Story
2018 Winter Olympics end with silver for 2 African-American athletes
African-American athletes were long on desire but short on medals at the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, that concluded on Feb. 25.
Story
Richmonder Aleem rising up national boxing ranks
Immanuwel Aleem may have been barely old enough to play a hand of poker — his favorite card game — at the Valley Forge Casino Resort in suburban Philadelphia on Saturday night. But the 21-year-old boxer’s fists had enough experience to floor his opponent in an eight-round bout by King’s Promotions.
Story
State vital records now online
Millions of individual records of births, deaths, marriages and divorces in Virginia in the past 100 years are now available online, Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced this week.
Photo
R.A.D. Sports of Rockland, Mass., has been hired to replace the current grass field at NSU’s Dick Price Stadium with a synthetic surface.
Published on July 27, 2018
Photo
The yearly event, sponsored by the Baptist Ministers’ Conference of Richmond and Vicinity, is a part of a Richmond tradition celebrating the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation …
Published on January 6, 2017
Story
Bump stocks banned
The Trump administration on Tuesday banned the high-power gun attachments of the type used in last year’s Las Vegas shooting massacre of 58 people, giving the owners of “bump stocks” 90 days to turn in or destroy the devices and blocking owners from being able to register them.
Story
Convenience stores shut down Virginia Lottery sales in protest for skill games
Organizers say hundreds of stores participate
At Krunal Patel’s convenience store outside Richmond, a row of Queen of Virginia skill games has been powered off and turned around against a wall.
Story
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?
Story
VSU’s 2022 graduates heralded for hard work, sacrifices and technological savvy
Cheering family, friends and loved ones celebrated the achievements of Virginia State University’s nearly 500 graduates on May 14 at the VSU Multi-Purpose Center.
Story
Fellowship day for Richmond area schools brings back classmates and memories
Approximatley 500 to 600 alumni and faculty from Maggie Walker High School, Armstrong High, Carver Elementary and other historic Richmond schools gathered Aug. 21 in Henrico County’s Dorey Park to reconnect and celebrate decades of academic history and change.
Story
Fill schools, not jails
More than 200 demonstrators call for more school funding
Kevin Lauray resolutely marched across the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bridge late Monday afternoon with his 4-year-old daughter, Aiyanna Lauray, on his shoulders as she held high a sign, “Support Our Schools.” His girlfriend, Shaira Maravilla, and their four other children walked the distance — from Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in the East End, across the bridge, to City Hall — with a crowd of about 200 to demand more money for Richmond Public Schools.
Photo
Mr. Price has coached multiple sports for various grade levels since joining Glen Lea more than six years ago.
Published on August 17, 2023
Story
Granderson may play grand role in MLB playoffs
Curtis Granderson provides everything expected of a leadoff man — and much more. “Let’s Get It Started” by the Black Eyed Peas could be his walk-up-to-the-plate music, if it isn’t already. “The Grandy Man” bats first in the lineup for the revitalized New York Mets, who have won the National League East title and likely will face Los Angeles in the divisional series Friday, Oct. 9.
Story
Explanations sought on City Council's consulting contract cost
When a divided Richmond City Council voted 5-4 on Dec. 9 to proceed with hiring C.H. Johnson Consulting to review the $1.5 billion Richmond Coliseum replacement plan, most members had no idea that the company’s bid had come in 13 percent higher than the amount council had approved to pay a consultant.
Story
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.
Story
GRTC announces new rewards program for riders
People who ride the bus now can get discounts on the price of a meal at area restaurants, as well as savings at other merchants and attractions.
