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Legendary debate coach, Dr. Thomas F. Freeman Sr., dies at 100
Richmond native Thomas Franklin Freeman Sr. transformed historically black Texas Southern University into a national powerhouse in debate.
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Biden wins Virginia
1.3M state voters turn out for Super Tuesday presidential primary
Vying to become the Democratic challenger to President Trump, Joseph R. “Joe” Biden Jr. swept to primary victories in Virginia and eight other states on Super Tuesday, thanks to a huge surge of support from African-American voters.
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Howardena Pindell exhibit opening at VMFA
If the 50-year plight of a female artist’s career through a life of racial and gender disparities was never the topic on the fall school reading list, the season is prime to learn from Howardena Pindell’s life story.
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Serena loses U.S. Open to Naomi Osaka after challenging umpire
Serena Williams’ behavior in last Saturday’s U.S. Open final divided the tennis world after she called the chair umpire a “liar” and a “thief” and said he treated her differently than male players during her loss to 20-year-old Naomi Osaka.
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Justice Kavanaugh takes seat on U.S. Supreme Court
Justice Brett Kavanaugh spent a collegial first day on the bench as an associate justice on the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday that contrasted sharply with the venom of his confirmation process, taking an active role in arguments alongside his eight new colleagues.
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School Board sends proposed $310.6M budget to mayor
The Richmond School Board voted 6-3 Monday night to send to Mayor Levar M. Stoney a proposed $310.6 million operating budget for the 2019-20 fiscal year that will begin July 1 — equaling a per pupil cost of $13,362 for each of the estimated 23,200 students expected to be enrolled in city schools next fall in preschool through 12th grade.
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New Zealand shooting hits home for American Muslims
For Muslims, Fridays are special. Mosques come to life with the mandatory Jummah prayer services, where imams deliver sermons and lead rows of worshippers in congregational prayer. Muslims dress in their Friday best and greet one another with “Jummah Mubarak” or “blessed Friday.”
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VCU loses in A-10 Tourney, heads to NCAA
If you’re Virginia Commonwealth University center Marcus Santos-Silva, here’s your weekend assignment: On Friday, you’ll be trading elbows with the nation’s tallest player.
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VCU ends season at tourney
In a proverbial sense, Virginia Commonwealth University’s basketball team scaled numerous mountains this season.
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School Board gives final approval to $418M spending plan
Backed by a $25 million boost in contributions from city taxpayers, the Richmond School Board Tuesday approved spending a record $16,814 for each of the 24,800 students projected to be served in the 2019-20 budget year that begins July 1.
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Quality vs. quantity in college baseball
If readers can’t find many articles about black college baseball players in Virginia, there’s a good reason why.
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Hate crime charges filed in Louisiana church fire
The white man suspected in the burnings of three African-American churches in Louisiana will remain in jail, denied bond Monday by a judge, as state prosecutors added new charges declaring the arsons a hate crime.
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Milwaukee looking to Antetokounmpo for NBA playoff victory
Based on regular season play, the NBA’s best team and arguably best player represent a city perhaps known more for beer and brats than basketball.
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Mayor to use fellowship resources to help preserve Richmond’s slavery history
Richmond Mayor Levar M. Stoney is pledging to use a national fellowship he was awarded to help make Richmond a major destination for learning about America’s slavery past.
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Teachable moment
We have seen segments of the foul video posted to social media showing white football team members from Henrico County’s Short Pump Middle School in the locker room simulating sex acts on black members of the team while making racist comments.
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Thousands turn out for Women’s March RVA
Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Carytown last Saturday for the second annual Women’s March, recalling demonstrations a year ago when hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Washington and cities around the nation and the world to protest President Trump’s inauguration and the GOP’s stance on issues such as women’s rights and immigration. Some called the 2017 event the largest single-day protest in U.S. history.
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Guns and churches: Local pastors caught between welcoming strangers, congregants’ fears
Pastor Preston R. Gainer is deeply perturbed. As violence dominates local and national headlines, he now is considering whether to arm himself and members of his East End church’s safety team as part of St. James United Holy Church’s security precautions.
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Down again: Student achievement drops again for Richmond Public Schools, according to 2018-19 SOL test results
Richmond Public Schools student achievement continues to decline, according to state Standards of Learning test results released this week by the Virginia Department of Education.
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Exonerated Five member stresses importance of knowing your rights in face of police questioning
As the credits rolled, the audience of more than 200 people fell silent with astonishment and anger after viewing “The Central Park Five,” a documentary by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns and David McMahon about the 1989 case in which four African-American teens and a Puerto Rican teen were wrongfully convicted in the brutal assault and rape of a white investment banker as she jogged in New York’s Central Park.
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RPS officials fail to explain faulty, fluctuating graduation figures
There has been a sudden surge in the number of students graduating from Richmond Public Schools — and not just from Armstrong High School. RPS officials this week are reporting that 963 seniors received their diplomas during recent graduation ceremonies from the city’s nine high schools.