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As Black History Month gets underway, this dramatic mural provides an artistic celebration of the people and events who represent protest, progress and achievement. Location: 504 W. Broad St. in Downtown. Richmond artists Ed Trask and Jason Ford created the mural, called “Voices of Perseverance,” as part of the Mending Walls RVA initiative. Launched by muralist Hamilton Glass, Mending Walls aims to bring together artists to develop projects that spark empathy and dialogue. Mr. Glass came up with the idea during the upheaval over racial justice and police misconduct that led to the removal of most of the city’s Confederate statues.

As Black History Month gets underway, this dramatic mural provides an artistic celebration of the people and events who represent protest, progress and achievement. Location: …

Published on February 4, 2021

PEACEMAKER The debate over the Iran deal brings to mind President Jimmy Carter, center, and the crucial role he played 36 years ago in brokering a lasting peace treaty between two implacable enemies, Egypt and Israel. This iconic photo was taken March 26, 1979, on the White House lawn after the treaty was signed by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, left, and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin. Sadly, we learned Wednesday that Mr. Carter, 90, has liver cancer that has spread to other parts of his body. We pray for peace and comfort for this world peacemaker and his family.

PEACEMAKER The debate over the Iran deal brings to mind President Jimmy Carter, center, and the crucial role he played 36 years ago in brokering …

Published on August 13, 2015

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

Year-old Deilani Bland-Murph holds on to the hands of her mother, Tyshell Bland, right, and that of a Richmond SPCA volunteer at last Saturday’s 20th Annual Dog Jog and 5k to benefit the pets in the care of the local SPCA. People and their pets came from all over the region to participate in the event held at the SPCA, 2519 Hermitage Road near The Diamond. The day was packed with games and activities for people of all ages. Deilani’s mom and the volunteer helped her on the “Little Paws” Fund Run for the youngest of all. The day kicked off with a 5K run/walk for people, followed by a leisurely mile-long Dog Jog for people and their dogs.

Year-old Deilani Bland-Murph holds on to the hands of her mother, Tyshell Bland, right, and that of a Richmond SPCA volunteer at last Saturday’s 20th …

Published on March 31, 2022

City becomes dumping ground again // Just weeks after a community cleanup, these alleys in Highland Park have been re-trashed. Unwanted mattresses now fill part of the alley in the 3300 block of Utah Place. A pile of tires has been dumped in the 3200 block of Fifth Avenue. After hearing from angry constituents, Richmond City Councilwoman Ellen F. Robertson is blaming the city administration’s indifference. “When we began cleaning alleys, we forcefully warned that unless the city changed its mode of operations in managing bulk trash, dumping and accumulated trash, the cycle would start all over,” the 6th District councilwoman stated in a Dec. 30 email to residents.

City becomes dumping ground again // Just weeks after a community cleanup, these alleys in Highland Park have been re-trashed. Unwanted mattresses now fill part …

Published on January 8, 2016

Rain couldn’t stop a “W” at homecoming // Unfazed by Saturday’s rain, Virginia Union University’s football players, fans, students and alumni put homecoming 2016 in the win column last weekend, with an awesome display of Panther spirit. People tailgated, the band played with gusto and the team rolled over Lincoln University of Pennsylvania 39-6 on a muddy Hovey Field. The 151-year-old university located on Richmond’s North Side celebrated homecoming with a barrage of events that culminated with the game and weekend festivities. Among them: Convocation with author and Georgetown University professor Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, class reunion celebrations honoring the Class of 1966, the Mr. and Miss VUU Coronation Ball and a step show by Greek organizations.

Rain couldn’t stop a “W” at homecoming // Unfazed by Saturday’s rain, Virginia Union University’s football players, fans, students and alumni put homecoming 2016 in …

Published on October 13, 2016

Call it the new face of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. The dramatic 24-foot head now dominates the sculpture garden at the public art museum on the Boulevard. Titled “Chloe,” the sculpture is the creation of Spanish artist Jaume Plensa, who will be at the museum Thursday, April 27, for the dedication. The museum commissioned the contemplative work that is made of polyester resin and marble dust placed over a stainless-steel frame. “Chloe” is one of a series of heads that Mr. Plensa has created for museums in the United States and overseas, and defines the VMFA’s ambitions to commission national and international artists to provide new works for the nearly 4-acre E. Claiborne and Lora Robins Sculpture Garden.

