There should be no distractions
Re “Strange Fruit? Critic: Oak evokes lynching image at Walker statue site,” Dec. 24-26 edition: Gary Flowers is oh so right. Mr. Flowers understands the process of concentration. The tree and the statue each require individual attention.
Athletes, dollars and progress
As the University of Alabama football team prepares to line up against Clemson University on Jan. 11 in Glendale, Ariz., to decide the national collegiate football championship, it’s worth noting that the Crimson Tide wouldn’t be “rolling” in success and the money that accompanies it without its African-American players led by 2015 Heisman Trophy Winner Derrick Henry.
Fat Cat Tuesday
When the work day ended Tuesday, top bosses in the United Kingdom earned more than the average worker will in a year. Think about that: On just the second work day of 2016, the fat cats running the European nation’s top 100 companies would have earned more than their employees will during the next 11 months-plus.
Beyond tears
We appreciate President Obama’s courageous action Tuesday ordering stricter gun laws to curb the out-of-control firearm violence that is plaguing communities across the United States. He has done by executive order what the spineless politicians in Congress and the Virginia General Assembly have failed to achieve because they have been bought and paid for by the National Rifle Association and like zealots.
VUU’s Kiana Johnson leads CIAA all around the ball
Fueled by transfer Kiana Johnson, the Virginia Union University women’s basketball team has taken off like a rocket. The 5-foot-7 dynamo leads the CIAA in scoring (24.8 points per game), assists (8.2 per game) and steals (4.2 per game) while steering the Lady Panthers to an 8-1 takeoff under first-year Coach AnnMarie Gilbert. Inheriting a squad coming off a 9-18 season, Coach Gilbert felt she needed a quality point guard to jump start her inaugural season on Lombardy Street.
Rams wreak ‘Havoc’ at home and on the road
“Havoc” is alive and well at Virginia Commonwealth University, even though its founder, former Coach Shaka Smart, has left for Austin, Texas. In examining the Rams’ recent basketball statistics, you’d hardly suspect Coach Smart had been replaced by Coach Will Wade.
Henrico High gym becomes ‘Buckingham Palace’
It’s about time for De’Monte Buckingham to be entered into the discussion of the Richmond area’s all-time, high school basketball greats. At least since the 1970s, few players have piled up more points — and more championships — than the Henrico High School megastar.
Tiger at 40
Ten days after Tiger Woods turned 24, he picked up his 16th career PGA Tour victory by beating Ernie Els in an epic battle at Kapalua.
2016 Strong Men & Women in Virginia History honorees
They can only be described as sculptors. They are responsible for the making and shaping of strong communities. They are the 2016 Strong Men & Women in Virginia History who are being honored at a ceremony next month. The honorees were announced this week by Dominion and the Library of Virginia, sponsors of the annual program celebrating the outstanding achievements of African-Americans.
VUU hosts annual Community Leaders Breakfast Jan.15
The 38th Annual Community Leaders Breakfast honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will be held 7:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 15, at the Claude G. Perkins Living and Learning Center at Virginia Union University, 1500 N. Lombardy St. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Robert M. Franklin Jr., president emeritus of Morehouse College.
Dr. Royal named chief of staff at HCA hospitals
Dr. Erica M. Royal’s medical responsibilities have increased exponentially in 2016. The Richmonder is the new chief of the medical staff at HCA’s Henrico Doctors’ Hospital, Parham Doctors’ Hospital and Retreat Doctors’ Hospital.
John Marshall-Thomas Jefferson alumni basketball game Saturday at Ashe Center
Past basketball greats from John Marshall and Thomas Jefferson high schools will face off for a good cause. Former players from both schools will tip off at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 9, at the Arthur Ashe Jr. Athletic Center, 3001 N. Boulevard.
Personality: Robert N. Barnette Jr.
Spotlight on board chairman of Virginia Alliance Against Mass Incarceration
Robert N. Barnette Jr. says he was inspired to accept the position as board chairman of the Richmond-based Virginia Alliance Against Mass Incarceration after reading “Billion Dollar Divide,” a report by the Justice Policy Institute in April 2014. “I wanted to lend my voice to a worthy cause,” he says.
Margaret C. Crews, 80, left mark as Richmond teacher
Margaret Edwina “Wina” Clay Crews loved literature and was passionate about guiding children through their formative years. For 35 years, the Richmond native followed those passions to leave an indelible mark of excellence on hundreds of children as an English teacher with Richmond Public Schools.
Former Free Press writer, Don E. Dale, dies at 73
Donald Edward Dale was known for his ready smile, quick wit and sharp intellect. He had a multitude of talents, working as a public relations specialist with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts for more than 25 years. After retiring in 2004, he wrote part time for the Richmond Free Press from 2005 through 2007. He also wrote for Style Weekly.
Dr. Frances C. Welsing, 80, renowned psychiatrist best known for her views on the origins of white racism
Dr. Frances Cress Welsing used her platform as a psychiatrist in the nation’s capital to battle white supremacy. Dubbed the “Queen of Black Consciousness,” she won attention for her views on white racism, including her assertions that white racism is because of a deficiency of melanin, the pigment that darkens skin, and that white people oppressed black people out of fear of black domination.
‘Unforgettable’ Grammy winner Natalie Cole mourned at 65
Grammy Award-winning singer Natalie Cole, whose biggest hit came in a virtual duet with her late father, the legendary Nat King Cole, of his decades-old hit “Unforgettable,” has died. Ms. Cole, who was 65, died Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles from “ongoing health issues,” her family said.
‘We need to rebuild, renew and refocus,’ Emancipation Day speakers say
One after another, speakers at the 75th Annual Emancipation Proclamation Day Worship Celebration at Fifth Baptist Church in the West End passionately implored listeners to get involved in community betterment. Lynetta Thompson, president of the Richmond Branch NAACP, drew shouts of “Amen” and “Hallelujah” when she said, “Black churches, we need your help. We need for you to be a voice for the voiceless,” she stressed. She urged audience members to step outside the walls of the church to perform community service and become active in groups such as the NAACP that work for social change. The Bible, she said, has more than 300 verses speaking to seeking social justice and helping the poor.
Event supporting Muslim community Sunday, Jan.10
The Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities and several partner organizations are hosting “Standing Together,” a public event featuring speakers and panelists from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds exploring themes of interfaith understand- ing, solidarity and community.
Bill seeks to expunge teen drug arrest records
Young people in Virginia who are convicted of marijuana possession or underage possession of alcohol find those convictions permanently etched on their criminal records. Historically, many of those convictions have fallen disproportionately on African-Americans, even though numerous studies show white people use alcohol and marijuana at similar rates.
