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EGACY Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow.

WEDNESDAYS • May 9, 2018

Richmond & Hampton Roads

LEGACYNEWSPAPER.COM • FREE

Marchers raise their fists as they make their way through Harlem to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., in New York City. PHOTO: DREW ANGERER

THE REPORT

Unequal in America SUSAN MILLIGAN ONE OF THE MOST JARRING and painful numbers in America's history on race relations is threefifths. That, according to the U.S. Constitution written in 1789, was how African-American slaves were counted – as three-fifths of a person – determining population for the purpose of calculating states' representation in Congress.

More than two centuries after the Constitution was penned, a century and a half since the 14th Amendment undid the so-called “three fifths compromise,” and 50 years since

the height of the modern civil rights movement, African-Americans still fall short when it comes to equality, according to a sweeping report by the Urban League. To put a number on it, African-Americans are at 72.5 percent – less than three-fourths – when it comes to achieving equality with white Americans, according to the study, which addressed economics, health, education, civic engagement and social justice.

Although African-Americans are actually doing better than whites in a few subcategories – and while both races are improving in some areas even as the gap between the

two groups remains wide – the report, The State of Black America, finds that the “Equality Index” for African-American has barely moved (and in some cases, has worsened) since 2005, the first year the Urban League issued the yearly report.

Movement has occurred in certain aspects of African-Americans' lives, such as education and health, experts in the field say. But entrenched financial disparities have made it hard for African-Americans to catch up economically, they say.

“There are all these rags-toriches stories,” but “wealth is not accumulated in a single generation.

Wealth is accumulated – mostly over several generations,” said Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League. “It’s not a small thing; it's a big thing. It’s the most difficult element of race that's never really talked about.”

The Equality Index, for example, showed that on factors related to education, African-Americans were at 78.5 percent equality – an equation determined by assessing various education metrics, such as access to good schools, graduation rates and test scores, and comparing it to a benchmark of what those factors are for white Americans. For health (which looked at illnesses, death rates and access to health care), the number was 79.3 percent.

For civic engagement (voting, military service, government employment), blacks are at nearparity, 99.7 percent. Social justice (which includes incarceration rates and equality before the law) was calculated to be 55.9 percent.

But economics – what is often used to assess a disenfranchised or struggling group's progress in achieving equal standing in society – is nearly as low, clocking in at 58.2 percent. The number (barely changed from last year) reveals the difficulty African-Americans, as a group, have in climbing the economic ladder in America, experts say. And it shows that even better access to healthcare and education – both of which public policy specialists consider essential to improving one’s economic status – can't erase the disadvantage of having little or no wealth to start with.

“All of these narratives about working hard and having financial literacy – when it comes to wealth, they have less efficacy,” said Darrick Hamilton, professor of economics and urban policy at The New School in New York. "Wealth becomes the most dramatic indicator of equality. It’s persistent and dramatic,” said Hamilton, who has

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The LEGACY

2 • May 9, 2018

(from page 1) written extensively about race and socioeconomics.

On education, African-Americans have made definite strides, said Valerie Wilson, an economist with the Economic Policy Institute. The report found, for example, that African-Americans are close to parity (93 percent) with whites on graduating from high school by age 25. For young adults, acquisition of a bachelor’s degree was lower (62 percent on the Equality Index), though the indexes for those achieving associates degrees (88 percent) and master’s degrees (82 percent) were closer. But such advances don't ensure a better financial future, at least compared to white Americans, she said.

“We’re 50 years out from the real ground-breaking, history-changing aspect of the civil rights movement, yet [the economic equality index] is 58 percent. That certainly isn’t great.

It's clear there has been progress on education – there used to be wider gaps in high school graduation, and college attendance and graduation,” adds Wilson, who has worked on the Urban League report. “The problem, and the challenges we see, is that those educational gains have not necessarily translated into better economic equality.”

And at the heart of it, analyst say, is the vast chasm in wealth – a category that includes not just family savings, but home ownership.

For example, when the Economic Equality Index is broken down into subcategories, African-American women are at 82 percent of parity for earnings, and black men, 69 percent.

When it comes to income – which would take into account people who are unemployed, underemployed or have little or no income unrelated to work, such as stock dividends, the number is lower – 60.

But wealth? African-Americans are at just 4 percent on the Equality Index – a greater disparity between white and black than any of the five major categories or their subcategories.

That can be an enormous detriment for someone yearning to move up in prosperity, Hamilton said. And it's not just the extreme examples – such as President Donald Trump, who said in a 2007 deposition that he borrowed "a small amount"

Protest of fatal police shootings of $9 million from his real estate businessman father’s estate (factcheckers calculate a higher amount) and turned it into a fortune. The lack of wealth can have a less splashy, but pivotal, impact on middle- and lowerincome families as well, Hamilton notes.

For example, a family that can afford to buy even a used car for a teenager makes it easier for that kid to travel to a part-time job, or even to interviews. Recent college graduates who want to do a low-paid (or unpaid) internship in hopes of snagging a prestigious job later will likely need help from parents – and if a grad’s parents can’t subsidize rent, that takes the plum internship off the table, he said.

“As a young adult, some people will get some help – a transfer from parents, an inheritance, something that gives them the capital that puts them in a spot to buy a home, a debt-free education, capital to start a business,” said Hamilton.

When it comes to home ownership, a big factor in wealth, the Urban League report shows a large disparity, with African-Americans at 58 percent of parity with whites. The index is even lower (35 percent) for the mortgage application denial rate.

Public policy in the past, Hamilton says, helped create a white middle class, but did little to nurture a black middle class. FHA loans were less available to blacks, especially in the Jim Crow South, he says. Redlining – the practice of refusing to rent or provide home loans to AfricanAmericans seeking to move to certain neighborhoods – was another problem, he says. There is also

evidence, Hamilton said, that the GI Bill, created to provide a range of benefits to World War II returning veterans, was not used to assist blacks as much as whites.

Changes in the economy could, theoretically, give African-Americans (or other underrepresented groups) a chance to gain a stronger economic foothold by getting a lot of jobs in an industry not old enough to have entrenched hiring traditions. But in the shift towards tech, AfricanAmericans have been severely underepresented in the workforce, the Urban League report found.

In its first study of “digital inclusion,” researchers found that African-Americans are near parity with whites when it comes to having a computer in the home and access to broadband – both things people generally need when searching for a job and doing other tasks. But that is not reflected in employment: less than five percent of the workforce in the tech industry is AfricanAmerican, compared to more than 50 percent for whites, the report found.

Although African-Americans are less likely to get STEM degrees in general, they are more likely (as a percentage of their populations) to get degrees in computer and data science (2.8 percent of blacks got the degrees, compared to 2.6 percent of whites, the report said).

Separate research underscores the struggle for African-Americans to get hired in tech – or in other fields as well. A report last year by the Ascend Foundation, a business organization representing Asian-Americans, found that from 2007-15, there was

no substantial movement for racial minorities seeking management positions at tech firms. Further, the report found that when it comes to disparity in management hiring, race was a bigger factor than gender in the tech industry, which has been hit with multiple accusations of antifemale bias.

Another report, published last year in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that hiring has not changed much in the past quarter century. Since 1990 white applicants received, on average, 36 percent more callbacks than black applicants, notes Lincoln Quillian, a sociology professor at Northwestern University and one of the authors of the study.

Quillian didn't break down the hiring trends by sector. But he said that there may be a bias in what kind of person exemplifies a typical tech worker. “For a long time, we have had ideas about what type of people are in math-heavy fields – math is viewed as a male thing, especially a white and Asian male thing,” Quillian said. “Those kinds of stereotypes probably have some effect on generating this outcome” in tech employment.

Morial says the solution is for tech companies to adopt a very conscious and aggressive effort to diversify the workforce. “The new tech [industry] has not been intentional, or intentional enough, about this,” Morial said, noting that older firms – like Comcast – have instituted diversity programs. Most of the newer tech companies – such as Google, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube – had equality index percentages in the single digits.

“Where there’s leadership, intention and a plan, you can have a more inclusive workforce,” said Morial.

And despite all sorts of advances African-Americans have made – whether it’s holding senior positions in business or even the presidency – the reality is that gains made by black America are often tied to those made by society as a whole, Morial says. In the history of America, “African-Americans are like the caboose on a train. When the train speeds up, the caboose speeds up.

But the caboose remains the caboose, in the back of the train.” And judging by the State of Black America, it may take awhile to catch up.

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

May 9, 2018 • 3

Virginia jails struggle to help mentally ill inmates CNS - Arrested for taking $5 in snacks from a convenience store, Jamycheal Mitchell was placed in a cell in the Hampton Roads Regional Jail in Portsmouth. Authorities planned to send Mitchell, who suffered from schizophrenia, to a mental hospital. But that never happened.

Over the next four months, Mitchell withered away, losing more than 40 pounds. He died in his cell on Aug. 19, 2015.

“I had to ask again: ‘You sure this is my cousin?’ ” Jenobia Meads told reporters after seeing Mitchell’s body at the funeral home. “It looked like he was 67 years old.”

Mitchell’s death underscored the prevalence of people with mental illnesses in Virginia’s jails. More than one in six inmates is mentally ill, according to a 2017 study by state officials. Despite years of discussion and attempts at action, lasting reforms have proved difficult to achieve.

“As a mental health reformer, I’ve told people for a long time it’s like eating an elephant,” said Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath. “You take a bite and you feel full, but then you look at what’s ahead of you, the work ahead of you, and you realize that you haven’t really done much.”

A senator motivated by tragedy In 2013, Deeds was stabbed multiple times at his home in Bath County by his 24-year-old son, Gus, who then committed suicide. Gus Deeds had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but mental health care system officials released him after they could not find an open bed in the state psychiatric system during the six-hour window allotted by law at the time.