Story
Much has changed, much remains in newsrooms
The news business is consumed by constant disrup- tors and interruptions. So much so that non-breaking news often gets tossed aside. I should know. Twice in the past two weeks an announcement about me coming aboard as managing editor for the Richmond Free Press was kicked to the curb in favor of major, breaking news. As it should be. No one wants to read about journalists when mass shootings, gun violence and a deadly pandemic continue to wreak havoc locally and throughout the country. Add to that soaring gas prices, babies lacking basics, and a trip to the grocery store akin to a five-course dinner or luxury hotel stay. When such tragedies occur and wallets are hijacked, journalists should be covering them rather than focusing on themselves. This week the news has been a little less jarring, providing time for me to reflect on my new role in a city that I moved to in 1981. Back then, I accepted an offer to work at Richmond’s afternoon daily newspaper, intrigued that the City Council was predominantly Black, which indicated to me that the city was progressive. While that remains a matter of debate among many, I will say that having left Richmond in 2011 to teach Black college students in my hometown of Greensboro, N.C., I was elated to return here five years later. I missed my favorite haunts, my home in a quiet neighborhood, my fun-loving, quirky friends, my church, my sorority and my museums. Upon returning, I continued to teach at various uni- versities but experienced profound joy as a substitute teacher in Henrico County. I completed a book about Black women journalists. I also started a nonprofit me- dia organization and spent several years as a freelance reporter and editor for publications that included the Richmond Free Press. My first few days as the Free Press managing editor were chaotic to say the least. Having just returned from a restful vacation in Hilton Head, S.C. and Savannah, Ga. — you know, the city that Hyundai just chose over Virginia’s Pittsylvania County to spend $5.5 billion and hire more than 8,000 workers — I was tossed into a sea of local, state and national news that I’d not experienced since ...last February. That was when, for two weeks, I served as the Free Press guest editor in the absence of the newspaper’s former managing editor. That also was when, during Black History Month, Virginia’s newly inaugurated governor caused a furor with his condemnation of critical race theory and had folks fired up about a “tip line” to snitch on classroom teachers who dared to teach the truth about American history and slavery. The furor almost made the Ralph Northam 2019 black face debacle appear quaint. (Note to Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin who made his fortune at one of the world’s most influential private equity firms: Don’t you think that time spent dissing teachers could have been better spent helping Pittsylvania County, decimated for more than a decade by furniture industry losses, secure that $5.5 billion Hyundai deal?) Before my recent re-entry into the newsroom, it had been nearly 25 years since I was a full time newspaper employee. Although much has changed since then, many aspects of the industry remain. The decline of daily newspapers began with buyouts and mergers in the early 1990s, around the same time that the Richmond Free Press was born. The dissolution of newsrooms continues today in the form of tight budgets, lean staffs, 24/7 hour news cycles and decreased circulation. Although the Free Press is a weekly newspaper, our mission is similar to that of daily print publications and online outlets. Still in the game, we are deadline driven, truth seekers and zealous about serving Richmond and surrounding communities. We are a Black-owned news- paper and revel in our reputation for providing relevant information for and about Richmond’s Black commu- nity. We also delight in knowing that our newspapers, more often than not, are consumed by many non-Black readers, too. Our staff is small, but mighty. A cadre of talented freelance reporters and photographers stand ready to support us when needed and we are proud of their presence. I remain honored and humbled (and somewhat speech- less) by an invitation from Jean P. Boone, Richmond Free Press president and publisher, to lead the Free Press. In accepting my new role, I am the second editor to do so since the death of Richmond Free Press Founder Raymond H. Boone. Never did I envision being in this position once occupied by a man whose backbone was made of steel, whose mind was sharper than any sword, and whose heart was good as gold. Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Boone for allowing me — a woman who penned her first newspaper article for a Black newspaper, The Carolina Peacemaker, as a col- lege student in 1977 — to lead your life’s passion and tireless work in its continuing journey. It is my hope and prayer that you, dear readers and new readers, will continue this journey with us.
Story
No, Donald, you’re not being persecuted like the Scottsboro Boys, by Amy Goodman and Denis Moynihan
The Scottsboro Boys were victims of racism; Donald Trump, conversely, has long been known for his racism
“War Is Peace, Freedom Is Slavery, Ignorance Is Strength.” So wrote George Orwell in 1984, his famous dystopian novel about authoritarian- ism. The book gave us the term “Orwellian,” describing situations where facts are ignored, truth is turned on its head, and 2+2=5. Now, almost 75 years after its publication, the United States is confronting its own brush with authoritarianism, by prosecuting former President Trump for his attempt to seize power after losing the 2020 election.
Story
Organizations call for Black people to fight in midterm elections
'Everything we love is on the line’
As the summer vacation season winds down and the fall political season is about to heat up, the nation’s premier national Black voter organization is calling on Black America to start fighting now to elect the candidates that positively impact the Black community during midterm elections Nov. 8.
Story
Beyond T-shirts and hoodies
Recollections of my 1995 article on the business of college athletics danced in my head when I heard the news about the University of Missouri football team’s refusal to play until the president of that university, Tim Wolfe, resigned or was dismissed.
