L
EGACY Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow.
WEDNESDAYS • Feb. 22, 2017
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INSIDE
Why the Black Press remains relevant - 6 Nation of Islam leader on current race status - 8 Spotlight: ‘Underground Railroad’ author - 10 Historic black cemeteries deserve equality - 13
Richmond & Hampton Roads
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Black History Spotlight
An unsung hero of racial and economic justice: Ella Baker
Ella Baker is known as a black hero of the Civil Rights Movement who inspired and guided emerging leaders on the road to equality and freedom. Baker played a key role in some of the most influential organizations of that time, including the NAACP, Martin Luther King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Baker was born in 1903, in Norfolk, Virginia. She grew up in North Carolina, where she developed a sense for social justice early on, due in part to her grandmother's stories about life under slavery. As a slave, her grandmother had been whipped for refusing to marry a man chosen for her by the slave owner. Her grandmother's pride and resilience in the face of racism and injustice continued to inspire Baker throughout her life. Baker studied at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. As a student she challenged school policies that she thought were unfair. After graduating in 1927 as class valedictorian, she moved to New York City and began joining social activist organizations. In 1930, she joined the Young Negroes Cooperative League, whose purpose was to develop black economic power through collective planning. She also involved herself with several women's organizations. She was committed to economic justice for all people. Baker began her involvement with the NAACP in 1940. She worked as a field secretary and then served as director of branches from 1943 until 1946. Inspired by the historic bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955, Baker co-founded the organization In Friendship to raise money to fight against Jim Crow Laws in the South.
In 1957, Baker moved to Atlanta to help organize Martin Luther King's new organization, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). She also ran a voter registration campaign called the Crusade for Citizenship. In 1960, a group of black college students from North Carolina A&T University refused to leave a Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina where they had been denied service. Baker left the SCLC after the Greensboro sit-ins. She wanted to assist the new student activists because she viewed young, emerging activists as a resource and an asset to the movement. Baker organized a meeting at Shaw University for the student leaders of the sit-ins in April 1960. From that meeting, the SNCC was born. Adopting the Gandhian theory of nonviolent direct action, SNCC members joined with activists from the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) to organize the 1961 Freedom Rides. In 1964 SNCC helped create Freedom Summer, an effort to focus national attention on Mississippi's racism and to register black voters. Baker, and many of her contemporaries, believed that voting was one key to freedom and if the right to vote wasn't exercised collectively then there wouldn’t be any impact on policies and laws that impact everyday life. In order to be counted, Baker believed, one had to be heard. With Baker's guidance and encouragement, SNCC became one of the foremost advocates for human rights in the country. Her influence was reflected in the nickname she acquired: "Fundi," a Swahili word meaning a person who teaches a craft to the next generation. Baker continued to be a respected and influential leader in the fight for human and civil rights until her death in 1986.
The LEGACY
2 • Feb. 22, 2017
News Marine MP in club brawl didn’t have right to carry gun across states A Marine MP whose loaded service weapon was pointed at police by another man during a melee outside a Fort Lee nightclub didn’t have the right to carry the gun across state lines at the time, a New Jersey appeals court recently ruled. Federal law in 2011 didn’t cover Hisashi Pompey, the appellate panel said in upholding a five-year state prison sentence – three of which he had to complete before being eligible for parole. Pompey was scheduled for release in mid-April. In his appeal, Pompey blamed his lawyer for failing to raise the Federal Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act of 2004 (LEOSA) in his defense. However, the appellate panel judges said the law – which allows certain government personnel to carry concealed weapons across state lines – didn’t extend to military police when the incident occurred. The list of "qualified law enforcement officers" at the time included those authorized to “engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of, or the incarceration of any person for, any violation of law, and has statutory powers of arrest,” the judges wrote in their decision. MPs didn’t qualify because they had powers of apprehension and not arrest, they explained. Congress amended the law in January 2013, adding military police to the class of qualified law enforcement officers permitted to carry firearms across state lines, the panel noted. Pompey had come home for the Christmas holiday on impulse. An active-duty sergeant and MP in the Marine Corps, he had a permit to carry a weapon in Virginia, where he
Pompey during his sentencing. PHOTO: Mary K. Miraglia was stationed, but not in New Jersey, the panel noted. When he couldn’t find his girlfriend or kids around, Pompey went to a nightclub with a school friend. At some point, his friend got involved with an unruly crowd, Pompey testified during his May 2013 trial. The Marine said he went to his car, parked in a lot behind the Port Authority administration building near the George Washington Bridge and put on his holster. Then he took his gun out of a bag and loaded it. Moments later, his friend grabbed the weapon — at which point several Port Authority officers had arrived. The situation quickly got chaotic. A Port Authority officer told jurors that he saw Pompey’s friend, Isaiah Wilson, throw the .40-cal. Glock handgun under a truck after first
disobeying orders to hand it over, dropping a bullet into the chamber and then trying to run away. Five officers grabbed Wilson moment later. Standing down was the appropriate response given the number of uniformed officers present, Pompey said during the trial, so he didn’t try to tackle his friend. From there, he said, he simply waited until the man had been subdued and handcuffed to approach the police and take responsibility for the weapon. “I thought military weapons were covered in all states,” he said. “If I had known they weren’t recognized in New Jersey, I never would have brought it here.” Wilson pleaded guilty in connection with the case and also was sentenced to five years in prison. Defense attorney John Carbone argued that Pompey made a mistake in judgment, didn’t act deliberately and was in-between military
Dominion to award $1m in environmental education grants Dominion Resources will provide $1 million in environmental grants this year through its charitable arm, the Dominion Foundation. The competitive program is designed to support specific short-term projects by nonprofits and K-12 schools working to improve the environment and provide environmental education experiences in communities served by Dominion companies “Each year Dominion partners with a broad range of nonprofits and schools to fund meaningful environmental projects that preserve, enhance, or make nature more accessible within our communities,” said Hunter A. Applewhite, president of the Dominion Foundation. “The grants
destinations. However, Superior Court Judge Edward A. Jerejian said he had no choice under the state law known as the Graves Act. “Other states are different, but here we have mandatory sentences,” Jerejian told him. “This was basically a very unfortunate situation. “Everyone recognizes what you did for your country,” said the judge. “You served two tours, were wounded. “But the shoe didn’t fit. You weren’t going from one base to another. You were not a federal officer,” he said. It really wasn’t that. “It was a Marine on leave who went out for the night, and there was a weapon with no permit — it’s as simple as that. “If the gun was in a lock box, it would have been more of a technical problem,” the judge added. “But it ended up being waved around with police officers present, and thank God no one was injured.” will support a variety of innovative environmental efforts to improve natural spaces and teach students, as well as the public, to treasure natural resources and use them wisely.” There are two components to this year’s grants. Non-profit organizations are invited to apply for grants of up to $50,000 each for short-term projects that promise measurable results to improve the environment. Also, public and private K-12 schools in eligible regions are now invited to apply for classroom grants of up to $5,000 each for environmental education programs. Eligible organizations in Connecticut, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and other areas within Dominion’s footprint can submit applications through March 1. Recipients will be announced in April. For complete details visit: www.dom.com/envirogrants.