The tragedy motivated Deeds, a member of the state Senate for 17 years, to become an advocate for mental health reform. He heads the Joint Subcommittee to Study Mental Health Services in the 21st Century.

The subcommittee expects to issue a report on its findings by the end of 2019. In the meantime, members of the panel have endorsed several budgetary and legislative proposals on such issues as alternatives to incarceration, crisis and emergency services, and housing.

The work will continue under a new state mental health commissioner.

Hughes Melton, chief deputy commissioner for the Virginia Department of Health, was recently named by Gov. Ralph Northam to head the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.

He will succeed Jack Barber, an agency veteran who has been commissioner for three years.

“The joint subcommittee is at a critical point in our work, as we only have about a year and a half of life left,” Deeds said. “We cannot afford to lose one inch of ground or one moment of time.”

Deeds said he looks forward to working with Melton to achieve the subcommittee’s goals.

Virginia’s lack of psychiatric beds The move will be closely watched in the state, which has struggled to improve mental health services.

Among the challenges has been the loss of thousands of psychiatric beds since the 1960s, when mental health advocates pushed for community-based programs and the deinstitutionalization of patients.

Community-based treatment is cost-efficient in managing mental health problems and establishes a level of care that can address problems before they become emergencies. But psychiatric hospitals and other residential facilities are necessary in the event of a mental health crisis like the one experienced by Gus Deeds.

According to a 2017 survey by the nonprofit Treatment Advocacy Center, Virginia has about 1,500 psychiatric beds – not nearly enough to meet the needs of people with severe mental illnesses.

When left untreated, severe mental illness may result in behavior that can put the person in the custody of law enforcement – placing the burden of psychiatric treatment on correctional facilities.

“People with mental illness are sometimes caught up in situations where paranoia, or whatever drives them to do something that somebody may consider a criminal act, and the result is they wind up in jail,” Deeds said. “There’s probably a better way for us to respond to that.”

Individuals with psychiatric diseases like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are 10 times more likely to be in a jail or correctional facility than in a hospital bed,

according to research by the Treatment Advocacy Center. About 4 percent of U.S. adults have a serious mental illness, while 20 percent of inmates are diagnosed with a severe mental disorder – leading some to characterize prisons and jails as America’s “new asylums.“ The Hampton Roads Regional Jail, where Mitchell was held at the time of his death, has become an unofficial mental health institution for Newport News, Hampton, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Chesapeake. Nearly half of the jail’s 1,100 inmates are diagnosed as mentally ill, according to a study by the Virginia Department of Corrections and state Compensation Board.

The Compensation Board works with sheriffs and other constitutional officers. The General Assembly has directed the board to issue an annual report on the number of jail inmates with mental illness. The board’s 2017 report put the number at more than 7,450 – almost 18 percent of the statewide jail population.

Mitchell’s death prompted a criminal investigation by the Virginia State Police, an investigation by the U.S. Justice Department into whether the facility violates the rights of prisoners and a $60 million federal lawsuit filed by Mitchell’s family. Both investigations and the lawsuit are ongoing.

The punitive approach of correctional facilities creates an environment ill-suited for the rehabilitation of mental illness, critics say. The Compensation Board reported that 1,335 jail inmates diagnosed with mental illnesses were placed in solitary confinement last year.

Jamycheal Mitchell wasn’t the only mentally ill person to die in a Virginia jail. Natasha McKenna, who also suffered from schizophrenia,

died in the Fairfax County Jail in 2015. A lawsuit filed in 2016 against the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office alleges that insufficient training factored into McKenna’s death.

McKenna, 37, died after being repeatedly shocked with a stun gun by correctional officers trying to move her to another cell. Attorney Harvey Volzer, who is representing McKenna’s mother, declined to comment on the case. However, when Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Ray Morrogh investigated the case in 2015, he determined that no crime was committed and that no charges would be filed against the officers.

The Treatment Advocacy Center has found that individuals diagnosed with severe mental disorders are more likely than other offenders to end up back in jail.

“We need to make sure we have discharge plans, that we have a way for them to kind of parachute into the community and seek and receive treatment services,” Deeds said.

“We need to be looking at the whole person and the way we can treat them.”

Addressing that need, the 2016 General Assembly awarded six regional and local jails $3.5 million to establish pilot programs that provide mental health services to inmates while incarcerated and after their release.

A ‘pretty ambitious’ list of solutions In 2014, the General Assembly passed a bill proposed by Deeds that extended the time limit on emergency custody orders, established a registry of available psychiatric beds in public and private hospitals, and designated state hospitals to serve as facilities of last resort. The legislation sought to

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The LEGACY

4 • May 9, 2018

Local transit launches Pulse, route changes GRTC Pulse opens its doors to the public next month, on Sunday June 24. According to the transit company, the project will be completed in budget and on time with the contractual completion date of June 30.

GRTC Pulse is a modern, high quality, high capacity rapid transit system that serves a 7.6-mile route along Broad Street and Main Street, from Rocketts Landing in the city of Richmond to Willow Lawn in Henrico County. The $65 million GRTC Pulse project is jointly sponsored by Bon Secours Richmond Health System and VCU Health System. The Pulse links the public to many exciting destinations, businesses, services and restaurants.

The project has not been without grumbles. Residents who use Broad Street regularly have called the build sites eyesores and traffic hazards.

And business owners have seen a drop in business traffic as the contruction has taken parking spaces in the already crowded city.

“We are excited to see this project connect residents, workers and visitors in our city,” said Mayor Levar Stoney. “One quarter of the city’s population and two thirds of all jobs in Richmond are within a half mile of the Pulse. This new service, when integrated with our new Richmond Transit Network Plan, can become the transit heartbeat of our thriving city.”

Frank J. Thornton, chairman of the Henrico County Board of Supervisors, said the county is “excited” about the “needed and enhanced connectivity that the Pulse will provide to the county’s expanded GRTC service and the opportunities this service will afford our citizens.”

Prior to opening to the public, Lane Construction will continue with some remaining work at the stations, such as: landscaping; lights; totem signage; station glass; station ceilings; and more. Some roadway work is expected to continue, including forming pedestrian curb ramps, as well as sidewalk repairs.

The transit company is advising the general public to watch for workers who may be in the roadway, along

sidewalks and at stations. Slow down and maintain a safe driving distance when passing through these areas. A Pulse construction hotline remains active at 804-980-0084, providing updates on construction and expected impacts.

Additionally, GRTC’s Operational Exercises will continue into May. During this increased period of GRTC Operational Exercises, drivers, cylists and pedestrians are encouraged to pay close attention to traffic signage, lane markings and signalization. Please note there may be new travel patterns in place.

For everyone’s safety, please do not drive, bike, walk, or skateboard in Bus Only lanes. Bicyclists are welcome to use the Downtown Bus Only lanes between 4th and 14th Sts., and drivers are permitted to make right-turns from these Downtown Bus Only lanes. Please yield to pedestrians in crosswalks.

Pedestrians, please do not walk down the median; use sidewalks and marked crosswalks. Remain alert for Pulse buses and bus movements that may be different from neighboring lanes.

GRTC CEO David Green

emphasizes, “Our team is excited to welcome the public aboard on June 24th to experience a world-class bus rapid transit service. GRTC is committed to providing clean, safe, and reliable transportation; to that end, we ask for the public’s attention to new travel patterns.

This increased awareness is essential for the safety for all users of the roadway.”

The same day the Pulse service launches, significant transit improvements across Richmond will also take effect for GRTC riders. The City of Richmond’s new network with all new routes, numbers and increased frequencies launches June 24, 2018. GRTC has teamed up with the City of Richmond to rework our area's transit system through the Richmond Transit Network Plan and the result will mean faster, more consistent service throughout the day, along with easier connections.

Riders can also expect very similar service on weekdays and Saturdays with several new high-frequency bus routes north-south and east-west.

These new City routes make it even easier to connect with the Pulse and reach destinations faster. The new

City network lays the groundwork for us to keep serving this vibrant, growing region.

Several Henrico County service adjustments will also begin Pulse launch week on Monday, June 25. Enhanced weekday service every 30 minutes to Richmond International Airport, a major employer in Henrico’s East End, will be available on the Route 7 A/B Nine Mile Henrico. Taking advantage of the efficiency provided by the Pulse, the Route 19 Pemberton will offer more frequent service every 30 minutes between Willow Lawn and Pemberton and Broad. Also in the West End, Henrico’s new Route 79 Patterson/Parham will extend farther west to Quioccasin and Gaskin Roads at the Gayton Crossing Shopping Center. Additional Henrico County transit expansions are planned for Fall 2018.

More information about events surrounding the Pulse launch will be released in June.

The fare to ride the Pulse is the same as local routes at $1.50 per ride or $0.75 for reduced fare customers.

The Pulse is free to ride for CARE customers.

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

May 9, 2018 • 5

Boys Scouts of America now accepting females For 108 years, the Boy Scouts of America’s flagship program has been known simply as the Boy Scouts.

With girls soon entering the ranks, the group says that iconic name will change.

The organization recently announced a new name for its Boy Scouts program: Scouts BSA. The change will take effect next February.

Chief Scout Executive Mike Surbaugh said many possibilities were considered during lengthy and “incredibly fun” deliberations before the new name was chosen.

The parent organization will remain the Boy Scouts of America, and the Cub Scouts — its program for 7- to 10-year-olds — will keep its title, as well.

But the Boy Scouts — the program for 11- to 17-year-olds — will now be Scouts BSA. The organization has already started admitting girls into the Cub Scouts, and Scouts BSA begins accepting girls next year.

Surbaugh predicted that both boys and girls in Scouts BSA would refer to themselves simply as scouts, rather than adding “boy” or “girl” as a modifier.

