Story

UR women to play in ‘Big Dance’
Grace Townsend and the rest of the University of Richmond (UR) women’s basketball team are packing their dancing shoes for what lies ahead.
Story
Story

A new generation of readers embraces bell hooks’ ‘All About Love’
In the summer of 2022, Emma Goodwin was getting over a breakup and thinking hard about her life and how to better herself. She decided to try a book she had heard about often, bell hooks’ “All About Love: New Visions.”
Story

Honorary street sign to recognize Bishop Melvin Williams Jr.
For more than 50 years, Bishop Melvin Williams Jr., pastor of the Temple of Judah at 2120 Venable St. has made his mark on Richmond and Virginia – primarily through giving. For years, his words of wisdom through his daily radio show; Christmas bicycle giveaways for children; care packages for incarcerated people; Thanksgiving giveaways; daily prayer at 5 a.m. at the church and now online; housing for the homeless and marches against crime and for community safety are just some of the services the church has provided over the years. Now, the city of Richmond is recognizing that service in a major way.
Photo

Led by MVP Ethan Garila, Lincoln defeated Fayetteville State, 62-57, in Baltimore in front of an ESPNU national audience on Saturday, March 2. Fayetteville State …
Published on March 7, 2024
Story

City School Board hears pros and cons about cell phone pilot program
Absent devices bring on boredom, missed buses, and language barrier, say students
Meeting for the first time since the Huguenot High School graduation shooting trial ended last week, the Richmond School Board failed to discuss the trial, which resulted in Amari Pollard, 20, accepting a plea deal.
Story

Biden and Trump dominate Super Tuesday races, move closer to a November rematch
President Biden and his predecessor, Donald Trump, romped through more than a dozen states on Super Tuesday, all but cementing a November rematch and pushing the former president’s last major rival, Nikki Haley, out of the Republican race.
Story

Personality: Brent Timberlake
Spotlight on Greater Richmond Bar Foundation board president
The three words that Brent Timberlake used to describe himself — curious, hopeful and hard-working — play a role in many aspects of his life.
Story

Lincoln, Fayetteville State win CIAA; VUU and VSU fail to find lucky charm
Last year, Lincoln University nearly won the CIAA men’s title, losing in the finals. This time, the Lions closed the deal.
Story

Va. lawmakers again decline to put restrictions on personal use of campaign accounts
Virginia lawmakers on Wednesday defeated for another year campaign finance reform legislation that would have prohibited elected officials from spending political donations on personal expenses such as mortgages, vacations or gym memberships.
Story

Former employee files lawsuit against City of Richmond
The City of Richmond’s former FOIA officer has filed a $250,000 lawsuit against the city alleging she was fired in retaliation for refusing to violate state law, according to various news reports. The suit, filed by Connie Clay, alleges that city officials attempted to withhold information that should be public by delaying or ignoring requests, and sometimes quoting exorbitant fees to deter the requester.
Story

Jackson Ward’s restaurant scene helps spur city’s business growth
Richmond has long been a hub for black capitalism — especially in Jackson Ward, once referred to as the Harlem of the South. According to a recent report from Yelp, the online publisher of crowd-sourced business reviews, black business openings in Richmond grew 66% in 2023. Yelp also found that black business openings in Richmond outpace the national black business opening rate of 24% and the national average of 20%.
Story

Coming home, by Jennifer Robinson
A hipper, more vibrant Richmond is sweet surprise for former New Yorker
Byrd Park was the place to be on warm Sunday afternoons in the 1980s. I was in high school and all of young, black Richmond gathered there. Picture the scene from Will Smith’s 1991 hit, “Summertime.”
Story

Tonsils, talent and newborns
Richmond Community Hospital holds a special place in the hearts of many, including Edwina Richmond, a retired college professor with deep family ties to the city. Born at the hospital 76 years ago, Ms. Richmond has fond memories of the care she received there, from getting her tonsils removed to witnessing the hospital’s integral role in the neighborhood’s welfare, Richmond Free Press reporter George Copeland Jr. reports in this week’s edition.
Story

State of Black America 2024, by Marc H. Morial
“We’re building an America where we recognize the inherent dignity of every single person, and where every American has the chance to live a life of purpose and meaning. This is my vision for the future.” — President Biden, 2024 State of Black America
Story

Fixing our broken drug pricing system, by Dr. Greg Gelburd
As a recently retired physician, I felt relief for patients across the commonwealth when Virginia legislators recently passed bipartisan measures, Senate Bill 274 and House Bill 570, to create a Prescription Drug Affordability Board. This board would be empowered to finally rein in skyrocketing prescription drug costs that make medicine inaccessible to too many patients. By signing this legislation into law, Gov. Glenn Youngkin can prioritize the health and well-being of Virginians.
Story

Conversations to repurpose the old Richmond Community Hospital building ‘did not bear fruit’
My name is Mary DePillars and I am an alumna of Virginia Union University concerned about recent comments attributed to VUU personnel regarding the old Richmond Community Hospital building. I shared my Feb, 15, 2024, letter to the Richmond Free Press with VUU’s alumni relations manager that same day. However, for context, I am expanding those comments as follows:
Story

RCH and the need to sustain local cultural consciousness
At the March 3 “We Shall Gather at the Hospital” rally hosted by the Save Community Hospital Work Group, public historian, Dr. Carmen Foster reflected on the erasure of local stories due to the Richmond area’s shifting sociocultural landscape. Her passionate testimony inspires contemplation on what the 1932 Richmond Community Hospital site represents within Richmond and the American South’s sociocultural location.
Story

Richmond Crusade for Voters stands with Community
The Richmond Crusade for Voters stands with the many other organizations and individuals who have spoken up in support of preserving the Richmond Community Hospital on Virginia Union University’s campus.
Story

Earl Lloyd: A man of many firsts
In discussing the greatest players to ever compete in the CIAA tournament, a nice starting point might be Earl Lloyd.