www.LEGACYnewspaper.com
Feb. 22, 2017 • 3
Transportation lock box would protect roads funds For the first time ever, Virginia lawmakers are poised to take the first step towards the passage of a constitutional amendment that would protect transportation funds, dedicated for the commonwealth’s roads and bridges, from being raided and used for other purposes. On Friday, lawmakers in the Senate considered House Joint Resolution 693, sponsored by Del. Dave LaRock (R-33rd), which would require that transportation funds be limited to use for transportation and related purposes only. The measure has already been approved by the House of Delegates. On Friday, the Senate passed it by for the day. If the amendment passes the full General Assembly this year, the identical language would be voted on by the General Assembly next year before going to voters as a referendum in the fall of 2018. If the amendment passes the full General Assembly this year, the identical language would be voted on by the General Assembly next year before going to voters as a referendum in the fall of 2018. The
Del. Dave LaRock vote this year is critical and if passed and approved by voters in 2018, the “lock-box” would put an end to historic raids on transportation funds which resulted in a transportation funding crisis that left VA struggling to fund basic maintenance and unable to invest in critical infrastructure. In 2013, after nearly two decades
of inaction, Virginia lawmakers so that we can continue our solid passed a substantial and sustainable progress providing the infrastructure transportation funding package which Virginia needs to improve commerce, ensures that adequate money will safety, and quality of life,” said Del. be available for the commonwealth’s Dave A. LaRock, the resolution’s transportation needs. That is, as long chief patron. as it used as it was intended. Amending Virginia’s constitution, “When transportation funds are however, is not easy. The measure taken and used in other areas, our must first pass out of a single general roads and bridges are jeopardized assembly session. There must then and public trust erodes. As be an intervening election after motorists, we all know the damage which the measure is automatically to our vehicles that can result from referred to the next year’s session. It poorly-maintained roads. AAA must them successfully pass muster believes that locking transportation with that group of lawmakers before money is a natural and critical next it goes to the public for a vote. That step for Virginia,” said Georjeane means this amendment would be Blumling, vice president of Public considered by lawmakers in in Affairs for AAA Tidewater Virginia. the 2018 legislative session and, Failure to properly maintain roads if approved by voters in the fall of and to invest in improvements 2018, immediately become part of and future construction is not Virginia’s Constitution. just about transportation. Poor “AAA believes that the momentum roadway systems can impact public on this issue this year is a good sign 409 E. Main St. #4 (mailing) • 105 1/2 E. Clay St. (office) safety and the economy. “Virginia and a solid step towards making Richmond, VA 23219 is moving forward with responsible a long sought after constitutional 804-644-1550 (office) • 1-800-783-8062 (fax) transportation investment, delivering amendment possible,” said Blumling. ads@legacynewspaper.com long-needed projects and catching “A reliable transportation system up on deferred maintenance. The is a win-win for all. It allows time has come to ensure that people to get to work, school and all transportation funding is secure destinations safely and efficiently.”
Northam reaches out to vets The upcoming elections have “tremendous implications,” said Virginia Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, who’s running for governor. “The direction the country is going – toward bigotry and hatred – is not the country I know.” The immigration ban is harming people who risked their lives abroad while working for the U.S. military, he said at a campaign stop in Mason District Feb. 12. “For us as a great country, as a nation of immigrants, to turn our backs on these individuals is wrong.” Northam faces former U.S. Rep Tom Perriello in the Democratic primary on June 13. Four Republicans are running in their party’s primary, also on June 13. At the meet-and-greet session, with veterans and military personnel,
Northam said he wants to continue the efforts of Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Attorney General Mark Herring “to make Virginia the most veteranfriendly state in the nation.” Virginia was the first state to end homelessness for veterans, Northam said. The state went from having 1,200 homeless veterans to zero, after joining the Mayor’s Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness. The state also adopted the V3 program – which stands for Virginia Values Veterans – to give businesses incentives to hire vets. The original goal, to hire 20,000 vets, has already been exceeded – 25,000 were hired – and the new goal is 30,000 by the end of McAuliffe’s term. Telling a veteran “thank you for your service,” is appreciated but isn’t
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The LEGACY
4 • Feb. 22, 2017
Workforce Connection offers enhanced features for Va. job seekers, businesses New, enhanced features are now available through Virginia’s webbased service for job seekers and businesses, the Virginia Workforce Connection. The Virginia Workforce Connection, www.vawc.virginia.gov, is a free online resource that connects job seekers to jobs, and businesses to qualified candidates. The Virginia Workforce Connection currently features more than 150,000 active job postings within the Commonwealth. Registered employers using the website have access to more than 70,000 active candidate resumes. ”The Virginia Workforce Connection is another effective device in meeting today’s workforce development needs,” said Governor McAuliffe. “It serves as a vital clearinghouse, providing businesses access to candidates and helping Virginians find new employment opportunities to support themselves and their families. This is one way we’re using technology to help close the skills gap in the Commonwealth and furthering our efforts to build a new Virginia economy.” New features now available through the Virginia Workforce Connection allow job seekers to
(from page 3) enough, Northam said. Veterans need access to jobs and training and should receive educational credits for their military experiences. Mental health services are critical, too, he said, noting that every day 22 veterans take their lives. “They’ve seen things no human would want to see.” Veterans’ families also need services, especially children who feel stressed by having to move frequently. Northam’s background in the military should help him connect with veterans. After growing up on a farm on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, Northam went to Virginia Military Institute and joined the Army. After
quickly find and apply for available jobs in their community using a zip code radius search. In addition, individuals will now find tools to help them identify a career that aligns with their interests and abilities, and create a Virtual Recruiter that will send a system alert when a job is posted that aligns with their profile. The site helps registered users connect with relevant workforce training, including access to an online learning platform provided through a partnership with a leading national broker of web-based training and tutorials on a variety of work and life management topics. For Virginia businesses, the Virginia Workforce Connection now offers a fully customizable recruiting experience and the ability to build robust job postings and customertailored job applications. In addition to the exposure on the Virginia Workforce Connection, employers can promote available jobs on their own website or through social media outlets, such as Facebook and Twitter, using new social media sharing features. Employers may also promote internships, apprenticeships, and on-the-job
completing medical school, he served as an Army doctor at the Landstuhl Army Base in Germany, where he treated soldiers wounded in Desert Storm. He is currently a pediatric neurologist in Norfolk. He decided to run for the Virginia Senate in 2007 after becoming frustrated with the health care system, served two terms, then was elected lieutenant Dr. Ralph Northam governor in 2011. When Northam left the military in 1992, he signed the papers and was told, “best of luck.” That’s not good enough, he said. More needs to be done to help former service members make the transition into civilian life.
training opportunities through the Virginia Workforce Connection. “Virginia’s diverse and talented workforce is one of the Commonwealth’s greatest assets,” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Todd Haymore. “Our competitiveness relies, in part, on our ability to connect job-ready candidates to career opportunities. Today’s announcement of new, enhanced features on the Virginia Workforce Connection is one integral way to ensure that our job seekers are connected with the best jobs and resources the Commonwealth has to offer.” The announcement comes on the heels of McAuliffe’s late January announcement that Site Selection Magazine ranked Virginia second in the Atlantic region in a recent analysis of state workforce development activities. The new, improved Virginia Workforce Connection, in addition to Executive Order 23 – Creating a New Virginia Economy, Executive Order 49 – Expanding Registered Apprenticeships, and the New Virginia Workforce Credential Act, is another step in bolstering
the commonwealth’s workforce development initiatives. The Virginia Workforce Connection offers advanced features that automatically collect and precisely match the resumes of candidates to jobs based on the education, skills, and experience requirements defined by the employer using new state-ofthe-art reactive matching technology. The system will send an employer an automated system candidate search alert if a newly registered job seeker meets the business’ specific requirements. The site features more relevant, real-time labor market information, including mapping capabilities to identify areas of the state with active job candidates in a particular occupation or industry. Users can access the Virginia Workforce Connection on their desktop or mobile device 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The site is now responsive and will adapt to fit the screen of a mobile device or tablet. For individuals or businesses needing support, staff is available to assist at any Virginia Employment Commission office or at One Stop Career Centers across Virginia.
