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‘Forgotten First:’ A look at four – and more – NFL trailblazers
In this era of racial reckoning, it’s not only appropriate but significant that the stories of NFL trailblazers be told.
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VSU grad combines degree and love of animals to open North Side pet bath and spa
Michelle Millett and her mother, Arlene Young, are making it easier for pet parents to give their fur babies a bath.
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Déjà vu for 2022?, by Julianne Malveaux
It was great to see former President Obama in Richmond campaigning with former governor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe on Oct. 23. He reminded me of a college pep rally cheerleader in some ways, encouraging people to get out and vote for Mr. McAuliffe and do it now since Virginia has early voting.
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’A mass loss of control’: Answers sought in deadly Houston concert
When rapper Travis Scott’s sold-out concert in Houston became a deadly scene of panic and danger in the surging crowd, Edgar Acosta began worrying about his son, who wasn’t answering his phone.
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Wilder, James named to Gov.-elect Youngkin’s transition team
Gov.-elect Glenn A. Youngkin, who won a razor thin victory this month to the state’s top governing post, has organized a transition team that includes former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder and Kay Coles James, two people of color.
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No rights without voting rights, by Julianne Malveaux
Black women leaders have been working on the issue of voting rights, calling for the passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, the Freedom to Vote Act, the Build Back Better Reconciliation Act and D.C. Statehood.
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MBDA gets permanent status, by Marc H. Morial
“President Biden has made clear his commitment to not just rebuilding to how things were before COVID-19, but to building back better and more equitably. The Minority Business Development Agency is ready to step into this historic moment and build on its success — because we recognize that America’s road to recovery runs through our minority business community. Making MBDA a statutory Agency provides MBDA with the authorities, workforce and resources needed to help level the playing field on behalf of minority businesses and minority entrepreneurs.”—U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo
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Friends of East End Cemetery end work at historic cemetery after rift with new owner
The all-volunteer Friends of East End Cemetery no longer is involved in restoring the once abandoned historic African-American burial ground.
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Unsung civil rights pioneer Gloria Richardson dies at 99
Gloria Richardson, an influential yet largely unsung civil rights pioneer whose determination not to back down while protesting racial inequality was captured in a photograph as she pushed away the bayonet of a National Guardsman, has died. She was 99.
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Trayvon Bromell running for ‘World’s Fastest Human’ crown, gold
Trayvon Bromell’s first trip to the Olympics ended with no medals, a painful injury and a ride out of the stadium in a wheelchair.
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Hip-hop classic Biz Markie succumbs at 57
Biz Markie, a hip-hop staple known for his beatboxing prowess, turntable mastery and the 1989 classic “Just a Friend,” died Friday, July 16, 2021, with his wife by his side.
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Wrinkle in process means RPS doesn’t have access to city-managed school construction money
Richmond Public Schools has hit an unexpected roadblock on its way to hiring an architectural team to design a replacement for decaying George Wythe High School.
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Why I went to jail Oct. 5, by Ben Jealous
Sometimes friends have to hold friends accountable. That’s why I got arrested outside the White House on Oct. 5. I was there with other civil rights and religious leaders to call on President Biden to do more to protect voting rights that are under attack.
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‘Succession’ dominates drama Emmys, ‘The Bear’ claims comedy and Quinta Brunson makes history
“Succession” secured its legacy with its third best drama series award, “The Bear” feasted as the night’s top comedy, and the two shows about squabbling families dominated the acting awards at Monday night’s Emmys.
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Panthers predict greater gridiron success in ‘23
The 2022 football season ranks with the finest in Virginia Union University’s football history. That said, don’t be surprised if 2023 is equally exciting.
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’Tis the season for food justice, by Julianne Malveaux
Since early November, we’ve witnessed appeals to donate to food banks, food baskets and community food events.
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Teacher shortages in high-poverty schools, by David W. Marshall
There is no way one can put a price on the value of a child’s education. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary.”
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Exonerated ‘Central Park Five’ member Yusef Salaam wins New York City Council seat
Voters elect Democrat Cherelle Parker as Philadelphia’s 100th mayor — and the 1st woman
Exonerated “Central Park Five” member Yusef Salaam won a seat Tuesday on the New York City Council, completing a stunning reversal of fortune decades after he was wrongly imprisoned in an infamous rape case.
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Celebrating community
Two churches step out from the past together
Two Dinwiddie County Baptist churches, Rocky Branch in Sutherland and Central in Church Road, both celebrated their 150-year anniversaries in October. To mark the occasion, the predominately white congregation of Central Baptist and the predominately Black congregation of Rocky Branch Baptist did something that would have been unthinkable all those years ago — they came together in worship and fellowship.