The program for the older boys and girls will largely be divided along gender-lines, with single-sex units pursuing the same types of activities, earning the same array of merit badges and potentially having the same pathway to the coveted Eagle Scout award.

Surbaugh said that having

separate units for boys and girls should alleviate concerns that girls joining the BSA for the first time might be at a disadvantage in seeking leadership opportunities.

So far, more than 3,000 girls have joined roughly 170 Cub Scout packs participating in the first phase of the new policy, and the pace will intensify this summer under a nationwide multimedia recruitment campaign titled “Scout Me In.” The name change comes amid strained relations between the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts of America.

Girl Scout leaders said they were blindsided by the move, and they are gearing up an aggressive campaign to recruit and retain girls as members.

Among the initiatives is creation of numerous new badges that girls can earn, focusing on outdoor activities and on science, engineering, technology and math. The organization is expanding corporate partnerships in both those areas, and developing a Girl Scout Network Page on LinkedIn to support career advancement for former Girl Scouts.

The Girl Scouts and the BSA are among several major youth organizations in the U.S. experiencing sharp drops in membership in recent years. Reasons include competition from sports leagues, a perception by some families that they are old-fashioned and busy family schedules.

The Boy Scouts say current youth participation is about 2.3 million, down from 2.6 million in 2013 and

more than 4 million in peak years of the past.

The Girl Scouts say they have about 1.76 million girls and more than 780,000 adult members, down from just over 2 million youth members and about 800,000 adult members in 2014.

The overall impact of the BSA’s policy change on Girl Scouts membership won’t be known any time soon. Fiona Cummings, a regional leader of Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois, believes the BSA’s

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decision to admit girls is among the factors that have shrunk her council’s youth membership by more than 500 girls so far this year.

She said relations with the Boy Scouts in her region used to be collaborative and now are “very chilly.”

Surbaugh said BSA’s national leadership respected the Girl Scouts’ program and hoped both organizations could gain strength.

NOTICE OF PRIMARY ELECTION CITY OF RICHMOND A Republican Party primary election will be in the City of Richmond on:

TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 2018 The purpose of this election is to nominate Republican Party candidates for the offices of U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, Fourth Congressional District that will be on the ballot in November: A sample ballot for this election can be found at www.richmondgov.com under the Voter Registration department.

NOTE: The Democratic Party primary previously ordered will not be held as only one candidate filed for those primaries. In these cases, the single candidate that filed will become the party's nominee and will have their name appear on the ballot in the November general election.

There will be precinct and polling place changes in this election for precincts 101, 102 and 413. There is also a new precinct 115. Visit www.richmondgov.com under the Voter Registration department to view maps and polling place locations.

THE DEADLINE TO REGISTER TO VOTE IN THIS ELECTION IS MONDAY, MAY 21, 2018

Qualified residents of the Commonwealth of Virginia may apply for, or change, their voter registration online at www.elections.virginia.gov, or in person at the Office of the General Registrar, Room 105, City Hall, 900 East Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia. Office hours are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday, except holidays. Applications are also available at all City libraries, post offices and DMVs. The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot through the mail for his election is Tuesday June 5, 2018. The deadline to apply for and vote an absentee ballot in person is 5:00 PM, Saturday, June 9, 2018, except in the case of certain emergencies.

The Office of the General Registrar will be open for absentee voting during regular business hours, and from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturday, June 9, 2018. Persons with a VA DMV issued ID can also apply online for an absentee ballot through the mail at www.elections.virginia.gov.

PHOTO ID IS NOW REQUIRED TO VOTE IN PERSON. See www.elections.virginia.gov for more information.

Call (804) 646-5950 for more information.

6 • May 9, 2018

Op/Ed & Letters

The LEGACY

For many, living with advanced dementia is a fate worse than death KIM CALLINAN My grandmother, whom we called “Nana,” always loved children. Many times, she asked me to give her greatgrandchildren.

In 2000, the moment finally arrived. But it didn’t seem to matter. Eagerly, tenderly I lay my newborn son in her arms. She sat motionless, her eyes void. No expression whatsoever. I searched her face, desperately hoping to see some sign of joy…of recollection…of understanding.

Nothing. Her eyes were vacant. She could not speak.

She did not move.

The reason? My nana had Alzheimer’s disease. It was during this visit that I started to contemplate the quality of life and the certainty of death.

Almost 20 years later, as I lead the largest national organization advocating for patient-driven, end-of-life care, the consensus among our supporters is clear: They (and I) see nothing compassionate or patient-driven about how people with dementia die.

The cultural “norm” in the

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United States is that life -- regardless of the quality of that life -- is better than death. Traditionally, love means keeping someone alive, not helping him or her die peacefully. We are so afraid of death that we don’t ask our loved ones what they want. This paralyzing fear of life’s final chapter leaves us guessing, guilt-ridden and trapped in the default mode of our medical system -- life-extending tests and treatments -- even for a loved one hollowed by dementia.

We spoon feed and hydrate people with advanced dementia, even though losing the desire to eat and drink

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is a natural part of the dying process. We prescribe medical treatments -- such as kidney dialysis -- even if the person declined this preference in writing when they were capable of making an informed healthcare decision. We marshal every resource to extend life and subject nine out of 10 dementia patients to at least one invasive medical procedure in their last week of life. We don’t merely refuse to let people with dementia die; we do everything possible to keep them alive.

This default mode of our medical system contradicts what most people want.

According to a study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), many people regard being confused all the time (45 percent) as a fate worse than death.

We are using medicine and human intervention to keep people alive for years -- long past when they would naturally die. People should be able to document their desires before they have lost their mental capacity to make informed healthcare decisions and realize a natural death, if

that is their preference.

This is different from -- and should not be confused with -- extending medical aidin-dying laws in California, Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and Washington, D.C. to people with dementia.

Conflating advance directives instructing care providers not to artificially prolong the person’s dying process and asking for a prescription for medical aid in dying, as opponents of both options have been doing, is irresponsible and misleading.

Six million people have dementia right now. According to a newly released study that number will grow to 15 million by 2060. Absent a miracle cure for dementia, millions more Americans will suffer from this devastating disease in the decades to come. It's time we establish a new cultural norm about death: one that respects the individual person’s autonomy to decide their fate.

Callinan is the chief executive officer for the Portland-based Compassion & Choices, the largest national organization devoted exclusively to patientdriven, end-of-life care.

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

May 9, 2018 • 7

P.T. Hoffsteader, Esq.

Feigned ourtage?

I watched Michelle Wolf recently.

I shared my outrage with my granddaughters and daughtersin-law. I was shocked and uncomfortable during the comedy portion of the 4-hour program, because I am an empathetic person who cringes when someone is attacked. After all, I am a liberal Democrat. But I slept on it and analyzed my reaction. Upon further consideration, I remembered, Republicans cannot claim my level of discomfort unless they acknowledge that their president started his campaign with insults. Trump attacked: *immigrants (“Some of them may be good people”) *disabled journalists * Every adversary with bully playground nicknames (Little Marco, Low Energy JEB,) *Gold Star parents who sacrificed their son in an ill-advised war. (None of Trump’s kids signed up) *Ted Cruz’s wife (appearance) *Ted Cruz’s father (insane allegation about the Kennedy assassination) * White supremacist murder of a Charlottesville protester (“There were good people on both sides.”)

I could go on and on – so could you.

But we’d miss something. Never have we faced this level of hatred, class warfare, bigotry, lies, ego, etc.

So let’s confront it. No matter the discomfort we may feel.

Even after his evil, vile insults, Trump won the Electoral College.

Then all hell broke loose. Well, not all - some contines to break. Among the hell he released was a Press Secretary named Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Here are some of her greatest hits: 3/5/17 – President-ordered wiretapping - “Everybody acts like President Trump is the one that came up with this idea and just threw it out there,” said deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on March 5. “There are multiple news outlets that have reported this.” Sarah, There are multiple news outlets that have reported this. Just because Fox declined to cover the truth does not make it an un-truth.

7/5/17 –- Sarah: “The president in no way, form or fashion has ever promoted or encouraged violence.”

(See above – why do your lies continue?)

9/13/17 – Defends racism – Sanders: “ESPN should fire Jemele Hill, a black female reporter, for calling Trump a “white supremacist” and “bigot” on Twitter.” She said, “I think that’s one of the more outrageous comments that anyone could make, and certainly something that I think is a fireable offense by ESPN.” (It was a Trumpian mix of chilling authoritarianism, racial grievance, and personal vendetta that was delivered by Sanders with stony calm.) Maybe Sarah should also opt for firing of DJTrump for defending white supremacist killers in Charlottesville.

11/2/17 – Immigrants – Sarah says diversity visa immigrants are not vetted. (Truth – immigrants from Muslim countries are more severely vetted in a process taking several years and leaving no stone unturned.) Maybe Sarah should really try to burn some of her lies. Is it possible that beautiful eye makeup could come from the ashes? Is it

possible that Michelle Wolfe could leave the mean comedian business and work for Maybelline. (Maybe it’s a lie, maybe it’s Maybelline.)

11/27/17 - Sanders said she didn’t think “Pocahontas” was a racial slur and that the offensive thing was Warren claiming Native American heritage. Sanders, “I think what most people find offensive is Senator Warren lying about her heritage to advance her career.” She did not say if she thought Trump had racially slurred the Senator. She deflected, which is Press Education 101. So, she is trainable. And will be held accountable, in that she will be unable to say, “I didn’t know…”)

2/13/18 – Sanders is rude all the time, every day and if the words UM and LOOK were fanned from her responses, she would be unable to respond. Here’s a favorite degrading answer to a legitimate question: “If you were paying attention to what I just read to you ..." she huffed, like an exasperated teacher reprimanding a classroom troublemaker.” Sarah is rude every day she gets behind the microphone. Michelle Wolfe was a bit rough. So is Sarah. Every day.

