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Power in the word

Performing spoken word helps 15-year-old Leslie Reyes deal with the gruesome death she witnessed at age 9 of a 16-year-old friend. With a steady voice, Leslie tells a packed audience of more than 100 people that she watched her best friend die from gunshot wounds in El Salvador. She tells the room of mostly strangers about the “blood-covered gauze and stitched up holes on his shoulder and leg.”

BET co-founder tells grads they’re part of a redefining

Entrepreneur, philanthropist and BET co-founder Sheila C. Johnson lauded University of Richmond graduates for contributing to an era of reshaping.

Teen’s idea for Kindness Week comes to fruition in Richmond

This is a special week for Binford Middle School student Jalia Hardy. The 13-year-old won the statewide “If I Were Mayor” essay contest during the spring sponsored by the Virginia Municipal League that challenged seventh-graders to describe what they would do if they were mayor of their hometown.

Who would have believed it?, by E. Faye Williams

From the silly to the sublime, to the serious, faster than the mind can cogitate, our societal norms are being manipulated from the “as expected” to the “never in a million years.” Re- flecting on what is presented to the masses daily, I can recall a time when a television se- ries like “The Real House- wives...” could never have been shown, and pimple-pop- ping would have been done in the privacy of one’s own bathroom, but no longer. Frivolity is often the trade- mark of a “who would have believed” event, but now, more often than not, rather than leaving us amused, they leave us shocked and in dismay and disbelief. The current trend in these events has us questioning how we might provide for increased security and safety for our families and ourselves. Who would have believed a time during which the serious- ness of a public health crisis in theformofaglobalpandemic would be denied? Can anyone explain when, in the face of such a pandemic, personal interests and comfort became paramount over the interests of the general state of health? Most assuredly, few people could have anticipated this “denial” state of mind among such large numbers of cases or that the disease would take the lives of more than 900,000 Americans. My bet is that even fewer people could have guessed the massive rejection of life- saving vaccines. In stark contrast to the cur- rent pandemic, the 1950s battle against polio was a lesson in Dr. E. Faye Williams cooperative discipline. With the exception of general mask- ing, Americans practiced ex- treme social distancing. In his book, “Paralyzed with Fear: The Story of Polio,” Gareth Wil- liams wrote, “Fearful of the spread of the contagious virus, (San Angelo, Texas) closed pools, swimming holes, movie theaters, schools and churches, forcing priests to reach out to their congregations on local radio. Some motorists who had to stop for gas in San Angelo would not fill up their deflated tires, afraid they’d bring home air containing the infectious virus. And one of the town’s best physicians diagnosed his patients based on his ‘clinical impression’ratherthantaking the chance of getting infected during the administration of the proper diagnostic test.” When Jonas Salk released his vaccine in 1955, he im- mediately was described as a “miracle worker” and, because he did not patent his vaccine, it was universally welcomed and produced in the United States and the world. Acceptance of his vaccine was so widespread that by1980, polio had been elimi- nated in the United States. One also must ask who would have believed a time in which the history of Black Americans is being openly erased from the curriculum of America’s public schools and from the conscience of the nation? Although barely taught, the instruction of Black history is under assault. It is er- roneously labeled as critical race theory and the new threshold of general acceptance is that it is presented in a manner which does not cause “guilt” or “discomfort” to the listener. Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the father of Black History, said, “Those who have no record of what their forebears have ac- complished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history.” He added, “If a race has no history, if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.” For now, the vigilant see psychologicaleradicationasthe goal. Will the physical follow? I guess nothing should sur- prise us now as people now flock to certain gas stations for dinner! The writer is national presi- dent of the National Congress of Black Women Inc.

Weather woes delay leaf pickup

Richmond’s big snow means the city’s leaf collection is going to run further behind. Heavy rains during December pushed back the city’s leaf vacuuming program by two weeks or more, the city Department of Public Works has acknowledged.

