Trump steadily fulfills goals on religious right’s wish list
When Donald Trump assumed the presidency, conservative religious leaders drew up “wish lists” of steps they hoped he’d take to oppose abortion and rein in the LGBTQ rights movement. With a flurry of recent actions, the Trump administration is winning …
Sister Helen Prejean, activist nun, talks about getting Jesus 'right'
Sister Helen Prejean wants to get religion “right.”
Acclaimed writer Paule Marshall, professor emeritus at VCU, dies at 90
Writer Paule Marshall, an exuberant and sharpened storyteller who in books such as “Daughters” and “Brown Girl, Brownstones” drew upon classic and vernacular literature and her mother’s kitchen conversations to narrate the divides between African-Americans and Caucasians, men and women, …
William M. ‘Bill’ Jones Jr., former Richmond corporate executive, dies at 88
William M. “Bill” Jones Jr., who was the first African-American corporate manager and personnel development manager at Thalhimers in Richmond, died Saturday, July 27, 2019, in Dallas, where he and his family have lived for many years. He was 88.
Dr. Martha C. Cook, longtime educator and former first lady of Ebenezer Baptist Church, dies at 82
Dr. Martha Louise Charles Cook combined a love of science and education with her faith. Dr. Cook taught the basics of biology to students in Richmond Public Schools and other school districts in a teaching career that spanned more than …
Democratic hopefuls seek support from young black faith leaders
Three Democratic presidential hopefuls fielded questions from black church leaders last week, bouncing between politics and prayer as they vied for support from an audience of about 5,000 black millennials.
Eugene A. Mason Jr., who served on the Richmond School Board and City Council, dies at 78
From the roof of J.L. Francis Elementary School to City Council chambers at City Hall, Eugene A. Mason Jr. was a constant force in improving public education in Richmond.
Churches mobilize to help families impacted by immigration raids
The children of Sacred Heart Catholic Church streamed out into Mississippi’s blistering heat last Sunday afternoon, carrying what they said was a message of opposition against immigration raids their parents could not.
Muslim initiative raises thousands to release detained migrant parents
Led by two of the country’s most prominent imams, hundreds of U.S. Muslims have raised more than $81,000 to bail out detained migrant parents.
Montgomery's churches part of city's 200-year history of slavery, civil rights
Connections between Christianity, Confederacy and civil rights — and the history of slavery — are in plain sight in Alabama’s capital.
Toni Morrison, who transformed American literature to win Nobel and Pulitzer prizes, dies at 88
Nobel laureate Toni Morrison, a pioneer and reigning giant of modern literature whose imaginative power in “Beloved,” “Song of Solomon” and other works transformed American letters by dramatizing the pursuit of freedom within the boundaries of race, has died at …
Jamestown interpreter tells the story of 'Angela,' one of the first Africans in Virginia; her faith is a mystery
Wearing a yellow head wrap, gray skirt and soiled apron, a woman who says she is “called by the name of Angela” stood by the James River and told her story, one of faith and courage, darkness and hope.
Daniel 'Sonny Strong' Gordon Jr., karate instructor at YMCA, dies at 79
Karate Grandmaster Daniel Gordon Jr., nicknamed “Sonny Strong,” died Thursday, July 11, in Richmond. Mr. Gordon was 79 and had taught martial arts at the Downtown YMCA for more than 40 years. His pupils over the decades ranged in age …
Cliff Branch, former NFL receiver, dies at 71
Cliff Branch, one of the premier deep receiver threats in NFL history, died Saturday, Aug. 3, at age 71.
Dr. Harrison B. Wilson Jr., longtime president of NSU, dies at 94
Dr. Harrison B. Wilson Jr., who served as president of Nor- folk State University for 22 years and whose grandson, Russell Wilson, is the superstar quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks, died Sunday, July 28, 2019. He was 94.
