Cherished Holiday Memories B1
Richmond Free Press © 2015 Paradigm Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.
VOL. 24 NO. 52
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
www.richmondfreepress.com
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They accentuate blessings of family
DECEMBER 24-26, 2015
Strange fruit?
Critic: Oak evokes lynching image at Walker statue site By Jeremy M. Lazarus
Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press
Gary L. Flowers stands Wednesday in front of the oak tree he wants removed from the site of the proposed Maggie L. Walker statue. Location: Broad and Adams streets at the intersection with Brook Road, a gateway into Jackson Ward, the historic center of Richmond’s black community.
The fight over the tree in the planned Maggie L. Walker plaza isn’t over. Gary L. Flowers, a Richmond native and national political and civil rights operative living in Jackson Ward, has jumped into the fray with a petition drive opposing the live oak that now dominates the gateway into Jackson Ward where the monument to the great lady is to stand. Mr. Flowers said his goal is to “galvanize support to honor Mrs. Walker in her full glory unencumbered” by the trunk and branches of the tree in the triangular Downtown park at the intersection of Broad and Adams streets and Brook Road. Chief among Mr. Flowers’ reasons: The tree would be a symbolic affront to Mrs. Walker, a business leader whose contributions are legion in the African-American community and nationally at a time when the government was imposing racial segregation. Mrs. Walker is best known as the first African-American woman to found and operate a bank — a huge accomplishment in 1903. “Placing the statue of Mrs. Walker under a tree hearkens back to the bloody period of history when our heroes swung, in the words of Billie Holiday, like ‘strange fruit,’ ” Mr. Flowers said. He stamps that point into his petition with this strong statement: “Don’t lynch the legacy of Maggie Walker under a tree!” Besides avoiding painful symbolism, he said clearing the Please turn to A4
Church must boot Parson to clear bankruptcy By Jeremy M. Lazarus
The future of an embattled South Side church may hinge on whether it can completely cut ties with its founding pastor. As part of a financial plan clearing the way for the once giant Richmond Christian Center to emerge from bankruptcy, the church had to agree to one stipulation — that Pastor Steven A. Parson Sr. “have no contact” with the worship center he founded in his living room more Pastor than 32 years ago. The five-year plan was approved last week in U.S. Bankruptcy Court and will go into effect Jan. 1. Whether the church can stick to that promise — vital to preventing a default on its mortgage — remains to be seen as members continue the hard work of restoring financial stability to the church in the 200 block of Cowardin Avenue. For now, Pastor Parson is keeping mum about his prospects of regaining the pulpit. His only comment to a Free Press reporter: “I have nothing to say to you.” Pastor Parson received national attention in late November when he joined other African-American ministers in endorsing billionaire Donald Trump’s bid for the Republican nomination for president. The endorsement proved controversial. RCC quickly
had to distance itself from Pastor Parson and the endorsement after receiving angry calls and emails. Church officials, who said Pastor Parson did not speak for the church, feared his endorsement could impede their fundraising efforts to get out of bankruptcy. Apparently, Pastor Parson has had little contact with the church since last February when he was removed from the board of trustees and stripped of a financial role in the church. Pastor Parson also took unpaid leave from Parson the pulpit after Bruce Matson, the bankruptcy court-appointed trustee alleged that he had improperly diverted property and church funds to benefit himself and his family. According to Mr. Matson, the pastor’s actions helped create the downward spiral that ultimately sent the church seeking financial protection of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to survive. Despite that, Pastor Parson still calls himself the senior pastor of Richmond Christian Center and the church has continued to list him that way. That could change, at least for the church. The church’s main secured creditor, Foundation Capital Resources of Missouri, has insisted that Pastor Parson be barred from Please turn to A4
Officer’s jobs program puts men on right side of law By Joey Matthews
Jeffrey Perry served 18 years in prison for his role in an armed robbery. Shaun Moore served two separate stints behind bars — seven months for possession of drugs with intent to distribute and, later, four months for failure to pay child support. The Richmond men told the Free Press in recent interviews they feared they would never land jobs after their release because of their criminal records. Today, they are employed and feeling better about their futures thanks to the assistance they received from Bridging The Gap One Human At A Please turn to A4
Joey Matthews/Richmond Free Press
Richmond Police Officer Reynaldo Perez is flanked by Shaun Moore, left, and Jeffrey Perry, who found jobs after participating in Bridging The Gap One Human At A Time, a program the officer started. Location: Mosby Court public housing community.
Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press
Warm, with a holiday glow Wreaths and other holiday decorations adorn doorways, homes and businesses throughout Metro Richmond as people hurry to finish their preparations for Christmas. Santa and his reindeer may find Richmond unseasonably warm Thursday night, when low temperatures will be in the mid-60s. The warm, holiday glow will continue Friday, Christmas Day, with temperatures reaching the mid-70s.
Coffee shop reopens on Brookland Park Blvd. By Jeremy M. Lazarus
previous operators Sean and Kirsa Crippen over partnership and lease The Streetcar Café on North agreements. Side is back in business under new The Crippens opened the cofmanagement. fee shop last July as a for-profit The coffee shop at 10 E. Brookbusiness. They said agreements land Park Blvd. turned on the lights the nonprofit wanted them to sign and began serving patrons again would have required them to pay Dec. 14, two weeks after the previtoo much to Nehemiah, preventing Mr. McDaniels ous operators departed. them from making a profit. The new operator is the NeA second business in the building, Streethemiah Community Development Corp., a car Cyclery, a nonprofit bike sales and repair nonprofit that bought and renovated the long- shop, is still in operation. vacant building with a $120,000 grant from The development corporation’s goal is to the city and $30,000 in other donations. revitalize the neighborhood retail corridor in “We’ve got too much invested to give and around North Avenue and Brookland Park up,” said Derek McDaniels, president of the Boulevard using a private business model. development corporation. The first step, Mr. McDaniels said, is to Mr. McDaniels said Nehemiah would create successful coffee and bike shop operaoperate the business until another operator is tions in this initial building. The goal is to found. The coffee shop is open 7 to 11 a.m. use the revenue from those businesses to buy Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and renovate other nearby vacant properties on Saturdays, he said. and fill them with more shops to create jobs The coffee shop closed Nov. 28 after and contribute more revenue to continue the talks broke down between Nehemiah and improvement process.