
Virginia Union University announces Founder’s Day Convocation
Dr. Darran T. Brandon Sr., pastor of the historic First Calvary Baptist Church in Norfolk and president of the Virginia Baptist State Convention, will be the keynote speaker during Virginia Union University’s Founder’s Day Convocation at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 3.

Webinar previews Petersburg’s future insulin facility
Petersburg’s role in producing more affordable insulin in the United States will be highlighted during RVA757 Connects’ Virtual Innovation Spotlight webinar Wednesday, Feb. 1.

Thornton, Nelson to lead Henrico Board of Supervisors in 2023
The Henrico County Board of Supervisors last week voted unanimously to elect Fairfield District Supervisor Frank J. Thornton chairman and Varina District Supervisor Tyrone E. Nelson vice chairman for 2023.

Community Leaders Celebration honors memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
More than 800 people, including Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Virginia Union President Dr. Hakim J. Lucas, Mayor Levar M. Stoney, members of the Virginia General Assembly, Richmond City Council, educators, corporate and nonprofit leaders and community advocates, joined a joyous 45th Annual Community Leaders Celebration on Jan. 13 at the Richmond Marriott.

VCU presents ‘Memories of Jan. 6’
Two years after the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in the wake of the 2020 presidential election, two Capitol police officers will reflect on their part in a discussion at Virginia Commonwealth University on Thursday, Jan. 19.

Henrico Ministers’ Conference to host MLK celebration
Judge Roderick C. Young, U.S. District Judge, Eastern District of Virginia, is the guest speaker for the 37th Annual Henrico County Commemoration Celebration of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Desirée Roots, Weldon Hill to perform at VMHC
Desirée Roots and the Weldon Hill Ensemble will headline the 7th Annual National Day of Racial Healing on Tuesday, Jan. 17, at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture at 428 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd.

Library of Virginia celebrates 200 years
The Library of Virginia will celebrate its bicentennial in 2023 with “200 Years, 200 Stories: An Exhibition,” running free for all from Tuesday, Jan. 24, through Saturday, Oct. 28.

Moving on
Two significant Richmond institutions, Senior Connections and the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority, are in the process of moving to new addresses.

Virginia Union’s MLK Breakfast on Jan. 13
“All Things, Excellence,” is the theme for this year’s 45th Martin Luther King Jr. Community Leaders Celebration. The annual event hosted by Virginia Union University will take place 7:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 13 at the Downtown Richmond Marriott, 500 E. Broad St.

YWCA’s advancement officer becomes CEO
Rupa Murthy has been named the next CEO of YWCA Richmond. She will succeed Linda Tissiere, who is retiring after leading the nonprofit for the last decade.

AKA Upsilon Omega Chapter presents 26 debutantes
The Upsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Soror- ity recently presented 26 debutantes from area high schools, colleges and universities at the organization’s 2022 Debutante Presentation and Ball.

Hanover County announces water assistance program
Hanover residents who have customer accounts with the county’s Department of Public Utilities can now apply for water and wastewater bill assistance through Virginia’s Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program.

‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’
Virginia’s Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over DUI enforcement and public education campaign is back on Virginia’s roads this holiday season. Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, formerly known as Checkpoint Strikeforce, combines law enforcement efforts with research-based outreach to remind Virginians to plan for a safe ride home after drinking.

A.P. Hill’s statue removal on hold
City Hall remains stymied on removing the last of Richmond’s city-owned Confederate statues, despite securing an Oct. 25 court ruling from Richmond Circuit Court Judge D. Eugene Cheek authorizing the city to proceed. .

Street honoring Kirby Carmichael unveiled in Highland Park
Family, friends and admirers of radio personality Kirby Carmichael came out Tuesday for the unveiling of Kirby Carmichael Sr. Street at 1100 Front Street in Highland Park. The site is where the former WANT-AM radio station was housed when Mr. Carmichael, a pioneer of Black radio, was for decades known as the “tall man of soul” as he spun platters first at WANT-AM and then at WRVQ-FM.

‘Treat everybody like family,’ advises Michael Curry, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church
Last Saturday marked months of planning for the ordination and consecration of The Rev. Canon E. Mark Stevenson as the 14th Bishop of the Diocese of Virginia on Dec. 3 at The Saint Paul’s Baptist Church in Henrico County.

VSU announces new center for biotechnology and other sciences
Virginia State University has announced the establishment of the VSU Center for Biotechnology, Genomics, and Bioinformatics, which is believed to be unique among HBCUs nationwide.

Let the fun shine
A blast from the past ignited Richmond’s East End last weekend during theArmstrong-Walker Football Classic Legacy Project festivities.

Blessing of the Animals’ is Dec. 9
The traditional Richmond Blessing of the Animals is scheduled for noon Friday, Dec. 9, at the Morgan Fountain in Shockoe Slip in Downtown.

The holidays are here
Highlights include RVA Illuminates, Christmas Parade, Soul Santa
Richmond will officially kick off the holiday season this weekend with several popular events.

UR receives $625K grant to study barriers to student inclusivity
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute has awarded the University of Richmond a $625K grant to support efforts to create an inclusive experience for students and enhance student belonging, according to a UR news release.

Curriculum revision sessions scheduled
After several delays, Virginia citizens may now share their thoughts about the future of the state’s standards for teaching history and social sciences.

Metropolitan Business League finds new home
The Metropolitan Business League has a new home in the Capital One 1717 Innovation Center at 1717 E. Cary St., it has been announced.

