR announces commencement speaker
University of Richmond alumnus Greg Morrisett will speak at the school’s commencement ceremonies on May 7. He is currently the Jack and Rilla Neafsey Dean and Vice Provost of Cornell Tech and a faculty member in the computer science department at Cornell University.
Henrico DMV office moves to Ashland
A new, larger DMV office is about to open in Ashland, replacing the service center at 9015 Brook Road in Henrico County, which will shut down on Saturday, April 22, it has been announced.
Holy Rosary celebrates 50th year for Knights of Columbus 6457
Holy Rosary Catholic Church, the oldest African-American Catholic congregation in Richmond, will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Father Charles G. O’Leary Knights of Columbus Council 6457 on Saturday, April 29, beginning at 4 p.m. with a meet and greet, followed by a dinner and program.
Summit to address Black women, birthing and reproductive health
In Virginia, Black women are three times more likely to die than white women during childbirth or due to pregnancy-related causes, according to Birth in Color RVA, a birth, policy and advocacy nonprofit focused on raising awareness surrounding maternal health and reproductive justice.
Federal grant to benefit low-income families
A trio of Richmond-based financial operations have been collectively awarded $10.5 million from the U.S. Treasury to advance their service to low- and moderate-income communities.
Restoring votes for returning citizens
Members of the New Virginia Majority, Virginia NAACP, League of Women Voters of Virginia, Virginia Organizing, ACLU of Virginia, and Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, along with Del. Don Scott, House Minority Leader, and Sen. Mamie Locke participated in a press conference at the Bell Tower in Capitol Square to speak against the current rights restoration process of the current administration.
Maymont’s spring break includes baby goats and three little chicks
April in Maymont means loads of activities for Richmonders to enjoy. On Friday, April 7, the Maymont Mansion and The Robins Nature Center will be open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., to take in the arrival of five baby goats and three Brahma chicks to the Maymont Farm.
Henrico to offer free instruction on CPR, AEDs
Henrico County will hold a series of open houses from April 15 through 26 to teach residents to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and use an automated external defibrillator (AED) to potentially save the life of someone in cardiac arrest. More than 356,000 cardiac arrests occur outside a hospital in the U.S. each year, according to the American Heart Association.
2 Richmond principals recognized for leadership
Richmond Public Schools Principal Ta’Neshia Ford is the recipient of the 2023 R.E.B. Award for Distinguished Educational Leadership.
Upcoming exhibits seeks Vietnam War stories
March 29 was National Vietnam War Veterans Day, and this year the day marked the 50th anniversary of the withdrawal of the last American troops from South Vietnam. As Americans reflect on the service and sacrifices of Vietnam War veterans, the Virginia Museum of History & Culture (VMHC) is asking Virginians with personal connections to the Vietnam War to share their stories for a new exhibition.
University of Richmond has new provost
Joan Saab will become executive vice president for academic affairs and provost for the University of Richmond effective July 1.
Chesterfield announces housing choice vouchers
The waiting list for Virginia Housing and the Chesterfield- Colonial Heights Department of Social Services’ housing choice vouchers opens Thursday, March 23, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for anyone who wants to submit an application.
Youngkin appoints Lisa Coons as superintendent of public instruction
Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Wednesday announced the appointment of Tennessee Chief Academic Officer Lisa Coons as Virginia’s 27th superintendent of public instruction. Dr. Coons’ appointment as the commonwealth’s chief school officer is effective Monday, April 17.
Bubba’s Block Party returns
NASCAR driver William D. “Bubba” Wallace will again host a block party for the Richmond community as part of the return of racing to the track in Henrico County, it has been announced.
Leadership summit will amplify student voices
Some 600 Richmond-area high school students will attend Teen Summit RVA at the Greater Richmond Convention Center on March 18.
New HIV treatment facility opens in Henrico
CrossOver Healthcare Ministry opened the doors to its new HIV treatment facility Wednesday morning, ringing in the occasion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
UR receives $250K NIH grant for redlining research
Rob Nelson will explore racially motivated housing and health inequities
Robert K. Nelson, director of the Digital Scholarship Lab at the University of Richmond, has been awarded nearly $250,000 from the National Institutes of Health to study the impact of redlining — racially-motivated lending discrimination — on health inequalities.
NIH awards $27M to VCU’s Wright Center
The National Institutes of Health has awarded Virginia Commonwealth University a seven-year, $27 million grant to provide new therapy techniques “to the community” and to reduce regional health disparities.
UR’s Philip S. ‘Sam’ Deloria to discuss indigenous views of institutional racism
Sam Deloria, a 2022-23 Jepson Leader-in-Residence at the University of Richmond, is a Yankton Dakota descendant, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of Fort Yates, N.D., and a lifetime advocate for Native American peoples and politics.