4/9/18; Immigrant Caravan Rape – “During a recent White House news briefing on Monday, Sanders was pressed to defend two lies President Trump told last week — that women who were traveling with a group of undocumented immigrants through Mexico were “raped at levels that nobody has ever seen before.” She was unable to respond in a coherent way to either lie.

4/9/18; Voter Fraud - “Millions and millions” of illegal votes are cast in a typical presidential election. Sarah was hard pressed to respond.

4/29/18 – THE BOTTOM LINE – “Trump administration’s mouthpiece, which requires her to lie! All the time! To anyone! About anything!

(Except, maybe, about pecan pie.)” – Amanda Arnold Sarah oozes contempt and disdain for the press. However, she still tries to seduce them with pee-can pies and tales of challenges as a mom of preschoolers. She has aligned herself with a nasty, pussy-grabbing, racist, classist, homophobe. He is despicable and has ushered in a new level of paralysis that many media experts find difficult to engage as their professional prowess is constantly attacked by this horrible president and his mouth piece: Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Connie Hannah (Retired USN wife) Norfolk

Hindering prosperity

While the latest jobs report indicates that the overall black unemployment rate is at an all-time low (6.6 percent in April, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics), it remains above the overall unemployment rate of 3.9 percent. There is also a three-point disparity between overall black and white unemployment, and black teen unemployment is an unacceptably high 29 percent.

Jim Crow-era regulations created for the express purpose of denying blacks economic opportunity are still on the books and must be repealed to promote black prosperity.

The most effective means of ending race divisions in America is to have a robust growing economy – one that allows all Americans to have a taste of the American Dream. There has been record progress for blacks under the Trump administration, but there is so much more potential in the free market. Solutions that build on the private sector will be more significant and more enduring.

Horace Cooper

8 • May 9, 2018

Faith & Religion

The LEGACY

New executive order aims to protect religious liberty from government overreach RNS — President Donald Trump plans to unveil a new initiative that aims to give faith groups a stronger voice within the federal government and serve as a watchdog for government overreach on religious liberty issues.

He is scheduled to sign an executive order May 3, the National Day of Prayer, “to ensure that the faithbased and community organizations that form the bedrock of our society have strong advocates in the White House and throughout the Federal Government,” a White House document reads.

Trump plans to sign the order in a Rose Garden ceremony that is expected to be attended by members of his Cabinet and some 200 representatives of religious groups.

The White House said those working on the initiative will provide

(from page 3) ensure that beds would be available for citizens, including inmates, who experience a mental health crisis.

Deeds has asked the Institute of Law, Psychiatry and Public Policy at the University of Virginia to study alternative solutions for people having severe mental health issues.

Having options is crucial because the state hospital system is overcrowded, said Rhonda Thissen, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Virginia. “If we can find alternatives for people that are in the community, that are not in jail, it would make it easier for people in jail to get a bed in the state hospital.”

Deeds said possible solutions being examined by his subcommittee include: Diverting less serious offenders to treatment facilities, instead of prisons and jails. “If you have a real diversion program, you reduce the number of people with serious mental illness that are in our jails and prisons,” the senator said.

Providing treatment services and programs to inmates to lower recidivism. “You’ve got to make sure

policy recommendations from faithbased and community programs on “more effective solutions to poverty” and inform the administration of “any failures of the executive branch to comply with religious liberty protections under law.”

The creation of the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative follows the initiatives of previous administrations that created similarly named offices to foster partnerships between the government and religious organizations.

President Obama launched the Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, whose work ranged from fighting the Ebola and Zika viruses to feeding schoolchildren nutritious meals in the summertime.

That office, along with similar

ones in 13 federal agencies, followed President George W. Bush’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. The White House said agencies and executive departments that do not have such offices will have a designated liaison to the new initiative.

Johnnie Moore, a minister and public relations consultant who serves as an unofficial spokesman for a group of evangelicals that often advises Trump, said the new initiative takes an approach different from the previous ones.

“Ordering every department of the federal government to work on faith based partnerships — not just those with faith offices — represents a widespread expansion of a program that has historically done very effective work and now can do even

greater work,” he said.

Florida megachurch pastor Paula White, one of the key evangelical advisers to the president, also cheered the new initiative.

“I could not be more proud to stand with President Trump as he continues to stand shoulder to shoulder with communities of faith,” she said. “This order is a historic action, strengthening the relationship between faith and government in the United States and the product will be countless, transformed lives.”

The White House also said the new initiative will be led by an adviser who will work with faith leaders and experts outside the federal government. Obama’s initiative also had an office director with a council of outside experts.

that the jails and prisons, the jails in particular, have a real connection with mental health,” Deeds said.

Offering treatment options for inmates being discharged to ease their reentry into society.

“All of that is pretty ambitious,” Deeds said. “We need to be looking at the whole person and the way we can treat them.”

Recent developments in mental health reforms in Virginia’s jails 2014: An online bed registry is launched to expedite the search for available psychiatric care.

2016: Gov. Terry McAuliffe requests nearly $32 million from the General Assembly to update and standardize mental health care in correctional facilities across the state.

2016-17: More jail officers receive crisis intervention training.

July 2017: A new law requires mental illness screening for people booked into jails.

2018: The General Assembly approves a bill granting correctional facilities the authority to treat individuals incapable of giving consent. That gives correctional staff the same authority

Pro-Confederate rally outnumbered by counter-protesters Fewer than 10 members of a pro-Confederate group were outnumbered by several dozen counter-protesters at a rally at the Robert E. Lee statue on Richmond’s Monument Avenue over the weekend.

It was the third time the group, called CSA II: The New Confederate States of America, has rallied in support of the statues commemorating Confederate figures in Richmond. The Tennessee-based group’s previous appearances have drawn a sizeable presence of local and state police and counter-demonstrators – and Saturday’s rally was no exception.

Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality held a rally adjacent to where the CSA II group held theirs. The events did not provide much in terms of spectacle, but there were a few tense moments, including a shouting match when a person passed near the pro-Confederate demonstrators with a sign that read “Robert E. Lee was a loser.” - CNS

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

May 9, 2018 • 9

Remembering James Cone ADELLE M. BANKS RNS - James H. Cone, the scholar known as the “founder of black liberation theology,” died April 28, accorning to Union Theological Seminary. He was 79.

The author of such books as “Black Theology & Black Power” and “God of the Oppressed” joined the faculty of the New York City seminary in 1969.

“In so many ways, James Cone has been Union Theological Seminary for the past 50 years,” said Union President Serene Jones. “To say his death leaves a void is a staggering understatement. His prophetic voice, deep kindness, and fierce commitment to black liberation embodied not just the very best of our seminary, but of the theological field as a whole and of American prophetic thought and action.”

His theology contrasted sharply with traditional theological approaches in that he articulated God’s identification with U.S. blacks.

In portraying Christ’s blackness, he upended the assumptions of a field dominated by white theologians and helped spawn other theories of liberation.

In the introduction of his most recent book, “The Cross and the Lynching Tree”, Cone noted that he was making connections many others had not.

“Despite the obvious similarities between Jesus’ death on a cross and the death of thousands of black men and women strung up to die on a lamppost or tree, relatively few people, apart from black poets, novelists, and other reality-seeing artists, have explored the symbolic connections,” he wrote.

Cone’s book was honored with the 2018 Grawemeyer Award in Religion, a joint award from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary

and the University of Louisville. Just recently, on April 18, he was elected as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, an honor earlier received by former President Barack Obama, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and author and educator Ta-Nehisi Coates.

Jim Wallis, president of Sojourners, said Cone richly deserved these and his many other awards — and hopefully more to come posthumously. “[M]ost importantly, James Cone got the biblical message right when it came to the most important moral issue in American history, one that the overwhelming majority of white theologians have gotten wrong: The sin and idolatry of white supremacy.

The oppression of the poor, and black people in particular, was at the heart of James Cone’s work, and, as he wrote so prophetically and brilliantly, the love of the oppressed and divine passion for justice is at the heart of God. “White Western theology, in such devastating and painful contrast, has mostly missed the heart of God. The Rev. Kelly Brown Douglas, a student of Cone’s and now a professor at Union Theological Seminary in Manhattan, where Dr. Cone was long on the faculty, said that he centered the gospels on racial justice and later on the struggles for gender and class equality.

“James Cone not only opened the door to liberation theology but showed the message of liberation to be at the core of the gospel. Cone’s black liberation theology, then Gustavo Gutierrez’s Liberation Theology, then other indigenous versions of that in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, then women’s, then womanist theologies, have opened up an understanding of God that is

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James H. Cone not controlled by white Western men (even helping to set many of them/us free).

A native of Fordyce, Ark., Cone was an ordained minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

He was promoted to the position of full professor of theology in 1973 at Union and was named the Bill & Judith Moyers Distinguished Professor of Systematic Theology in 2017. He taught and researched Christian theology at the seminary, focusing on black liberation theology

and the liberation theologies of Africa, Latin America, and Asia.

He also taught about 19th- and 20th-century European-American theologies.

Cornel West, Harvard University professor of the practice of public philosophy, summed up the life of his friend and colleague: “James Cone was the theological giant and genius in our midst! He was the greatest liberation theologian to emerge in the American empire—and he never ever sold out.”

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10 • May 9, 2018

The LEGACY

A new vision in cosmic jazz Kenneka Cook and Moonchild

DAVY JONES A debut album is a singular act of creation, ushering in a brand new version of the universe. A blank slate. A new map, with contours distinct from all the cartography that came before.

