Story
Personality: Luise ‘Cheezi’ Farmer
Spotlight on board chair of Diversity Richmond
Being elected to lead a group in the midst of a pandemic would be a sizable burden for anyone. But for Luise “Cheezi” Farmer, board chair of Diversity Richmond, it’s a welcome opportunity to show her commitment to the cause and a sign of how much her role is valued.
Story
Personality: Lucia Anna ‘Pia’ Trigiani
Spotlight on the Library of Virginia Foundation’s board president
Lucia Anna “Pia” Trigiani is working to tell the story of an institution built around stories and histories.
Story
No longer spinning their wheels
Richmond nonprofit uses circles to break cycles of poverty
For millions of Americans, living at or near the federal poverty line means barely getting by is a constant struggle. Census Bureau estimates show more than 20 percent of Richmond’s residents are living in poverty — a figure nearly 50 percent higher than the national average. Many of these residents work, and many feel as though they’ll never get ahead. Such was the case for Sherrell Thompson, 43, a resident of Churc Hill and Richmond native. Two years ago, the single mother and grandmother worked as a certified community health Wworker for Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority. Everyday she helped others in her job, but she also knew she needed help herself. “I really felt stuck where I was financially and I just didn’t know what steps to take next,” Ms. Thompson said by phone recently. One day, she took a deeper look at Circles RVA — a lo- cal organization she’d referred clients looking to better their financial circumstances to before. Ms. Thompson decided to put in her own application and was accepted to the program in August 2020. In that same cohort was Barbara Yates, 67, a mother, grand- mother and great-grandmother, who was born in Baltimore but moved to Richmond as a child. Both were drawn by Circles RVA’s vision “that everyone has enough money, meaning and friends to thrive.” In a recent phone interview, Circles RVA co-president Valena Dixon and coach Debbie Williams highlighted how the organiza- tion works alongside program participants — known as leaders — to help them realize that vision of financial stability, purpose and support in their lives. “Allies and volunteers create a circle of support around lead- ers and intentionally create relationships,” Ms. Dixon explained. “These relationships expand their networks and introduce them to resources that can reduce the barriers that hinder their rising out of poverty.” “You’re building communities by building intentional rela- tionships,” Ms. Williams added. “These relationships make all the difference and give leaders the support they need to move from surviving to thriving.” Circles RVA began with volunteers who were looking for ways to address Richmond’s poverty issue at the community level. It became a registered nonprofit in June 2017, modeled after Circles USA which sees circles, or the personal and professional networks each person has, as resources that can be shared. With Circles RVA, leaders undertake a 12-week educational program during which they are matched with allies and work to create SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound) goals for themselves. Over the next 18 months, leaders and allies meet weekly to ensure that leaders continue to progress toward their goals. As Ms. Dixon puts is, “Plan the work, work the plan.” And plans are working. Circles RVA graduated its fourth cohort in June, and its latest newsletter highlights the achievements of its 15 leaders who so far have completed the program. Many show average increases of about $1,200 in monthly income and $2,000 in total assets. Ms. Thompson and Mrs. Yates graduated in the June 2022 cohort and have seen the benefits. With her allies’ help, Miss Thompson revamped her résumé and secured a new, higher paying job with her employer as a resident services coordinator. She has used the extra income to reduce her debt and boost her credit score by more than 100 points. “I never thought I’d be able to do that,” Ms. Thompson said. “Circles RVA helped me so much. I was so happy I just cried through my whole graduation.” Learning to better manage her budget also helped Mrs. Yates. “Before I was an Amazon addict, but not anymore,” Mrs. Yates said, noting that she frequently made purchases from the online retailer. “Writing (down) where all of (my) money was going made it easy to see where you could bring your expenses down.” Mrs. Yates has started saving some of what she used to spend. She has a “rainy day fund” and is continuing to save toward another goal — travel. “I really enjoyed the program. You are constantly learning something every week,” Mrs. Yates said. “My allies were very supportive and encouraging. Whenever I was struggling, they helped me think like that little train, ‘I think I can. I think I can.’” Mrs. Yates and Ms. Thompson plan to stay connected with the friends they made through Circles RVA. Ms. Thompson even wants to apply to rejoin the program — this time as an ally. “I have benefitted so much that I need to pass that on.” To learn more about Circles RVA and its next cohort of lead- ers, visit https://circlesrva.org/
Story
’The Secret Lives of Church Ladies’ is finalist for National Book Award
For years, Deesha Philyaw, a Pittsburgh writer, editor and writing coach, has gradually crafted stories about church ladies — but these are not the stories you’d likely hear sitting in the pew of a Black church.