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Feb. 22, 2017 • 5
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6 • Feb. 22, 2017
Op/Ed & Letters
The LEGACY
From Freedom’s Journal to the NNPA, the U.S. Black Press is still relevant HARRY COLBERT, JR. No one is better equipped to tell your story better than you. And logic stands to reason that no one is better equipped and more passionate about telling our story than us. The stories of blacks in America are equally as triumphant as they are tragic. And many, if not most, of these stories would be lost to time, if not for the Black Press. And in an age where black people are both progressing exponentially and under attack daily, the need for the Black Press has never been more apparent. And in a day where all media is under assault from the highest level, we must exalt the nations more than 200 black newspapers, as they continue to serve as the defenders and the vanguard progress, enterprise and liberty. Since the days of “Freedom’s Journal” — the first black newspaper, published in 1827 during the height if slavery — to today, the Black Press has been a voice reason, compassion and defiance. Margot Lee Shetterly, author of “Hidden Figures,” said if not for the archives of the Black Press such as the “Norfolk Journal and Guide” and the “Pittsburgh Courier” the inspiring story of the black women geniuses at NASA would The LEGACY NEWSPAPER Vol. 3 No. 8 Mailing Address 409 E. Main Street 4 Office Address 105 1/2 E. Clay St. Richmond, VA 23219 Call 804-644-1550 Online www.legacynewspaper.com
not have been possible to tell. If not for the “Florida Sun” in Orlando, the story of the great training in science and technology happening at Bethune-Cookman University – one of the nation’s historically Black universities – would go untold and unnoticed. In Baton Rouge, it may have been a citizen’s lens that captured the senseless killing of Alton Sterling at the hands of police, but it is “The Drum” that keeps Sterling’s memory alive and is shining the white-hot spotlight on those responsible for his homicide. When factions of the so-called “altright” – a movement of racism The LEGACY welcomes all signed letters and all respectful opinions. Letter writers and columnists opinions are their own and endorsements of their views by The LEGACY should be inferred. The LEGACY assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. Annual Subscription Rates Virginia - $50 U.S. states - $75 Outside U.S.- $100 The Virginia Legacy © 2016
and intolerance – try to co-opt and corrupt the words (while ignoring the actions) of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., it was the Rev. Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), who provided a comprehensive and accurate remembrance of the revered freedom fighter. Weeks after the inauguration of a president that most in mass media are still trying to wrestle with and dissect, trying to figure out how all the major polls got it wrong, it was the Black Press that ran article after article talking about the tremendous voter suppression efforts happening in key battleground states in the aftermath of the United States Supreme Court decision in the Shelby v. Holder case that gutted the Voting Right Act of 1965. Possibly, had the warnings of the Black Press been heeded, maybe, just maybe, the nation and the world would not be in the predicament it now finds itself. The NNPA wrapped up its midwinter training conference in Ft. Lauderdale a few weeks ago. Representing more than 200 black publications, the NNPA, is a trade association of the more than 200 African American-owned community newspapers from around the United States. Since its founding 75 years ago, NNPA has “consistently been
the voice of the black community and an incubator for news that makes history and impacts our country.” Each week 20 million Americans from all backgrounds seeking news from the black perspective turn to NNPA newspapers, including “Insight News.” As journalists, our mission is to shine a light in the darkest of corners. That mission was reaffirmed at the NNPA’s 2017 Mid-Winter Conference with a level of commitment and intensity never before seen. “Freedom’s Journal” ran the first leg of the relay. The NNPA and the Black Press have gladly accepted the baton and we are more than capable of running the race. In running that race, what we ask of you, the reader, in this age of digital media and the sharing at the click of a button; that you seek out and share the valuable information of the Black Press with your networks as we must preserve and protect the Black Press. Colbert is the managing editor of Insight News in Minneapolis. An award-winning journalist, Colbert served as a journalism instructor to the National Association of Black Journalists and the Greater St. Louis Association of Black Journalists. He is a past president of the University of Missouri chapter of the NAACP.
www.LEGACYnewspaper.com
Feb. 22, 2017 • 7
P.T. Hoffsteader, Esq.
Facts of time
The overwhelming facts of racial oppression and discrimination — paired with human stories — can change people. One white student said this to one of her black classmates in a course I am teaching: “I’ve never known anyone who has been arrested. Not one person, not even an acquaintance of an acquaintance. Incredible as it sounds, knowing you and knowing that your father spent time in prison is the closest connection I have to the prison system.” Her black classmate has shared with us the experience of her father going to prison for 10 years. After minor drug issues — and because of the “three strikes and you’re out” rule — my student said her dad missed her graduation, marriage, and military deployments. He was so dehumanized by the experience of prison, she said she doesn’t know him anymore. Another white student told the story of two close friends from high school in Washington, D.C., monuments one day when they were stopped by a white police officer. The officer asked the young woman, “Are you all right?” Confused, she answered, “I’m fine.” Hostile questions came at the young black man, “Are you on any substances?” Startled, he said no. “Do you have any substances on you?” The answer was, again, no, but he was still subjected to a harsh and humiliating search that found nothing, and they were let go. His white girlfriend, who was never searched, had marijuana
in her purse. These “parables” about racism in America are truths that must be told, so that they might set us all free. Jim Wallis
On redistricting
Politicians who benefit from rigging Virginia’s elections stifled redistricting reform in the General Assembly, but the antigerrymandering advocates at OneVirginia2021 don’t plan to let the issue fade away. Last week the non-partisan redistricting reform group and its supporters attended the House Privileges and Elections Committee meeting to stage a silent protest at the House leadership’s failure to allow a full vote on antigerrymandering bills. Then, as the House and Senate were called into session, the group lined the pathway to the Capitol, to cheer and thank the members of both chambers who support banishing partisan political self-dealing from the process of drawing election districts. We’re not going away. Friday’s events were intended to let the opponents of fair elections know that the voters are still watching, and to thank the members of the House and Senate from both parties who are standing up to say it’s past time to take partisan district-rigging out of our elections.” An information session about the next steps in the fight for fair elections will follow, including an update on OneVirginia2021’s lawsuit to require the General Assembly to abide by the Virginia Constitution’s