With her debut full-length, Moonchild, Richmond jazz vocalist Kenneka Cook has projected a heartening vision of the world — one in which people, genres, and techniques come together in a spirit of connectedness. I had the good fortune to explore her vision when I sat down with her at Pop’s Market on East Grace Street recently.

Moonchild was released on last February by American Paradox Records, the fledgling imprint run

by Scott Lane of standout rock outfit The Congress. Cook and Lane first met after one of her performances.

“There’s a series called REC Room at the Camel,” Cook said. “Scott was in the audience.” Lane was so impressed he wanted to sign her.

“Next thing I know, I’m making a record.”

So what brought a jazz singer to REC Room — a showcase for beatmakers organized by the Richmond Electronic Collective?

The answer is a surprise, given the full-band arrangements employed on Moonchild, but Cook got her start with looping, a more individualistic technique.

Using just her versatile voice and the Vox Lil’ Looper, a pedal that allows her to create sampled vocal arrangements on the fly, Cook honed

her skills performing solo at venues like Emilio’s, Cary Street Café, and Gallery5.

“It started off at Emilio’s,” Cook remembered, “at their open mic. I started going there, and I met a few people in the house band at Emilio’s.

From there, it just kind of snowballed into me really getting into the Richmond music scene.”

Though she was performing alone, Cook ensured the experience was far from solipsistic. “It’s hard when you’re standing up there by yourself.

It can be intimidating with all those people staring at you. So I [asked], ‘How can I connect with them?’ And so in between songs, [I’d] talk to them. ‘Hey, what’s up? I see you right there. That shirt’s cute.’”

Among the connections she made during that time, that initial conversation with Scott Lane proved to be especially fateful. Following a “stem to stern” model of production, American Paradox artists work with Lane at every step of the album cycle, including recording in his Jackson Ward home. The location inspired Cook.

“That house is over 100 years old,” she said. “I love stuff like that. I think it’s really cool to be able to record in a place that has so much history. It’s on the same block as the Maggie L. Walker Museum, so it’s cool to add more history on history that’s already been made on that block.”

Cook also appreciated Lane’s easygoing style as a producer. ”He’s a real laid back guy, and that makes it easy for everybody.” Easy and

tightly-knit, as much of the recording was done in close collaboration — including the vocals. “I would be right beside Scott, recording, and he would be doing whatever on the computer. No crazy sound booth or anything.”

Remarkably, this easy-going, collaborative environment was also established when it came time to record the band. “Everybody was kind of together in one room,” Cook remembered. “[Lane] has this baby grand in the front, and a drum set, so everything was put together.”

According to Cook, it’s essentially the same setup as is depicted in the live performance of Moonchild track “Brings Me Back (111)” recorded by videography collective RVATRACK, for which Lane runs audio and acts as project manager.

Whether it’s the physical space, Lane’s approach, or a shared commitment to making good organic music, the community that’s grown around American Paradox Records is as tightly knit as the recording process. A key figure in that ecosystem is Sid Kingsley, the singer, and pianist whose soulful Americana album, Good Way Home, provided an outstanding proof of concept for the label’s in-house methodology last year. It’s Kingsley’s saxophone work you hear in the version of “Brings Me Back (111)” on Moonchild.

“We go to each other’s shows,” Cook said of her labelmates. “We support each other. I feel like it’s a [microcosm] of Richmond, because the Richmond music community is really supportive of each other.”

Moonchild draws expertly from that broader pool of Richmond musicians, with a list of contributors that includes local renaissance man Kelli Strawbridge (who also plays with Cook in the band Mikrowaves), No BS! Brass Band mainstay Marcus Tenney, and multitalented Butcher Brown keyboardist Devonne Harris.

“They [made] it easy because they’re so talented,” Cook said. “I was very open to any suggestions they had because what I do is so minimalist.

I wanted to have their input [on] anything they heard or thought would sound cool if we tried it. To have those people want to suggest stuff anyway is a blessing in itself.”

Harris played on two songs: “My Universe” and “The Practice.” “He did keys on both tracks, [on] the baby grand in the living room,” Cook said.

“He plays everything like he’s a pro at it. He makes it look so easy… It’s

funny, because he does this thing: We’ll teach him the song, he’ll do an amazing job, and we’ll [say] ‘That was great!’ He’ll say ‘Oh no, that wasn’t it…’ and we’re [saying] ‘No, that was it!’”

As greatly as Moonchild benefits from the various players it features, the album still feels like a vision that’s distinctively Cook’s — starting with the title.

“I like the moon,” Cook explained.

“I’ve always liked space, and I always had weird theories about space and all that stuff as a kid, which any kid probably has. But as I got older, not only the scientific knowledge about space, but also the metaphysical and spiritual sense of the moon the Sun and all that — it made sense.

The moon’s connection with the feminine and feminine energy — it’s a reminder to embrace my feminine side.”

During the recording process, she looked for ways to infuse music with her love for the cosmos, which reaches all the way back to childhood evenings spent stargazing with siblings and cousins. “I wanted ‘Moonchild’ to be somewhat mysterious,” Cook said. “I wanted it to be very spacey, and space is a mystery within itself. No matter how much we learn about space, it’s going to always be a mystery, because we’ll never learn everything. I wanted that feel in that track, definitely.”

Cook also sought to provide a sense of balance that married her sampledriven solo performance style with the love of jazz that kicked into high gear when she first heard Billie Holiday sing — a love she’s nurtured by frequenting record stores like Deep Groove, Plan 9, and Steady Sounds, surrounding herself with other legendary voices like Ella Fitzgerald’s and Betty Carter’s.

“I knew for a fact I wanted [the album] to be full band songs and looper-esque songs,” Cook affirmed, “but I [also] knew I wanted to show my diverse taste in music. Jazz is my baby; that’s my heart. [But] I wanted to show I have other interests in music… I wanted to make sure I got a little of everything out there, without it being utterly ridiculous.”

Cook covered Vampire Weekend’s “The Kids Don’t Stand A Chance” as an outlet for her more electronic instincts. “I wanted the Vampire Weekend one to be closer to how it is when I loop it,” she mentioned. “We

(continued on page 11)

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May 9, 2018 • 11

(from page 10) was cleaning day.” So she would were thinking, ‘How can we make this sound fun [and] different?’ It has that Mark Mothersbaugh sound to it. Just a piece of my childhood just thrown in there a little bit.”

Conversely, “The Practice” was always destined to be more builtout. “I knew I wanted a traditional sounding jazz song on the record.”

The track got an early signal boost in mid-January thanks to Bandcamp’s music discovery show Bandcamp Weekly, which aired the song alongside two others from Moonchild and an interview with Cook. Her photo even spent time on the site’s front page. I asked about how she’s enjoyed the process of promoting the album and engaging with music media.

“I don’t like to talk,” she confessed.

“I’m a very quiet, to-myself person, so to be able to express myself through words is kind of nerve-wracking. But it is exciting, because people want to know how this happened.”

Her reticence gets a symbolic nod in the cover art, which features photography by Joey Wharton and lettering by illustrator Leslie Herman. “Because I don’t like talking, I [thought], ‘Let me show who I am the best way possible.’

Looping, even though it is a powerful tool, I feel like it’s minimalist, so I [thought], ‘How do I express that visually?’ So if you notice, my album cover is just this much of me [from the top of the nose up], and then simple lettering that has the moon phases in the O’s. It’s simple, but you can get a lot out of it.”

Cook may not be a big talker, but she’s confident in her work, especially as the number of glowing reviews has grown. “The more positive feedback I’m getting, it’s a little less nerve-wracking.” She has one group of supporters, in particular, that’s provided constant encouragement: Her five sisters.

“I come from a big family,” Cook said. “We’re close. We still are close. We always had each other’s backs. We’re all different, but we’re always supportive of each other… I feel like they promote [Moonchild] more than I do sometimes. I’m being dead serious. I’ll [get] calls from their friends [saying], ‘The album’s amazing. Your sister’s been sharing it around the office.’ So they’re really excited about it.”

Cook grew up in Chesterfield, singing in her church and school choirs, and soaking in the wave of soul music that redefined the genreleading into the 21st Century. “We had a stereo in our living room,” Cook said, “and every weekend, there

put on The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill or Erykah Badu’s Baduizm and clean up. It was the kind of sustained, passive listening that plants deep roots, and the impact continues to grow. “Even if I [wasn’t] paying attention to it, it [was] being put into my head. Not forcibly or anything; it was good music. It’s part of our memories. And I go back and listen to it now, and I actually know what they’re talking about.

Erykah Badu performed at the [2017] Richmond Jazz Festival, and she said something about waiting for you all to grow up. And I [thought], yes, that makes so much sense!”

Family turned out to be a recurring theme during our conversation, whether she was describing her sisters’ enthusiasm, the virtues of the American Paradox community, or experiences singing in ensemble groups like Mikrowaves and Piranha Rama.

“Playing in other bands — it’s fun,” Cook said. “It’s like a little family. Especially Mikrowaves. I love hanging out with Mikrowaves.

I’m guaranteed to laugh with Mikrowaves. To have fun with it — I learned that from Piranha Rama and Mikrowaves. Just make a little family. Because if you guys aren’t connecting in some way, it’s not going to come out the way you want it to.”

It’s an approach she’s hoping to take on the road. When asked what she hoped the release Moonchild would lead to–what her metric for success might be–her answer was clear and decisive. “Touring. That’s the number one thing. I’ve never really gotten to tour before, so to be able to go outside of Richmond and show myself would be cool.”

As for adjusting to her role fronting a bigger group, Cook described engagement as key, regardless of whether she’s looping solo or leading a band. “I love them both for different reasons,” she said. “I feel like when I’m up there by myself, I’m more interactive with the crowd, which is always fun. But when I’m up there with [the band], it’s less of a burden — not mentally freaking out, [thinking] ‘OK, what’s next?’ I can relax a little and interact with the people in the band with me.”