Call it the new face of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. The dramatic 24-foot head now dominates the sculpture garden at the public art …

Published on April 21, 2017

Celebrating Hanukkah: Dozens of people gather at the Weinstein Jewish Community Center in Richmond on Wednesday for the lighting of the menorah for Hanukkah. The eight-day Jewish festival of lights, which began Sunday night, commemorates the re-dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem by the Maccabees after their victory over Antiochus, who outlawed Judaism in 167 B.C. To celebrate their victory, the Jewish people tried to carry out a ritual lighting of a menorah in the temple, but found only enough oil to light it for one day. However, the oil miraculously lasted for eight days. Traditional foods and gifts are part of the religious holiday that ends Monday, Dec. 10. (Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press)

Celebrating Hanukkah: Dozens of people gather at the Weinstein Jewish Community Center in Richmond on Wednesday for the lighting of the menorah for Hanukkah. The …

Published on December 9, 2018

Makia Green stands outside her Washington home on June 12. As a Black student who was raised by a single mother, Ms. Green believes she benefited from a program that gave preference to students of color from economically disadvantaged backgrounds when she was admitted over a decade ago to the University of Rochester. As a borrower who still owes just more than $20,000 on her undergraduate student loans, she has been counting on President Biden’s promised debt relief to wipe nearly all that away. Now, both affirmative action and the student loan cancellation plan — policies that disproportionately help Black students — could soon be dismantled by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Makia Green stands outside her Washington home on June 12. As a Black student who was raised by a single mother, Ms. Green believes she …

Published on June 22, 2023

Cityscape // Clement Britt Richmond Fire Capt. Robert Maass leads members of Engine Co. No. 13 and Mayor Levar Stoney, second from right, in ceremoniously pushing their new truck into the station Saturday, although the vehicle actually was being driven slowly in reverse. Location: 411 Commerce Road. The new truck was put into service during the “housing ceremony.” It is one of nine the city Fire Department has ordered since 2012 under a replacement program initiated under former Mayor Dwight C. Jones. This is the first new truck to arrive since April 2016. The city’s goal is to replace over time the trucks that the city’s 19 engine companies deploy to reduce the cost of keeping outdated equipment in service.

Cityscape // Clement Britt Richmond Fire Capt. Robert Maass leads members of Engine Co. No. 13 and Mayor Levar Stoney, second from right, in ceremoniously …

Published on February 10, 2017

Whoa, Aslan!-Tori Branard makes a final adjustment to Aslan’s bridle at the Feb. 7 badging ceremony inducting the horse into the Richmond Police Department’s Mounted Unit. As a student at Asbury University’s unique Service Mounts Program in Kentucky, Ms. Branard spent three years training Aslan, a Percheron-thoroughbred cross. Watching is Aslan’s amused partner, Master Patrol Officer Amanda Acuff. Aslan is the fourth horse in the unit and is a replacement for Rio, who was retired in December. The others are Samson, Scooter and Toby. The horses live in a condemned stable near Gilpin Court. The police department is seeking other sources of funding for a new facility after recent bids to replace the current stable came in $1 million over budget. (Clement Britt)

Whoa, Aslan!-Tori Branard makes a final adjustment to Aslan’s bridle at the Feb. 7 badging ceremony inducting the horse into the Richmond Police Department’s Mounted …

Published on February 15, 2019

Carlos Hopkins, right, state secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs, puts his hand over his heart as bugler John Blair of Chesterfield County plays “Taps” and Specialist Neil Miller of Suffolk salutes during the state’s annual Memorial Day Ceremony honoring Virginia’s war dead. The ceremony, held Monday at the Virginia War Memorial on South Belvidere Street in Downtown, was closed to the public this year because of the coronavirus. However, the half-hour ceremony was broadcast on television and livestreamed on the Facebook pages of the Virginia War Memorial and Virginia Veterans Services. The grounds of the memorial and the shrine listing the names of the men and women from Virginia who have died in service to the nation were open to visitors.

Carlos Hopkins, right, state secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs, puts his hand over his heart as bugler John Blair of Chesterfield County plays “Taps” …

Published on May 28, 2020

Landscaping work that started in early June by YME Landscape continues on the former site of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. The Supreme Court of Virginia ruled Sept 2., 2021 that the state could remove the enormous statue that towered over Monument Avenue in the state’s capital for more than a century and had, for many, become a symbol of racial injustice. Calls to remove the statue and others like it that were and remain scattered throughout the United States increased following the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Detroit police on Memorial Day 2020. The defeated war general’s final fate came on Sept. 8, 2021, with the removal of a 21-foot high bronze sculpture in his image and his horse, Traveller, on a granite pedestal nearly twice that tall.

Landscaping work that started in early June by YME Landscape continues on the former site of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. The …

Published on July 6, 2023

Renowned hip-hop artist in city // Hip-hop artist KRS-One, aka “Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everybody,” stops by Virginia Union University’s bookstore Wednesday. He’s in Richmond for several speaking and performance engagements. Once dubbed “the conscience of hip-hop,” KRS-One gained fame in the mid-1980s with Boogie Down Productions. With 20 albums to his credit, he is considered one of hip-hop’s top emcees. He also is the author of three books on the musical genre and in 1989 established the “Stop the Violence” movement. In Richmond, he was a featured panelist Wednesday afternoon at “Unapologetically Black: Hip Hop’s Effect on Black Liberation” at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is performing 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 28, at The National, 708 E. Broad St., in Downtown.

