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New VUU president to students: Support one another
With bright sunlight streaming through stained-glass windows chronicling the 152-year history of Virginia Union University, Dr. Hakim Lucas, the university’s new president, charged students “to support one another as the university’s next chapter unfolds.”
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War continues over statues
The war of words over Confederate statues in Richmond appears to be just getting started. In the weeks and months ahead, Richmond City Council is poised to consider a nonbinding resolution from 9th District Councilman Michael J. Jones that aims to put the governing body on record as favoring removal.
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Police detain an unidentified counterprotester for singing rap music using a microphone and speaker on the grassy median on Monument Avenue between Meadow Street and …
Published on September 22, 2017
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Support for Virginia Grocery Investment Fund
Re “First Lady kicks off initiative to attract grocers to Va.’s food deserts,” Free Press Aug. 31-Sept. 2 edition: As a lifelong resident of North Side, I was elated to attend the “Closer to My Grocer” roundtable where the Virginia Grocery Investment Fund was presented by First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe, state legislators and other advocates to win support from the General Assembly.
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Trump: The hip-hop prez
Although they hardly could seem to be less alike sometimes, President Trump and people of color have had a love-hate relationship for nearly three decades.
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Obama raised all boats
The income, poverty and health insurance data released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Sept. 13 confirm what many already knew — President Obama’s last year in office was one of economic improvement for many individuals. The median income rose from $57,230 in 2015 to $59,039 in 2016, an increase of 3.2 percent. Black Americans’ income rose 5.4 percent, from $37,364 in 2015 to $39,400 in 2016, while white Americans’ income rose from $63,745 to $65,041, an increase of 2 percent.
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Ban open carry
That was our reaction last Saturday after the neo-Confederate rally on Monument Avenue came to a close without the tumult, fury, bloodshed and death that marked August events in Charlottesville.
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Armstrong Wildcats wild about wins
As coincidences go, one involving Armstrong High School would be hard to top. Armstrong’s football team — whose mascot is the Wildcats — often is operating what is known as the “Wildcat Offense.” The trendy formation, built on deception, helped the East End team slam the brakes on a 21-game losing streak Sept. 9 with a 24-14 victory at John Marshall High School.
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VUU loses squeaker to Winston-Salem State
Too many penalties and too little punt protection have put Virginia Union University in a foul mood. The Panthers are now dejectedly looking at a 1-2 record.
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VUU Athletic Hall of Fame induction on Friday
Virginia Union University’s Athletic Hall of Fame will open its doors to six new inductees on Friday, Sept. 22. The induction banquet will be 7 p.m. at the Dr. Claude G. Perkins Living and Learning Center on the VUU campus, 1500 N. Lombardy St.
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Northam, Gillespie square off in Northern Virginia debate
The two major party candidates in Virginia’s closely watched race for governor argued in mostly cordial tones Tuesday over taxes, President Trump and what Virginia should do with its numerous monuments to the Confederacy.
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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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Racial bias in hiring still hurts African-Americans, study shows
Racial bias in hiring African-Americans has not declined from 1990 to 2015. That was the finding of the largest and most comprehensive meta analysis of its kind published Sept. 12 in the proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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‘Racists go home!’
Members of Tenn.-based neo-Confederate group met by hundreds of chanting counterprotesters at Saturday’s Monument Avenue rally
A potentially volatile “Heritage Not Hate” rally led by a neo-Confederate group turned into a war of words Saturday as the small, but armed band found itself outnumbered by hundreds on Richmond’s Monument Avenue. The Tennessee-based group, CSA II: The New Confederate States of America, called the rally to show their support for the statue of Confederate Robert E. Lee as city leaders wrestle with whether the Confederate monuments on the tree-lined street should be removed or left up “with context.”
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A grave mistake
“I have been particularly struck by the many comments and reactions from children for whom Harriet Tubman is not just a historical figure, but a role model for leadership and participation in our democracy. You shared your thoughts about her life and her works and how they changed our nation and represented our most cherished values … Her incredible story of courage and commitment to equality embodies the ideals of democracy that our nation celebrates, and we will continue to value her legacy by honoring her on our currency.” — Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew
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Heritage Ensemble Theatre Company starts new season with ‘Wine in the Wilderness’
When the curtain goes up on the Heritage Ensemble Theatre Company’s 2017-18 season next week, the actors won’t be on stage for self-promotion, celebrity or big money.
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Afrikana Independent Film Festival starts Friday
Forty films from four continents over three days, all featuring black artistic expression. That’s what will be on hand at the 2nd Annual Afrikana Independent Film Festival.
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Cook, Johnson lead VSU to big win over Johnson C. Smith
Trying to find just one man to replace quarterback Tarian Ayres would be difficult. So Virginia State University has located two for the assignment. Cordelral Cook and Niko Johnson have taken turns directing the Trojans to a 2-0 start heading into its Saturday, Sept. 16, bye week.
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African-American NFL quarterbacks working to turn ripple into wave
Cleveland Browns rookie DeShone Kizer burst onto the national spotlight while passing a football on Virginia soil. Now the former University of Notre Dame quarterback is the latest addition to the NFL’s select club of African-American starting quarterbacks.
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Washington National Cathedral to remove windows of Confederates
Following “considerable prayer and discussion” prompted by last month’s white supremacist protest in Charlottesville, the Washington National Cathedral has decided to remove stained-glass windows honoring two Confederate generals. A statement released Sept. 6 read that “after considerable prayer and discussion,” the cathedral’s board, or chapter, voted a day earlier “to immediately remove the windows.”