John Charles Thomas’ ‘Poetic Justice’
Former Virginia Supreme Court Justice John Charles Thomas, the first Black justice appointed to the Virginia Supreme Court and the youngest appointee in history, will discuss his new book “The Poetic Justice: A Memoir,” on Thursday, Dec. 1, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia.

The Richmond Night Market celebrates the holidays
The Richmond Night Market will produce three “Holiday Villages” to celebrate the Richmond community and support of the small business community Dec. 8–11 at the 17th Street Market, 100 N. 17th St.

‘Clash of the Cones’ Kamara is VCU’s graduation speaker
Virginia Commonwealth University graduate Rabia Kamara will deliver the fall commencement speech at her alma mater 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec.10, at the Stuart C. Siegel Center.

Walk-up monkeypox vaccines available
The Richmond and Henrico Health Districts are now offering walk-up monkeypox vaccination clinics for residents who qualify.

Armstrong-Walker legacy group announces events
The Armstrong-Walker Football Classic Legacy Project has several events scheduled the weekend after Thanksgiving.

Artist Paul Rucker awarded $2M from the Mellon Foundation and Art for Justice Fund
The Mellon Foundation and Art for Justice Fund have awarded multimedia visual artist, composer and musician Paul Rucker $2 million to create Cary Forward — a multidisciplinary arts space, interpretive center, artist/re- searcher residency and archival lending library, according to an announcement by Virginia Commonwealth University.

Calls grow to save site of oldest U.S. Black women’s benevolent society
Social justice and community advocates are calling for no taxes to be levied on a mansion that has served as the headquarters for the oldest Black women’s benevolent society in America for decades.

Fifth Street Baptist, Richmond Convention Center free Thanksgiving meal sites
Two free Thanksgiving dinners are being prepared for the Richmond community.

VCU receives $4M to address lack of diversity and equity in health sciences
Virginia Commonwealth University’s five health science schools are committing $4 million to enroll and train more minority students in an effort to increase the diversity, equity and inclusivity of health care in Virginia and beyond.

Four RPS teachers receive 2022 R.E.B. Awards for Teaching Excellence
Richmond Public Schools, along with The Community Foundation and the R.E.B. Foundation, has announced four schoolteachers as winners of the 2022 R.E.B. Awards for Teaching Excellence.

Henrico County’s leaf collection starts Nov. 7
Henrico County will begin providing annual leaf collection services starting Monday, Nov. 7, with both free and paid options available for county residents.

Grace E. Harris leadership conference promises to empower
Leadership coaches from throughout Virginia will discuss personal and profes- sional success during a “Seizing Tomorrow, Today” conference on Nov. 4 at the Richmond Marriott. The conference, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. is sponsored by the Grace E. Harris Institute at Virginia Commonwealth University.

John V. Moeser, an advocate of racial equity and justice, dies at 79
Educator and equity advocate John V. Moeser, who spent decades researching and inter- rogating Virginia and the South’s relationship with race, poverty and equality, died Monday, Oct. 17, 2022, following a lengthy illness. He was 79.

‘Votercade’ stops in RVA
The #10MillionMoreBlackVoters and the Arc of Voter Justice Bus Tour made its way through Richmond with an initial stop on the campus of Virginia Union University on Oct. 17.

Expansion program designed to attract nurses in senior living industry
A new partnership is opening the doors for students interested in nursing careers in community colleges across Virginia.

Policy group’s awards event combines inspiration and celebration
Richmond Delegate Betsy B. Carr will be among the adult and student honorees whom the nonprofit Policy Pathways will salute during its fourth annual virtual Fall Celebration at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20.

Emergency SNAP benefits extended
Recipients of Virginia’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will continue to get emergency benefits for the month of October.

Lobs & Lesson youth program offers more than tennis
Tennis instructor Crystal Hernandez eyes 8-year-old Har’Mani Fleming’s technique as the Henry L. Marsh Elementary School third-grader bounces the ball during a tennis drill while her friend Emani Crockett, 8, also a Marsh third-grader prepares to serve. The girls are participants in an eight-

Sorority and South Side church to host voting information fair
Richmond voters have a new opportunity to learn and prepare for the upcoming general elections in November on Saturday, Oct. 22.

Bright Minds RVA offers chess classes
Enrollment is now open for free Saturday chess classes for Richmond youths ages 13 to 16, it has been announced.

Project Yoga Richmond closes its doors
After 12 years, Project Yoga Richmond is closing its doors. The nonprofit hosted its last classes in September, including the final Saturday Salutations at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts on Sep. 24.

Monkeypox vaccine available to more people
The Richmond and Henrico Health Districts is expanding eligibility for the monkeypox vaccine. Anyone living with HIV or AIDS, and anyone diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection in the last three months are now eligible to apply for the vaccine, official say.

VCU Libraries lecture will focus on racism in health care
Journalist, author and educator Linda Villarosa will be the inaugural speaker in a new Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries lecture series on social justice. Scheduled for Oct. 27, the talk will be based on Ms. Villarosa’s 2022 book, “Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation.”

$1.45M grant to assist VSU students with child care costs
Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine have announced that Virginia State University will receive $1.45 million to assist student-parents (students who are also parents) with child care costs. The funds, which will be distributed over the next four years, will be used to offer student-parents access to affordable child care services both on and off campus.

Virginia Museum of History & Culture offers citizenship preparation classes
Beginning this month, the Virginia Museum of History & Culture will of- fer aspiring new citizens free citizenship preparation classes to help them prepare to take the U.S. citizenship test.

Richmond Folk Festival kicks off this weekend
Sunny, cool weather is being forecast for this weekend when one of virginia’s largest free events returns: The Richmond Folk Festival.