Thursday, September 11
Lecture explores history of Black church in U.S.
West End Presbyterian Church will host a lecture titled “Swing Low: The Story of the Black Church in the United States” on Saturday, Sept. 27 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the church’s Fellowship Hall, 9008 Quioccasin Road. Doors open at 8 a.m., with coffee available.
Pop singer Cody Fry to perform with Richmond Symphony for season opener
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Cody Fry will join the Richmond Symphony for the 2025-26 season opener on Saturday, Sept. 13, at 7:30 p.m. at the Altria Theater.
Black Girl Rally returns with prizes, activities, and parents
Girls For A Change will host its annual Black Girl Rally on Friday, Sept. 26, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Victory Theater & Event Center in Chesterfield.
The WELL Fest brings art, music and mindfulness
The Well Collective drew a crowd to Main Street Station on Sept. 6 for “The WELL Fest,” a daylong celebration of Richmond’s arts, culture and music scene with a focus on well-being.
Comics, cosplay and fun at ComiCon
Richmond ComiCon came to life at the Raceway on Sept. 6, bringing comics, pop culture, and creators to fans of all ages.
Virginia Union’s Allen named National HBCU Player of Week
Virginia Union University senior running back Curtis Allen was named National HBCU Player of the Week after rushing for 185 yards and two touchdowns in the Panthers’ 45-3 victory over Miles College in the Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic on Sunday.
Diamond gets sendoff with former players, fan activities
The Richmond Flying Squirrels recently announced additional promotions for the final series at The Diamond, including former player appearances and special concessions.
Norfolk State rallies past Virginia State 34-31 in overtime
Norfolk State scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to rally past Virginia State 34-31 in overtime Saturday night at William “Dick” Price Stadium.
Roadrunners advance past Vitesse in playoff opener
The Richmond Roadrunners pulled away in the fourth quarter to defeat the Virginia Vitesse 63-59 on Sept. 7 in the first round of the playoffs.
Vicky Hester’s legacy endures at Babes
On Tuesday, Sept. 2, Vicky Hester, longtime owner of “Babes of Carytown,” one of the nation’s oldest and last remaining lesbian bars, passed away from cancer at the age of 71.
Richmond to host monthly boxing series supporting local charities
A new monthly boxing series will bring world-class fighters to Richmond starting Sept. 17, with proceeds benefiting local youth programs and nonprofit organizations.
Early voting
Richmond voters can soon begin casting ballots early for the 2025 elections, including races for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and members of the House of Delegates.
Virginia War Memorial to hold annual Patriot Day ceremony on Sept. 11
The Virginia War Memorial will host its annual Patriot Day ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 11, honoring all Americans who were killed or injured in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and United Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, 24 years ago.
Ex-All Saints manager pleads guilty to embezzling nearly $240K
A former business manager at All Saints Catholic School faces up to 20 years in prison for embezzling $239,820 over nearly three years.
Indigenous culture celebrated at Kennanee Native Arts Festival
The Kennanee Native Arts Festival, celebrating Indigenous culture, community, and connection, will be held at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden on Sunday, Sept. 14 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Westwood Baptist hosting ‘Stay Awake Sunday’ panel on civil rights and policy
Westwood Baptist Church will host a panel discussion titled “Stay Awake Sunday” on Sunday, Oct. 5 from 9:30 to 11 a.m.
First African Baptist Church partners with ‘Gabriel’ musical production
First African Baptist Church is playing a vital role in bringing the story of Gabriel’s Rebellion to the stage through the new musical “Gabriel,” which runs Sept. 26 to Nov. 9 at Hanover Tavern.
Personality: Kristin Janssen
Spotlight on the new executive director at Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School for Government and International Studies
Chesterfield soccer prodigy Terry Richard heads to Spain
A rising American soccer star is taking his talents overseas. Fourteen-year-old Terry Richard of Chesterfield is headed to Spain to train with Patacona CF, a top development club in Valencia.
