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‘Equity and Excellence’ needed
All across the country, people are gathering to observe an annual academic rite of passage — graduation. In a scene that will be played out countless times during this season of celebration, family and friends will dutifully take their seats in auditoriums and at sports fields around the nation and proudly look on as their loved ones walk across stages to receive their diplomas or degrees and, finally, turn the tassel on their graduation caps.
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Process that boots judges under review
Justice Cleo E. Powell of Va. Supreme Court to head panel
Justice Cleo E. Powell of Va. Supreme Court to head panel
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Investment in students pays dividends
Last fall, the alumni of Virginia Union University kicked off the “Invest in a Student” campaign and raffle, the first of its kind for the alumni of VUU. Tickets were sold to alumni and friends around the state and all over the country. The grand prize was a 2015 Series 3 BMW and the winning ticket was drawn during VUU’s 3rd Annual Scholarship Gala and Masquerade Ball on April 24.
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Changing the face of currency
Let’s do this. Put Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill. It’s time for the face of this nation’s currency to catch up with the great changes this country has undergone since the end of the Jim Crow era. Putting the no-nonsense image of Ms. Tubman, a black woman who served her people as a conductor of the Underground Railroad — and served her country as a Union Army spy during the Civil War — would be a powerful reflection of that change.
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Dogwood Dell blossoms with Festival of the Arts
Richmond’s free summer Festival of the Arts at Dogwood Dell will launch its new season Sunday, June 7, with a Renaissance-style fair and a production of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.”
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VCU, U.Va. in NCAA baseball Super Regional competition
Virginia Commonwealth University’s Rams have taken care of baseball business in Dallas. Now, feeling the wind at their back, it’s on to South Florida.
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Former Globetrotter Marques Haynes dies at 89
Marques Haynes’ dribbling skills wowed fans in more than 100 countries. He was a showstopper, a player who helped make the Harlem Globetrotters beloved ambassadors of basketball around the world.
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VSU hit in state auditor’s draft report
Virginia State University is facing unexpected financial challenges as a result of sloppy management during the tenure of former President Keith T. Miller, according to a draft of a state audit of the school’s spending during the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2014.
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City DPW head quits over Harvard dispute
Since he arrived in 2011, James A. Jackson has pushed for change in the Richmond Department of Public Works. Instead of top-down leadership, he has spearheaded a team approach, worked to replaced outdated equipment and sought to address the backlog of citizen complaints about services.
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Have your say in new name for Thompson Middle
Thompson-Elkhardt Middle School. Or Elkhardt-Thompson Middle School.
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Legal freedom fighters
At 75, ODBA’s struggle for justice continues
When black lawyers from across Virginia gathered in Richmond last week to mark the 75th anniversary of the Old Dominion Bar Association, far more than nostalgia was on their minds.
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National Black Farmers accepting scholarship applications
The National Black Farmers Association is seeking applicants for its first ever college scholarships to support students in agriculture-related study. The scholarships are being funded with a $100,000 grant from FCA Foundation, the charitable arm of the former Chrysler Group, now FCA US LLC.
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GRTC adding unlimited rides
Pay one fare and get unlimited bus rides for a day, a week or a month. That’s an option that cash-strapped GRTC expects to begin offering by the fall in a bid to pump up ridership. GRTC won a 9-0 vote Tuesday from Richmond City Council to inaugurate what is regarded as the biggest change in fare pricing since the start of public transit in the city.
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Franklin P. Hall, former Richmond delegate, succumbs at 76
He was considered the “happy warrior” of Richmond politics. Franklin Perkins “Frank” Hall, a silver-haired man with a ready smile and warm handshake, made friends with everyone he met — a trait that stood him in good stead during his 33 years in the Virginia General Assembly.
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Burying the past A small group of mostly young people took shovel to dirt and buried a Confederate flag near the James River on Memorial …
Published on May 29, 2015
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Cure the real problem hurting schools, not symptoms
Re: Editorial “Take back our schools,” May 21-23 edition: The first rule in problem solving is to identify the problem by separating it from its symptoms.
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Mountain of Blessings ends bid for Richmond Christian Center property
The fight over ownership of the bankrupt Richmond Christian Center in South Side has ended, at least for the time being. An Eastern Henrico Church, Mountain of Blessings Christian Center (MBCC), led by married co-pastors Dimitri and Nicole Bradley, has dropped its suit asking the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to allow MBCC to proceed in purchasing the RCC’s property in the 200 block of Cowardin Avenue.
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Personality: Helivi L. Holland
Spotlight on president of Old Dominion Bar Association at its 75th anniversary
Helivi L. Holland knew at a young age that advocating for justice was her passion. “I was willing to verbally challenge others, including the teachers, when I felt someone was being unfairly treated. That started around second grade,” she said.
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NBA draft procedures changed the luck of the teams
Long before the NBA draft was determined by dancing Ping Pong balls, a.k.a. the weighted lottery, it was based on something less dicey — U.S. geography. Between 1949 and 1966, the “territorial draft” was imposed as a way of ushering elite talent to pro clubs nearest their college fan bases — or in one special case, their hometown.
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Officials launch probe into B.B. King’s death
Nevada officials said Monday they would conduct a homicide investigation into the death earlier this month of legendary musician B.B. King, after two of his daughters leveled accusations that the blues great was murdered. The Clark County, Nev., coroner’s office said in a post on Twitter that it had taken jurisdiction over Mr. King’s body, and autopsy results would take a minimum of six to eight weeks.