explicit command to draw election districts that are compact – not the sprawling, twisted boundaries that carve up communities and allow politicians to choose which voters to include in their districts. Brian Cannon
Speaking of lies
There are two subjects in particular that the Trump administration lies about the most: crime and voting. During a recent interview on “This Week” with George Stephanopoulos, President Trump’s senior advisor Stephen Miller lied about voter fraud during the 2016 elections. Miller said that, “And you have 14 percent of noncitizens, according to academic research, at a minimum, are registered to vote, which is an astonishing statistic.” That statement is simply false. Miller couldn’t produce a single shred of evidence when Stephanopoulos pressed him on the subject. But Miller was just repeating what his boss said shortly before the election. At a rally in Cleveland, Ohio on Oct. 23, 2016, presidential candidate Donald Trump said that, “14 percent of noncitizens are registered to vote.” President Trump entered office lying about voter fraud and threatening an investigation. Civil rights leaders have called for an investigation of voter suppression during the 2016 presidential election. More recently, the lying crossed over into the topic of an increased “crime wave” that doesn’t exist. Now, the lies about a vast American crime wave and record-levels of illegal
voting seem to be coming together. On Jan. 23, during a meeting with members of Congress and the White House, President Trump lied about voting again. Trump and his 31 yearold aide Stephen Miller, who was sent out on all the Sunday morning talk shows on February 12, appear to be lying for two reasons. First, Trump can’t come to terms with the fact that Hillary Clinton received almost three million more votes than he did, and second, the Trump Administration would appear to be laying the groundwork to justify a new law that would make it harder for people to vote, particularly minorities. Trump’s Attorney General, former Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions had a history of prosecuting African Americans, who were registering too many other African Americans to vote as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Having provided no explanation or apology for his past prosecutions, particularly that of the late Albert Turner Sr., there’s no reason to believe that Sessions won’t pick up where he left off in Alabama in the 1970s. Even though, Sessions’ past statements and actions as a prosecutor in Alabama are clear, the public perception of Sessions the man is mixed. Turner’s son, Albert Turner, Jr., issued a statement endorsing Sessions that said, “I believe that he is someone with whom I, and others in the civil rights community can work if given the opportunity.” Still, American history of the disenfranchisement of African American (and other minority) voters is also clear. Lauren Burke
8 • Feb. 22, 2017
Feb. 15, 2017 • 5
Faith & Religion
The LEGACY
ed stricter voting bills who had completed their sentences. Virginia is one of few states where felons do not automatically regain their voting rights after completing their sentences. The new resolution, SJ 223, would make it even more Nation for of Islam Louistheir difficult felonsleader to reclaim Farrakhan offered two observations right to vote. Sunday the U.S. president: SJ 223towould restore voting Be rights careful about sending the National only when the person has paid off Guard to Chicago and be wary of their fees.the Sen. Jennifer McClellan, following lead of Benjamin D-Richmond,Israel’s suggested that this Netanyahu, president, in is wading the Middle East talks. not fair into for felons who already have Farrakhan, 83, made difficulty getting jobs. the warnings in“If a three-hour speech Joe Louis you can’t get a job,atyou’re Arena that wrapped up Saviours never going to pay off your fines,” Day 2017, the Nation of Islam’s 87th McClellan said. “With this resolution, annual celebration of founder W. the General Assembly undo Fard Muhammad, whowould created the Nation, a black the progress weseparatist have madereligious in movement in Detroit in 1930. restoring rights for non-violent Muhammad Mosque, on the 14800 felons.”
Senate Majority Leader Thomas Norment, R-James City, who proposed the resolution, rebutted McClellan on the floor Tuesday. “The restoration of your rights does not mean you are not a convicted block Wyomingsaid. on the city’s west felon,”ofNorment “The barrier side, is called No. 1 in honor of that exists because you broke the law, history. not because of any Senate joint “If you slaughter my young resolution.” brothers, beware what God will do,” The resolution passed the Senate, Farrakhan, a Chicagoan, said of 21-19, along party lines. President Trump’s suggesting the city could use the help ofpassed the Guard Other voting bills that to quell Chicago’s violence. before crossover day include a Onrequiring Israel, heverification said: “If you bill of follow social Netanyahu, you’ll be in war in a security numbers before registering short time.” toFarrakhan vote and a used bill allowing a voter his speech to identification photograph be stored touch on familiar Nation oftoIslam positions, calling Trump’s election a electronically. Several voting bills are byproduct of white supremacy, which scheduled to be heard by their new has resulted in next a hardening chamber early week. of racial
Farrakhan: Trump’s election hardened racial attitudes attitudes. “Have you noticed that white people will call you n----- and not think twice nowadays?” he said. As for Trump’s controversial leadership style, Farrakhan said: “The forces that killed (President John) Kennedy, the same forces that killed (President Abraham) Lincoln, the people who really run the country, are evaluating Donald Trump right now to see if he can be controlled. He’s not being controlled right now.” Of Trump, Farrakhan said “in 20 minutes, he might speak 20 lies,” but he credited the president for one thing: his independent wealth. “When have you ever seen a president fly into Washington on their own jet?” he told the crowd. The speech also hit on such topics as the failures of black men to lead and protect their families, and the racial climate in America. “White people have been losing since Brown vs. Board of Education in 1954, and been trying to get away from you ever since,” Farrakhan said. He also said lamenting Hillary Clinton’s election loss was foolish.
“Some of you thought,” he said, “if she broke the glass ceiling, you would too.” Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones was among the local officials who spoke before Farrakhan. She read a council proclamation welcoming Saviours Day to Detroit. Jones also urged the Nation to take an interest again in Chicago, its home since Temple No. 2 was created there in the 1930s. Jones listed jobs, education and faith as areas where the Nation could help. Saviours Day also offered sessions on physical training and exercise, disaster and emergency management, the “war on Islam” since 9/11, and a military drill competition. Some national watchdog groups have said after a presidential campaign that emboldened white identity politics, the Nation of Islam was positioning to be newly relevant. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks extremism has found black separatism growing alongside white supremacy, creating a more favorable environment for the Nation’s teachings.
