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Fun in a different light // When it comes to fun, a blacklight can enhance the event. George Boykin glows under the special lights set up at the Blacklight Slide, a water slide and dance party held last Saturday at Richmond International Raceway.

Fun in a different light // When it comes to fun, a blacklight can enhance the event. George Boykin glows under the special lights set …

Published on June 9, 2017

When it comes to fireworks, Richmond area residents will brave even the coldest temperatures to watch the skies light up. Last Saturday, that was the case as dozens of people flocked to The Diamond for a fireworks display set to the music of the hugely popular musical, “Hamilton.”

When it comes to fireworks, Richmond area residents will brave even the coldest temperatures to watch the skies light up. Last Saturday, that was the …

Published on November 22, 2019

“Woman. Life. Freedom.,” a new mural painted on the side of a vacant car wash building at 1205 Arthur Ashe Blvd., shows support for protesters in Iran who are fighting in support of a young Iranian woman, Mahsa Jina Amini, pictured, who was wrongfully taken into custody by the Iranian police. She was in a coma for three days and died on Sept. 16, 2022. Her alleged crime? Ms. Amini, 22, was visiting the capital city of Tehran on vacation from another part of her country of Iran and the “Morality Police” arrested her because her hair was not properly secured under her hijab, a head covering worn by some Muslim women, explains Ari Abad, an Iranian-American who came to Richmond when she was 17. Ms. Abad later co-founded, Woman Life Freedom RVA, which led the local mural project

“Woman. Life. Freedom.,” a new mural painted on the side of a vacant car wash building at 1205 Arthur Ashe Blvd., shows support for protesters …

Published on February 9, 2023

Sereen Haddad, a second-year student at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), addresses a crowd during a protest on Thursday, May 2, outside VCU’s James Branch Cabell Library. She and others shared recollections regarding events on Monday, April 29, when VCU deployed police at a pro-Palestinian protest.

Sereen Haddad, a second-year student at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), addresses a crowd during a protest on Thursday, May 2, outside VCU’s James Branch Cabell …

Published on May 9, 2024

Skylar Matthews, 2, of Richmond takes in the colors and new energy at the Lee statue on Monument Avenue last Friday. The youngster, who was with her mother, Shanice Winston, is living through the historic moment when the statues honoring Confederate oppressors are coming down in the city.

Skylar Matthews, 2, of Richmond takes in the colors and new energy at the Lee statue on Monument Avenue last Friday. The youngster, who was …

Published on July 2, 2020

New U.S. citizens About 100 people from nearly 50 countries took the oath of allegiance to become U.S. citizens during an Independence Day ceremony outside the Virginia Museum of History & Culture in Richmond. Chief Judge Roger L. Gregory of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals presided over the ceremony and administered the oath as family, friends and area residents watched. Felicia Baffour of Ghana shows off her new citizenship documents as she stands with her husband, Dave Baffour, and their children, Jaiden and Victoria. The family lives in Fredericksburg. (Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press)

New U.S. citizens About 100 people from nearly 50 countries took the oath of allegiance to become U.S. citizens during an Independence Day ceremony outside …

Published on July 12, 2019

Jazmin Evans, a student at Temple University, prepares her post-kidney transplant medications at home in Philadelphia on Feb. 16, 2024. Evans had been waiting for a new kidney for four years when her hospital revealed shocking news: She should have been put on the transplant list in 2015 instead of 2019 — and a racially biased organ test was to blame.

Jazmin Evans, a student at Temple University, prepares her post-kidney transplant medications at home in Philadelphia on Feb. 16, 2024. Evans had been waiting for …

Published on April 4, 2024

GRTC buses, like the one shown, kept their headlights on Tuesday in honor of late civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks, who helped launch the modern Civil Rights Movement. She lit the spark 65 years ago on Dec. 1, 1955, when she was arrested in Montgomery, Ala., for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white person and move to the rear of the bus that was reserved for Black people. Her action led to a yearlong public transit system boycott led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and a U.S Supreme Court decision extending a ban on segregated public transit seating to previously exempt local bus systems. Because of the pandemic, GRTC dropped its tradition of reserving the front bus seat in honor of Ms. Parks, who died in 2005. A special message honoring Ms. Parks was included on the rotating messages on the digital header signs on each bus, GRTC officials stated.

GRTC buses, like the one shown, kept their headlights on Tuesday in honor of late civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks, who helped launch the modern …

Published on December 3, 2020

This Sept. 11, 2018, photo shows a marijuana plant in the coastal mountain range of San Luis Obispo, Calif. Virginia has lagged behind many states when it comes to relaxing laws on marijuana. With lawmakers approving an expansion of the state’s medical marijuana program in 2018, supporters of decriminalization are hoping that momentum will continue in 2020.

