
At Christmas, babe in manger is not always white
When the Rev. Kip Banks’ family pulls out its nativity scene each Christmas, the African features of the baby Jesus provide lessons on both the Bible and self-esteem.

Rev. Roslyn Brock to speak at annual Emancipation Proclamation Day service Jan. 1
The Rev. Roslyn M. Brock, chairwoman emeritus of the national NAACP Board of Directors, will be the keynote speaker at the annual Emancipation Proclamation Day service at 11:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 1, at Fifth Baptist Church, 1415 W. Cary St.

Grammy winning singer Nancy Wilson dies at 81
Grammy award-winning singer Nancy Wilson, whose silky vocals turned out hits ranging from R&B to jazz and funk, died Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018, at her home in Pioneertown, Calif., a desert community near Joshua Tree National Park.

Personality: David Fowler Jones Sr.
Spotlight on Founder of TH-JAW Foundation
David F. Jones Sr., founder of the TH-JAW Foundation, truly believes it takes a village to raise a child.

Petition drive continues for Put Schools First
Put Schools First is still collecting signatures to get a proposed change to the City Charter on a future Richmond ballot to allow voters to decide whether to pump more tax dollars into school construction and limit financing for the Coliseum replacement project that Mayor Levar M. Stoney has endorsed.

Bridging RVA to serve Christmas dinner
Christmas Day dinner for all. That’s what Bridging RVA is promising on Tuesday, Dec. 25. Dinner will be served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Congregation Beth Ahabah, 1121 W. Franklin St. in The Fan, it has been announced.

Council to seek new chief of staff
Richmond City Council will be seeking a new chief of staff after quietly accepting on Monday the resignation of Lou Brown Ali, who has held the post since 2011 after serving as the city clerk.

Dominion seeks $300M from customers for coal plant upgrades
Dominion Energy wants customers to pay more than $300 million, which would cover the cost of upgrading three coal-burning power plants, plus some extra money.

RRHA working again to settle heating problems
Tina Shaw has gotten most of what she wanted for Christmas — working heat in her two-bedroom apartment in the Creighton Court public housing community.

Cheryl Burke sworn in to hold School Board seat through 2020
Retired elementary school principal Cheryl L. Burke was sworn in Tuesday as the official 7th District representative on the Richmond School Board. Mrs. Burke, 65, who was appointed by the board in 2017 to fill the seat on an interim basis, won a special election on Nov. 6 to fill the seat for the remainder of the term through December 2020.

VUU spokesperson blasts claims by doctoral student as ‘false, ill-advised, arbitrary and capricious’
Virginia Union University is pushing back against a student-written letter and online petition calling for an investigation and the removal of VUU President Hakim J. Lucas and Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, chair of the VUU Board of Trustees.

City Council approves commission to review $1.4B Coliseum project
City Councilwoman Kim B. Gray scored a signal victory in securing an 8-1 vote Monday in support of her plan to create a commission of citizen experts to review the $1.4 billion plan to replace the Richmond Coliseum and redevelop at least 10 blocks of Downtown near City Hall.

Closure pending as Bennett College loses accreditation
After two years of probation, Bennett College, one of just two historically black private women’s colleges in the country, has lost its accreditation, threatening the 145-year-old school’s survival.

Critics assail Trump panel recommendations that would strip students of civil rights while not boosting student safety
The Trump administration on Tuesday moved to roll back an Obama-era policy that was meant to curb racial disparities in school discipline but that critics say left schools afraid to take action against potentially dangerous students.

Bump stocks banned
The Trump administration on Tuesday banned the high-power gun attachments of the type used in last year’s Las Vegas shooting massacre of 58 people, giving the owners of “bump stocks” 90 days to turn in or destroy the devices and blocking owners from being able to register them.

Probe finds Trump illegally used foundation as ‘a checkbook’ for his campaign, business
President Trump’s charitable foundation reached a deal Tuesday to go out of business, even as the president continues to fight allegations he misused its assets to resolve business disputes and boost his run for the White House.

Groundbreaking: RPS and city officials celebrate the start of construction of 3 new city schools
It was a day for smiles, celebration and looking to the future Wednesday as Mayor Levar M. Stoney, Richmond Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras and elected city and School Board officials broke ground for three new city schools.

‘Be conscious … of making a positive impact,’ VCU fall graduates told
Christy Coleman, chief executive officer of the American Civil War Museum, offered graduates firsthand insight on what their future paths may hold during Virginia Commonwealth University’s fall commencement ceremony last Saturday at the E.J. Wade Arena at the Siegel Center.

Coats for winter
Several hundred new winter coats were distributed to people of all ages last week by two different organizations, just in time for the snowfall last Sunday.