Story
Reflections on freedom for Juneteenth, by Robin Stone
The official recognition of the day the last enslaved people in the United States learned of their freedom, known as Juneteenth, was a long time coming. It wasn’t until 2021 — nearly 160 years after slavery ended — that the president signed a proclamation making Juneteenth a federal holiday.
Story
Willis swinging for Carolina title
Virginia Union University’s Travon Willis has won one golf title in his home state of North Carolina, and now he’s shooting for another.
Story
Zachiah ‘ZZ’ Clark prefers ‘making my own way’
The Tennessee State basketball program has added a blue chip prospect.
Story
VMHC honors dads with free admission
Dads may visit the Virginia Museum of History & Culture and receive free admission to the museum galleries, including the museum’s most recent exhibition, “Apollo: When We Went to the Moon,” as part of a special Father’s Day offering.
Photo
Research and health surveillance data point to a growing mental health crisis among Black youth over decades. Between 1991 and 2019, Black adolescents had the …
Published on June 8, 2023
Story
The sophisticated soul of Will Downing
Will Downing has been around long enough to be one of the few Grammy-nominated singers left in his lane. After 26 albums, (including his latest, “Pieces”) the R&B singer is fine with where his career, which began in the 1980s, has put him.
Story
Black kids face racism before they even start school
To her students who need the most support, India Strother is rarely just “Ms. Strother” — she’s a family figure they call “Mom,” a trusted guide as they negotiate their teenage years.
Story
Agnes Wilder Nicholson dies at age 98
Agnes Wilder Nicholson, who spent much of her life in education and civic service, died Saturday, May 6, 2023, at age 98.
Story
Personality: Elizabeth C. ‘Lizzie’ Childress
Spotlight on Richmond Public Schools 2023 top valedictorian
Lizzie Childress will be recognized as valedictorian at her graduation from Richmond’s Open High School and her 5.2958 GPA also made her the Richmond Public Schools 2023 top valedictorian.
Story
Free community testing for COVID-19 continues
The Richmond and Henrico County health districts are offering testing at the following locations:
Story
New leader of Richmond Crusade for Voters
Jerome Legions Jr. is now the former president of the Richmond Crusade for Voters.
Story
Democratic primary for 14th Senate District underway
With early voting ongoing for the June 20 Democratic primary, the candidates each spoke with the Richmond Free Press about some of the issues that are on the minds of voters in the new 14th Senate District.
Story
Against AI, political punditry can still do the write thing, by Clarence Page
Striking Hollywood writers are nervous about artificial intelligence — also known as AI — and I’m not feeling so good myself.
Story
Celebrating ‘the voice of Black America’, by Marc H. Morial
“Show me a person who is full of prejudice, and I will show you a sick, unhappy, fearful individual who is not going anywhere and who is not growing. People don’t shut other people out; they fence themselves in.” – Whitney M. Young Jr.
Story
High court diluted Voting Rights Act a decade ago, prompting wave of new voting rules
Within hours of a U.S. Supreme Court decision dismantling a key provision of the Voting Rights Act, Texas lawmakers announced plans to implement a strict voter ID law that had been blocked by a federal court.
Story
The need for food and shelter grows for city’s homeless
“The need has tripled,” Rhonda Sneed said. “More and more people are experiencing a crisis at this time, and so many with food insecurity. I am seeing more people seeking some form of nourishment from a trash receptacle.”
Story
Shielding from responsibility?
City mum on funds diverted to police
Mayor Levar M. Stoney joined community partners Tuesday to announce the city is all for trying to prevent the killings that leave bodies in the street and families in mourning. However, during his City Hall press conference, the mayor didn’t mention that just a few weeks ago his administration gained approval from
Story
5 takeaways from The Associated Press series on health disparities impacting Black Americans
The Associated Press spent a year examining how racial health disparities have harmed generations of Black Americans.
Story
Personality: Brandy W. Stoney
Spotlight on Robinson Theater Community Arts Center board president
The Robinson Theater Community Arts Center is a Church Hill institution that opened in 1937 as the first theater for African-Americans in the area. After closing in the 1980s, it reopened as an event space for children and adults in 2009. For Brandy W. Stoney, the current president of the Robinson Center board, the building is “now like home to me,” and an East End legacy that she enjoys helping to guide and sustain.
Story
Servant leader Gregory A. Cummings dies at 67
Former MEGA Mentors president assisted thousands of area youths
Gregory A. Cummings, a role model for Chesterfield County and Petersburg youths, was memorialized Tuesday at Second Baptist Church in South Side Richmond. He died Saturday, May 20, 2023, at age 67.