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Feb. 22, 2017 • 9
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10 • Feb. 22, 2017
The LEGACY
Author tells the story behind his awardwinning ‘Underground Railroad’ novel When Colson Whitehead was in fourth grade, he learned about the Underground Railroad, the effort to help shepherd slaves in the 19th century from captivity to free states through a network of people, routes and homes. Whitehead mistakenly thought the railroad was an actual railroad, with trains secretly running on rails in underground tunnels to ferry slaves to freedom. His teacher set him straight, but the image did not fade completely. Years later, when Whitehead was 30 and an up-and-coming writer, he recalled that childhood misunderstanding and saw the storytelling potential the premise held. He envisioned a story with a protagonist traveling north on a literal underground train, stopping in each state along the way and facing some new adventure. Each state would have a fantastical element attached to it and represent a particular state of American possibility. However, the idea intimidated him, and he did not believe he was ready to explore the idea in a novel, either from a technical standpoint or an emotional one. In the ensuing years, he would occasionally revisit the premise and the notes he had accumulated on the story. Each time, he decided he was not yet ready to do justice to the subject. Instead, he wrote other novels and nonfiction books, which helped gain him a following of devoted readers and a reputation as a skilled, entertaining author who incorporated elements of genre into works of literary fiction. Then, three years ago when he was considering his next novel, he finally discussed the idea with others. He brought it up with his wife, his agent, his “shrink” and his editor. The response was enthusiastic and convincing: It was time to write the book. Whitehead, now 46, relented and the result is “The Underground Railroad,” his sixth novel and the most acclaimed of his career. The book was the winner of the 2016
National Book Award for Fiction and the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence from the American Library Association, among many other honors, and a selection in Oprah Winfrey’s prestigious book club. Whitehead detailed his journey to becoming a writer and the story behind “The Underground Railroad” recently as the featured speaker of the VCU Libraries’ 15th annual Black History Month Lecture. As part of his appearance, Whitehead read two sections from the novel and signed books afterward. An actual railroad, underground Whitehead’s novel follows the journey of Cora, a young slave who escapes from a Georgia plantation with her companion, Caesar, and heads north on an underground railway based on a network of tracks and tunnels. Cora and Caesar are hunted on their journey by a ruthless slave-catcher and face a number of
challenges and dangers. Whitehead uses a large cast of characters and moves among a selection of them to show their perspectives and inner lives, while never losing sight of Cora’s terrifying escape. Whitehead said he initially resolved to re-read past slavery novel classics, including Toni Morrison’s “Beloved,” Edward P. Jones’ “The Known World” and Charles Johnson’s “Middle Passage,” before diving into his own book. However, 30 pages into “Beloved,” he set it down and decided he would have to avoid reading the novelists that had come before him and focus on his own viewpoint. “Toni Morrison is an incredible genius, and I can’t really compete with that,” he said. “No matter what you’re writing, you just hope that you have something new to contribute to the subject,” he added. “Whether it’s slavery or war or domestic troubles, someone smarter and more talented has written about it before you got
to the scene. But you’ve got your own particular set of skills and experiences and talents, so you can do your own thing.” “No matter what you’re writing, you just hope that you have something new to contribute to the subject.” As he tackled the novel, Whitehead found that he became most concerned with producing a work that was sufficient to approximate the experiences that his ancestors and other slaves had faced. He often tried to place himself in their position to imagine their circumstances and performed diligent research of the time and slave life. Because of the subject matter, the book is brutal, but Whitehead said, “It’s still only 10 millionth of a percent of what they actually experienced.” “I recognized that my family went through this,” Whitehead said. “I don’t know who they were and where they lived and died … I don’t know what they worked on, how they lived
(continued on page 12)
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Feb. 22, 2017 • 11
Return of ‘400 Years of African American History Act’ U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Warner (D-VA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Roy Blunt (R-MO) have reintroduced the bipartisan “400 Years of African American History Act” – legislation that would establish a commission to plan programs and activities in 2019 across the country to recognize the arrival and influence of Africans in America. Kaine and Warner were the lead sponsors in the Senate when a
version of this bill was introduced last Congress. Similar commissions have been established to recognize English & Hispanic heritage, including the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, Virginia and the 450th anniversary of the founding of St. Augustine, Florida. This commission would be charged with recognizing and highlighting the resilience and contribution of Africans and African Americans since 1619, as well as
acknowledging the painful impact that slavery and laws that enforced racial discrimination have had on our nation’s history. “I’ve been lucky to be a part of federal commissions that were established to study and celebrate English and Hispanic history, and there is no reason a similar one shouldn’t exist to celebrate the contributions of Africans and African Americans to our history,” said Kaine. “We need to share the
stories that explain who we are as a nation. This commission will help do that and hopefully further enrich our understanding of the journey and history of our country.” “This commission will mark 400 years of rich African American history, including both the immeasurable contributions of African Americans to our diverse culture and their resilience in the face of injustice during slavery and in the decades of racial discrimination that have ensued,” said Warner. “It is my hope that it will serve as a testament to the lessons in racial diversity that we have learned as a country and bring to light those that we may still need to overcome.” “The story of our great nation cannot be fully told without the rich history of African Americans,” said Blunt. “I am proud to support the creation of a commission to celebrate 400 years of African American culture. America is a better nation when all our citizens learn more about our history.” “African American history is American history; the black experience is the American experience. The commission established by this bill would shed light on the lives, events, atrocities, discoveries, and accomplishments that have shaped that experience and, in doing so, promote a deeper understanding of the beauty and fullness of our nation’s heritage” said Booker. “The commission will also be tasked with highlighting the ongoing struggle to fulfill the promise of liberty and equality on which this nation was founded—a struggle that began four hundred years ago, when the first slaves were brought to Point Comfort, VA.” Virginia Rep. Bobby Scott and Rep. Don Beyer, along with G. K. Butterfield, Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, led the introduction of similar legislation that passed the House of Representatives last Congress. The Senate version of the bill was unanimously approved by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources last year, but was not voted on by the full Senate before the end of the 114th Congress.
12 • Feb. 22, 2017
The LEGACY
(from page 10) and suffered. I tried to testify for them and for other people who went through slavery as much as I could. The anxiety of influence I set aside and the anxiety of trying to represent the true reality and brutality of what my family went through was the greater anxiety.” ‘In some ways, we haven’t come far’ Whitehead said the novel would have turned out much differently if he had written it when he was younger. For instance, the fantastical elements would have been bigger and been featured more prominently in the foreground. One of the states, he said, was originally going to be set in the future. Instead, he opted to dial the fantastic from “a Spinal Tappian 11 down to 1.” The railroad has become less the emphasis of the story and more the critical device that gets Cora from state to state.
“No matter what you’re writing, you just hope that you have something new to contribute to the subject.” Whitehead said he feels proud of the finished work and noted that he didn’t have any regrets about the novel — no pieces he wished he had cut or could redo. And, in fact, “the final 20 pages are the best work I’ve ever done. If I was to never write again, I’d be happy with that.” Whitehead said he did not write the novel with a design to draw comparisons to contemporary times. Since then, however, he has begun to notice the parallels more strongly, such as recognizing certain justifications that slave-owners and slave-catchers used for their harsh, heavy-handed practices — even when dealing with freed blacks — in the phrasing used for race-based discriminatory practices today. “In some ways, we haven’t come far,” he said.