‘Be conscious … of making a positive impact,’ VCU fall graduates told

Christy Coleman, chief executive officer of the American Civil War Museum, offered graduates firsthand insight on what their future paths may hold during Virginia Commonwealth University’s fall commencement ceremony last Saturday at the E.J. Wade Arena at the Siegel Center.

School Board member hosts 8th Annual Back-to-School Rally Saturday at MLK

Shonda Harris-Muhammed once again is seeking to help cash-strapped parents in Richmond ensure their children will start school in early September with the supplies they need.

Personality: Danielle Ebelle

Spotlight on 2016 White House Initiative HBCU All-Star

Virginia Union University senior Danielle Ebelle walked into a conference room where seated were Dr. Joseph Johnson, VUU’s acting president; Dr. Latrelle Green, dean of the School of Mathematics, Science and Technology; and Dr. Carleitta Paige-Anderson, director of the Center of Undergraduate Research, flanked by other professors, academic advisers and deans.

Beating COVID-19

Delegate Delores McQuinn is on a mission to help others avoid getting the coronavirus after she and her family were stricken

When Delores Jordan Mc- Quinn was a promising youngster volunteering for voter registration efforts in the Bungalow City neighborhood of Eastern Henrico County, she would always do her best to get the word out — register and vote. She did so well that, one year, she was chosen Miss NAACP of Henrico County.

Monument to activist-journalist Ida B. Wells unveiled in Chicago

A monument to journalist and civil rights activist Ida B. Wells was unveiled June 30 in Chicago.

On Dr. Seuss' birthday, Overby-Sheppard students learn the fun of reading

At Overby-Sheppard Elementary School, Read Across America Day on Monday was filled with inspiring stories read to youngsters featuring characters reflecting their ethnic backgrounds.

Huguenot’s Deshawn Ridley snags regional Player of the Year

Deshawn Ridley’s trek to basketball stardom hasn’t always been the smoothest of rides. Twice, he was cut from his school teams — first as a seventh-grader at Elkhardt Middle School, and again as a Huguenot High School freshman.

Personality: Coach Maurice Tyler

Spotlight on founding director of Coaches Against Violence Everywhere

Maurice Tyler says he was driven to establish Coaches Against Violence Everywhere after 12-year-old Amiyah Moses was killed Dec. 19 during a gun battle between two 20-year-old men on North Side as she and her friends played nearby. “Her mom will not get to talk to her about boys. She doesn’t have the chance to watch her child grow up and be successful,” Coach Tyler says of Amiyah’s grief-stricken mother, Kele Wright. “It was all taken from her.

Maggie Walker’s awesomeness

We are still filled with pride and exuberance from the Maggie L. Walker statue dedication last Saturday in Downtown. There was a gloriousness about the day that Richmond rarely sees.

Blanche Moore named Henrico County Christmas Mother

Blanche Moore has been selected to a very exciting and much needed Henrico County volunteer position – the 2021 Henrico County Christmas Mother.

3 candidates vying for House seat in Feb. 7 special election

Jeff M. Bourne appeared to be on a glide path to win the Tuesday, Feb. 7, special election for the Richmond seat in the House of Delegates that became vacant when Jennifer L. McClellan won a special election and moved up to the state Senate earlier this month.

Myrtle H. Motley, civic, church worker, succumbs at 98

Myrtle Hobson Motley came through at a critical moment when Richmond civil rights attorney Oliver W. Hill Sr. was pursuing an important legal battle against government-enforced segregated schools.

Richmonder takes tech talent for transportation across country

Transportation planning used to involve a lot of educated guesswork on how, when and where people drive in cities and the countryside.

VSU grad crowned Miss USA

Deshauna Barber has brains and beauty, and she’s a commander in the Army Reserve to boot. The 2011 Virginia State University graduate now adds another title: Miss USA 2016. Miss Barber, 26, who represented the District of Columbia in Sunday’s pageant at the T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas strip, beat contestants from 50 states to win the crown.

Push for evangelical Christian colleges to address racial justice

After the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police on May 25, George Fox University, a Quaker-founded evangelical Christian school in Oregon, announced plans to change its campus culture, improve police engagement and diversify its board of trustees.