The beauty of Kenneka Cook is how she’s rooted her musical brilliance in human connection, through her literal and metaphorical families and her relationship with the audience. That beauty is affirmed via Moonchild, and Cook is poised to project that truth widely as songs from the album fill living rooms and venues in Richmond and beyond.

- RVA MAG

Ask Alma

A tough call I’m friends with my next door neighbor. She’s not my BFF, but we hang from time to time. Her husband is in the military and she doesn’t have family in the area.

She and I have a lot in common — we’re around the same age and like the same things. She has a son, and I have a daughter. The kids both go to the same high school. Yesterday my neighbor stopped by to tell me they are moving. Her husband has been transferred to another state.

She asked me if I would let her 17-year-old son live with us while he finished his last year of school here in our town. She said they would pay room and board for him. I’m not married, and I’m not sure how it would be with a teen boy in my house. What do you think?

Name withheld Good googalie woogalie, my Mama use to say. That’s a whole lot of turkey, greens, potatoes and gravy served up on your fine china.

Hmmm, let’s ponder, should you try to eat all of it, fork-full by spoon-full or just push yourself away from the table without a bite? Listen to your stomach. Do you have an appetite for this?

Yes, it’s a risky situation, we both would agree. I don’t know this young man, and since you didn’t speak of his personality or character, this leaves me to assume. I’m going with a positive approach, concluding he’s a pretty good kid.

Here’s what I’d suggest, make a list. Yep, write down the pros and cons of this possible yearlong

endeavor. Identify every thought that comes to mind — what you expect and what scares you the most. I’d say work on this for more than a couple of days. You need to be prayerfully on your knees for at least a week.

You also have to consider your daughter. This would be lifechanging for her as well. All three adults need to sit down at the table hashing out the good, bad and the ugly.

Thoroughly examine what room and board will cover. Obviously rent and utilities, but what about food? Boys his age can eat you out of house and home. This I know for sure. Will he stay with you during the week and go home on the weekends? What about extracurricular activities? Are you responsible for getting him there, or does he have a car? Does he have a girlfriend? Are you friends with him, or does he see you as an authoritative adult? Like I said, we’re talking a full plate here. It could be a sacrifice and or a blessing to all involved.

Taking in this teen doesn’t have to be a bad thing. It’s only temporary, and he has parents. Many teens who were taken in by outside adults have gone on to do great things.

One example is Michael Oher, the professional football player whose story inspired the movie “The Blind Side.” Remember? He was cared for by a family so he could finish high school. If you like this young man and wouldn’t mind him living in your home, tell his parents you’re willing to give it a try for the first semester — that’s three months. If things seem to work out, commit to the next semester. That way, he knows he has to follow the rules and live up to your and his parents’ expectations. This is a huge responsibility, and the answer to the question of “will this work” is up to him.

I salute you, single mama. You must be holding it down. Otherwise, his parents wouldn’t have asked.

In the same vain, you are not obligated. If you don’t want to, don’t do it, and don’t feel badly about it.

Tell his parents it just wouldn’t work for you and your daughter right now. Best wishes and blessings to you while you pray on your decision, whatever you decide is the right thing to do.

12 • May 9, 2018

The LEGACY

Virginians advocate for local clean energy progress The Sierra Club Virginia Chapter and about three dozen community members and leaders recently gathered to launch a new campaign to advance local clean energy initiatives. The “100 percent” Virginia campaign advocates for commitments and progress on clean energy and climate action at the local level in municipalities throughout Virginia.

Recent polling shows that over twothirds of Virginia’s voters support a goal of generating 100 percent of the state’s electricity using clean and renewable sources like solar and wind by 2030. The Sierra Club Virginia Chapter seeks to build upon that support and grow a movement across the state with the goal of transitioning Virginia to 100 percent renewable energy statewide by 2050.

“We’re working together to transform our energy systems in a way that is equitable and beneficial for all Virginians,” said Kate Addleson, director of the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter. “We’re working to make sure our current dirty energy system, that has built in inequity and is polluting in communities with the lowest incomes and in communities of color changes for the better.”

The event featured speakers who offered different perspectives and experience but shared one message, it’s time to advance on clean energy in Virginia. Over 600 people have already taken action asking for a commitment for their community.

Del. Jeff Bourne (D-Richmond) gave the first remarks as a call to action both at the state and local levels to make progress in Virginia on energy.

“It is vital and essential for the state to promote policies that move us towards clean and renewable energy.” said Bourne. “However, that does not mean that localities can’t take proactive steps to improve their own communities.

“We must push for local leadership to take a serious look at how we can improve and enhance our use of clean energy.”

Speakers made compelling arguments for transitioning to clean renewable sources of energy, including detailing the consequences

Welfare recipients will soon be required to gain employment or lose benefits Donald Trump, who has been making significant changes in the federal aid programs, has just signed an executive order that aims to force low-income recipients of welfare to get a job or else they will lose their benefits.

The executive order, ambitiously titled Reducing Poverty in America by Promoting Opportunity and Economic Mobility, would affect “any program that provides means-tested assistance or other assistance that provides

of our dependence on fossil fuels “The burning of fossil fuels is threatening the health and wellbeing of Virginian families and communities now, and climate change is a public health crisis,” said Dr. Susan Miller, a family medicine doctor at VCU Medical Center.

“We have the tools to transition the economy from dirty fuels to clean and renewable sources of energy like wind, water and solar, and we must do so swiftly to protect human health.”

Illustrating the impacts of climate change felt here in Virginia, event participants urged immediate action by local elected officials.

“Hampton Roads is in trouble,” Kim

benefits to people, households or families that have low incomes.”

But it does not really make much of an impact since the order has been underway since last year. Some agencies also already started making changes, such as the Department of Health and Human Services, which has been issuing waivers to Republican governors who want to impose stricter work requirements for Medicaid recipients in order to cut costs.

However, many advocates emphasize the fact that most of the able-bodied persons who receive federal aid in the form of health care or housing are actually working but are still unable to make ends meet. Moreover, there are others who are exempted due to legitimate reasons such as psychological disability, criminal records, and difficult family issues.

“It’s a little bit of a solution in search of a problem,” said Elaine Waxman, a senior fellow

Miller, an organizer with Mothers Out Front and resident of Virginia Beach, said. “Each year we fear devastating storms like Hurricane Harvey. We are experiencing flooding, even on sunny days.”

Hampton Roads is the among the most vulnerable areas to sea level rise in the country.

“As a mother, I know that we must focus on providing the best possible future for our children but we can only do that if our energy choices reflect our greatest values,” Miller said. “The only way to turn around the destructive effects of climate change that threatens our children's future is to advance clean, safe renewable energy in our communities now.”

Along with emphasizing the necessity of shifting away from fossil fuels, the event educated the public on how meaningful process on local clean energy is achievable now. Andrew Grigsby, the Business Development director for Secure Futures, promoted the benefits of solar power as a prudent, economic, and efficient energy source.

“Virginia’s solar installers have creative solutions for homes, businesses, schools, farms and places of worship,” Grigsby said. “Our chief obstacle is the myth that solar is still too expensive, but but on-site solar power saves customers money. We just need folks to reach out and learn what great opportunities there are.”

with the nonpartisan Urban Institute, which has analyzed food assistance and other government programs. “The administration is reflecting a larger narrative that many low-income individuals avoid work--but there’s just not a lot of data to support that position. Many of these people have significant barriers to working full time.”

Additionally, Trump reportedly wanted to redefine the word “welfare”, which originally pertains to only cash assistance programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, to include other safety-net programs such as food aid and Medicaid.

While the word “welfare” is often deemed derogatory, Trump is said to be either unconcerned or unaware of the distinction between cash assistance and other safety-net programs. According to several aides, Trump calls them all welfare.

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

May 9, 2018 • 13

1.7. Virginians affected by Facebook misuse of data In response to a demand for information from Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring, Facebook has revealed that up to 1.7 million Virginians, or approximately 20 percent of all Virginians, may have been impacted by the alleged privacy breach that has recently come to light. According to Facebook, approximately 7,100 users in Virginia downloaded the third-party application at issue, potentially exposing the private information of up to 1.7 million friends of those users. The information was provided in response to a letter Herring sent Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on March 26 demanding information about the number of potentially affected Virginians and about Facebook’s privacy policies and data security practices.

“While we continue to await a fuller explanation about this incident from Facebook and its leadership,

Attorney General Mark Herring an important first step is getting our arms around the scale of the exposure,” said Herring. “The fact

U.S. Senate hopeful discusses race, Confederate monuments One of several Republicans hoping to become the next United States senator from Virginia recently discussed race and confederate monuments in Albemarle County.

Republican candidate for the United States Senate, E.W. Jackson, discussed his take on race, Confederate monuments, and the nation’s history to a packed room.

Jackson’s campaign says no Senate candidate in post-Civil War history has ever given a speech on race because it’s considered too risky, but he believes that talking about race is vital to our social progress as a nation.

“As an American of African descent, I’m not a fan of the Confederacy, but I’m a fan of American history,” said Jackson.

Jackson said his goal is to help people who support the Confederacy understand why some people are sensitive to it and vice versa.

The Republican hopeful said that the leader of the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr. would be ashamed of where the country is.

“I think Dr. King would be appalled that race would be used as a political weapon to try to destroy an

Bishop E.W. Jackson opponent,” said Jackson.

He added that while there are some people who benefit from using race to divide the nation, he thinks the majority of Americans want us to be ‘one nation under God, with liberty, and justice for all.’

“I think underneath the division, we care about one another,” said Jackson. “The way forward is in part getting in touch with that again.”

Jackson is one of three people running for the Republican nomination, which will be decided on June 12.

