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Henrico schools hosting back-to-school events
Henrico County Public Schools is hosting a back-to-school rally and a series of meet-and-greet events with the new superintendent to get students and parents ready for the new school year.
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Retired educator, florist Sylvia Richardson dies at 76
Sylvia D. Richardson loved the color purple. And the bubbly woman who brimmed with enthusiasm infused that color into her dual roles as an educator and a florist.
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High schooler named MVP
Jada Walker’s first basketball season playing away from home couldn’t have gone more smoothly.
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Saint Paul’s College property sold
The former Saint Paul’s College might one day welcome students again to its campus in Brunswick County — but possibly under a different name. Xinhua Education Investment Corp., a Chinese-backed group, purchased the remaining property of the historically black college on Nov. 27, according to county court records.
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Trump speaks at event hosted by hate group
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, President Trump spoke to a hate group last week — and he was a hit. The Family Research Council, which is on the SPLC hate group list, invited the 45th president to speak at the Values Voter Summit, an annual socially conservative conference. This proved to be a political layup for President Trump, the first sitting president to speak at the conference, amid the turmoil surrounding his administration.
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Residents should ‘no longer passively accept any bogus’ utility taxes
Re “Tax law change to affect city utility customers,” Free Press Dec. 28-30 edition: Many thanks to Free Press staff writer Jeremy M. Lazarus for breaking the story that the new tax law change should reduce the federal income tax surcharge on city water and gas bills.
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VUU Panthers upended in exhibition game against VCU Rams
College basketball preseason exhibitions are more about evaluating talent than the numbers on the scoreboard. In the final tune-up before the games really count, Virginia Commonwealth University used the home-floor advantage and a ferocious press to upend Virginia Union University 98-74 last Friday at the Siegel Center.
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Huguenot wins RPS Alumni Basketball Showdown
There’s still plenty of twinkle left in Huguenot High School’s former basketball stars. The Falcons rule the roost today as champion of the inaugural Richmond Public Schools Alumni Basketball Showdown.
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Update: Khloe ‘Texas Tornado’ Pointer wins state cross-country title
In cross-country romps over hill and dale, the 15-year-old Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School sophomore, Khloe Pointer, combines a tireless stride with a fierce competitive spirit that belies her petite 5-foot-4, 102 pounds.
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CIAA champion VSU heads to NCAA playoffs
Virginia State University is the CIAA Football Champion for the first time since 1996 and eagerly awaiting its first-ever NCAA playoff game.
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Who would have believed it?, by E. Faye Williams
From the silly to the sublime, to the serious, faster than the mind can cogitate, our societal norms are being manipulated from the “as expected” to the “never in a million years.” Re- flecting on what is presented to the masses daily, I can recall a time when a television se- ries like “The Real House- wives...” could never have been shown, and pimple-pop- ping would have been done in the privacy of one’s own bathroom, but no longer. Frivolity is often the trade- mark of a “who would have believed” event, but now, more often than not, rather than leaving us amused, they leave us shocked and in dismay and disbelief. The current trend in these events has us questioning how we might provide for increased security and safety for our families and ourselves. Who would have believed a time during which the serious- ness of a public health crisis in theformofaglobalpandemic would be denied? Can anyone explain when, in the face of such a pandemic, personal interests and comfort became paramount over the interests of the general state of health? Most assuredly, few people could have anticipated this “denial” state of mind among such large numbers of cases or that the disease would take the lives of more than 900,000 Americans. My bet is that even fewer people could have guessed the massive rejection of life- saving vaccines. In stark contrast to the cur- rent pandemic, the 1950s battle against polio was a lesson in Dr. E. Faye Williams cooperative discipline. With the exception of general mask- ing, Americans practiced ex- treme social distancing. In his book, “Paralyzed with Fear: The Story of Polio,” Gareth Wil- liams wrote, “Fearful of the spread of the contagious virus, (San Angelo, Texas) closed pools, swimming holes, movie theaters, schools and churches, forcing priests to reach out to their congregations on local radio. Some motorists who had to stop for gas in San Angelo would not fill up their deflated tires, afraid they’d bring home air containing the infectious virus. And one of the town’s best physicians diagnosed his patients based on his ‘clinical impression’ratherthantaking the chance of getting infected during the administration of the proper diagnostic test.” When Jonas Salk released his vaccine in 1955, he im- mediately was described as a “miracle worker” and, because he did not patent his vaccine, it was universally welcomed and produced in the United States and the world. Acceptance of his vaccine was so widespread that by1980, polio had been elimi- nated in the United States. One also must ask who would have believed a time in which the history of Black Americans is being openly erased from the curriculum of America’s public schools and from the conscience of the nation? Although barely taught, the instruction of Black history is under assault. It is er- roneously labeled as critical race theory and the new threshold of general acceptance is that it is presented in a manner which does not cause “guilt” or “discomfort” to the listener. Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the father of Black History, said, “Those who have no record of what their forebears have ac- complished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history.” He added, “If a race has no history, if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.” For now, the vigilant see psychologicaleradicationasthe goal. Will the physical follow? I guess nothing should sur- prise us now as people now flock to certain gas stations for dinner! The writer is national presi- dent of the National Congress of Black Women Inc.
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As COVID-19 continues, community needs grow along with programs to help
Three years ago, Greta Randolph’s work to meet the needs of the Richmond community “exploded,” she says, as a novel disease began creating upheaval and disruption.
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Millions struggle to pay AC bills in heat waves
Federal aid reaches only a fraction
Bobbie Boyd is in a losing battle against near triple-digit temperatures in Northwest Arkansas.
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Built out or left out?
‘Just because we’re public housing (residents) does not make us any less’
After 69 years, Marilyn Olds, president of both the Richmond Tenant Organization and the Creighton Court Tenant Council, has bid farewell to her home in Creighton Court.
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Six key points from the scathing report on Minneapolis Police after George Floyd’s killing
The Justice Department on June 16 issued a scathing assessment of Minneapolis Police, alleging that racial discrimination and excessive force went unchecked before George Floyd’s killing because of inadequate oversight and an unwieldy process for investigating complaints.
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First wave of Afghan evacuees arrive at Fort Lee
It has been nearly two weeks since the first flight evacuating Afghans who worked alongside Americans in Afghanistan brought more than 200 people, including scores of children and babies in arms, to resettlement in the United States, and officials at Fort Lee are calling the operation a success so far.
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Broader vision called for in building new Wythe H.S.
How many new high school seats does Richmond need now and how many will it need in 20 years?
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Rift grows between School Board and City Council over Wythe replacement
A Richmond city councilwoman is calling on the School Board to halt its effort to retake control of school construction and to come to the table with city officials “to create a process that everyone can support.”
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Youngkin gets widespread pushback on attempt to lift mask mandate in schools
Just days after his inauguration, Gov. Glenn A. Youngkin is getting major pushback from legislators, parents and public school systems around the Commonwealth – including the Richmond area – over his executive order to end school mask mandates.
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Convicting R. Kelly
R&B superstar R. Kelly faces up to life in prison after being convicted Monday on the testimony and strength of Black women who would not let the justice system forget what happened
For years, decades even, allegations swirled that R&B superstar R. Kelly was abusing young women and girls, with seeming impunity.
