‘Mother of South Africa’ mourned
‘If I were mayor…’
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Richmond Free Press © 2018 Paradigm Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.
VOL. 27 NO. 14
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
www.richmondfreepress.com
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APRIL 5-7, 2018
Remembering MLK People in Richmond and across the nation pause to reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the 50th anniversary of his death Free Press staff, wire reports
On the day Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed 50 years ago, tens of thousands of people gathered at small and large events in Richmond and other cities on Wednesday to mourn his death, celebrate his life and rekindle his struggle for economic and social justice. In Richmond, Virginia Union University hosted “MLK50: Moment of Remembrance” with the Office of Mayor Related story on A3, Levar M. Stoney to discuss “Where do Editorial A6 we go from here?” In Memphis, where Dr. King was gunned down at 6:01 p.m. April 4, 1968, people wrapped themselves in coats and hats in the unseasonably cool weather to rally with signs bearing the slogan of the striking sanitation workers Dr. King had gone to Memphis to support: “I AM A MAN.” Please turn to A4
Joe Morrissey disbarred for violating State Bar rules
Medicaid expansion to be key in state budget battle April 11 By Jeremy M. Lazarus
By Jeremy M. Lazarus
“Fighting Joe” has been hit with a knockout blow. For the second time in his career, Joseph D. “Joe” Morrissey, a savvy attorney and former Richmond prosecutor who built a reputation as a courtroom battler, has lost his license to practice law. While dismissing 18 of the 21 charges Mr. Morrissey the regulatory Virginia State Bar brought against him, a three-judge panel hit the 60-year-old Mr. Morrissey with the harshest punishment possible — revocation of his law license. If the judges’ decision stands, Mr. Morrissey would have to close his law practice based in Highland Springs and could not represent clients in state courts. He could still teach, work behind the scenes and be involved with clients in administrative cases involving government agencies. He also could run for public office — and there is a rumor Please turn to A4
Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press
On parade Dr. Oshan Gadsden gives his daughter, Zuri, a heightened view of the festivities during Sunday’s Easter on Parade on Monument Avenue. The vantage point also allowed her brightly colored costume to be seen by crowds at the annual holiday event. Please see more photos, B3.
Why is it flying?
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Armstrong High time capsule takes alumni, students back in history By Saraya Wintersmith
By Jeremy M. Lazarus
The Confederacy may have been defeated, but the flags of the rebels who fought to separate from the United States to keep black people in bondage still fly in city-owned cemeteries. The original national flag of the Confederacy, which also was the first battle
Related story A5 flag, can be found in Riverview Cemetery in the West End and Maury Cemetery in South Side, both owned and operated by the city. The flag has a white stripe between two red stripes and a circle of seven white stars on a blue field in the upper left corner. At both cemeteries, the Confederate banner flies from a tall pole that the United Daughters of the Confederacy set up. The Richmond-based UDC owns the section of each cemetery where the flags fly, which is why it is allowed, according to Thomas M. Byrnes of the Office of the Press Secretary to the Mayor. UDC officials did not respond to a
The high-stakes battle over Virginia’s next two-year budget resumes next Wednesday, April 11. On the line: Expansion of health care to 300,000 to 400,000 low-income Virginians, pay raises for state workers and teachers, and increased state support for education, mental health and workforce development. Gov. Northam G o v. R a l p h S . Northam called a special legislative session for next week for the General Assembly to resume work on the two-year spending plan after the House of Delegates and state Senate left Richmond on March 10 without approving a spending plan for the 2019 and 2020 fiscal years. Both houses must agree on a budget before July 1 to avoid a government
shutdown. The big issue: Expansion of Medicaid to cover adults who have no health insurance and mostly rely on hospital emergency rooms for care. Gov. Northam is seeking to do what his predecessor, former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, could not — secure approval to bring uninsured working adults in Virginia under the health insurance umbrella. So far, the votes have yet to Lt. Gov. Fairfax materialize, the same problem Mr. McAuliffe faced. The 40-member Senate, with a 2119 Republican majority, balked at the expansion on a party line vote, with all GOP members standing firm, leaving the governor two votes shy. At the same time, House Republicans,
Bonnie V. Winston/Richmond Free Press
The first national Confederate flag, spotted last week, flies in the city-owned Riverview Cemetery in Richmond’s West End.
Free Press request for information about the flags. It appears the flags on display have not stirred any protests. The flag, to which additional stars were added in 1861 as more states left the Union Please turn to A4
Armstrong High School’s storied past collided with its present last Saturday as a legion of several hundred Wildcats, mostly from the Armstrong High School Alumni Coalition, gathered to witness the opening of a 1952 time capsule. The time capsule — a bread box-sized, tarnished copper container — sat inside the foundation of the former Armstrong High School building on 31st Street in the East End until it was discovered recently when the building was demolished. The alumni coalition, established to preserve and promote the history and legacy of the historic school, thought the capsule had been placed in 1951, when the former building was constructed. But during a lively ceremony on Saturday at the current Armstrong building on Cool Lane, the box’s contents made it clear that the capsule Please turn to A4
Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press
Former schools Superintendent Lucille M. Brown, seated center, an Armstrong High School alumna, describes for the audience the contents of the 1952 time capsule found during demolition of the former Armstrong building on 31st Street. Dr. Brown is flanked by Meg Hughes, left, of The Valentine museum and architectural historian Kimberly Chen who were handling the fragile items. Looking on are, from left, Armstrong Principal Willie Bell, School Board member Cheryl L. Burke and Dennis H. Harvey, chair of the Armstrong High School Alumni Coalition.