Renowned hip-hop artist in city // Hip-hop artist KRS-One, aka “Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everybody,” stops by Virginia Union University’s bookstore Wednesday. He’s in …

Published on January 29, 2016

Links to history // Dr. Jill Bussey Harris, second from right, president of the Richmond Chapter of The Links Inc., presents a $100,000 check to officials from the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia. Accepting the donation, to be made by the women’s service organization over five years, are, from left, museum director Tasha Chambers; Dr. Monroe Harris, chairman of the museum’s campaign fund and husband of Dr. Bussey Harris; and Marilyn H. West, chair of the museum’s board. The presentation took place June 9 at the museum, where the chapter held its year-end celebration hosting a dinner for 15 girls at Franklin Military Academy involved in the chapter’s Focused Motivated Achievers program. In its third year, the program seeks to follow the eighth-graders through high school.

Links to history // Dr. Jill Bussey Harris, second from right, president of the Richmond Chapter of The Links Inc., presents a $100,000 check to …

Published on June 17, 2016

Historical marker dedicated // A marker noting the historical significance of Anderson Cemetery in Henrico County now stands at Portsmouth Street and New York Avenue in Glen Allen at the cemetery’s entrance. The marker was dedicated Tuesday in a ceremony held by the Friends of Anderson Cemetery, a group working to clean up and maintain the burial grounds that date to the mid-1800s. The 2-acre site served as one of the earliest cemeteries for African-Americans in the Yellow Tavern area. From obituary notices, roughly 200 people were buried in the cemetery over the course of a century, with one of the earliest graves dating back to 1881, organizers said. Many were members of Mount Olive Baptist Church, St. Peter Baptist Church and other churches in the area. A new nonprofit, Anderson Cemetery League, is working toward permanent stewardship of the cemetery.

Historical marker dedicated // A marker noting the historical significance of Anderson Cemetery in Henrico County now stands at Portsmouth Street and New York Avenue …

Published on October 27, 2017

Joseph F. Thekkekara is sworn in as Richmond’s new postmaster Wednesday in the Old House Chamber at the State Capitol. Previously a postmaster in Texas, Illinois and New York communities, he is the 34th person to hold the title in Richmond since the beginning of the postal service around 1778. He is surrounded by family, from left, son Jason, wife Annie and son Justin as the oath of office is administered by Linda Malone, U.S. Postal Service vice president for the Capital Metro area, which stretches from Baltimore to Atlanta. Mr. Thekkekara started his career as a mail carrier in 1988. He succeeds Harold G. O’Connor, who was postmaster for 11 years before being removed in 2016 and retiring earlier this year in the wake of a scandal over management efforts to reduce carrier overtime pay by changing time cards.

Joseph F. Thekkekara is sworn in as Richmond’s new postmaster Wednesday in the Old House Chamber at the State Capitol. Previously a postmaster in Texas, …

Published on December 1, 2017

Hometown celebration: Boston Red Sox centerfielder Jackie Bradley Jr., right, spends time with his dad, Jackie Bradley Sr. of Richmond, during a celebration held for the pair on Dec. 28 by the older Mr. Bradley’s co-workers at GRTC. In late October, the younger Mr. Bradley helped the Red Sox clinch a World Series victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. A Richmond area native, he played ball for Prince George High School and the University of South Carolina before joining the Red Sox, where he has been the starting centerfielder since 2014. His dad is a veteran bus driver for GRTC. The festive celebration was held at Southern Kitchen restaurant in Shockoe Bottom. (James Haskins/Richmond Free Press)

Hometown celebration: Boston Red Sox centerfielder Jackie Bradley Jr., right, spends time with his dad, Jackie Bradley Sr. of Richmond, during a celebration held for …

Published on January 4, 2019

Call it protest art Christmas-style. This new artwork now stands at the base the Robert E. Lee statue on Monument Avenue. The Black figure tops a fir tree, a traditional Christmas symbol, and adds a holiday dimension to the protest slogans and colorful artwork that have transformed the pedestal that holds the Confederate statue that the state is still battling in court to take down. The pedestal, which gained its new look during the late spring and summer protests over racial injustice and police brutality, has become a significant attraction for residents and visitors. The pedestal’s changed appearance also has garnered national attention, with the New York Times naming it No. 1 on its list of protest art and National Geographic featuring it on the cover of its special issue, “2020: The year in Pictures.”

Call it protest art Christmas-style. This new artwork now stands at the base the Robert E. Lee statue on Monument Avenue. The Black figure tops …

Published on December 17, 2020

Cityscape:Slices of life and scenes in Richmond/This elegant Richmond railroad bridge over the James River has stood the test of time. Woodrow Wilson was still president, the prohibition of liquor begins and the raging pandemic “Spanish flu” was killing millions of people when the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac and CSX-predecessor Atlantic Coastline railroads built the structure in 1919. Location: Between the Boulevard and Powhite Parkway bridges. Legendary engineer John E. Greiner designed the iconic arched bridge that was among the first rail bridges to be made of poured concrete. Dubbed the “million-dollar bridge,” the double-track bridge allowed trains to move through Richmond more quickly and to cross east-west rail lines that ran along both sides of the river. Considered an engineering marvel, the bridge continues to draw admirers.

Cityscape:Slices of life and scenes in Richmond/This elegant Richmond railroad bridge over the James River has stood the test of time. Woodrow Wilson was still …

Published on September 2, 2021