This Sept. 11, 2018, photo shows a marijuana plant in the coastal mountain range of San Luis Obispo, Calif. Virginia has lagged behind many states …

Published on November 19, 2020

Current and former residents of Westwood celebrate last Sunday a new state historical marker honoring the community in Richmond’s West End that was started by formerly enslaved people following the Civil War. Location of marker: Willow Lawn Drive and Dunbar Street. Residents built homes, a church, a school and businesses, as well as social and cultural organizations in the community that originally was a part of Henrico County. It was annexed to Richmond in 1942 and residents later successfully fought attempts by city officials to demolish the community and replace it with a public park. Westwood Baptist Church remains the most prominent landmark. Kathleen Hopkins Valentine, 93, seated at right, is the oldest resident living in Westwood. She said she and her family moved when she was 4 from Philadelphia to what was then called Westwood Village. Others pictured here are, from left, Kelly Johnson Crowder, whose mother, Jane Cooper Johnson, integrated Westhampton Junior High and Thomas Jefferson High School in the early 1960s; Charlene Hopkins, kneeling, and Frances Bush Jones, both cousins of tennis great Arthur Ashe Jr., whose grandparents lived in Westwood; Warrick Taylor, a former Westwood resident; Norfolk State University professor Dr. Colita Nichols Fairfax, immediate past chair of the Virginia Board of Historic Resources, kneeling, and her mother, Brenda Dabney Nichols, who was born and raised in Westwood; and Lennie Anderson Thornton, a former Westwood resident. The Friends of Westwood Playground paid for the marker.

Current and former residents of Westwood celebrate last Sunday a new state historical marker honoring the community in Richmond’s West End that was started by …

Published on August 26, 2021

On Sept. 12, Tynashia ‘Nae’ Humphrey, 15, was walking to the store in her Gilpin Court neighborhood when she was killed by a bullet not intended for her. In response to her killing last week, a march and rally were organized from the parking lot of Mt. Moriah Baptist Church to the steps of the John Marshall Courts Building on Sunday, Sept. 18. Participants included Ms. Humphrey’s family members, friends and others who mourn her death.

On Sept. 12, Tynashia ‘Nae’ Humphrey, 15, was walking to the store in her Gilpin Court neighborhood when she was killed by a bullet not …

Published on September 22, 2022

Talkin’ that talk // Basketball fans come in all ages, as the Virginia Union University Lady Panthers experienced during their recent NCAA Division II games at Barco-Stevens Hall. Here, Christian Prince, left, and his buddy Knight Jones, dissect the latest play last Friday night, when the Lady Panthers took on Indiana University of Pennsylvania. VUU rolled to a 91-72 win to advance to last Saturday’s regional semifinals.

Talkin’ that talk // Basketball fans come in all ages, as the Virginia Union University Lady Panthers experienced during their recent NCAA Division II games …

Published on March 17, 2016

High spirit at Freedom Classic // When it comes to the long-standing rivalry between Virginia Union University and Virginia State University, the fans of both teams always have fun. Sunday was no exception during the Freedom Classic Festival, where the teams met on the basketball court at the Richmond Coliseum after fan activities including a drumline competition, college fair and gospel showcase. At left, VUU players huddle to continue the rally in the final minutes of the game.

High spirit at Freedom Classic // When it comes to the long-standing rivalry between Virginia Union University and Virginia State University, the fans of both …

Published on January 22, 2016

Gov. Ralph S. Northam greets 3-year-old Kamara Townes following the Jan. 7 renaming and dedication of a row of state-owned historic homes on Governor Street in Capitol Square. Both the governor and the youngster occupy a place in Virginia history. Gov. Northam is the 73rd governor of the Commonwealth, serving from Jan. 13, 2018, until his term ends this Saturday, Jan. 15. Last week, he dedicated the three newly renovated buildings, formerly known as Morson’s Row, in honor of Dr. William Ferguson “Fergie” Reid, the first Black person elected to the General Assembly following Reconstruction. One of the three buildings now called Reid’s Row was dedicated as the “Townes House,” in recognition of the Townes family that has worked at the Executive Mansion since the 1970s. Kamara is the youngest of that historic lineage. Her father, Martin C. Townes Jr., and his parents and sister are the current Townes family members serving there. Mr. Townes is the deputy butler, while his father, Martin “Tutti” Townes, is the head butler.

Gov. Ralph S. Northam greets 3-year-old Kamara Townes following the Jan. 7 renaming and dedication of a row of state-owned historic homes on Governor Street …

Published on January 13, 2022

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press Workers continue to pack and clear out the offices of delegates and senators at the General Assembly Building, 201 N. 9th St. in Capitol Square, which is slated for demolition later this year. The boxes are being moved two blocks to the Pocahontas Building at 900 E. Main St., which will be the legislature’s office center until a replacement building is completed on the site of the current building. The next step comes on Tuesday, July 11, when the state will sell surplus office equipment and other items to the public, government agencies and public schools. The sale is 9 a.m. for agencies and schools, with the public able to shop at 11 a.m. A portion of the General Assembly Building dates to 1912, when it was built for a bank. The building has housed the offices of state legislators since 1976. The governor and General Assembly have set aside $300 million for the new building and a new parking deck for Capitol Square. The money also will pay for renovation of Old City Hall, now part of the Capitol Square complex of state buildings.

