Story
Lessons from Iowa
Now that the Iowa presidential caucuses are over, what can voters in Richmond, a majority African-American city, learn from the political choices of a lily-white state of cornfields and livestock that produced evangelist Robert Schuller and TV mom Donna Reed?
Story
Community groups announce anti-violence summit on Feb. 11
Over the years, countless well-intentioned individuals and groups have organized rallies, prayer vigils and community meetings to stem the tide of violence in Richmond. While the number of homicides and violent crimes in the city has declined during the past 15 years, too many Richmond residents still suffer as victims.
Story
From SAG Awards to Sundance, diversity makes a comeback
In a flurry of wins at the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the Sundance Film Festival, diversity made a comeback. Over just a few hours last Saturday, the SAG Awards and Sundance showered their honors on a parade of performers and films that presented a stark contrast to the crisis that has plagued the Oscars. Shortly after Queen Latifah, Uzo Aduba, Viola Davis and Idris Elba (twice), received awards from the screen actors, writer-director Nate Parker’s Sundance sensation “The Birth of a Nation,” a drama about Nat Turner’s slave rebellion, swept the festival’s awards.
Story
Newton joins 5 other black Super Bowl quarterbacks
African-American quarterbacks, long absent on Super Bowl Sunday, have become commonplace on football’s brightest stage.
Story
Maggie Walker among local schools receiving an NFL Golden Football
The former Maggie L. Walker High School has been awarded an NFL Golden Football for being among the high schools that contributed to the first 49 years of Super Bowls. Willie Lanier, a member of the Maggie L. Walker Class of 1963, helped the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the Minnesota Vikings 23-7 in Super Bowl IV on Jan. 11, 1970, in New Orleans. From Walker, Lanier went on to star at Morgan State University in Baltimore before embarking on a Hall of Fame career with the Chiefs.
Story
Serena gracious even in defeat at Australian Open
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA Serena Williams’ relaxed outlook on life spilled over even in defeat last Saturday when she appeared to be almost as happy that Angelique Kerber had won her first grand slam final as the German herself. The 34-year-old Serena lost the Australian Open final to the seventh-ranked Kerber 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in just more than two hours of scintillating tennis at Rod Laver Arena in which the German negated the American’s power and capitalized on unforced errors.
Story
Former AAU player is NCAA leading scorer
A Howard University junior with Richmond connections is the NCAA’s leading basketball scorer. James Daniel III starred at Phoebus High School in Hampton and played offseason AAU ball for Richmond-based Team Loaded.
Story
Rev. Wright: Faith traditions give hope for life’s journey
His voice didn’t reach the thunderous crescendo for which he is well known. Nor did he use the fiery cadences with which he has stirringly moved worshippers and other audiences for more than four decades.
Story
Personality: Audrey Anderson Britt
Spotlight on sole surviving founder of the Melds Pinochle Club
Audrey Anderson Britt became interested in playing pinochle when she was a student at Virginia Union University. “They needed somebody to play,” she says of some of her classmates, “so I told them I knew how to play, but I really couldn’t.
Story
Former presidential candidate Wilder offers advice to Clinton campaign
Former Virginia Gov. L. Douglas Wilder — the nation’s first elected African-American governor and one-time Democratic presidential candidate — issued a cautionary warning to Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton’s campaign prior to a talk and book-signing event Tuesday at his alma mater, Virginia Union University.
Story
Register to vote by Feb.8
Monday, Feb. 8, is the deadline to register to vote in Virginia’s presidential primary March 1. Voters will have the opportunity to cast a ballot for either Democratic or Republican candidates vying for their party’s nomination for the November presidential election.
Story
School Board approves $293M budget plan
Even as the Richmond School Board approved its $293 million budget proposal on Monday, some members expressed serious concerns that the school system wouldn’t receive all the money being sought. “I think we’re going to have more discus- sions about what happens if we get one penny less than what we’re asking for,” board Chair Jeffrey M. Bourne told his board colleagues minutes before they approved the budget by a 6-2 vote at their City Hall meeting.
Story
Payday loan victim joins class action suit
Henrico resident Donald Garrett is joining a class action suit seeking to hold Advance ‘Til Payday loan company accountable for allegedly evading state law and charging up to 960 percent interest on small loans of $100 to $300.
Story
Lead poisoning endangers Richmond children, too
Amid the public outcry over the lead-contaminated public water supply in Flint, Mich., it is easy to forget that lead poisoning remains a threat to children across the country — even in Richmond. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 500,000 young children nationally suffer from lead poisoning that can affect development of their mental capacity, their bones and their organs.
Story
Energy savings could yield $18M to fix city schools
Energy savings could generate $18 million to fuel an overhaul of heating and cooling systems, windows, lighting and other systems in as many as 10 Richmond Public Schools buildings.
Photo
Renowned hip-hop artist in city // Hip-hop artist KRS-One, aka “Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everybody,” stops by Virginia Union University’s bookstore Wednesday. He’s in …
Published on January 29, 2016
Story
ACA eliminates barriers to health care
The passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) promised to improve the delivery of health care services in America — especially for historically disadvantaged communities that suffer high rates of chronic illness. The ACA has begun to deliver on that promise, but work still remains to ensure all who need healthcare in the most prosperous nation on earth can receive it. Healthcare.gov is now available for the open enrollment period through Sunday, Jan. 31. It’s imperative that members of the African-American community take advantage of this opportunity to access the coverage and care they need.
Story
Palin family hypocrisy
Since former half-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin erupted on the national scene by telling everyone she could see Russia from her porch in Alaska, she has been lecturing everyone about accepting responsibility. For example, speaking to Tea Party supporters in Nashville in 2010, Ms. Palin said, “My plan is quite simple. To support those who support the foundation of our country when it comes to the economy. It is free-market principles that reward hard work and personal responsibility.”
Story
History’s change agents
Monday, Feb. 1, marks the start of Black History Month. Schools, churches, civic organizations and businesses of all types, including the media and public television, begin paying special attention to African-Americans and their long history of political, cultural, social and civic contributions to the building of this nation.
Story
MLB icon Lee Smith almost had basketball career
Before Lee Arthur Smith became one of baseball’s ace relief pitchers, he was affectionately known as “that other guy” back home in tiny Castor, La. Smith, a guest at the Richmond Flying Squirrels’ annual Hot Stove Banquet last Thursday at the Siegel Center, spoke of the day his sporting focus shifted from basketball to baseball.
