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Justice walk // Colorful signs that read “Keep Kids Free” and “#PrisonsDontWork” are carried by young people of Richmond to bring awareness to the school-to-prison pipeline during last Friday’s 3rd Annual Juvenile Justice Parade in Downtown. Artists, community activists, faith leaders and formerly incarcerated individuals marched in solidarity to protest the placement of youths in lock-up instead of community-based alternatives. The parade, hosted by ART 180 and the Legal Aid Justice Center, concluded at ATLAS, ART 180’s youth gallery, 114 W. Marshall St. in Jackson Ward. The gallery is showcasing “My Reality,” a virtual reality installation created by teens affected by Richmond’s juvenile justice system.

Justice walk // Colorful signs that read “Keep Kids Free” and “#PrisonsDontWork” are carried by young people of Richmond to bring awareness to the school-to-prison …

Published on November 10, 2017

Brother’s and sister’s keepers: Nearly two dozen people attend the “I Am My Brother’s and Sister’s Keeper” Day program last Friday at the Reconciliation Statue at 15th and Main streets by Shockoe Bottom. Organized by Richmond Delegate Delores L. McQuinn, the event sought healing, cooperation, love, peace and an end to violence and racism in the community. Political, community and faith leaders attended the event, including Delegate Eileen Filler-Corn of Fairfax County. Following the speeches, the group walked to the Virginia Holocaust Museum on East Cary Street for lunch and a panel discussion. (Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press)

Brother’s and sister’s keepers: Nearly two dozen people attend the “I Am My Brother’s and Sister’s Keeper” Day program last Friday at the Reconciliation Statue …

Published on December 3, 2018

Ashley Williams, with her dog, Sebastian, a pit bull-spaniel mix, on the front porch of her East End home, is happy to stay in during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her family, she says, has experienced health scares in recent weeks, both related and unrelated to the coronavirus. “I have always valued family and friends, yet the communication with loved ones is even more cherished than before,” said the founder of BareSOUL Yoga. The experience also has shifted how she connects with people and the community — through online offerings and resources. The silver lining? “I am able to appreciate, explore and enjoy my home.”

Ashley Williams, with her dog, Sebastian, a pit bull-spaniel mix, on the front porch of her East End home, is happy to stay in during …

Published on April 30, 2020

LAMAR TRUEHEART, George Wythe High Scho, 4.35 GPA. Attending Christopher Newport University in Newport News in the fall, where he wants to major in computer engineering. Son of Tonya Trueheart and Larry Trueheart Sr. He credits his parents for helping him on this “remarkable journey.” He says COVID-19 “has been a difficult time for all of us. Due to staying indoors, I have been gaming as one of my pastimes and took a new interest in baking,” he said. What does he see as the silver lining? “This allows us to appreciate the little things that we would normally take for granted.”

LAMAR TRUEHEART, George Wythe High Scho, 4.35 GPA. Attending Christopher Newport University in Newport News in the fall, where he wants to major in computer …

Published on May 28, 2020

Milton Thompson, left, and Monique Mines-Talley, the parents of 17-year-old Eumiyah Thompson, attend a vigil celebrating the life of their daughter who was shot and killed Dec. 18 while on her front porch of the family’s apartment in Gilpin Court as she was talking with a friend. Her friend was wounded by the gunfire. Eumiyah was a senior at Spartan Academy on West Leigh Street and was expected to graduate in June, her mother said. “That was my baby,” Ms. Mines-Talley said at the vigil held Dec. 27 in Gilpin Court. It was organized by Charles D. Willis, executive director of United Communities Against Crime. Prayers and candles were part of the somber ceremony.

Milton Thompson, left, and Monique Mines-Talley, the parents of 17-year-old Eumiyah Thompson, attend a vigil celebrating the life of their daughter who was shot and …

Published on January 6, 2022

Carver Elementary School Principal Kiwana S. Yates, right, is all smiles as she is celebrated during a school assembly Wednesday for winning a 2015 R.E.B. Award for Distinguished Educational Leadership. She was one of four Richmond area principals to be honored by the R.E.B. Foundation in partnership with The Community Foundation. Mrs. Yates was joined by her husband, Darnell Yates, and her mother, Patricia Evans-Branch, at the assembly, where she was presented with a check for $15,000. Half of that is for her personal use. The other $7,500 will be used for educational field trips, she said. “I was very excited and surprised,” Mrs. Yates told the Free Press of the ceremony. “The fact that the staff and students were able to pull off such a wonderful event was priceless. This made my heart melt.”