Story
Personality: Ra-Twoine Shameel ‘Rosetta’ Fields
Spotlight on founder and program director of More Than Art: Inner City Mural Project
It’s a time of sweeping artistic development for the city of Rich- mond, with a wide variety of new pieces, programs and exhibits in various districts.
Story
Personality: Monica L. Darden
Spotlight on honorary chair of the AKA Sorority’s 15th Annual Sauté and Sizzle
Things are getting a bit spicy as Monica L. Darden nears the end of the first year of her term as president of the Rho Eta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
Story
Personality: Sylvia Clute
Spotlight on The Alliance for Unitive Justice president
When former trial attorney Sylvia Clute read the book “A Course in Miracles” in 1987, her concept of justice shifted.
Story
Personality: Quanda Lashun Baker
Spotlight on local president of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women
Almost five years ago, Quanda Lashun Baker was among the charter members of the Richmond Metropolitan Area Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, establishing a branch of the women’s nonprofit organization dedicated to making a difference in the community.
Story
Personality: Chandler M. Hubbard
Spotlight on local playwright and finalist for national best new play award
“Disbelief. Shock. Gratitude. Confusion? Mostly gratitude.” That’s how local actor and playwright Chandler Marshall Hubbard describes his reac- tion after learning his play, “Animal Control,” was selected as a finalist for the American Theatre Critics Association’s Harold and Mimi Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award.
Story
Personality: Dr. Emanuel C. Harris
Spotlight on president of the Baptist Ministers’ Conference of Richmond and Vicinity
A new outspoken, politically aware and socially conscious president has been installed to lead the Baptist Ministers’ Conference of Richmond and Vicinity.
Story
Basketball legend Bob Lanier dies after cancer battle
Bob Lanier, who went to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame twice — once for his talents; once for his hard-to-believe sneakers — died Tuesday, May 10, 2022.
Story
Prince Harry says ignorance no excuse for unconscious bias
Britain’s Prince Harry says it took him many years and the experience of living with his wife, Meghan Markle, to understand how his privileged upbringing shielded him from the reality of unconscious bias.
Story
Pregnant woman sues Detroit, police officer after arrest involving facial recognition
A Detroit woman is suing the city and a police officer, saying she was falsely arrested when she was eight months pregnant and accused of a carjacking based on facial recognition technology that is now the target of lawsuits filed by three Black Michigan residents.
Story
Men can teach, too
Anyone who’s been inside a public school knows there aren’t large numbers of male teachers in classrooms. In fact, male minority teachers make up less than 5 percent of all educators in the country, according to recent data. In 2020, Richmond Public Schools created a program called RVA Men Teach to address this disparity, retain and recruit male minority teachers and highlight them as educational experts and eliminate barriers that keep them out of classrooms.
Story
George Wythe athlete Talik Bryant excels despite season without basketball
Talik Bryant has earned a spot on the “A Team” at Rich- mond’s George Wythe High School.
Story
Former RIchmond firefighter is Petersburg's first woman fire chief
Shortly after being sworn in at Petersburg’s new fire chief on Jan. 31, Tina R. Watkins described the moment as “surreal” and something she has envisioned since childhood.
Story
Miyares claims victory as first Latino attorney general in state
In a close race, Republican Delegate Jason S. Miyares has ended Democrat Mark R. Herring’s eight-year tenure as Virginia’s attorney general, completing the GOP sweep of the top offices in the Commonwealth for the first time since 2009.
Story
Gary Flowers takes his show national
Beginning this Sunday, radio listeners can tune in again to “The Gary Flowers Show.”
Story
RVA Reads gives a book a month to pre-schoolers
A city program is helping to put books into the hands of hundreds of Richmond’s youngest schoolchildren with the goal of exciting them about reading. Called RVA Reads, the program distributes a new book each month to 3- and 4-year-olds, according to Michael Wallace of the city’s press office.
Story
‘Chief Durham is a keeper’
Before a recent Richmond City Council meeting, I observed Police Chief Alfred Durham standing among other city administration officials. With hat in hand, he left the group and walked across the chamber to shake hands with a patrolman on his assigned post. His actions were a true representation of leadership and teamwork. Can you imagine the morale that inspires?
