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Carol Swann-Daniels, a trailblazer integrating Richmond schools in 1960, dies at 73
Sixty-one years have passed since Carol Irene Swann, 12, and her friend, Gloria Jean Mead, 13, blasted an opening in the racially segregated schools of Richmond.
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Jordan Pendleton, 10, roars to lead role as young Simba in national tour of ‘The Lion King’
Richmond’s Jordan Pendleton has been selected to play young Simba in a national touring troupe of Disney’s “The Lion King.”
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School Board rejects Kamras budget plan; misses deadline set by mayor
The Richmond School Board is still trying to come up with a finished spending plan to send to City Hall so it can be included in the proposed 2022-23 budget that Mayor Levar M. Stoney will present to City Council on Friday, March 4.
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Bon Secours breaks ground on new $11M medical office building in East End
Coming soon: A new Bon Secours Mercy Health medical office building in the East End that will house up to 100 doctors, nurses and other staff and include space to provide group therapy for mentally ill addicts.
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Romance fraud: Looking for love in wrong place proves costly
For the victim, a 78-year-old man from Annandale, it started with an effort to find some companionship.
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CRT – Critical race truth
As Black History Month 2022 wraps up, we again call our readers’ attention to the growing national assaults on teaching and learning about America’s past and the racist policies and practices that have brought our city, state and nation to where it is today – with gaps in education, health, wealth, employment, homeownership and justice that disproportionately impact Black people and people of color.
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Who would have believed it?, by E. Faye Williams
From the silly to the sublime, to the serious, faster than the mind can cogitate, our societal norms are being manipulated from the “as expected” to the “never in a million years.” Re- flecting on what is presented to the masses daily, I can recall a time when a television se- ries like “The Real House- wives...” could never have been shown, and pimple-pop- ping would have been done in the privacy of one’s own bathroom, but no longer. Frivolity is often the trade- mark of a “who would have believed” event, but now, more often than not, rather than leaving us amused, they leave us shocked and in dismay and disbelief. The current trend in these events has us questioning how we might provide for increased security and safety for our families and ourselves. Who would have believed a time during which the serious- ness of a public health crisis in theformofaglobalpandemic would be denied? Can anyone explain when, in the face of such a pandemic, personal interests and comfort became paramount over the interests of the general state of health? Most assuredly, few people could have anticipated this “denial” state of mind among such large numbers of cases or that the disease would take the lives of more than 900,000 Americans. My bet is that even fewer people could have guessed the massive rejection of life- saving vaccines. In stark contrast to the cur- rent pandemic, the 1950s battle against polio was a lesson in Dr. E. Faye Williams cooperative discipline. With the exception of general mask- ing, Americans practiced ex- treme social distancing. In his book, “Paralyzed with Fear: The Story of Polio,” Gareth Wil- liams wrote, “Fearful of the spread of the contagious virus, (San Angelo, Texas) closed pools, swimming holes, movie theaters, schools and churches, forcing priests to reach out to their congregations on local radio. Some motorists who had to stop for gas in San Angelo would not fill up their deflated tires, afraid they’d bring home air containing the infectious virus. And one of the town’s best physicians diagnosed his patients based on his ‘clinical impression’ratherthantaking the chance of getting infected during the administration of the proper diagnostic test.” When Jonas Salk released his vaccine in 1955, he im- mediately was described as a “miracle worker” and, because he did not patent his vaccine, it was universally welcomed and produced in the United States and the world. Acceptance of his vaccine was so widespread that by1980, polio had been elimi- nated in the United States. One also must ask who would have believed a time in which the history of Black Americans is being openly erased from the curriculum of America’s public schools and from the conscience of the nation? Although barely taught, the instruction of Black history is under assault. It is er- roneously labeled as critical race theory and the new threshold of general acceptance is that it is presented in a manner which does not cause “guilt” or “discomfort” to the listener. Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the father of Black History, said, “Those who have no record of what their forebears have ac- complished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history.” He added, “If a race has no history, if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.” For now, the vigilant see psychologicaleradicationasthe goal. Will the physical follow? I guess nothing should sur- prise us now as people now flock to certain gas stations for dinner! The writer is national presi- dent of the National Congress of Black Women Inc.
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Cancel student loan debt, by Charlene Crowell
One of President Biden’s first executive actions exercised his authority granted in the Higher Education Act.
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State NAACP executive director resigns citing hail of allegations
The executive director of the Virginia State Conference NAACP has abruptly quit after 14 months.
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‘We are resilient’
Fox Elementary School parents, students, teachers and administrators vow to bounce back after fire destroys the 111-year-old school on Hanover Avenue, sending students back to virtual learning
Five days after a huge blaze turned Fox Elementary School into a hulking ruin, students, parents, teachers and staff of The Fan school are readjusting to virtual learning.
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Black Muslim life honored in new online portrait exhibit
A new online exhibit featuring portraits of Black Muslims was launched earlier this month by Sapelo Square, a Black Muslim education and media collective.
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VUU Panthers ready for CIAA Tournament in Baltimore
The Virginia Union University Panthers have taken care of important basketball business in Pennsylvania. The next stops on the team’s planned hoops itinerary are North Carolina, then Maryland and then, perhaps, the NCAA Tournament at points now unknown. Following a crucial 79- 71 victory last Saturday at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, Coach Jay Butler’s squad has taken the pole position, steering into next week’s CIAA Tourna- ment in Baltimore. VUU will finish the regular season Saturday, Feb. 19, at Shaw University in Raleigh, N.C., before heading for the tournament in Baltimore, which starts Tuesday, Feb. 22. If the Panthers can hold on to the top spot in the CIAA Northern Division, their likely quarter final tournament opener would be Thursday, Feb. 24, at Royal Farms Arena. The CIAA Tournament finals are set for Saturday, Feb. 26. ESPN-Plus and ESPN-U will provide TV coverage throughout the week. VUU’s victory at Lincoln University put distance between the Panthers and the runner- up Lincoln Lions for the Northern Division top seed. VUU forward Robert Osborne received no mention in the preseason All-CIAA voting. But he’s due for much more recognition when the more important postseason All-CIAA team is announced next week. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound junior powerhouse out of Hermitage High School in Henrico County was at his burly best at Lincoln, hitting 12 of 20 field goals and scoring 26 points. Jordan Peebles, the pogo-stick senior for- ward from Emporia, added 19 points and nine rebounds at Lincoln and is always a best-bet for the highlight reels. In only 20.5 minutes per game, Osborne leads the balanced Panthers in scoring (12.6 points per game), field goal percentage (.573)
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Applications open for Henrico County Public Schools’ fall pre-school program
Applications are now being accepted for Henrico County Public Schools’ pre-school program in the fall.
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City Council to consider design funding for new George Wythe on Feb. 28
Despite meeting on Valentine’s Day, Richmond City Council passed on an opportunity to end its feud with the Richmond School Board over the size of the proposed replacement for the aged and decrepit George Wythe High School.
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L.A. Rams put a ring on it
Put a ring on it. As an exclamation point to winning Super Bowl LVI, the Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald triumphantly pointed to the ring finger on his left hand. Now the NFL’s most ferocious pass rusher will have a Super Bowl ring to go with his extensive collection of individual awards that include three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
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Princeton University scraps exhibit of Jewish American artists with Confederate ties
Last summer, Princeton University agreed to organize an exhibit of works by American Jewish artists in the second half of the 19th century.
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Hope from the ashes
We can only imagine the grief and uncertainty that inundated the children and families of William F. Fox Elementary School last weekend when they learned their beloved schoolhouse had gone up in flames.