Early forays into writing In addition to discussing his latest novel, Whitehead recalled his youth and the path he took to becoming an author, often with the savvy timing of a seasoned stand-up comic. Of his childhood in Manhattan, he recalled, “I was a bit of a shut in. I would have preferred to be a sickly child, but it didn’t work out that way. If you read a biography of someone like James Joyce, it will say they were a sickly child and forced to retreat into a world of imagination. It always sounds so wonderful. Instead, I just didn’t like going outside.” Even as a child, Whitehead saw the appeal of the writing life. “I really liked comic books and science fiction and I adored Stephen King,” Whitehead said. “In sixth grade, I saw that writing X-Men or Spiderman could be a great job. If you were a writer, you could work at home and you didn’t have to wear clothes or talk to people. And you could just make stuff up all day.” At Harvard, where he attended college, Whitehead began to eye a career as a writer more avidly — though his early ideas were limited in scope. “I wanted to write the black ‘Shining’ or the black ‘Salem’s Lot,’” Whitehead said. “Take any Stephen King title and put ‘the black’ in front of it. That’s basically what I wanted
to do.” As he expanded his reading selections, Whitehead discovered writers who employed genre in literary fiction in a way that excited him and suggested clear parallels to the science fiction and horror he had consumed as a child. In particular, he pointed to the magical realism of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the absurdity of Beckett and the invented worlds of Jorge Luis Borges. To him, these authors were playing with the fantastic as much as any genre writer. He found his own early forays into writing disheartening. “In college, I considered myself a writer but didn’t actually sit down and write anything, which apparently is part of the process,” Whitehead said. “I smoked cigarettes and I wore black. Finally, I mustered up the energy to write two five-page epics that I used to audition for creative writing classes and I was turned down for both of them. I was very devastated, which was good training for being a writer.” ‘I got back to work’ After college, Whitehead worked for five years at the Village Voice, an alternative newspaper in New York. His first published written work was a “think piece” about the season finales of TV sitcoms “Growing
Pains” and “Who’s the Boss?” He said he is confident that his article was “the definitive piece” on those two episodes. Eventually, Whitehead gained enough confidence to pursue fiction again. His first novel was the story of a “Gary Coleman-esque” child star of a popular sitcom called “I’m Movin’ In.” He secured an agent and the book was sent to numerous publishers. They all turned it down. He found his inability to reach an audience frustrating and illustrative of a reality writers often must confront. “You’re a microbe in a gnat in the butt of an elephant, just trying to catch the elephant’s attention,” Whitehead said. As he pondered the pile of rejections, Whitehead reconsidered a life as a writer. Eventually, however, Whitehead stuck with it. In a humorous digression, Whitehead described a scenario in which being a writer for him was simply a matter of evolution, tracing his possible heritage to the first Neanderthal who wondered “hunting and gathering, gathering and hunting. Is that all there is to this life?” “It didn’t matter that no one liked what I was doing. I had no choice,” Whitehead said. “So I got back to work. And it went better the next time.” © VCU
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Feb. 22, 2017 • 13
Historic black cemeteries seeking the same upkeep support given to Confederates John Mitchell picks his way down the path through the woods, avoiding the thick brush on either side, stepping gingerly over a slab of fallen granite, until he gets to the broken crypt. A jagged hole exposes caskets to the sky, their metal fixtures rusted, covers ajar. English ivy cascades down the sides of the crypt, and a cross and a strange symbol have been drawn in black over the opening, possibly by someone who broke in. The grave of Mitchell’s greatgrandfather, Thomas Mitchell, is somewhere nearby, hidden under vines and tree roots on the hillside. All around the violated crypt, mounds in the ivy mark fallen tombstones, piles of collapsed iron fencing, granite blocks that once outlined family plots. This is Evergreen Cemetery, burial ground for some of the elite citizens of Richmond in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Bankers, publishers, doctors, lawyers — the type of upper crust who are usually lionized in this city of monuments. Except that all of these people were black, and the city’s grand cemeteries wouldn’t have them when they died. Founded 126 years ago, the 60-acre Evergreen has no ongoing means of support. Only a network of dedicated volunteers keeps it and the adjacent East End Cemetery from being erased by time and vegetation. But help may be on the way, in a form that could offer hope to other African American cemeteries across Virginia in similar predicaments. A bill working its way through the General Assembly would set aside money for Evergreen and East End — just as the state already pays for the upkeep of thousands of Confederate graves statewide. “They have been left out of the equation,” said Del. Delores L. McQuinn (D-Richmond), who sponsored the bill. “We’ve got a whole laundry list of Confederate cemeteries and Revolutionary cemeteries that are given money every year. We’re not asking for anything out of the normal.” Advocates say the effort is a symbolic first step that recognizes a pressing issue and suggests how much needs to be done. Saving these
two cemeteries will be a battle, but there are countless others in Virginia not covered by this measure that are as bad, or are forgotten, or that wouldn’t have anyone to keep them up even if money were available. But it has to start somewhere. “Sometimes symbolism is important in and of itself, even if it isn’t going to solve a problem completely,” said Lynn Rainville, a professor at Sweet Briar College and an expert on African American cemeteries in Virginia. “Of all the ways to fight social injustice and all the things that we should or should not be doing today to right centuries of injustice, to me cemeteries are important — they are open-air museums of African American culture.” Evergreen is the older and larger of the two cemeteries on the eastern edge of Richmond, situated on a hilltop with a noisy recycling center on one side. A central area of Evergreen is cleared of trees, and the oldest section has been uncovered enough for some families to care for their plots. It’s here that Evergreen’s most famous occupants are buried — including Maggie Walker, the first woman of any race to charter a bank in the United States, and John Mitchell Jr., a crusading newspaper editor who staged a protest over streetcar segregation as far back as 1904. He is the namesake and greatgreat-uncle of the John Mitchell who was visiting on a recent day. At 53, Mitchell, a musician, has been coming to this cemetery his whole life and hearing stories about it from his father, who is now 100. His dad used to brag about how they once paid “white folks” to keep up the graveyard. Finally, Mitchell figured out what he meant: “ ‘White Folks’ was actually a black guy who was very, very light-skinned — that was his nickname,” he said. Other stories were about the glory days of black society, when Mitchell and Walker led rival banks and Richmond’s Jackson Ward section was known as the “Black Wall Street.” As a kid, Mitchell had to reconcile those tales with the condition of the cemetery: His uncle’s headstone had been stolen and the
statue atop another family grave was toppled into the dirt. His father “used to believe it was some type of initiation for some type of Confederate guys to actually desecrate that monument,” Mitchell said, pointing out that his namesake once crusaded against the Confederate statues on Monument
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Avenue. The family has since restored the gravestones. Many of the early burials, like Mitchell and Walker, were people born in the early 1860s — born into slavery but raised in freedom. They were the generation of Reconstruction and carried fresh
(continued on page 15)
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14 • Feb. 22, 2017
The LEGACY
Partnership seen as a first step to decrease infant mortality Urban Baby Beginnings and Capital Diaper Bank in collaboration with the The Baby Box Co.recently launched the Universal Safe Sleep program in Virginia as a critical first step in reducing infant mortality. This new program is free and available to expecting and new parents located in Central Virginia and Hampton Roads over the course of the next year. Urban Baby Beginnings and Capital Diaper Bank will manage the distribution of the baby boxes at their locations. This program is focused on reducing the infant mortality rate in the U.S. which is at an estimated 5.8 deaths per 1,000 births in 2016 which is worse than all EU countries, Japan,
South Korea, Australia and Cuba. The new program combines the new Baby Box University information platform for new parents along with the proven safety of the Baby Box. Empowering parents and families with essential information for them to properly care for newborns is the heart of this new initiative. The launch of the Universal Safe Sleep Program in Virginia is currently concentrated in Richmond and its surrounding areas, but Baby Box Co. has plans to expand throughout the U.S. and the world. The company already has made significant progress internationally, with national Baby Box program roll-outs in Canada, UK, Ireland