The winner will challenge Democratic incumbent Tim Kaine.

that one in five Virginians may have had their personal information shared without permission is extremely troubling. I’d encourage all Virginians to take this opportunity to review their privacy settings and make sure they understand just what they may be sharing with Facebook and other social media platforms.”

According to Facebook: - 7,103 Virginia users installed the application - 1,702,732 friends of those users had their information potentially exposed - 1,709,835 total Virginians may have had their information potentially exposed Facebook has said that up to 87 million users, mostly in the United States, may have had their data inappropriately turned over to Cambridge Analytica.

Herring was one of a bipartisan group of 37 state attorneys general who wrote Facebook with specific

questions about the incident and Facebook’s privacy and data protection policies, including: * How many users in the states of the signatory attorneys general were impacted? * Were terms of service clear and understandable? * How did Facebook monitor what developers did with the data that they collected? * What type of controls did Facebook have over the data given to developers? * Did Facebook have protective safeguards in place, including audits, to ensure developers were not misusing the Facebook user’s data? * When did Facebook learn of this breach of privacy protections? * During this time frame, what other third-party “research” applications were also able to access the data of unsuspecting Facebook users?

14 • May 9, 2018

The LEGACY

Black employees in the service industry pay an emotional tax at work ALICIA GRANDEY The recent arrests of two black men who were waiting for a friend at a Starbucks in Philadelphia have raised questions about how race determines how customers are treated.

But does race also affect how the employees are treated within the service industry?

Prior research shows that black workers in people-oriented occupations – health care, service and sales – are rated lower by customers and supervisors than are white workers, even when their performance is objectively the same.

Because of this, black workers have a harder time obtaining competitive raises or promotions. But it is unclear why or what workers can do about it.

In the U.S. workforce, blacks are disproportionately represented in low-paying service jobs like cashiers, call center employees and food service workers compared to higherstatus jobs. So this issue has serious implications for the financial and professional lives of a large segment of black workers.

Race impacts perception of performance Friendliness is key to performing well in the service industry. My colleagues Lawrence Houston III, Derek R. Avery and I found that negative stereotypes about blacks – that they are unfriendly, hostile or rude – explain lower performance evaluations of black service providers compared to white service providers.

We found that in order for the performance of black service providers to be rated equivalent to whites, blacks had to amplify and fake positive emotions to override those negative racial stereotypes. In other words, to be seen as good as white employees, black employees need to perform more “emotional labor,” a concept introduced by sociologist Arlie Hochschild.

Perhaps just like the two men at

Starbucks, black service employees are assumed to have hostile intentions unless they put in extra effort to put forth a smile and show they are not a threat.

Across three studies We drew these conclusions from a series of studies we conducted over several years.

In our first study, we asked a representative sample of people for their impressions of an employee described as holding an emotional labor job, a hotel desk clerk. They saw a photo of either a black or white person with a neutral expression, but otherwise the same job qualifications.

Regardless of the respondents’ own race, education or income, they saw the black employee as less friendly and more hostile than the white employee.

In the second study, people watched a video of either a black or a white sales clerk ringing up sales in a home goods shop. They saw the clerk acting either warm and friendly or just polite. In all videos the sales clerk was efficient and knowledgeable.

When viewers saw the employee performing less emotional labor – just being polite and efficient – the black employee was rated as less

friendly and a worse performer than the white employee. In contrast, after watching the friendly condition, the viewers rated the black and white employees similarly.

In short, just being polite was not enough for the black employee; putting on a big smile was necessary to get the same performance ratings as the white employee.

Both of the above studies were experiments. In a third study, we surveyed actual service employees and their supervisors.

Again, we found that supervisors rated black grocery store clerks as worse performers than white clerks, which could not be explained by job experience or motivation. Yet, black clerks who reported amplifying and faking their positive emotions when interacting with customers – more emotional labor – saw the racial disparity in the performance evaluations disappear.

Notably, white clerks were rated highly regardless of the frequency of their emotional labor. For black clerks to be rated as highly as the white clerks, they had to more consistently exaggerate their smile in customer interactions.

High cost of ‘service with a smile’

All service employees must sometimes put on a fake smile when having an off day, and sometimes they might let the mask slip. Our research shows that white employees who do less emotional labor can still be viewed positively, but black employees are not given the benefit of the doubt. Black employees constantly “fake it to make it” in service jobs.

Being a black service provider requires routinely putting forth more emotional effort – a bigger smile, a more enthusiastic tone of voice, maintained across time and customers – to be evaluated similarly to a white co-worker. If a black employee gets tired of faking that smile, there is a resulting decline in performance evaluation. This also means fewer opportunities for promotions, raises and career advancement.

Though putting on a smile might seem like a small price to pay to get ahead at work, research shows that keeping up a friendly façade is a path to job burnout, a state of complete exhaustion linked to a desire to quit and health issues. Recognizing this situation is a first step to improving conditions for black employees and customers alike.

May 9, 2018 • 15

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

New exhibition chronicles Richmond’s response to seven deadly diseases A new exhibition exploring the storms of disease that have swept through the city of Richmond will debut at the Valentine on May 10.

“Pandemic: Richmond” identifies stories of both loss and survival as Richmonders fought silent, invisible enemies, including the 1918– 1919 influenza, smallpox, tuberculosis, cholera, typhoid fever, polio and HIV/AIDS. Drawing on the Valentine’s expansive archival collection, this exhibition reveals how these seven diseases ravaged communities while prompting life-saving advances in health care.

“This exhibition gives the Valentine the opportunity to show the true scope and impact of disease throughout Richmond’s history,” said Curator of Archives Meg Hughes. “In addition to the past, Pandemic: Richmond looks at disease today and will hopefully inspire visitors to take an active role in determining how Richmond will address future outbreaks.”

The exhibition also confronts issues of access

Richmond influenza vaccines, 1976.

PHOTO: Wallace Huey Clark and inequality. Throughout Richmond’s history, the impact of disease has fallen disproportionally on African Americans, the poor, the enslaved and the disadvantaged. Pandemic: Richmond aims to examine and share these important stories.

“This exhibition uses disease as a way to discuss progress, community, bigotry and modernity in Richmond,” said Valentine Director Bill Martin.

“From the laudable scientific achievements to the uncomfortable truths about who did and did not receive care, ‘Pandemic: Richmond’ tells a nuanced story that is equal parts frightening and hopeful.”

According to the museum, the exhibition was developed with collaborating scholar Elizabeth Outka, an associate professor of English at the University of Richmond and author of the upcoming “Raising the Dead”, a book about modernist literature and the flu pandemic in Britain and the United States.

“Disease often receives less attention than military conflict but pandemic outbreaks from smallpox to AIDS/HIV have profoundly shaped the city’s history and the lives of its citizens,” said Outka.

The exhibition will be on view through Feb. 24, 2019.

16 • May 9, 2018

Calendar

The LEGACY

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES & EVENTS

5.16, 7:30 p.m.

5.12, 10 a.m.

Actor Boris Kodjoe will deliver the keynote address at Virginia Commonwealth University’s spring commencement ceremony in May. Kodjoe, a 1996 graduate of the VCU School of Business, made his on-screen debut in 1998 on “The Steve Harvey Show.” He has since appeared in TV shows (“Boston Public,” “Soul Food,” “Second Time Around,” “The Last Man on Earth,” “Code Black”) and feature films (“Love & Basketball,” “Madea’s Family Reunion,” “Resident Evil: Afterlife”). He was a standout tennis player at VCU from 1992-96 and was inducted into the VCU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017.

VCU will hold spring commencement at the Richmond Coliseum.

Sandeep Deorah, MD, MPH of Virginia Urology will address the Ostomy Association of Greater Richmond on the topic of bladder cancer and its treatment options. It is the fifth cause of cancer mortality among men. Typically cases are diagnosed at age 60 on average. The meeting is at Williamsburg-A room at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital, 1601 Skipwith Rd. Guests are welcome. See Richmond UOAA #296 on the internet, or for questions, call or e-mail Mike Rollston at 804-232-1916 or agriva@ comcast.net.

5.23, 8:30 a.m.

5.13, 5 p.m.

Applications are now being accepted for Henrico County Public Schools’ new Equity and Diversity Advisory Committee. Formation of the 26-person committee is the school division’s next step in its efforts to increase equity and diversity.

To apply go to http://vovici.com/ wsb.dll/s/b581g5a814 or go to henricoschools.us and look under “Hot Topics.” The deadline is May 13.

The group will include one teacher, one student, one parent and one school leader from each of Henrico’s five magisterial districts. Five seats are reserved for interested citizens, preferably one from each magisterial district. The committee will be chaired by the director of equity and diversity and supported by a liaison from the Henrico School Board.

The committee will meet approximately nine times, generally the first Tuesday evening of each month, between June and March.

Members will also be part of one or more subcommittees devoted to focused topics.

Applicants are requested to provide demographic information, respond to several questions, and provide one personal recommendation in the event that they become a finalist.

The demographic information will be used to ensure diverse representation.

Questions? E-mail Monica Manns: mmanns@henrico.k12.va.us.

Entrepreneur Express: All About Selling All small business owners and entrepreneurs are invited to attend this conference at Petersburg Library, 201 W. Washington St. on May 15, 12:30 p.m.

Virginia spends billions of dollars on goods and services each year. Goods and services that you probably sell! Ask yourself, “Am I getting my share?” If your answer is “No”, then this free conference is for you.

EVa, Virginia’s electronic procurement portal, is one of the most powerful market research tools when selling to any state agency (including public colleges and universities). EVa can help you identify: • How do I find solicitations to bid on?; • Which state agencies buy what I sell?; • How much do they pay for what I sell?; • Who are my competitors / potential collaborators?; • Which of my competitors are winning these bids?; and more.