Anniversary of immigration reform raises questions about America’s refuge role by Wayne Dawkins
Sixty years ago, on Oct. 3, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Hart- Celler Immigration Reform Act into law. LBJ’s signature ended 40 years of race-based National Origins policy that favored bringing white northern European immigrants to the U.S. and restricted immigrants from less-desirable parts of Europe, along with additional roadblocks for people from Asia, Latin America and Africa.
Eviction story highlights urgent need for housing reform By Andréa Wilson
I thought I knew a lot about displacement, housing insecurity and homelessness. Then I experienced it for real.
Chicago’s streets move to America’s historic rhythms by Ben Jealous
I started out this year, 2025, in Chicago, honored to give the Martin Luther King Jr. Day address at the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s big gathering.
We won’t forget
In the years after a devastating terror attack killed 2,977 Americans on Sept. 11, 2001, in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania, annual remembrances and memorials sprang up that kept the tragedy and trauma front of mind for at least a day or so.
Chicago braces as Trump threatens immigration raids
As President Donald Trump threatens to expand immigration raids and deploy the National Guard, Chicago has become the latest flashpoint in a broader national struggle over how far the federal government can push local authorities to cooperate with its immigration agenda.
Dominion proposes new rates for residents, data centers
Dominion Energy and the Virginia State Corporation Commission last week began a multiday hearing to evaluate a proposed energy rate increase for homeowners.
VCU, Reynolds launch program to smooth transfer process
Virginia Commonwealth University and Reynolds Community College have launched a dual-admission program designed to give community college students additional support as they transfer to VCU.
Democrats retake Connolly’s seat in special election
Democrat James Walkinshaw decisively won a special election Tuesday to replace former U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District, narrowing Republicans’ majority in the House of Representatives to six seats.
Wilder Symposium to spotlight Virginia’s impact on national politics
Virginia voters will help set the tone for national politics this fall when the state holds one of only two gubernatorial elections in the country.
Federal judge says restoring Stonewall Jackson name at school violates students’ rights
A federal judge in the U.S. Western District Court ruled Tuesday that the Shenandoah County School Board’s decision to restore the name Stonewall Jackson High School violated a group of students’ First Amendment rights by compelling them to promote a positive image of the Confederate general.
City pays $5.8M to man wrongfully convicted
The City of Richmond has authorized a $5.8 million payment to a man who spent decades in prison after being wrongfully convicted in 1976 for murder and sexual assault.
Residents press RRHA on housing, displacement in Gilpin talks
Housing concerns and fears of displacement dominated a Saturday meeting between Gilpin Court residents and the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority, where community members pressed officials on redevelopment plans for the neighborhood.
Thursday, September 4
Former Richmond theologian to preach at SBC, West End
The Rev. Steve Parker of Atlanta, a former minister at St. Peter Baptist Church in Glen Allen, will return to Richmond as the Men’s Day speaker for Second Baptist Church (West End) at 11 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 7.
Gilpin Court residents confront RRHA over redevelopment plan
A packed meeting at Greater Mount Moriah Baptist Church last week underscored growing unease over plans to transfer Gilpin Court to a nonprofit, as frustrated attendees walked out after clashes between residents and housing officials over the neighborhood’s future.
After debate, council advances plan to pay wrongfully convicted man
The Richmond City Council gave initial approval Tuesday for Richmond to pay $5.8 million in restitution to Marvin Grimm, a man who was wrongfully incarcerated for more than four decades after being linked to the death of a local boy in 1975.
Virginia nursing homes challenge Youngkin veto in court
Nearly 200 nursing homes in Virginia announced Wednesday that they are suing Gov. Glenn Youngkin over a veto he executed earlier this year that would have helped support staffing efforts at the facilities, which are facing a critical shortage.
Earle-Sears faces questions over past anti-gay rights positions
Republican gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears expressed strong opposition to a series of LGBTQ+ rights in a candidate questionnaire completed when she unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2004.
