Desirée Roots and the Weldon Hill Ensemble will headline the 7th Annual National Day of Racial Healing on Tuesday, Jan. 17, at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture at 428 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd.

Sunday, Jan. 8, marked the first time that the Buffalo Bills took to the football field since Bills’ safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest on the field only minutes into their Jan. 2 game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

He was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento but came to be known and admired worldwide as simply “Pelé.”

The HBCU trend toward hiring celebrity football coaches continues.

It is apropos that Jamarion Sharp plays basketball for the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers.

Do you believe underdog Texas Christian University can win the College Football Playoff against powerhouse Georgia? If not, doubters might listen to the Hypnotoad.

Venus Williams is back in the win column.

Fred Valentine, among the first HBCU alumni to play Major League Baseball, died Dec. 26 at age 87.

John Marshall High School ran through a strong field on its way to its first Chick-fil-A Classic championship.

Willie Taylor, who thrilled VCU fans with his theatrical dunks and three-point swishes, died Dec. 31. The native of the Nashville, Tenn., area was 42.

Damar Hamlin’s goal was simple: He wanted to raise $2,500 online to buy toys for needy kids.

Of all the college basketball programs in America, perhaps the most consistent winner of all is just 19 miles north of Richmond.

VCU’s sophomores are a class with a lot of class, and upside as well.

The United States is a big place, but the world is much bigger. So, it’s no surprise the National Basketball Association began this season with a record 120 international players representing 40 countries and six continents.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickens added something extra to his signal calling Dec. 24 at Three Rivers Stadium. Even the TV viewers could hear him bark “Franco! Fran- co!” prior to the center’s snap.