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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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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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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.
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VUU upsets VSU before crowd of 15,000
Panthers, Broncos set for CIAA rematch
Virginia Union University is on its way to scratching more than a two-decade old football itch.
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Swansboro opens Literacy Corner
Since Sept. 20, the basement floor of Swansboro Elementary School has been the site of a new experiment in education. Among the warm atmosphere of bustling classrooms, Swansboro staff and faculty are using a new Literacy Corner to bring students a personalized way to learn and improve their reading skills.
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America no longer the ‘land of opportunity’, by David W. Marshall
When the governors of Texas, Arizona and Florida took advantage of the welcoming traditions provided by sanctuary cities, it was meant to get rid of an unwanted problem. More than 23,000 asylum seekers have been bused to Chicago from Texas since the beginning of the year. As the cold weather sets in, people in the nation’s third largest city are sheltering on sidewalks, at police station foyers and at the city’s airport.
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House Speaker McCarthy is back to square one as Senate pushes ahead to avert federal shutdown
As the Senate marches ahead with a bipartisan approach to prevent a government shutdown, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is back to square one — asking his hard-right Republicans to do what they have said they would never do: Approve their own temporary House measure to keep the government open.
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Sen. Dianne Feinstein offered a valuable voice in a divided Senate, by Clarence Page
Amid the multitude of tributes that poured out after her death at age 90, one description of California U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the Senate’s oldest sitting member, was appropriately prominent. “A true trailblazer,” said President Biden, “a pioneering American,” and “for Jill and me, a cherished friend.”
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America’s ticking fiscal time clock, by Charlene Crowell
For the second time this year, Congress’ inability to reach consensus on essential fiscal legislation has devolved into largely partisan bickering and literal, last-minute temporary financial Band-Aids. On Sept. 30, the last day of the 2022-2023 federal fiscal year, a continuing resolution (CR) provided a 45-day reprieve, just in time to meet a midnight deadline that would have resulted in a federal government shutdown.
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Right to vote hangs in balance, by Marc H. Morial
“The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy and should be accessible to every eligible resident. It has been proven that participating in the civic process reduces recidivism, and individuals take pride in their communities when they can fully contribute to Virginia. True democracy does not deprive individuals of participation based on the whim of one individual. It’s time to correct the wrongs of our 1902 Constitution and leave the power to one succinct process that cannot be modified by a single person’s emotions in the moment.” — Sheba Williams, Executive Director, Nolef Turns
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Howard U. picks African diaspora scholar as next president
Howard University is turning to an experienced scholar of the African diaspora to serve as its new university president.