Richmond hires Morrison as intergovernmental affairs director
The city of Richmond has named Ruth Morrison as its new director of intergovernmental affairs, officials announced Thursday.
Faith leaders march on Wall Street to denounce anti-DEI campaign
On Thursday, Aug. 28, Black faith leaders, activists and protesters descended on Manhattan’s financial district to denounce efforts by the Trump administration and some private companies to abandon diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, known as DEI.
Protests grow as critics call Trump a ‘wannabe dictator’ by David W. Marshall
When Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris, he won by only 1.5 percentage points overall while receiving 312 electoral votes. Among Hispanic voters, Trump won 48% of the vote after losing to Joe Biden by a margin of 61% to 36% in the 2020 presidential election. In 2024, Trump won 15% of Black voters, up from 8% four years earlier.
Trump’s attack on the Smithsonian reveals fear of history by Clarence Page
Of the 21 museums under the umbrella of the Smithsonian Institution, one in particular seems recently to have rubbed President Donald Trump the wrong way.
Black women shaped labor history long before Labor Day by Julianne Malveaux
The French philosopher Albert Camus reportedly said, “Without work all life is rotten but when work is soulless, life stifles and dies.”
Wrestlers, fans fuel growth of local independent wrestling scene
Despite the uncomfortably hot July night, hundreds of Richmonders huddled around a wrestling ring that was set up for RVA Pro Wrestling’s “Wrestle Riot.”
Personality: Kenneth Hunter
Spotlight on lead organizer at the Virginia Consensus for Higher Education in Prison
Rudy ‘The Reject’ Cunningham, influential coach and athlete, dies at 68
Whether on the basketball court, working with a team, training young athletes or just living life, Rudolph B. Cunningham Jr. was remembered as a man of steady skill and values, always ready to share them with others.
New portal simplifies medical cannabis access
Virginia medical cannabis patients now have easier, faster and more secure access to their certifications through a new online portal launched by the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority.
Employers to showcase career opportunities at Life-Ready expo
Henrico County Public Schools will host its annual Life-Ready Expo on Sept. 17 at Hermitage High School, giving middle and high school students and their families a chance to explore career options and connect with local employers.
Henrico Education Foundation names Jennifer Boyle as CEO
The Henrico Education Foundation has named Jennifer Boyle as its new CEO following a national search, the organization announced Tuesday.
Cash in the sofa
A few weeks ago, when Gov. Glenn Youngkin threatened to withdraw state funding from Richmond over unpaid restitution to Marvin Grimm, a man wrongly convicted in 1975, questions piled up.
A big three
There’s a belief that people of a certain stature move on from this mortal plane in groups of 3.
Panthers’ rushing attack overwhelms Miles in Hall of Fame Classic
Virginia Union opened its 2025 season with a statement.
RVA Roadrunners to play Vitesse in playoffs
The Richmond Roadrunners will meet the Virginia Vitesse in the first round of the Women’s American Basketball Association league playoffs, marking their second matchup in recent days.
VA Pride unveils headliners for Pridefest
VA Pride recently announced that rapper Saucy Santana, trans pop singer Mila Jam and club icon Kevin Aviance will headline Pridefest 2025 at Midtown Green on Saturday, Sept. 27.
R&B Festival to return to Kanawha Plaza
The sounds of classic R&B will fill Kanawha Plaza on Saturday, Sept. 6, as the third annual Richmond R&B Festival brings together some of the genre’s defining voices from the 1990s and 2000s.
Festival returns with wellness, art and music
The 22nd annual Happily Natural Festival and Urban Farm Expo returned to the Fifth District Mini Farm in South Side Richmond on Saturday, Aug. 30.
Latin jazz heats up Midtown Green
The 18th Annual Latin Jazz & Salsa Festival filled Midtown Green Saturday with live music from Edwin Ortiz y La Mafia del Guaguanco, Kevin Davis & Ban Caribe and Carlos Xavier, along with food, vendors and a car show celebrating Latino culture and community.
