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Rep. A. Donald McEachin energizes crowd at Community Leaders Breakfast
Congressman A. Donald McEachin got serious — and spiritual — very quickly last Friday as he launched his keynote address at Virginia Union University’s 40th Annual Community Leaders Breakfast.
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There’s no place like a home that’s affordable
Finding affordable housing in the Richmond market is a real challenge for many. A study of the Richmond market has found housing in 75 percent of the city is too expensive for a majority of families with household incomes below $60,000 a year, with virtually nothing left for any family with an annual income of $25,000 or less except public housing.
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Former RPS warehouse to become furniture building center
Call it a $1.6 million windfall for Richmond Public Schools to use to upgrade some of its schools. The money is to come from the sale of the school system’s former warehouse on Arlington Road near The Diamond to Richmond-based McKinnon and Harris, an outdoor furniture manufacturer.
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No cakewalk
We are impressed by the résumé and remarks of Jason Kamras, the 43-year-old Washington public schools administrator and 2005 National Teacher of the Year who received the unanimous backing of the Richmond School Board to become Richmond’s next public schools superintendent.
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The “New Normal’, by Marc H. Morial
Few events have shaped American history and our national perspective on racial inequity as profoundly as the grief, civil unrest and economic devastation brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Gun control for cops
Last week, we used this space to advocate for tougher gun control laws and increased data collection to protect the safety and health of the people.
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Teon Tiller turns Thomas Jefferson High into a contender
Don’t blink. Blink once if you’re guarding Teon Tiller, and the Thomas Jefferson High School senior is likely to whiz past for yet another bucket.
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Sisterhood still connects poet Nikki Giovanni
Poet, scholar and activist Nikki Giovanni feels the loss everyday of her best friend Toni Morrison.
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First Baptist Chesterfield project lacks black participation
First Baptist Church of South Richmond has poured nearly $6 million into buying land and developing its long-planned satellite sanctuary in Chesterfield County.
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RRHA, Club 533 seek rezoning for new development
The old saying, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again,” appears to be at work in Jackson Ward. Six years after the collapse of a plan to build an eight-story hotel on North 3rd Street next to the interstate, a new effort is being mounted to make it happen.
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Mayor’s $836M proposed budget includes major pay hikes for public safety workers
Soaring property values and a continuing boom in new development in Richmond have given City Hall the money to propose major pay increases for police officers, firefighters and other city employees.
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Guilty
Former Minneapolis police officer faces decades in prison after a jury convicts him of three counts in the heinous kill of George Floyd; tears of joy and relief flood the nation
MINNEAPOLIS Black Americans and others from Missouri to Florida to Minnesota cheered, marched, hugged, waved signs and sang jubilantly in the streets Tuesday after a Minneapolis jury found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murder in the death of George Floyd.
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Vanderbilt launches James Lawson Institute or the Research and Study of Nonviolent Movements
Vanderbilt University announced the launch of the James Lawson Institute for the Research and Study of Nonviolent Movements, honoring the 92-year-old influential activist who taught nonviolence to protesters during the civil rights struggles last century.
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GRTC officials seek to limit ridership to essential trips
Teens and younger children might have a harder time taking advantage of free rides on GRTC. On Tuesday, the bus company announced that unaccompanied minors no longer can ride the public transit buses unless they are dressed in work uniforms or can show proof of employment, such as a badge.
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From R&B to gospel, Barky’s has changed with the times
When Barksdale “Barky” Haggins opened Barky’s Record Shop in 1956 in Downtown, some people were determined to see he didn’t stay in business for long. “White record distributors in Richmond wouldn’t sell me records to stock the store,” the affable entrepreneur recalls. Undeterred, Mr. Haggins traveled by car to Washington or New York City once a month with about $400 and purchased as many records as possible to sell in his store, located at the time at 407 N. 1st St. “Records cost about 59 cents back then and albums ranged from $1.98 to $3.98 for the most popular ones,” Mr. Haggins said.
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After upsetting Shaw, VSU eyes homecoming win
Virginia State University has momentum and rising star Jordan Davis on its side heading into homecoming weekend.
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National clergy group outraged over attempts to block court appointment
Black clergy from across the country are expressing outrage about the Republican-led U.S. Senate’s vow to block any nominee President Obama picks to fill a vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court, saying it reflects racism and disrespect.
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Dominion, Library of Virginia honor ‘extraordinary people during challenging times’
A Roanoke pastor and civil rights leader, the first Black woman nuclear engineer at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, and the first Black NASCAR race winner were among the six African-Americans honored during the 11th annual “Strong Men & Women in Virginia History” awards program June 15 at the Hilton Richmond Hotel and Spa. The annual awards ceremony recognizes the determination and perseverance displayed by extraordinary people during challenging times, according to the event sponsors.
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Stoney to be city’s youngest mayor
Levar Stoney will be the next mayor of Richmond. Belying earlier polls that portrayed him as an also-ran in the contest, Mr. Stoney swept to a surprising outright victory in Tuesday’s election by capturing five of the nine City Council districts — the magic number.
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Otieno’s family seeks federal intervention after multiple charges dismissed
The family of Irvo Otieno is calling on federal officials to take up the prosecution of those charged with his murder at Central State Hospital last March. The call comes following the dismissal of charges against five people involved in the incident that led to his death.