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‘Know who you are rolling with,’ VSU graduates are told
Virginia State University graduates were told in no uncertain terms during commencement last Saturday to “Get Out.” These words came from a fired up Jeff Johnson, a media and messaging strategist who delivered the keynote address at the ceremony held in the university’s Multi-Purpose Center.
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Serena’s pregnant!
Tennis superstar Serena Williams is pregnant and taking maternity leave through the rest of 2017, with the baby due this fall, her spokeswoman announced last week.
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Personality: Elizabeth Lee ‘Bee’ Wright
Spotlight on Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden top volunteer
When Elizabeth Lee “Bee” Wright started volunteering at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Lakeside more than 25 years ago, she did not have her sights set on receiving an award.
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Buffoonery
We shudder thinking about the buffoonery of the Virginia unit leaders of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
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Free Press wins big
The Richmond Free Press continues its 24-year tradition of award-winning excellence. The newspaper was recognized with 10 awards — including five first-place awards and runner-up for the Journalistic Integrity and Community Service Award — at the annual Virginia Press Association competition in writing, photography, news presentation and advertising.
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Georgetown begins atonement for role in slavery
Georgetown University apologized for its historical links to slavery and said last week it would give an admissions edge to descendants of slaves whose sale in the 19th century helped pay off the school’s debts.
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Trouble doubles
Petersburg’s creditors lining up, suing to get paid
Dironna Moore Belton is counting on a flood of money pouring into Petersburg’s treasury in coming days from residents paying their first quarter property tax bills.
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Tyler drops out of mayor’s race; new poll shows Morrissey leading
A candidate for Richmond mayor dropped out Tuesday in a bid to help derail the acknowledged frontrunner, former Delegate Joseph D. “Joe” Morrissey.
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HU’s Yahkee Johnson proves big talent comes in small packages
Yahkee Johnson gets low marks for height and weight but straight A’s for speed and elusiveness. Hampton University’s 5-foot-7, 160-pound junior tailback is like The Roadrunner in shoulder pads — beep, beep — and a No. 22 on his blue and white uniform. Tackling him would be easy, assuming you could catch him. So often, frustrated defenders are left clutching nothing but air.
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Feet to the fire
Almost each day brings a new report of the death of another African-American at the hands of police.
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DeVos, Sessions confirmed
Two of President Trump’s controversial picks for his cabinet have been confirmed by the Senate and are ready to take office.
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Marcus Hoosier gives VUU ‘a nice push’
Virginia Union University’s Panthers were a good basketball team without Marcus Hoosier. They’re an even better squad with him.
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VUU seeded No.1 for CIAA Tournament
Virginia Union University has drawn all “sevens” for this week’s CIAA Basketball Tournament. The Panthers must hope the 7 p.m. scheduled start times will spell long overdue good fortune. With a 22-6 overall record and a 14-2 record in the CIAA, Coach Jay Butler’s team is the No. 1 seed from the Northern Division and will open at 7 p.m. in Thursday’s quarterfinals. VUU’s first opponent will be the survivor of play-in games involving Elizabeth City State, Johnson C. Smith and Bowie State universities.
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Seed money stalled for city’s Whitcomb Court redevelopment
With the transformation of the Creighton Court public housing community underway, Richmond City Hall is seeking to change a second public housing community, Whitcomb Court, into a mixed-income community.
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National Urban League issues annual State of Black America report
Declaring that the state of black America is “locked out” of economic, social and educational equality, National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial said in his State of Black America Address last week that at least $1 trillion must be invested in America’s urban communities in order to bring a semblance of justice.
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Full-service grocery store planned for East End
A new full-service grocery store is headed to Church Hill, it was announced Tuesday. Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones, City Councilwoman Cynthia I. Newbille, 7th District, and T.K. Somanath, executive director of the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority, issued a joint statement about the planned market that is expected to bring about 25 full-time and 22 to 30 part-time jobs to this employment-starved area of the city once it opens — likely a year or more from now.
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‘Something bigger than myself’
“We’ve got a justice gap when too many black boys and girls pass through a pipeline from underfunded schools to overcrowded jails … Black men are about six times likelier to be in prison right now than white men.” Those words rang in my ears and lingered in the air like a heavy, heavy fog that morning. As I stared at President Obama, I kept repeating to myself, “Right now?”
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School bus plan raises safety concerns
Tara Spencer stands on her porch in the Creighton Court public housing community each school day and watches as her 12-year-old daughter, Japria, waits about 20 yards down the street to catch the bus to Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School where she is a sixth-grader.
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U.S. Supreme Court rejects conservative challenge in voting rights case
The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously upheld the method all states use to draw their legislative districts, rejecting a conservative challenge that could have given more clout to white, rural voters.
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VUU president to retire
After seven years and five months leading Virginia Union University and having a campus building named in his honor, Dr. Claude G. Perkins is ready to retire.