Now that you’ve done your market research, how do you respond to a solicitation? What’s the difference between a RFP, RFQ, IFB, QQ, SS, etc.?

Learn the steps needed to successfully respond to a solicitation. Determine the amount of time you need to devote in order to make your response as competitive as possible.

You’re doing great! Now let’s hear from those on the front line – the BUYERS!! A buyer from the Purchasing Department of a local city, county, state agency, and university will be here to discuss what they look for when evaluating a response to a solicitation. They will also discuss upcoming projects at their respective entities.

The Chesterfield Chamber of Commerce Smarter Business Series, Village Bank and UPS presents “Digital Marketing Boot Camp” facilitated by Surefire Local – Marketing Cloud based out Vienna.

The series will be about Social Media, How Do You Know Digital Marketing Is Working? and other marketing tools.

The Smarter Business Series will take place at Chesterfield Career & Technical Center, 13900 Hull Street Road, Midlothian. There is breakfast & networking. Tickets are available for the series, cost range from $39 to $59 per person.

Surefire Local multiplies your marketing efforts by helping you see and strengthen all your online activities from a single platform – so you can finally get the kind of quality leads you really want.

For more information or to register you can visit www. chesterfieldchamber.com or give us call at 804-748-6364.

Submit your calendar events by email to: editor @legacynewspaper.com.

Include the who, what, where, when & contact information that can be printed. Submission deadline is Friday.

May 9, 2018 • 17

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

STI testing is an ‘important part of sexual health’ Some may feel itching, burning, or pain, while others see physical signs.

But more often than not, two of the most common sexually transmitted infections or STIs – chlamydia and gonorrhea – are ignored because of a lack of symptoms. Military Health System experts encourage men and women to take steps to ensure their health and prevent these infections.

“Many sexually transmitted infections do not have any symptoms, so getting tested regularly is an important part of sexual health,” said Rolando C. Diaz, epidemiology technician at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital in Northern Virginia.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than two million cases of the most reported STIs – chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis – were reported in the United States in 2016. Those are the highest numbers ever recorded, the CDC said. These three conditions can be spread through vaginal, anal, or oral sex with an infected person, and can cause infection in the genitals, rectum, and throat.

“If you have had new partners or unprotected intercourse, or develop symptoms, talk to your provider about your concerns and exposures to help them order the correct tests to keep you and your sexual partner(s) healthy and safe,” said Diaz.

Commonly known as sexually transmitted diseases, most conditions are now referred to as sexually transmitted infections. Catherine A. Gangaas, a public health nurse at Fort Belvoir, said this term helps providers prevent further spread of the STI by looking for the cause of the infection, rather than just treating the disease.

“The change in terms came about when it was recognized that people could be infected and transmit the infection to others without ever developing symptoms or disease,” said Gangaas. It’s now recommended that women get tested every year during their annual exam rather than waiting for symptoms to appear, she said.

A recent Medical Surveillance Monthly Report, or MSMR, said incidence rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea were highest among service members younger than 25.

The report said STIs rates, with the exception of syphilis, were higher among women than men. According to the report, rates of gonorrhea decreased among female service members in 2016, but slightly increased among males. The rates of diagnosis for chlamydia among women were generally three to five times those among men.

The CDC said women can have a greater risk for an infection because the lining of the vagina is thin and delicate, making it vulnerable to bacteria and viruses. Women are also less likely to have symptoms for chlamydia and gonorrhea than men.

If symptoms do occur, they can go away even if the infection remains.

Men can experience a burning sensation while urinating; painful or swollen testicles; and white, yellow, or green discharge. Symptoms in women, which are similar to those of a yeast infection, include increased vaginal discharge and a painful or burning sensation while urinating.

Bleeding between periods can also be an indication of gonorrhea in women.

Gangaas said gonorrhea and chlamydia are often tested for together as they are often transferred together. These conditions are especially common among teenagers and young adults. It’s estimated that one in 20 sexually active young women 14-24 years old has chlamydia, said Diaz.

Both conditions are treated with antibiotics prescribed by a health care provider. Patients going through treatment are encouraged to refrain from sex because they can still infect others even during treatment, said Diaz.

“It takes seven days for the medication to treat these infections and only after this time is the chance of infecting others gone,” said Diaz,

adding that the treatment won’t work if someone is re-exposed to chlamydia or gonorrhea and reinfected within that time. Using a condom during the treatment period can help lower risk of partners reinfecting each other – but there is no guarantee, he said.

People who have completed treatment for chlamydia or gonorrhea can also be re-infected, said Gangsaas. Lifestyle choices, such as not being in a mutually monogamous sexual relationship and not using condoms correctly 100 percent of the time, can increase risk for having an STI. “Make sure you complete all medication prescribed by your health care provider, and ensure that your sex partner is both tested and treated,” said Gangaas. “It is important to be retested no sooner than three weeks after completing your medication to ensure that you are clear of the infection.”

If left untreated, gonorrhea and chlamydia can have serious

consequences, including infertility or risk of being passed from a mother to a baby during pregnancy and delivery. When this occurs, the CDC said babies are at risk for still birth, low birth weight, brain damage, blindness, and deafness.

While rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea have increased among service members in recent years, the MSMR report found rates of human papillomavirus infections have decreased. If an HPV infection persists, it can cause genital warts or various types of cancer, including cervical cancer. Nearly 14 million new cases of HPV infections occur every year, but a vaccine is available to help reduce risk of an infection.

“Being informed about sexually transmitted infections is essential for a healthy sex life,” said Diaz. “For our patient population, this means knowing what they can do to stay safe and healthy, and how to directly ask their health care provider about testing.”

Dentists plan free care day for local children Children in Richmond and surrounding areas will be able to receive dental treatments at no cost during Sharing Smiles Day, an annual day of free dental care hosted by children’s dental provider Kool Smiles.

“At Kool Smiles, we believe every child should have a dentist,” said Dr. Ashley Nichols, the managing dental director for Kool Smiles.

“While we’re proud to accept a wide range of insurance plans, including Medicaid and TRICARE, we also know there are children in our community who do not have dental insurance and whose parents can’t afford to pay out of pocket for needed dental treatments. Sharing Smiles Day is an opportunity for our dentists and staff to give back to children and families in our community and bring smiles to those in need.”

Kool Smiles dentists will provide free dental care to uninsured and underinsured children from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Sunday, May 20, at: Kool Smiles Southside Plaza, 4722 N. Southside Plaza St., Richmond

Available treatments will include dental exams, limited emergency care, extractions, fillings and sealants.

A limited number of appointments are available and parents are encouraged to register their children on the Kool Smiles website in advance of the event online at mykoolsmiles.com/sharingsmiles or by calling or call 804-319-5665.

Kool Smiles notes that dentists will try their best to see all patients, but treatment will be given on a first-come, first-served basis and pre-registration does not guarantee we will be able to treat your child. Treatment offerings will be determined by the dentist.

“If left untreated, tooth decay can lead to pain, difficulty eating, sleeping or speaking, and more serious infections, some of which can be life-threatening,” continued Dr. Nichols. “That’s why it’s important to see a dentist regularly for preventive care before tooth decay has a chance to do lasting damage.”

In 2017, Kool Smiles dentists provided free dental care to more than 500 children in need.

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18 • May 9, 2018

Classifieds

The LEGACY

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2000 INFINITI I30 JNKCA31AXYT114647 1995 MITSUBISHI MONTERO JA4MR51M9SJ016484 2000 HONDA CBR900 JH2SC4403YM004489 2001 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN 2B4GP44G91R176882 1998 FORD MUSTANG 1FAFP4443WF238348 1998 NISSAN ALTIMA 1N4DL01D0WC114720 2004 ISUZU AXIOM 4S2DF58Y744600265 1994 CHEVROLET CAMARO 2G1FP22S0R2137816 2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU 1G1ZT51F76F176167 2001 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK 320 WDBLJ65G11T091216 1997 HONDA ACCORD 1HGCD5603VA165887 2002 PONTIAC MONTANA 1GMDX13E32D267294 1997 TOYOTA TACOMA 4TAVL52N2VZ320454 1998 LEXUS GS 300 JT8BD68S4W0023844 2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA 2G1WS581569322414 1985 CHEVROLET K10 1GCEK14H5FF407369 1987 NISSAN D21 1N6ND11S2HC345084 1998 FORD EXPLORER 1FMZU34EXWUB79146 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING 1C3EL65R12N233547 1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU 1G1ND52M0W6224147 2006 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN 1D4GP24R46B552826 2000 HYUNDAIELANTRA KMHJF35F4YU915581 2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA 2G1WT58K869411903 2002 DODGE INTREPID 2B3HD56MX2H100962 2007 FORD TAURUS 1FAFP53U37A158148 2002 BUICK LESABRE 1G4HP54KX24176147 2003 OLDSMOBILE ALERO 1G3NL12F23C152837 2000 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 1J4GW48S8YC207296 1995 HONDA ACCORD 1HGCD563XSA057482

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EOE/AA

May 9, 2018 • 19

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

ANTIQUES AND COLLECTIBLES BIG ANTIQUES & Collectibles Sale/Show, May 18, 19, 20. 62nd Shenandoah Antiques Expo, Augusta Expoland, Fishersville, VA (I-64,Exit 91), 300+ dealers, five buildings plus outside. Fri. & Sat. 9-5, Sun. 11-4.

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Please note that we do not carry controlled substances and a valid prescription is required for all prescription medication orders.

Prescription price comparison above is valid as of Dec. 21, 2017. All trade-mark (TM) rights associated with the brand name products in this ad belong to their respective owners. *Generic drugs are carefully regulated medications that have the same active ingredients as the original brand name drug, but are generally cheaper in price.