Carver Elementary School Principal Kiwana S. Yates, right, is all smiles as she is celebrated during a school assembly Wednesday for winning a 2015 R.E.B. …

Published on April 2, 2015

Carver Elementary School Principal Kiwana S. Yates, right, is all smiles as she is celebrated during a school assembly Wednesday for winning a 2015 R.E.B. Award for Distinguished Educational Leadership. She was one of four Richmond area principals to be honored by the R.E.B. Foundation in partnership with The Community Foundation. Mrs. Yates was joined by her husband, Darnell Yates, and her mother, Patricia Evans-Branch, at the assembly, where she was presented with a check for $15,000. Half of that is for her personal use. The other $7,500 will be used for educational field trips, she said. “I was very excited and surprised,” Mrs. Yates told the Free Press of the ceremony. “The fact that the staff and students were able to pull off such a wonderful event was priceless. This made my heart melt.”

Carver Elementary School Principal Kiwana S. Yates, right, is all smiles as she is celebrated during a school assembly Wednesday for winning a 2015 R.E.B. …

Published on April 2, 2015

“That’s my daddy,” said 5-year-old Anais Lewis of Roanoke, while staring at the mural of his father, John R. Lewis, whose image and life was memorialized on May 26 at the Sankofa Community Orchard, 301 Covington Road on Richmond’s South Side. Mr. Lewis, who died in January 2021, taught students how to grow their own food and spent time “hanging out” in the garden, often keeping youngsters out of harm’s way as they got their hands dirty together. Mr. Lewis was the co-founder and executive director of Renew Richmond, a nonprofit that operated several urban agricultural sites and sometimes had pop-up stands where fresh produce that was grown and harvested by local Black youthS and adults was also often sold by them too. He advocated for Black communities to understand the power of gardening and self-sufficiency. Duron Chavis, the founder of the Sankofa Community Garden, said Mr. Lewis was one of the “founding fathers of Black urban agriculture in the City of Richmond.” The mural was created by lead painter Sir James L. Thornhill assisted by R. Vashti Woods, both of Richmond.

“That’s my daddy,” said 5-year-old Anais Lewis of Roanoke, while staring at the mural of his father, John R. Lewis, whose image and life was …

Published on June 1, 2023

The James River Association broke ground on the James A. Buzzard River Education Center Monday, May 8, at 2825 Dock St. along the James River. Attending the ceremonial groundbreaking was Virginia Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources Travis Voyles, left, James River Association President and CEO Bill Street, Mayor Levar M. Stoney and Richmond City Councilwoman Cynthia I. Newbille. The state-of-the-art facility will serve as a catalyst for river education, environmental awareness and community connection, said Mr. Street. However, there was no mention of the James River’s Indigenous name, Powhatan, nor the Native Americans, the Powhatan tribe, who lived below the Fall Line (Richmond) when the Jamestown colonists arrived in 1607. The Powhatan River then was named the James River after King James I of England. Mayor Stoney, in his remarks, did note the James River’s “instrumental role” in Virgina’s history. “We know a number of great stories about how the river brought Abraham Lincoln down here, but also we know the story it played in the slave trade here as well. The good, the bad and the ugly. It’s my hope that every child in this city learns about the river and has a healthy respect for the river and the power of this natural resource that we have right in our backyard.”

The James River Association broke ground on the James A. Buzzard River Education Center Monday, May 8, at 2825 Dock St. along the James River. …

Published on May 11, 2023

In a “Happy First Day of School” message posted on Richmond Public School’s website, Superintendent Jason Kamras describes spending part of his summer in Hokkaido, Japan, where his mother-in-law, Megumi, grew up. “While there, we had the opportunity to experience a formal tea ceremony, a beautifully choreographed and almost spiritual event,” he wrote. “Underlying the ceremony are four principles: Wa, Kei, Sei, and Jaku — which translate to harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility. “I can’t think of four better principles to guide us this year. I pray that we all find harmony amidst the many competing professional and personal demands we face every day; respect for ourselves, and for our students, colleagues, loved ones, and for those with whom we disagree; purity of heart in our commitment to embracing every single student — no matter the language they speak at home, how much money their family has, the color of their skin, whether LGBTQ or not — with love and high expectations; and tranquility despite the storms that sometimes surround us. “Harmony, respect, purity, tranquility — and, of course, love — is my prayer for the RPS family this year. Please hold these four principles tight — during the highs and the lows — and please hold me accountable for doing the same. If we do, I truly believe this is going to be our best year yet!” Mr. Kamras and Mayor Levar M. Stoney were among city leaders who greeted students on the first day of the 2023-24 school year at John Marshall High School on Monday.

In a “Happy First Day of School” message posted on Richmond Public School’s website, Superintendent Jason Kamras describes spending part of his summer in Hokkaido, …

Published on August 24, 2023

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