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Black wealth remains elusive, by Charlene Crowell
For America, Black History Month brings opportunities to revisit our nation’s lessons, achievements, and unfulfilled promises, capturing our attention as well as our hopes. Yet nothing hits home harder than the painful reminders of how so much of Black America continues to struggle financially, despite an economy that reports low unemployment, a robust stock market, and low inflation.
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One word says it best: ‘Mahomes!’
Chiefs win Super Bowl on Mahomes’ clutch play
Give the man a cape. He’s become the “Superman of the Super Bowl.” Patrick Mahomes now has three Super Bowl MVPs to go with a trio of Super Bowl victories following Kansas City’s 25-22 win over San Francisco on Feb. 11 in Las Vegas.
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Virginia Senate Democrats postpone work on constitutional amendments and kill GOP voting bills
A Democrat-led Virginia Senate panel on Tuesday defeated a handful of Republican-sponsored voting bills and moved to put on hold consideration of several proposed constitutional amendments until after this year’s session.
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VCU retires Burgess’ number; Graham hopes to be next
In its storied basketball history, Virginia Commonwealth University has retired the numbers of five players. Their jerseys now hang from the Siegel Center rafters. They are No. 3 Eric Maynor, No. 5 Calvin Duncan, No. 22 Gerald Henderson, No. 23 Kendrick Warren and, just this past Saturday, No. 20 Bradford Burgess. Sometime in the future, look for Treveon Graham’s No. 21 to be among the rafters display. The Rams’ foes probably wish the university would retire Graham’s jersey right now, preferably with Tre in it.
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Hampton takes on No.1 Kentucky in NCAA
Hampton University is in position to make basketball history. After triumphantly clinching the MEAC title and winning its first-round game in the NCAA Tournament, the Pirates will play undefeated and No. 1 overall seed University of Kentucky on Thursday, March 19, in Louisville, Ky. Hampton is the 68th and last seed overall in the NCAA tournament. CBS will televise the game about 9:40 p.m. Thursday, March 19.
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Jenner’s confession stirs up memories of tennis star Renée Richards
In a highly anticipated TV interview last week, Olympic decathlon champion Bruce Jenner told ABC’s Diane Sawyer that “for all intents and purposes, I am a woman.” Jenner’s revelation he is transitioning from male to female stirs recollections of another sports-related, transgender shocker — the case of Dr. Richard Raskind becoming Renée Richards.
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An unexpected partnership
When Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake stepped before a bank of microphones last Saturday for a hastily called news conference, she was surrounded by people she credited with helping keep this city calm during a weeklong protest over the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who died after suffering a spinal injury while in police custody.
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Richmond School Board elects new chairman
“I think we are at a critical time at our tenure and at a critical juncture in making progress in Richmond Public Schools. I felt compelled to continue the progress that we have made.” Jeffrey M. Bourne, 3rd District, told the Free Press on Tuesday that’s why he agreed to serve as chair of the Richmond School Board.
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Gun control for cops
Last week, we used this space to advocate for tougher gun control laws and increased data collection to protect the safety and health of the people.
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$6.4M to Freddie Gray’s family
Baltimore agrees to pay before trials of police officers
Baltimore city officials on Wednesday approved a $6.4 million civil settlement to the family of Freddie Gray, whose death from an injury in police custody triggered protests and rioting.
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Judge throws out felony charges against Morrissey
Joseph D. “Joe” Morrissey no longer has four felony charges hanging over his head. Judge Alfred D. Swersky threw out the indictments facing the former General Assembly member Wednesday at a hearing in Henrico County Circuit Court. Judge Swersky, who was appointed to hear the case, agreed with defense attorney Anthony Troy that a previous plea deal that resulted in Mr. Morrissey serving 90 days in jail included a grant of immunity that blocked prosecutors from bringing any new charges related to that case.
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VSU placed on warning by accrediting agency
Virginia State University, which has been tussling with the state auditor over its financial reporting, now has taken a slap from the regional group that accredits the historic Petersburg area school. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools announced last week that VSU has been placed on warning, a sanction imposed for failing to provide evidence it was in compliance with all of the group’s standards.
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Freedom from a long-lost cause
Could this, at last, be the end of the Civil War? Or, as some fans of Southern heritage call it, the War Between the States? Or the War of Northern Aggression?
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More payouts
3 City Council aides receive $97,000 total in severance, vacation pay
Richmond City Council quietly approved severance packages totaling more than $97,000 for three departing council employees even as council members expressed shock and dismay over similar payments to four departing employees of former Mayor Dwight C. Jones.
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Dr. Frank S. Royal steps down as chair of Meharry Medical College
For decades, Dr. Frank S. Royal regularly flew to Nashville to lead board meetings at historic Meharry Medical College. But at 77, the retired Richmond physician has decided “it is time to let someone else take over.”
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TJ hoping for the playoffs
Thomas Jefferson High School first-year football Coach Chris Mitchell sees a clear path to the 3A East Region playoffs for the Richmond school.
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Fight brewing over Richmond NAACP leadership
A leadership fight has entangled the Richmond Branch NAACP. President Lynetta Thompson is facing opposition in her bid for re-election to a second, two-year term. Her challengers are Dr. Ravi K. Perry, an associate professor of political science at Virginia Commonwealth University, and James J. “J.J.” Minor, chairman of the Richmond City Democratic Committee and son of Richmond Delegate Delores L. McQuinn.
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Save sacred ground for the future
Richmond understands the importance of its history — most of it, anyway. Patrick Henry’s famous “Give me liberty or give me death” speech, the early debates over the proper relationship between religion and government, Richmond’s brief role as capital of the Confederacy, even Abraham Lincoln’s walk through the city after retreating Confederates set it ablaze — all are recognized as important parts of our complex collective story. But the fact that for 30 years, pre-Emancipation Richmond was the epicenter of the massive U.S. domestic slave trade has, until very recently, been literally buried.
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VCU Rams to meet Louisiana, Howard U. at Siegel Center
Virginia Commonwealth University’s basketball prospects are looking up — both short and long term. The Rams have survived a challenging early schedule with an 8-3 record that includes a close 80-77 victory last Saturday over visiting Middle Tennessee State University.
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Wells Fargo to give $4M to HOME to expand black home ownership
Five years ago, banking giant Wells Fargo paid more than $200 million to settle documented government allegations that it deliberately charged African-American borrowers higher fees and interest rates on home loans.
