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Suicide takes Miss USA 2019
Cheslie Kryst, who won the 2019 Miss USA pageant and worked as a correspondent for the entertainment news television show “Extra,” reportedly committed suicide Jan. 30.
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From early on, Childs seen as 'destined for further things'
When she hired Michelle Childs to practice employment law in the early 1990s right out of school, Vickie Eslinger said she knew there was something different about the freshly minted South Carolina attorney.
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White House responds to HBCU bomb threats; Black leaders decry ‘domestic terrorism’
Black leaders are calling the recent series of bomb threats against several Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) campuses “terrorism.” There have been threats to more than a dozen HBCUs so far this month, many of which occurred only in the past two days. The matter is so alarming that civil rights lawyer and attorney for the family of Ahmaud Arbery, Lee Merritt, who also is a graduate of Morehouse College, said that he believes the Biden administration should form a task force to get to the bottom of the threats and identify the source of the ongoing threats. As the news of the HBCU bomb threats over the past two days was making headlines, in the White House brief- ing on Tuesday, Feb. 1, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki reporters, “We take these threats incredibly seriously. Our Homeland Security adviser is in close touch with law enforcement authorities at a federal and local level, and we are assessing what we think the origin, the reasoning, the motivation behind it is.” The Biden administration affirmed its continued support for HBCUs in this moment that is being characterized by leaders as domestic terrorism. “We are absolutely behind these HBCUs. We want to make it very clear that we take these threats seriously and we deeply value their contributions. But it’s important for law enforcement authorities and others to make an assessment before we make any determinations about next steps,” said the presidential spokesperson. On the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, the Congressional Black Caucus plans to engage with the Department of Justice on actions to be taken to address the threat of danger against HBCUs. Meanwhile, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, To- bacco and Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are investigating the matter. “ATF is aware of bomb threats received by some Historically Black Colleges and Universities. We take all potential threats seriously and we regularly work with our law enforcement partners to determine the threat credibility,” ATF said in a statement. “This is a fluid situation with ongoing investigations, and we can’t comment on the specifics at this time.” White House Press Secretary Psaki said, “I would not call it irony, but I would say that it is scary. It is horrifying. It is terrible that these students, these faculty, these institutions are feeling under threat.” She added, “We don’t know more details at this point in time, and I don’t want to get ahead of law enforcement authorities ... but certainly, given the history you referenced, you know, this is something we’re very mindful of, and that is why we’re so focused on providing regular updates and seeing what our law enforcement team assesses.”
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Richmond police report increase in gun violence, homicides in 2021
Richmond saw an uptick in homicides last year, much of it attributable to young people, according to a recent Richmond Police Department report.
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Information is knowledge, near and far
Virginia State University is one of six Black universities that will participate in a $2.5 million research and design project to build a framework for digital learning at HBCUs.
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Black referee to lead Super Bowl
African-American Ronald “Ron” Torbert will be the lead referee — wearing the white cap — for the Feb. 13 Super Bowl in Inglewood, Calif.
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CIAA rivals face off this Saturday at Barco-Stevens Hall
One team is battling for first place while the other is simply scrapping to get out of the cellar.
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Janet Jackon doc, despite criticism, a hit for Lifetime
Janet Jackson’s four-part documentary on Lifetime was the network’s most-watched non-fiction show since “Surviving R. Kelly” three years ago, and viewership is continuing to grow.
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Teaching civil rights during February is not critical race theory, by David W. Marshall
In 1976, President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month by encouraging the nation to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”
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The work of Dr. King is still not done, by Jesse Jackson
As we begin our celebration of Black History Month, we have just completed an extraordinary national tribute to a leader who did not amass a fortune, nor command an army, nor hold elective office, and yet transformed America. In the U.S., we too often love martyrs and not marches.
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Double down
City Council's yes vote is still a gamble for South Side casino
If at first you don’t succeed, ...
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National president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority dies after recent illness
Cheryl A. Hickmon, national president of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and chair of its National Board of Directors, passed away peacefully last Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022 at the age of 60, following a battle with a “recent illness,” according to the sorority’s national website.
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Eyeing state title, John Marshall's Justices rule the courts
John Marshall High’s basketball Justices likely held a winning hand without any outside help this season.
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Richmond area will host numerous events for Black History Month
Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African-Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history.
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A vote may soon come on George Wythe High School contract design
The Richmond School Board is poised to award a design contract for a new 1,600-student building to replace aging George Wythe High School in South Side, the Free Press has learned.
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Feb. 3 award ceremony to honor publishers of Richmond Free Press
The Virginia Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists will present its 2020 George Mason Award to Jean Patterson Boone, publisher of the Richmond Free Press, and her late husband, Ray Boone, who founded the award-winning weekly, during a ceremony on Thursday, Feb. 3, at Virginia Commonwealth University.
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Gov. Youngkin's administration taps retired army colonel, physician to oversee state health department
The first few weeks of Gov. Glenn A. Youngkin’s administration has brought changes big and small to Virginia’s approach to COVID-19, with executive orders on masking requirements and vaccines leading to debate in the General Assembly, confusion in schools and multiple pending lawsuits.
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Lusia Harris, the first woman drafted by NBA, dies at age 66
Lusia Harris, the only woman ever drafted by an NBA team, has died. Mrs. Harris was 66 and residing in Greenwood, Miss.
