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St. Luke Building tagged with graffiti
The owner of the vacant St. Luke Building is furious after a brick annex attached to the historic Gilpin Court structure was vandalized with graffiti.
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Collecting comfort items for children separated from parents
Most people wouldn’t think something as simple as a teddy bear would make an emotional impact, but Cynthia Downing, creator of The Comfort Movement, has a different opinion.
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Why I visited the border
Letter to the Editor
As I ventured to the southern border near Laredo, Texas, I could not help but think about the tragic shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, which are stark reminders of the dangers that plague our communities under the resurgence of white nationalism, domestic terrorism, intolerance and racial hatred germinating from the White House.
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Asthma and back to school
As summer winds down and talk in households around the country turns to back-to-school preparations, many parents and students are getting ready for another school year with the challenges of asthma.
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Jury finds Katy Perry stole Christian rapper’s beat
A jury on Monday found that Katy Perry’s 2013 hit, “Dark Horse,” improperly copied a 2009 Christian rap song. The unanimous decision represented a rare takedown of a pop superstar and her elite producer by a relatively unknown artist.
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Changing the landscape
Editorials
We were delighted with the unveiling and dedication this week of “Voices from the Garden: The Virginia Women’s Monument” in Capitol Square.
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Personality: Jessica B. Brooks
Spotlight on Peter Paul Development Center board chair
Four years ago, Jessica B. Brooks joined the board of the Peter Paul Development Center after hearing her husband speak of the East End facility’s positive impact during his youth.
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Personality: Tiya Williams
Spotlight on Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity board chairman
Tiya Williams, a board member of Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity since 2015 and the outgoing board chair, knows from personal experience the life-changing effect the nonprofit can have on people’s lives.
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Personality: Adriea Clarke
Spotlight on founder of Soul Vegan Block Party
Adriea Clarke is founder of an event that seeks to bridge the gap between the public and veganism and provide a space for African-Americans to share and show the curious, particularly people of color, an entry point into the lifestyle.
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Personality: Chris R. Hairston-White
Spotlight on ART 180 Board of Trustees president
Growing up, Chris Hairston-White had limited exposure to art instruction or education. Thus, she honed her natural skills and creativity without much help or outside influences, resulting in what she describes as “a creative who often creates in isolation.”
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‘It felt racist’
Black victims of violent crime disproportionately denied aid in many states
The cold formality of the letter is seared in Debra Long’s memory. It began “Dear Claimant,” and said her 24-year-old son, Randy, who was fatally shot in April 2006, was not an “innocent” victim. Without further explanation, the New York state agency that assists violent crime victims and their families refused to help pay for his funeral. Mr. Long was a father, engaged to be married and studying to become a juvenile probation officer when his life was cut short during a visit to Brooklyn with friends. His mother, angry and bewildered by the letter, wondered: What did authorities see — or fail to see — in Randy? In this April 19, 2023, photo, Debra Long of Poughkeepsie,
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Personality: Milton Vice
Spotlight on South Richmond Adult Day Care Center board president
After his father died in 2015, Milton Vice, in the midst of his grief, wanted to contribute to his community. A few months later, he joined the board of the South Richmond Adult Day Care Center.
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Personality: Timothy O. Mallory
Spotlight on president of Richmond Chapter of Concerned Black Men
It all started in first grade— sort of. In 2011, a father was invited by one of his son’s elementary schoolteachers to join a volunteer organization focused on providing African-American boys in fifth through 12th grade with mentors and positive role models.
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Personality: Dr. Jacqueline Johnson-Curl
Spotlight on honorary chair of VHEF’s Jazz InsideOut benefit
Dr. Jacqueline Johnson-Curl, a Richmond dentist, believes in helping children achieve their dreams. She is the honorary chair of the 7th Annual Jazz InsideOut, a night of jazz, comedy and good food to benefit scholarships and emergency student aid provided by the Virginia Higher Education Fund.
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Remembering history
Member of ‘Little Rock Nine’ talks about his experience desegregating Central High School 60 years ago
On Sept. 25, 1957, Ernest Gideon Green and eight other African-American teens were escorted by federal troops past an angry white mob and climbed the front steps to enter Central High School in Little Rock, Ark.
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Personality: Dr. Madeline G. McClenney
Spotlight on president-founder of Exodus Foundation.org
Baptist minister, prison abolitionist and self-described “mass clemencyist.”
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The 2024 Virginia General Assembly begins and ends with record number of Black legislators
History was made last November with the election of a record number of Black candidates to the Virginia General Assembly.
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Personality: Dana A. Kuhn
Spotlight on founder of nonprofit that helps ill afford medications
Dr. Dana A. Kuhn understands the terrible toll expensive chronic illnesses can take on families and their loved ones. “While providing counseling for families, I observed their emotional, psychological and financial struggles,” the Midlothian resident says. “One family I counseled was forced to live off of one income because one parent had to become their child’s primary caretaker. “They had to sell their home and eventually divorced so their child, whose condition continued to worsen, could qualify for health care under Medicaid. Not only did they lose their child, they were financially ruined. No family should experience that.”
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Personality: Dr. Kelli Williams Gary
Spotlight on president-elect of the Brain Injury Association of Virginia
Dr. Kelli Williams Gary knows how important and precious the human brain is. She is a survivor of brain injury, a researcher of the condition and is president-elect of the board of the Brain Injury Association of Virginia, the commonwealth’s only state- wide brain injury support and advocacy group.
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Personality: Dr. David Randolph II
Spotlight on honorary chair of the 2019 Virginia Higher Education Fund ‘Jazz InsideOut’ annual benefit
Dr. David Randolph II understands how having financial support can relieve a lot of the emotional stress students are under as they try to get through college, graduate school and professional school.
