Governor grants clemency to police officer convicted in fatal shooting
Days after a judge sentenced a Virginia police officer to prison in the fatal shooting of an unarmed man accused of stealing sunglasses, the state’s Republican governor granted the fired officer clemency, meaning he won’t have to serve further time behind bars.
Two-day event to bring women together for inspiration, community
Women seeking encouragement, spiritual renewal and community support will come together for “Empowered Women of Faith: Inspiring Change and Breaking Barriers.”
Richmond to host Broadway hits, including ‘The Wiz,’ ‘The Outsiders’
Broadway in Richmond recently unveiled its 2025-2026 season lineup, which will feature four Richmond premieres, two returning family favorites and the return of an iconic musical.
Henrico County native embraces new life in Ghana’s Eastern Region
Henrico County native Indee Jordan first visited Ghana in 2006, searching for a place to surround herself with “people who looked like her.” It took years of planning before she and her husband decided to make the West African country their new home. In 2022, they settled into a small resort town in the Eastern Region of Ghana called Atimpoku. Located along the Volta River, about two hours north of the capital city of Accra, she said her family’s new home provides a profound sense of belonging and peace.
Woodford announces bid for Virginia’s 73rd House District
Justin Woodford recently announced his candidacy for Virginia’s 73rd District in the House of Delegates, focusing his campaign on issues affecting working and middle-class residents.
Richmond SCLC elects new officers, board members
The Richmond chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference chose new officers and board members during its election Feb. 27.
Clemency for a cop
We believe the dying words of Timothy McCree Johnson. We don’t think he was reaching for anything when he was shot by a “fearful” Fairfax County police officer as he ran away from him on a March evening in 2023. We do think the governor of Virginia is reaching when he states that freeing the former officer who killed Johnson is “in the interest of justice.”
Roberta Flack’s music and message, by Marc H. Morial
“I’m deeply saddened that many of the songs I recorded 50 years ago about civil rights, equal rights, poverty, hunger, and suffering in our society are still relevant in 2020. I hope that people will hear these songs in a new way as they connect to their lives today, to this pandemic, to the growing economic disparities, to Black Lives Matter, to police brutality, to activism versus apathy, and the need for each of us to see it and address it.” – Roberta Flack
Virginia’s public workers deserve a voice — it’s time to act, by Felicia Boney
Last year, my City of Richmond co-workers and I came together to make history and negotiate one of the first-ever union contracts for front line City workers. Now, we need to expand the freedom to collectively bargain to all public service workers around Virginia, so that all workers and all communities can share in the benefits that come when we empower working people.
Time to recognize Pauli Murray’s legacy in Richmond
Thank you for your recent Personality feature on Russell W. Scott, current president of the Howard University Alumni Club of Richmond. It’s vital to highlight the achievements, both local and universal, of HBCU alumni, not only during Black History Month, but throughout the year.
Judge recalled as ‘legend’
Former judge Willard H. Douglas Jr. was a legend among men. He was the type of person who could hold a conversation with a layman, governor or any other dignitary. I knew him very well from working next door to him at the Richmond Juvenile Detention Center on Mecklenburg Street.
Virginia State captures CIAA title, awaits NCAA selection
Virginia State claimed its first CIAA men’s basketball championship since 2019 with a 71-64 victory over Bluefield State in the 2025 Food Lion CIAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament on Saturday at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore. .
Eryn Byrd, Lauryn Taylor help VCU secure second at A-10
VCU placed second at the 2025 Atlantic 10 Conference Championships, earning eight medals across all events on the second day of competition. The Rams were led by Lauryn Taylor, who won three gold medals, and Eryn Byrd, who earned her fourth career gold in the shot put.
Byers named Black College Football Player of the Year
Jada Byers, a record-setting rusher at Virginia Union University, was recently named Black College Football Player of the Year by the Black College Football Hall of Fame.
Orchard House Middle School to host screening of ‘Daughters’
Orchard House Middle School will host a public screening of “Daughters” on March 20 in partnership with Girls For a Change. The documentary follows four young girls as they prepare for a Daddy Daughter Dance with their incarcerated fathers, examining the impact of separation on their relationships.
Calendar-Ray honored for a lifetime of community service
Cassandra Calendar-Ray was honored Feb. 22 for her dedication to improving the lives of Virginia families at a ceremony held at The Betty J. Queen Intergenerational Center in Louisa. The NAACP Branch #7085 recognized her with the NAACP Phenomenal Woman Plaque and the Harry Leroy Nuckols Memorial Certificate of Recognition for her exceptional community service.
Sigma Gamma Rho to host youth symposium focused on girls’ empowerment
In response to growing concerns about the safety and well-being of young girls, the Iota Sigma Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority will host its annual Youth Symposium on March 8 at Fairfield Middle School.
Tributes pour in for R&B singer Angie Stone after her death
Fans are remembering the voice and songs of trailblazer Angie Stone after her death at 63 in a weekend crash on an Alabama highway as she traveled from a performance.
Roberta Flack, Grammy-winning ‘Killing Me Softly’ singer, dies at 88
Roberta Flack, the Grammy-winning singer and pianist whose intimate vocal and musical style made her one of the top recording artists of the 1970s and an influential performer long after, died Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. She was 88.
Richmond Ballet prepares for first performance at VMFA in decades
As renovations to the Leslie Cheek Theater at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts near completion, the museum and Richmond Ballet have announced that beginning March 20, the ballet company will move its repertory series, now known as “Moving Art,” to the theater.