and more recently New Jersey. This program is made possible through the leadership and support of the Baby Box Co. in partnership with Urban Baby Beginnings and Capital Diaper Bank. The universal safe sleep program is accessible to all expecting and new parents located in Central Virginia and Hampton Roads regardless of socioeconomic status, and the Baby Boxes will be available for pick up in Richmond and Newport News. The use of Baby Boxes has been associated with helping Finland achieve one of the world’s lowest infant mortality rates. The Finnish initiative, which enables every expecting woman in the country
(from page 13) hopes of liberty, only to age into the heavy backlash of segregation and Jim Crow laws. “All this would’ve flourished,” Mitchell said, gesturing at the crooked headstones, “if not for Jim Crow.” The cemeteries are embodiments of that lost promise — the old monuments shoved aside by trees growing through them, the ground in long ripples where the wooden caskets beneath have decayed and collapsed. Here and there, a bolt of color peeks through the undergrowth, a flag on the headstone of a veteran from one of the World Wars. Jim Crow thwarted not only the lives but also the cemeteries themselves, Rainville said. Vast numbers of blacks left the South in the early 20th century to escape those restrictive laws, leaving no one to care for the dead. In that sense, she said, Evergreen and East End are lucky. At least they are remembered, while thousands upon thousands of other African American burial sites across Virginia are forgotten. The active volunteer groups at both cemeteries attracted the attention of the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, a state-chartered agency that preserves open land. Last year, the foundation set aside $400,000 to enable a nonprofit to buy Evergreen and East End and create an easement to protect them. That process is underway — the ownership of both is a legal tangle involving families that hold title to the properties, said Brett Glymph, executive director of the foundation. While that plays out, Glymph has worked with Molly Ward, Virginia’s secretary of natural resources, to get funding for upkeep. With the support of Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D), Ward approached McQuinn about sponsoring a bill in the General Assembly based on the section of state law that covers Confederate graves. “This is
Del. Delores McQuinn very little, very late,” Ward said. “It’s not too late. I think there’s always time to bring justice and equity.” Equating black cemeteries of that era with Confederate memorials makes sense, Rainville said. Just as the war dead are honored for their sacrifice on behalf of society, she said, people who were born into slavery “contributed to the economic vitality of this agriculture-oriented state. And clearly, their service has yet to be fully recognized or compensated in any way.” This week, the bill cleared the House of Delegates unanimously, carrying a price tag of $34,875, and headed to the state Senate. It opens the door for other cemeteries to apply for similar treatment, but they’d have to meet strict criteria — including being established in the 19th century and having a nonprofit support system in place. For Evergreen and East End, that means volunteers like John Shuck, a 69-year-old retiree who waited one recent, frigid morning for a school group to show up to do some clearing. Donated shovels and hedge clippers lay in the back of his red Ford pickup. Wearing jeans, work boots, a hooded jacket and thick gloves, Shuck was
to claim a free Baby Box once she receives prenatal care and parenting information from a healthcare professional, is credited with helping to decrease Finland’s infant mortality rate from 65 deaths for each 1,000 children born in 1938 to an estimated 2.5 deaths per 1,000 births in 2016. Urban Baby Beginnings Health Director, Stephanie Spencer states, “We are excited to be able to assist in launching a much needed program,” noted the org. “Safe bedding remains among the top three concerns of our health care providers, social service organizations, and families. We look forward to assisting in any way possible to help families provide a safe place to sleep for their infant.”
ready for three or four hours of labor. Two years ago, he and others hauled out 1,500 dumped tires. He has a deal with the nearby recycling center to pick up gathered branches and brush, which it shreds into mulch. “I don’t think that tree was down before,” he said, noticing a long, vine-covered trunk across several graves. “It looks like it just uprooted. The dirt’s still wet.” His “before” pictures of this area show thick woods; there’s no sign of the 17,000 tombs he estimates are in East End alone. Now a whole swath has been cleared of underbrush. On a sunny winter’s day, the graves carpet a stand of scrub pines and hardwoods. Here and there, a magnolia, a cypress, a dogwood suggest the parklike landscape of 100 years ago. You don’t have to go far to see something like that today. Down the hill behind Evergreen and East End is a pauper’s field where thousands of poor blacks were buried, unmarked, in the 1800s. But up the hill on the other side of the little valley is a very different burial ground. Oakwood is a 171-acre municipal cemetery established in 1856. Next to its elaborate monuments and rolling lawns is a large section dedicated to Confederate war dead. Maintained by the Sons of Confederate Veterans, the graves form a graceful arc, each marked by a colorful Confederate flag or battle flag. As these men were dying, the first occupants of Evergreen and East End were being born. At the intersection of Jackson Circle and Lee Drive, a metal plaque pays tribute to the 17,000 soldiers buried there, “slain in defence of the South. In gratitude for their devotion, the commonwealth of Virginia by act of the Assembly of 1930 has provided perpetual care for their graves, a sacred trust which the city of Richmond reverently has accepted.” That gratitude and reverence are finally about to grow, at least to the next hilltop. © WaPo
Feb. 22, 2017 • 15
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16 • Feb. 22, 2017
Calendar 2.23, 11:30 p.m.
BizWorks Enterprise Center presents Alternative Solutions for Small Business Financing at 2545 Bellwood Rd., Richmond. Liquid Capital RVA is a working capital specialist providing solutions to small business owners whose ability to self-fund daily operating costs or fill orders may be challenged. Learn more about the tools that Liquid Capital has been providing since 1999. Lunch will be provided. This workshop is free; however, registration is required to attend. Register at bizworkscenter.org or call 804-275-5190.
2.23, 5 p.m. & 24, 4;30 p.m.
University of Richmond will host Robert O’Meally for two lectures on the relationship between artistic movements and politics in both current and historic settings. O’Meally is a professor of English and comparative literature and director of the Center for Jazz Studies at Columbia University. His areas of focus include 19th- and 20th-century American and AfricanAmerican literature and jazz culture. His first lecture, “Art in a Time of Urgency: Paintings by Romare Bearden and Norman Lewis,” is in the Gottwald Science Center auditorium. O’Meally will explore the two artists’ painted responses to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. The lecture will also examine artistic responses to current political changes and question the role of citizens in the changing global political landscape. On the next day, O’Meally will discuss “The Promise of American Democracy” connecting the current political state and the 2016 presidential election to changing literary and artistic movements throughout the past several decades. This lecture will be held in Boatwright Memorial Library, Adams Auditorium. Both events are free and open to the public.
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COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES & EVENTS
BHM event planned Richmond Public Library’s 2nd Annual BMER Black History Month celebration honoring African American male authors from Virginia, many of whom have their roots in the Richmond area. Two of the authors participated last year, and have published new children’s books since then. This year’s program is unique in that there will be activities just for kids in addition to publishing-related presentations for the adults. At least one of the publishing talks is for adults, teens and children. Other invited authors include the popular radio personality Mike Kemetic, Christopher Allen, A. E. Bartlett, Davian Clifton, world-renown Toastmaster Elliott Eddie, Coach Gregory Ford, B. Keith Fulton, radio hosts Ellis Henderson, PhD and Dennis Parker, PhD, Pastor Edward Whitfield, and Justin Young. Books will be available for purchase. BMER promotes the development of reading by partnering with community organizations and individuals who support Black male academic achievement, providing diverse and empowering reading materials to young black males by BMER mentors and role models, leading to higher reading proficiency, more effective communication, development of better self image, and the creation of positive networks. The introduction and promotion of Black Male authors is key to the success of mentoring young black males. Community groups can borrow BMER kits from the library for book clubs to encourage regular reading habits. Kits contain books, poetry, speeches and DVDs with empowering texts that motivate young people to read. This Second Annual Black History Month program is part of BMER’s quarterly series for adults and teens. This program is free and open to the public, but seats for some activities are limited. Call 804-646-7223 early to reserve your spot! (Black Male Emergent Readers Literacy Program). This year’s event, featuring activities for children and teens as well as adults, will be at the Main Library on Saturday, Feb. 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Presenters include Kanawha Plaza Landscape Architect Charles Snead, CLA, author and filmmaker Rebekah Lynn Pierce and authors Ronnie Sidney, II, and Dr. Karaam Ellis from Virginia Beach. Activities include a writing workshop and multiplayer video game challenge sponsored by DimensionU .
