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Public sentiment divided on renaming the Boulevard for Arthur Ashe
Call it a preview of the coming fireworks over a proposal to rename the historic West End street now simply known as the Boulevard in honor of Arthur Ashe Jr., the late great Richmond-born tennis star and humanitarian.
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GOP takes another swipe at Obamacare
Jay Stout considers himself lucky that he was on the health insurance plan that his mother purchased through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace.
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Local couple in Paris bears witness to Notre Dame fire
George K. Martin of Mechanicsville and his wife, Anita, arrived in Paris on Sunday night and made a sightseeing list that included some of the top tourist spots in the City of Lights, including Notre Dame Cathedral.
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‘This is the moment for real progressive change’
Well before the inaugural ceremonies kicked off last Saturday, former state Sen. Henry L. Marsh III, a groundbreaking civil rights attorney now retired, was seated in front of the stage with a clear view of the podium on the Capitol steps. It was cold, the sky was white and the temperature was dropping, but the 84-year-old seemed not to notice. As admirers young and old stopped to greet him, he paused briefly to talk with the Free Press.
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Opening Bell
Richmond Public Schools students, parents, teachers and officials were up bright and early and full of optimism Tuesday morning for the beginning of the new school year.
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Misfire: Special General Assembly session called Tuesday to deal with gun violence collapses in GOP ploy; showdown expected in November elections
Gun control is likely to be a red-hot campaign issue for Virginia’s fall elections in the wake of a special General Assembly session that misfired Tuesday.
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President Obama’s farewell speech
It’s good to be home. My fellow Americans, Michelle and I have been so touched by all the well-wishes we’ve received over the past few weeks. But tonight it’s my turn to say thanks. Whether we’ve seen eye to eye or rarely agreed at all, my conversations with you, the American people — in living rooms and schools; at farms and on factory floors; at diners and on distant outposts — are what have kept me honest, kept me inspired, and kept me going. Every day, I learned from you. You made me a better president, and you made me a better man.
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Under the microscope
An experiment to fight pandemic-era learning loss launches in Richmond
After intense opposition and skepticism, two elementary schools opened 20 days early to help students make up for what they missed during the time of remote learning. The first question: Would kids show up in the middle of summer for extra schooling?
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Personality: Donald S. ‘Don’ Richards
Spotlight on vice chair of Autism Society of Central Virginia
After decades in broadcasting, Donald S. “Don” Richards is gearing up for a new chapter of community advocacy.
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Personality: Darrell Tyler
Spotlight on Richmond Heritage Federal Credit Union board chairman
Darrell Tyler firmly believes that material advancement in society is nearly impossible without a financial institution’s backing or involvement.
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Personality: Harrison Nathaniel Roday
Spotlight on Bridging Virginia’s founder and board chair
Harrison Nathaniel Roday learned the power of outside financial support when helping to invest in and run industrial manufacturing businesses 10 years ago in New York. He also learned that obtaining such support often is elusive for marginalized business owners.
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Personality: Christian P. Dundas
Spotlight on volunteer coordinator of Hoops for Health
Christian P. Dundas says he came up with the idea for a 3-on-3 youth basketball tournament at the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club in Church Hill three years ago when he was playing recreational basketball. It was about the same time the NCAA Tournament, known as “March Madness,” was underway. “It dawned on me … why not our own version of March Madness at the club?” Mr. Dundas recalls thinking. He suggested the tournament for sixth- through eighth-graders at the club at 3701 R St., where he serves on the advisory council. Mr. Dundas says Dick Guthrie, also a member of the advisory council, suggested adding a community health festival to the tournament. Hugh Jones, the club’s executive director, rubber-stamped the idea and asked Mr. Dundas to organize the first event. The rest is history.
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Personality: Antonio ‘Toby’ Mendez
Spotlight on sculptor of the Maggie L. Walker statue
Antonio “Toby” Mendez did not know much about Maggie L. Walker when he first began working on the statue that now stands at Adams and Broad streets in Downtown Richmond. But as the process of making the statue progressed, he learned more about her life and works.
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Personality: Dr. Michael L.W. Moore
Spotlight on chair of Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker Educational Foundation
Legendary civil rights leader Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker wanted his legacy to center on educational opportunities for generations to come. The Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker Educational Foundation is the vehicle to perpetuate his lasting dream and provides scholarships for underserved youths to attend college.
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Personality: John W. Boyd Jr.
Spotlight on founder-president of the National Black Farmers Association
John Wesley Boyd Jr. is a man skilled in making waves, from the acres of crops in his fields to the halls of Congress in Washington, D.C.
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Healthy Soul Food Exchanges that Work! | The Black American Kitchen
I have compiled 5 of my favorite Soul Food Exchanges so that you can maintain ethnic flavor when cooking Soul Food but not take in all of the sodium, fat or calories!
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Personality: Gregory D. Suskind
Spotlight on chair of CARITAS Board of Directors
Richmond native Gregory D. Suskind has been involved with CARITAS for more than a decade. Since May 2022, he has been board chair of the non-profit organization that focuses on helping people experiencing homelessness and/or addiction by creating safe spaces for healing and recovery and providing support to help them rebuild and renew their lives.
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Homegrown terror
The nation reacts to violence and murder in Charlottesville driven by white supremacists’ attempts to protect Confederate statues
Was the horror show in Charlottesville fresh evidence that overt racism remains an issue for our country? Or is it a terrible, but ultimately small blip in a nation where the issue of race has dominated the past and remains a key issue today?
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Sharpton urges Ferguson citizens to be ‘disciples of justice’
The Rev. Al Sharpton hopes the Michael Brown case will help change the way police engage the African-American community in this Missouri community and elsewhere.
