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Mallory Hasen of Jackson Ward: “I would buy my mom a house. She was a single mom raising my sister and me, and she always …
Published on May 8, 2015
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‘Who are the thugs?’
Who are the “thugs” in Baltimore and other cities in America? I have watched with deepest regret the aftermath that has followed the death of Freddie Gray, who was in Baltimore police custody at the time of suffering severe spinal cord damage that resulted in his death. Even worse, why did it take so long to get a police report on what took place? It is strange how long it takes to get police reports on certain incidents when black men are killed by police? That alone raises a red flag. Do these people have a conscience that tells them right from wrong?
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Police reform needed now
“There is no crueler tyranny than that which is perpetuated under the shield of law and in the name of justice.” – Charles de Montesquieu, “The Spirit of the Laws,” 1748 A tragic déjà vu is playing out in communities all across America, particularly in the growingly skeptical streets of black and brown neighborhoods.
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Get serious
We listened with interest and some amusement this week as retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and former Silicon Valley technology executive Carly Fiorina announced they are seeking the Republican nomination for president. Without a doubt, both Dr. Carson and Ms. Fiorina have excelled in their fields.
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Mayweather seals legacy; rematch possible
Floyd Mayweather Jr. cemented his place among the pantheon of boxing greats, improving to 48-0 with a unanimous decision over Manny Pacquiao last Saturday in a fight some believed didn’t live up to its immense hype and price tag.
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Armstrong tennis team ramps up for winning season
George Banks has a powerful hunch there is a potential tennis phenom somewhere within Richmond’s city limits. And if his instincts are correct, Banks is determined to discover him or her, outfit the prospect with a racquet and sneakers and swing open the door of opportunity.
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Harriet’s Place tea ministry opens in Washington Park
More than 100 colorful teapots of all shapes and sizes fill the idyllic home in the historic Washington Park community on North Side. They will serve as the centerpiece for Scripture Tea Fellowship Ministries, whose mission is to “provide spiritual, social, educational and economic empowerment in a safe place of refuge and relaxation over a cup of tea and the word of God,” according to the Rev. Jeanette Brown, the ministry’s founder.
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Personality: Thomas L. Johnson Jr.
Spotlight on local chapter president of National Negro Golf Association
Fore! Be on the lookout for golf, fun and fellowship. That’s what organizers of the National Negro Golf Association (NNGA) are aiming for next weekend when the organization kicks off its 50th anniversary celebration with golf, get-togethers and commemorations in the Richmond area.
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Protests in Israel over police brutality against Ethiopian Jews
At a protest on April 30, demonstrators blocked one of the city’s main traffic arteries and the light rails service. They marched toward the residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before being stopped by police with water cannons.
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Slavery memorial to gain in capital budget plan
The battle over the ballpark in Shockoe Bottom apparently is over. At the same time, hopes are fading for Richmond Public Schools to gain funding to develop essential new schools on South Side to relieve overcrowding.
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Justice Dept. opens investigation into Gray’s death; officers charged
There’s an uneasy quiet in Baltimore after six police officers were charged last week in the mysterious death of Freddie Gray while he was in their custody. Underneath the calm simmers apprehension and anger in the African-American community — ready to erupt again at any moment — if there’s another incident of police brutality against a black man in the town known as “Charm City.” That grim reality was clear Monday afternoon when angry community members and officers in riot gear quickly converged in West Baltimore after an erroneous TV report stated police had shot and perhaps fatally injured a young African-American man who was seen running away from pursuing officers.
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Services sacrificed in council’s $ plan
Richmond Public Schools is on track to gain an extra $9 million to help meet critical needs in the coming year. Police officers and firefighters also are on track to gain bigger raises of roughly 2.5 percent to help reduce turnover in public safety.
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$1 City selling home sites for low, moderate income families
Vacant property for $1. That’s the price that City Hall is setting to clear out its inventory of home sites and to help cut the future purchase price of the houses to be built on them. This effort also will help finish partially completed developments that have been on hold since the economic recession began in 2008. In a first step, at least 16 lots are being prepared for sale, primarily in Southern Barton Heights. A few lots in Swansboro on South Side and in Newtowne West near Virginia Union University also are part of the sale. The board of the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority, the properties’ nominal owner, helped clear the way by approving the transfer of the properties to the city at its meeting last week.
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Richmond schools to get boost from state
Higher than expected enrollment is helping Richmond Public Schools avoid falling into a deficit. Richmond reported 128 more students than expected on March 31, boosting total enrollment to 21,973 students in kindergarten through 12th grade, according to a report to the School Board. The extra students should result in a $1.6 million boost in the state’s contribution, according to the report from Ralph L. Westbay, assistant superintendent for financial services. The state contribution previously had been projected at $121.7 million.
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VSU, NSU still facing cutbacks
Cutbacks. That’s what Norfolk State and Virginia State universities are facing because of surprisingly steep enrollment drops. Enrollment at both of the state-funded, historically black institutions peaked in 2012 and then began a sharp decline. Based on current projections, both schools expect to enroll at least 25 percent fewer students in the fall than in 2012. That means less income and more need to reduce spending on staff and programs.
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Study: Teachers quicker to label black students as ‘troublemakers’
A new study suggests that racial stereotyping by teachers could be a root cause for harsher discipline imposed on black students. Two Stanford University psychologists, Dr. Jennifer L. Eberhardt and doctoral candidate Jason Okonofua, conducted the study to determine if hidden bias could explain government data showing that misbehaving black students are three times more likely to be suspended or expelled from public schools than their misbehaving white peers. The psychologists’ research found that teachers are quicker to label black students as troublemakers and to consider more severe penalties for them, compared with white students who misbehave.
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Vacant property at 1614 Sewell Ave. on South Side that the city has priced to sell for $1.
Published on May 5, 2015
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When Freedom Came series ‘educational and inspirational’
Re “When Freedom Came” series, March 26-28, April 2-4 and April 9-11 editions:
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An unexpected partnership
When Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake stepped before a bank of microphones last Saturday for a hastily called news conference, she was surrounded by people she credited with helping keep this city calm during a weeklong protest over the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who died after suffering a spinal injury while in police custody.
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Black women’s lives matter, too
You know their names — Eric Garner, Michael Brown and Tamir Rice — because these African-American men were unarmed and killed by law enforcement officers. Their names have been part of a litany invoked when police shootings are discussed. Their deaths have been part of the impetus for the Black Lives Matter movement, especially because the police officers that killed these men — and a little boy — have paid no price for their murders.