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Hampton Roads Community Action Program’s (HRCAP) Project Discovery Program 2nd Annual Rip The Runway Fashion Show that will be held at the Downing Gross Cultural Arts Center in Newport News. All proceeds from this event will go to the Project Discovery Scholarship Fund, and will help deserving students to achieve their educational and occupational goals. Project Discovery, a college preparation program designed to promote the post-secondary educational goals of at-risk middle and high school students, focuses on students from families where college attendance has been absent, with the goal of inspiring these students to become the first members of their families to attend college. HRCAP’s program operates at seven middle and high schools in Hampton and Newport News. Questions? Contact Children’s Services Director Hermelinda C. Miller at hermelinda.millert@ hrcapinc.org or 757-247-0379 ext. 306.
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18 • Feb. 22, 2017
Classifieds 156-217 HAMPTON SOLICITATION The Director of Finance or his designated representative will accept written responses in the Procurement Office 1 Franklin Street, 3rd floor, suite 345 Hampton, VA on behalf of the Entity (ies) listed below until the date(s) and local time(s) specified. HAMPTON CITY Tuesday, March 7, 2017 1:30 p.m. ET-ITB 17-71/CLP Installation, maintenance and repair of pavement markings, traffic signals and CCTV cameras. Fabrication, installation, and maintenance of regulatory, warning, and guidance signage. Data collection and reporting for Public Works Traffic Operations Division. Thursday, March 9, 2017 3:00 p.m. ET – ITB 17-69/E Citywide Concrete Leveling and Lifting. Mandatory Pre-bid Meeting will be held Wednesday, March 1, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. local time at 550 N. Back River Rd. Hampton, VA 23669. HAMPTON CITY SCHOOLS Tuesday, March 21, 2017 2:00 p.m. ET – ITB 17-170827/EA Two-Way Radios and Repairs
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IF YOU USED THE BLOOD THINNER XARELTO and suffered internal bleeding, hemorrhaging, required hospitalization or a loved one died while taking Xarelto between 2011 and the present time, you may be entitled to compensation. Call Attorney Charles H. Johnson 1-800-535-5727
Feb. 22, 2017 • 19
www.LEGACYnewspaper.com
Ad Size: 6.6 inches (2 columns X 3.3 inches)
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE CITY OF RICHMOND BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS
2 Issues, Feb 15 & 22 - ($72.60 per run) $145.20 total
Will hold a Public Hearing in the 5th Floor Conference Room, City Hall, 900 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA on March 1, 2017, to consider the following under Chapter 30 of the Zoning Code:
AUCTIONS BUSINESS LIQUIDATION Efficiency Management, LLC., Colonial Heights, VA SEALED BID-Aluminum Products Manufacturing Business, Furniture & Fixtures BIDS DUE 3/7, 4pm ONLINE ONLY AUCTION- Equipment including: Presses, Feeders, Forklift, & More BID 2/28-3/9 www.motleys. com 1-877-MOTLEYS VAAL#16
243-1600; Lynchburg/Roanoke 800-614-6500; Front Royal/ Winchester 800-454-1400
EDUCATION/CAREER TRAINING AIRLINE MECHANIC TRAINING - Get FAA certification to fix planes. Approved for military benefits. Financial Aid if qualified. Job placement assistance. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance 877-204-4130
SERVICES/HOME IMPROVEMENT REPLACEMENT WINDOWS $199 INSTALLED Included in the prices window, install and FREE EXTERIOR TRIM WRAP Lifetime warranty, free estimates Facelift construction 804-986-5649 SWIMMING POOLS
HELP WANTED/TRUCK DRIVERS CDL TRAINING FOR LOCAL/ OTR DRIVERS! $40,000-$50,000 1ST Year! 4-wks or 10 Weekends for CDL. Veterans in Demand! Richmond/Fredericksburg 800-
HOMEOWNERS WANTED! Kayak Pools looking for Demo Homesites to display net maintenance free Kayak Pools. Save thousands of $$. Unique opportunity! 100% financing available. 1-888-788-5464
BEGINNING AT 1:00 P.M.
SERVICES DIVORCE – Uncontested, $395 + $86 court cost. No court appearance. Estimated completion time twenty-one days. Telephone inquiries welcome - no obligation. Hilton Oliver, Attorney. 757-490-0126. Se Habla Español.
Rate: $11 per column inch
Includes Internet placement
REIMBURESMENT CLERK
Please review the proof, make any needed changes and return by fax o
07-17: An application of Unlimited Renovations, LLC for a building permit to construct a new two-family detached dwelling at 202 WEST 15TH STREET. Copies of all cases are available for inspection between 8 AM and 5 PM in Room 110, City Hall, 900 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219. Support or opposition may be offered at or before the hearing. Roy W. Benbow, Secretary Phone: (804) 240-2124 Fax: (804) 646-5789 E-mail: Roy.Benbow@richmondgov.com
Under the supervision of the Director of Reimbursement this position is your response is not received by deadline, your duties ad mayfornotthebe in primarily Ifresponsible for document scanning and clerical Patient Accounts Department. The ideal candidate will have previous X_________________________________________ clerical experienceOkworking in an office/business environment; must have Serving Richm experience working on a PC and data entry skills (speed and accuracy). 409 E. Main St. #4 (mai Candidate must also be a team player in a fast paced environment, with Richm focus and attention to detail.
Ok with changes X _____________________________ 804-644-1550 (of To apply, please visit www.raaems.org to complete an application ads@lega with resume attached no later than 5:00pm, Wednesday, REMINDER: Deadline is Fridays @ 5 p.m. February 22, 2017. EEO/AAP
Drivers: Getting Home is Easier. Nice Pay Package. BCBS + Other Benefits. Monthly The School Board of the City of Richmond, Virginia is seeking sealed bids Serving Richmond & Hampton Roads from qualified bidders to provide Richmond Public Schools requirements Bonuses. No-Touch. Chromed out Trucks for Produce (in refregerated truck, to each Cafeteria). To obtain a 409 E. Main St. #4 (mailing) • 105 1/2 E. Clay St. (office) w/APU'S. CDL-A. 855-200-4631 Richmond, VA 23219 804-644-1550 (office) • 800-783-8062 (fax) ads@legacynewspaper.com
copy of the Invitation for Bid:
Visit our website at www.richmond.k.12.va.us/purchasing_new Bids will be received until, but not later than 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, March 1, 2017. Any bids received late will be returned unopened, to the sender.
Ad Size 6.5 inches (1 column(s) X 3.25 inches) 1 Issue (Feb. 22) - $71.50 Rate: $11 per column inch
Parks Recreation & Community Facilities The City of Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities strives to provide residents and visitors with quality fun activities, accommodating facilities, interesting programs, and entertaining events. With over 169 parks, open spaces, athletic fields, playgrounds, and facilities, DPRCF has several exciting summer employment opportunities to join the fun. We are seeking energetic, customer service-focused individuals for the following full and part-time seasonal positions: Head Lifeguards Lifeguards Maintenance Workers
Recreations Instructor Seasonal Event Production Workers Swimming Pool Managers
Includes Internet placement
Reach over 50,000 Legacy readers a week in
RVA & HR! Advertise here.
Please review the proof, make any needed changes and return by fax or e-mail. If your response is not received by deadline, your ad may not be inserted. Ok X_________________________________________
Call 804-644-1550
Ok with changes X _____________________________ REMINDER: Deadline is Fridays @ 5 p.m.
To learn more about the City of Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities, visit our website at www.RichmondGov.com to learn more and to apply.
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