All results / Stories / George Copeland Jr.
KKK targets Henrico neighborhoods, hits Hanover again
Henrico County Branch NAACP officials and top county officials urged residents to push back against white supremacy as the Ku Klux Klan targeted Glen Allen neighborhoods to distribute recruitment fliers in the dead of night last weekend.
Online sessions to highlight Weekend of Mourning on Oct. 23 and 24
With gun violence occurring regularly in Richmond, members of Richmonders Involved to Strengthen Our Communities, or RISC, are collaborating with Temple Beth-El for a two-day Weekend of Mourning to reflect on the lives lost, pray for those affected and to call for meaningful action by city leaders.
Coalition launches Century of Mass Clemency initiative
A coalition of more than 40 state and local community and religious organizations are looking to make Virginia the beginning of a nationwide campaign for mass clemency.
It’s not too early to vote
Early voting has begun across Virginia, with locations open as of Friday, May 3, for Democratic and Republican primary ballots ahead of the primary election Tuesday, June 18.
Jackson Ward residents question plans for their community
Improved infrastructure, redeveloped housing and better health care are some of the goals city planners are crafting for Richmond’s historic Jackson Ward.
Suggestions welcomed until Nov. 27 for replacement of Lee statue in U.S. Capitol
NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson; John Mercer Langston, a law professor and Virginia’s first African- American representative in Congress; and Ona Judge, a woman enslaved by George and Martha Washington who escaped to freedom in 1796 are among the latest nominations to replace the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in the U.S. Capitol.
NAACP members, others protest Dominion Energy's involvement in state conference
“NAACP, we find ourselves in a mess right now.” Those words, delivered last Saturday by the Rev. Nelson B. Rivers III, vice president of religious affairs and external relations with the National Action Network, were referring to the climate of bigotry, hate and fear in the world at large. But they easily could have applied to the internal and external troubles the civil rights organization has faced during the past year.
Race question muted, but not eliminated on marriage license application
Virginia couples preparing for their wedding day no longer have to identify their race on their application for a marriage license, according to an opinion issued by Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring.
Lawsuits filed against RPS regarding school shooting report
Multiple lawsuits have been filed against the Richmond School Board for refusing to release the findings of an external investigation into the June 6 mass shooting in Monroe Park after the Huguenot High School graduation ceremony.
Hanover School Board turnaround orders Confederate signs down by Sept. 7
The Hanover County School Board did an abrupt and unexplained about-face Tuesday night and voted 6-1 to remove the signs from two schools named for Confederate leaders before Sept. 7.
Hanover NAACP lawsuit to change names of Confederate schools continues in federal court
A federal lawsuit launched by the Hanover County Branch NAACP against the Hanover County School Board to force the board to eliminate the Confederate names of two schools is still alive following a hearing Tuesday afternoon in a Richmond federal court.
No mask, no social distancing earns Gov. Northam criticism
Gov. Ralph S. Northam apologized Tuesday for not following his administration’s own COVID-19 safety guidelines during his Memorial Day weekend visit to Virginia Beach where he posed for photos with people along the oceanfront without a face mask or social distancing.
RISC holds City Hall rally in effort to meet with mayor about gun violence
More than a hundred Richmond residents assembled outside City Hall last Friday, seeking to discuss their solutions to the rise in gun violence with Mayor Levar M. Stoney.
William DuBois ‘Duke’ Smither leaves a legacy of powerful storytelling
Red Smith, the prominent sportswriter, once said that “writing is easy. Just sit in front of a typewriter, open up a vein and bleed it out, drop by drop.”
Juneteenth being recognized as state, city holiday
On June 19, Virginia will see the first steps of a new celebration for the Commonwealth.
As death penalty opponent celebrates, vigilance continues
For Dale Brumfield, the likely abolition of the death penalty in Virginia is “a revolution in criminal justice reform.”
Health Equity Fund adds groups to combat disparities
Six new community partners, $644,000 in grant money and a continuing effort to bring greater equity to Richmond’s marginalized communities were the focus Tuesday afternoon at Richmond City Hall, as city leaders announced the latest groups and projects that will be part of the Health Equity Fund.
Churches change their sermon delivery, tithing methods for mandate guidelines
Churches across Richmond have undergone a substantial transformation in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic as state and national officials have forced them to adopt a new paradigm.
America 2.0
Thousands turn out for the unveiling of artist Kehinde Wiley’s ‘Rumors of War,’ which many cited as a turning point from a Confederate past toward a more inclusive city
Kehinde Wiley’s monumental statue, “Rumors of War,” was unveiled Tuesday at its new home at the entrance of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, just steps from the headquarters of the United Daughters of the Confederacy and a brisk walk from the controversial Confederate statues on Monument Avenue it was created in response to by the artist.
Community Vaccination Center opens at Richmond Raceway
A reinstated mass vaccination clinic at Richmond Raceway on Laburnum Avenue got off to a busy, though rocky start this week, with officials promising a quick adjustment to accommodate the unexpected demand for shots.
