Story
Presbyterians, Southern Baptists vote to end racism and racist symbols
Religion News Service The nation’s second largest Presbyterian denomination has passed legislation repenting for “past failures to love brothers and sisters from minority cultures” and committing its members to work toward racial reconciliation. The “overture,” or legislation, was approved overwhelmingly Thursday, June 23, at the national meeting of the Presbyterian Church in America. The issue had been deferred from the previous year’s meeting, where there was a lengthy debate on similar legislation.
Story
International player making a difference for the Rams
Considering its notable track record with global recruiting, the “U” in VCU might stand for “Universal.” Egyptian native Ahmed Hamdy-Mohamed is the current international athlete making a difference for the Rams.
Story
American justice defiled
President Trump’s first three weeks in office have left Americans reeling from what Republican speech writer Peggy Noonan called his “cloud of crazy.”
Story
VCU takes on St. Mary’s College in NCAA first round in Salt Lake City
Virginia Commonwealth University’s legion of basketball fans has come to expect two things — continued excellence and lengthy journeys to cheer on their Rams in the NCAA Tournament. VCU has qualified for the NCAAs a noteworthy seven straight years. Only three schools have longer streaks.
Story
VCU ready for 7th consecutive bid to NCAAs
Barring an unlikely late season collapse, the Virginia Commonwealth University Rams are primed for a seventh straight trip to the NCAA playoffs.
Story
Fouls central part of Rams’ strategy
Virginia Commonwealth University’s winning basketball recipe includes balanced scoring plus a little discussed “secret” ingredient — balanced fouling. Now with eight straight wins after last Friday’s 84-73 victory at the University of Richmond, the Rams are 22-5 heading into difficult Atlantic 10 Conference road tests at the University of Rhode Island and the University of Dayton.
Story
John Marshall ready for regional playoffs with tall men in front, back court
Richmond’s John Marshall High School boasts perhaps the tallest basketball front line in Virginia in 6-foot-9 Isaiah Todd, 6-foot-7 Isaiah Anderson and 6-foot-6 Greg Jones.
Story
A clear and present danger
The danger that Donald Trump, practitioner of questionable business practices, inveterate bully, racist, sexist, demagogue and the Republican Party’s presumptive nominee for president of the United States, presents to American society was never more evident than last week amid a flurry of negative news stories.
Story
For Toronto Raptors fans: Fast facts
Maybe it’s time for the National Basketball Association to shift its name to the International Basketball Association. With the slogan “We the North,” the Toronto Raptors have reached the NBA Eastern Conference finals for the first time in franchise history.
Story
Cam Newton wins league MVP, but loses Super Bowl
From Super Bowl 50, we learned the “D” in Denver stands for “defense,” and Cam Newton remains a work in progress. In a game sandwiched between endless commercials and a marathon halftime show, the Denver Broncos defeated the upstart Carolina Panthers 24-10.
Story
Reaching toward justice
Bryan Stevenson’s inspiring and best-selling book “Just Mercy” shares some of the fruits of his lifelong fight to push our nation closer to true justice. In January, our nation took two more steps forward in the ongoing struggle to treat children like children and ensure a fairer justice system for all, especially for our poor and those of color.
Story
Afflicting the comfortable
In American society, we claim to support freedom of speech as a cornerstone of our democracy. Yet when it comes to certain kinds of information — particularly ideas that threaten the basis for white supremacy — censorship suddenly becomes justifiable. A teaching tool created by the African American Policy Forum recently was subject to this form of censorship in Henrico County.
Story
Protesters seek year-round city-run homeless shelter
About 30 members of the city’s homeless community, advocates for homeless people and other concerned residents gathered behind the city’s old Public Safety Building early last Friday evening for a rally and sleep-in protest at the entrance of the emergency overflow shelter.
Story
TJ’s new football coach trying to ‘translate talent into more wins’
Chad Hornik scored noteworthy victories, both on and off the field, as football coach at Richmond’s Thomas Jefferson High School from 2012 to 2015.
Story
Demand economic justice
This year’s presidential primaries have highlighted the importance of people of color to the Democratic Party coalition. Hillary Clinton’s lead in the party’s nomination race comes almost entirely from her strength among African-American and Latino voters. When people of color favor one candidate by large margins, they make the difference.
Story
Chesterfield player headed to Final Four with Syracuse
The Virginia teams in the NCAA basketball tournament are gone, but a Chesterfield County player remains in the competition. Talented Michael Gbinije is headed to the Final Four in Houston as Syracuse University’s 6-foot-7 graduate student point guard.
Story
Richmond Public Schools losing budget director during critical season
Richmond Public Schools is losing one of its chief budget architects as the School Board and Superintendent Dana T. Bedden prepare to kick off their budget negotiations for fiscal year 2017 with Mayor Dwight C. Jones and Richmond City Council. Betsy Drewry, RPS director of budget and planning, will leave her position Friday, Feb. 5, to become director of budget and finance for Prince George County, she told the Free Press at Monday’s School Board meeting at City Hall. Ms. Drewry is exiting after 18 months in the position. She was the Prince George school system’s budget chief for 14 years prior to coming to Richmond.
Story
Gov. Northam acknowledges his own uncomfortable truths
Nearly a year after public revelations of racist photos published on his medical school yearbook page, Gov. Ralph S. Northam offered a mea culpa at Virginia Union University’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Community Leaders Breakfast and acknowledged the lessons he has learned confronting some of his own painful truths.
Story
Rosa Parks’ home displayed in Italy amid racial justice backdrop
The rundown, paint-chipped Detroit house where civil rights icon Rosa Parks took refuge after her historic bus boycott is going on display in Italy in a setting that couldn’t be more incongruous: The imposing central courtyard of the Royal Palace in Naples.
Story
Now’s the time for police reform, by Jesse L. Jackson Sr.
As the worldwide demonstrations continue three weeks after the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis policeman, the question is whether o
