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A space for fun ... and dreams
Marsh Elementary School’s colorful new playground spells success
Henry L. Marsh III Elementary School, named after former state Sen. Henry L. Marsh III, one of Richmond’s African-American political trailblazers, opened two years ago at 813 N. 28th St.
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‘Defund the FBI’? Seriously?, by Clarence Page
Yes, I had to polish my eyeglasses and put them back on for a second look before I could believe what the always provocative and occasionally rational Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene had just tweeted. In a takeoff on the Black Lives Matter slogan, she tweeted “Defund the FBI.” Cute. Barely a step ahead of other like- minded law- makers, the Georgia Re- publican went on to sell hats and other sou- venir merchan- dise online with the slogan, all in response to the FBI’s execution of a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago, the Florida home of her hero, former President Donald Trump. Although more than a dozen other Republicans publicly shared Rep. Greene’s sentiments, others, like Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw, were not amused. Although he was “impressed Democrats finally got us to say, ‘Defund the FBI,’” he said sarcastically, the slogan “makes you look unserious, when you start talking like that.” On that, I agree. I have ex- pressed similar criticism of the original “Defund the police” sloganasitemergedamid global protests by the Black Lives Matter movement follow- ing George Floyd’s murder by police in 2020. Although apologists defended the slogan as a call for construc- tively rethinking policies that pile too many social service burdens on police, conservatives easily turned it into a call for softness on crime. Now, in another ironic twist, a disturbing number of Repub- licans are using it to call for softness on Donald Trump. After the FBI search at the Mar-a-Lago estate, many Trump supporters have turned a slogan they hate into one that they love, Clarence Page even at the cost of the GOP calls to “Support the police” and “Back the Blue” going back at least to Richard M. Nixon’s 1968 presidential campaign. Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz, whom I call Rep.Greene’s brother in shameless grandstand- ing, threatened to give “not one more damn penny” to the FBI and other such agencies. To which BLM tweeted back with “you are corny..... But we’ll work with you to defund and dismantle the FBI. Welcome to #DefundThePolice.” While most of the GOP’s establishment leaders stayed out of the fray, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Cali- fornia tweeted after the search, “The Department of Justice has reached an intolerable state of weaponized politicization.” Thisisthesameleaderwho, during a Police Week speech in May, said “hateful rhetoric” and policies have helped create an “environment of rising crime and put our officers in danger.” The search came after Mr. Trump failed to comply with polite invitations to return clas- sified government documents he had taken to his home. Instead, he claimed to have declared the documents “declassified” without any documentation to back that up. That’s not how declassification is done, especially when you’re no longer president. Now we see some Republi- cans finding virtue in “Defund the FBI” as a rallying cry for Trump’s MAGA (Make America Great Again) base. They’re hungrily looking for some solace amid the pile of scandals threatening their favorite potential candidate. So far, echoing Mr. Trump’s FBI attacks appears remarkably to be working, even in the wake of shocking revelations uncovered by the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. After the committee took its summer break, a poll by The New York Times and Siena College showed Trump support had weakened. But after the search at Mar-a- Lago, a new poll by the Trafalgar Group and the Convention of States Action revealed more than 80 percent of Republican respondents said the feds’ action made them more motivated to vote in this November’s midterm elections. Regardless, our justice system is being tested in this case, along withourdemocracy.Let’stake our time and do it right. Our system of justice isn’t perfect but, for now, it’s all we’ve got. The writer is a syndicated columnist and senior member of the Chicago Tribune edito- rial board.
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Burning Sands foundation to present $60,000 to VUU
VUU’s football season is kicking off with a financial boon, as the Burning Sands Alumni Football Foundation plans to present Virginia Union University $60,000 from its endowment fund to support football scholarships at the college.
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VMHC and The Community Foundation partner on film series
The Community Foundation for a greater Richmond and the Virginia Museum of History & Culture have announced a five-year strategic partnership focused on new and expanded community programming.
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In 1999 retail water sales were nearly 1.5 million MCFs, or 11 billion gallons per year. In 2022, sales are projected to be almost 1.1 …
Published on August 18, 2022
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Personality: Lynda Sharp Anderson
Spotlight on the president and CEO of The DBALSA Foundation
Three decades ago, when Lynda Sharp went to a magazine marketing event with friends, she didn’t know the young man named Dolson Barnett Anderson Jr. who was there with friends of his own. They both volunteered to help the magazine, became better acquainted and later became a married couple. The rest, Mrs. Anderson said, is history.
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Cultural traditions and world music highlight Down Home Family Reunion
African and African-American folklife will be celebrated and explored during the 31st Down Home Family Reunion on Saturday, Aug. 20, in Jackson Ward’s Abner Clay Park.
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Liberation Church’s intent is children’s learning center, not homeless shelter, says pastor
The founding pastor of Liberation Church is pushing back against a report that the city was considering placing a large homeless shelter on the site of the main sanctuary at 5501 Midlothian Turnpike. Founding Pastor Jay Patrick said the church never considered that idea.
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Richmond Folk Festival returns in October
The Richmond Folk Festival, an annual free, three-day event celebrating the diversity of American culture through music and dance performances, will take place Oct. 7-9 on Brown’s Island in Richmond. In its 18th year, the festival will include 30 musicians and dance groups performing on six stages. Several new, first-time artists will premiere eight cultural traditions that never have been presented at the festival. The music and dance program this year ranges from bluegrass to hip-hop to zydeco. Other features of the festival include demonstra- tions, an interactive family area produced by the Children’s Museum of Richmond, handmade crafts, merchandise for sale and food vendors. About 200,000 people are expected to attend the event during the weekend. The schedule is: Oct. 7, 6:30 p.m. - 10 p.m., Oct. 8 12-9:30 p.m., and Oct. 9, 12-6 p.m. Parking is available near the festival site and, although shuttles will not be provided this year, several GRTC bus routes will offer free rides to the riverfront. Presented by Venture Richmond Events, the festival is presented in partnership with the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA), the Virginia Folklife Program, the Center for Cultural Vibrancy, Children’s Museum, and the City of Richmond. For more information, visit https://www.richmondfolkfestival.org/.
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Richmond reduces charge for natural gas
The cost that Richmond customers must pay for natural gas is coming down, for now.
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VUU appoints director of global and online learning
Tunesha Witcher has been appointed director of VUU Global and Online Learning in the Division of Academic Affairs.
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A big deal
Let’s be clear. Your grocery bill won’t go down and your rent won’t drop because President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Action into law on Tuesday. But make no mistake, this legislation has all the earmarks of a big deal.
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Revolutions, evolutions and Serena Williams, by Julianne Malveaux
Unquestionably, Venus and Serena Williams revolutionized women’s tennis. With serves that approached the speed of light, fantastic agility, exceptional athleticism, and the grace of gazelles, they changed how women played tennis.
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Patience pays off for 5-year-old New Yorker Julian Graham, who got an up-close view of a vibrant butterfly while visiting the “Butterflies Live” exhibition with …
Published on August 11, 2022
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When tenants don’t pay, eviction is the price, says one landlord
Landlords are in trouble, too, according to Bobby L. McIntosh, who is in charge of 109 units in Richmond through his company, Bayside Properties and Management.
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Personality: Bryan Price
Spotlight on the board chairman of Equality Virginia
Part of Bryan Price’s email signature includes his favorite quote. It is from Muhammad Ali, and it speaks to the things we see as impossible to overcome — and to the power of each of us to affect change in the world.
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BLCK Street sessions inspire entrepreneurs
A common thread throughout the inaugural BLCK Street Conference earlier this week was encouragement and advice on everything from organizing finances to mentoring.