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press Workers continue to pack and clear out the offices of delegates and senators at the General Assembly Building, 201 N. 9th …

Published on July 7, 2017

Honoring a pioneer // President Obama presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Katherine G. Johnson of Newport News on Nov. 24 during an event in the East Room of the White House. The 97-year-old was one of the few women and African-Americans who worked for NASA when she started as a pool mathematician at the space agency’s Langley Research Center in Hampton in 1953. Her mathematic computations have influenced every major space program from America’s first manned space flight in 1961 to today’s Space Shuttle program. Mrs. Johnson was one of 17 individuals honored last week by President Obama, some posthumously, with the nation’s highest civilian award.

Honoring a pioneer // President Obama presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Katherine G. Johnson of Newport News on Nov. 24 during an event …

Published on December 5, 2015

Marching to beat the bans-Hundreds of women and their advocates, including Kristin Rodriguez, 40, took to the streets last Saturday for the Bans Off Our Bodies RVA rally and march to show their support for a woman’s right to make her own decisions when it comes to abortion. The Richmond rally was one of scores held across the country last weekend in advance of the U.S. Supreme Court’s new session that began Monday in which a case challenging abortion rights will be heard. That case, out of Mississippi, is expected to be argued Dec. 1, and has the potential to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that guaranteed women the constitutional protection of being able to choose to have an abortion without excessive government restriction. Texas recently passed a law that also would ban abortion after six weeks, a timeframe when many women don’t know whether they are pregnant. In Richmond, speakers urged people to work to protect women’s reproductive freedom. The rally was held at Diversity Richmond, followed by a march down Sherwood Avenue to Hermitage Road. Ida Allen, who led chants with the bullhorn during the march, was a lead coordinator of the event.

Marching to beat the bans-Hundreds of women and their advocates, including Kristin Rodriguez, 40, took to the streets last Saturday for the Bans Off Our …

Published on October 7, 2021

Marching to beat the bans-Hundreds of women and their advocates, including Kristin Rodriguez, 40, took to the streets last Saturday for the Bans Off Our Bodies RVA rally and march to show their support for a woman’s right to make her own decisions when it comes to abortion. The Richmond rally was one of scores held across the country last weekend in advance of the U.S. Supreme Court’s new session that began Monday in which a case challenging abortion rights will be heard. That case, out of Mississippi, is expected to be argued Dec. 1, and has the potential to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that guaranteed women the constitutional protection of being able to choose to have an abortion without excessive government restriction. Texas recently passed a law that also would ban abortion after six weeks, a timeframe when many women don’t know whether they are pregnant. In Richmond, speakers urged people to work to protect women’s reproductive freedom. The rally was held at Diversity Richmond, followed by a march down Sherwood Avenue to Hermitage Road. Ida Allen, who led chants with the bullhorn during the march, was a lead coordinator of the event.

Marching to beat the bans-Hundreds of women and their advocates, including Kristin Rodriguez, 40, took to the streets last Saturday for the Bans Off Our …

Published on October 7, 2021

Family and friends of DaShawn “Da Da” Cox release balloons in memory of the 17-year-old Armstrong High School student who was shot and killed about 4:40 p.m. Feb. 17 outside the Ashley Oaks Apartments in the 1400 block of Jennie Scher Road in the East End. The teen’s mother and sister, as well as city officials, spoke at the vigil held last Sunday outside the apartment complex. “This is pain that I hope nobody out here will ever have to go through,” his mother, Berthenia Brown, told the crowd through tears. “It hurts.” Richmond Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras said he has been to so many vigils for slain young people that he has lost count. “I’m a little ashamed to say that, but it’s the truth.” He and others called for an end to gun violence in the city. “Enough is enough,” said 7th District School Board member Cheryl L. Burke, a retired principal. “You all tell us what to do.” A community meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, at the Powhatan Community Center, 5051 Northampton St., to discuss possible solutions. Police are asking anyone with information about DeShawn’s death to call Richmond Police Major Crimes Detective A. Darnell at (804) 646-3927 or to contact Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000.

Family and friends of DaShawn “Da Da” Cox release balloons in memory of the 17-year-old Armstrong High School student who was shot and killed about …

Published on February 24, 2022

Cityscape // A new addition is coming to Richmond’s skyline. This rendering shows the new 21-story tower that is to open in 2017 at 10th and Byrd streets in Downtown. SunTrust Bank will occupy part of the building, which will bear the bank’s name. The $93 million structure also is to include 187 apartments on the upper floors. Dominion Realty Partners LLC, which has developed apartment complexes on the riverfront and in the former Hotel John Marshall at 5th and Franklin streets, announced the development last week. The big question is whether Dominion Realty Partners will include minority contractors in the project. The company faced sharp criticism from the Richmond NAACP several years ago for failing to include minority contractors when it overhauled the former hotel.

Cityscape // A new addition is coming to Richmond’s skyline. This rendering shows the new 21-story tower that is to open in 2017 at 10th …

Published on January 29, 2016