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Black contractor braved threats in removing Confederate statues
Devon Henry paced in nervous anticipation because this was a project like nothing he’d ever done. He wore the usual hard hat — and a bulletproof vest.
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Gray still questions cost of taking statues down
City Councilwoman Kim B. Gray, who is challenging Mayor Levar M. Stoney for the city’s top elected job, said this week that the Associated Press interview with contractor Devon Henry has not changed her view that an investigation is needed into the $1.8 million contract he received to remove the city’s Confederate statues from Monument Avenue and other public property in early July.
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VMI superintendent resigns after probe ordered of ‘ongoing structural racism’
The superintendent of Virginia Military Institute resigned Mon- day, a week after Gov. Ralph S. Northam and other state officials ordered an investigation into what they characterized as a culture of “ongoing structural racism” at the college.
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Construction of new city schools didn’t meet deadline, goal for minority participation
Richmond has built three new school buildings, but can teachers and students use them if the School Board decides to restart in-person learning?
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ELECTION 2020: U.S. Senate and congressional races also on the ballot
While the 2020 presidential election has dominated the headlines, the races for U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives also could prove important for the future of national politics.
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New single-family homes, townhouses to be developed in Highland Grove
It has taken seven years, but a long-awaited mixed-income subdivision is being launched in the Highland Grove community in North Side.
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Pope makes D.C. archbishop first Black cardinal in U.S.
Washington D.C. Archbishop Wilton Gregory is now the first Black U.S. prelate to assume the rank of cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church, a historic appointment that comes months after nationwide demonstrations against racial injustice.
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Liberty University undefeated with QB Malik Willis
Fueled by an abundance of Black talent, Liberty University is exploring new football frontiers.
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A. Donald McEachin for Congress
We strongly endorse 4th District Congressman A. Donald McEachin of Richmond for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives.
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Election officials encourage voters to report problems, irregularities
Chesterfield resident Clarence Lee, 90, has been an active voter since the 1950s. He was planning to vote in person on Nov. 3.
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Richmond judge during hearing to remove Lee statue: ‘It’s a very difficult case’
The General Assembly appears to have torn away the foundation of a lawsuit seeking to stop Gov. Ralph S. Northam from removing the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from Monument Avenue — the giant symbol of white supremacy that has loomed over the city since 1890.
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General Assembly completes work on budget, criminal justice reform
Fairer sentencing for people convicted of crimes and a Marcus crisis alert system to improve the response to mental health emergencies are among the criminal justice reforms that have emerged from the General Assembly’s special session.
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George Wythe High School replacement may get new life with expected announcement
City Hall is poised to move faster to replace George Wythe High School in South Side, the Free Press has learned.
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50 homeless people aided under city’s new shelter plan during weekend cold snap
City Hall appears to have succeeded in sheltering the homeless in the first test of its new model to assist people when the temperature plunges.
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City Council committee blocks mayor’s dedicated fund plan for affordable housing
A City Council committee has quietly blocked Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s plan to earmark millions of dollars flowing into the general fund to aid development of lower-cost apartments and homes.
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More Virginia colleges scrap traditional spring break
A growing number of Virginia colleges are announcing that spring break will be canceled or modified in an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
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Personality: Deborah D. Jackson
Spotlight on treasurer of Sisters Network Central Virginia
In 2008, Deborah D. Jackson was part of a door-to-door campaign to help educate women in the city’s underserved neighborhoods about breast health. That was part of the annual Gift for Life Block Walk conducted by the Sisters Network Central Virginia, a breast cancer survivorship organization of African-American women.
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Dr. Irving P. McPhail, president of St. Augustine’s University, dies from COVID-19 complications
Dr. Irving P. McPhail, president of St. Augustine’s University, died Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020, of complications from COVID-19, just three months after taking the helm of the historically Black university in Raleigh, N.C.
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Lawyer who successfully argued Loving case legalizing interracial marriage dies
Bernard S. Cohen, who won a landmark case that led to the U.S. Supreme Court’s rejection of laws forbidding interracial marriage and later went on to a successful political career as a state legislator, has died. He was 86.
