Richmond Free Press June 15-17, 2023 edition

Staging the future Richmond Free Press

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Betting on entertainment as a key element of future job and economic growth, City Council, as expected, put two high-profile projects on the fast track Monday night—a proposed $560 million casino-resort for the South Side and a $30 million amphitheater for the Downtown riverfront.

In a statement after the meeting, Mayor Levar M. Stoney praised the council for acting on the two entertainment projects, calling them “generational-investment projects for our city.” He said both developments would create a gusher of jobs, boost tourism and create fresh revenue that would help City Hall address challenges in such areas as climate change, housing, public safety, health, public infrastructure and education.

Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Richmond, Lincoln Saunders, left, and Richmond City Council members, Stephanie A. Lynch, 5th District, second from left, Reva M. Trammell, 8th District, Cynthia I. Newbille 7th District, Council President Michael Jones, 9th District, center, Council Vice-President, Kristen M. Nye, 4th District, Ann-Frances Lambert, 3rd District, Katherine Jordan, 2nd District, Ellen F. Robertson, 6th District, and Andreas D. Addison, 1st District, pose for a group photo with Richmond Free Press managing editor, Bonnie Newman Davis, Jean Patterson Boone, publisher and co-founder, and Raymond H. Boone Jr. , vice president for new business development, following a Richmond City Council Recognition Award presented to Jean P. Boone and her husband, Raymond H. Boone Sr., posthumously, the former editor/ publisher/ founder of the Richmond Free Press for their collective work with their staff in the city through their weekly newspaper founded 31 years ago in 1992. Mr. Boone died nine years ago, June 3, 2014, after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer.

Richmond Free Press founders receive City Hall

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Jean P. Boone and the late Raymond H. Boone, founders and publishers of the Richmond Free Press newspaper, received recognition from City Council on Monday night to honor their journalistic contributions to the city.

Council members and the city’s top administrator stood on the council dais to

Climbing high

acknowledge the Boones, celebrate their accomplishments and praise the value of the weekly Free Press for Richmond and its community.

The official Recognition Award describes the Boones as a “dynamic duo” who worked “side by side in the founding, editing, managing, and publishing of the Richmond Free Press, a family-owned and operated newspaper, that was established in 1992 to ‘champion

equal treatment, racial justice, and economic opportunity for Black people.’”

Mrs. Boone, who became publisher after her husband’s death in 2014, received special mention for the influence she has exerted.

“I appreciate you being a mentor and the strong woman that you have been, not only to me but to so many other women all over the

On the casino project that voters narrowly rejected in 2021, 2nd District Councilwoman Katherine Jordan cast the lone vote of opposition to a second attempt to bring the proposed gambling mecca, hotel, concert venue and public park to 100 acres off the Bells Road interchange of Interstate 95.

She only opposed a resolution naming Maryland-based Black media giant Urban One as the city’s preferred operator for the casino, but voted in support of two other casino-related ordinances that spell the benefits that Urban One and its new partner, Kentucky-based Churchill Downs, would provide.

The council votes start the convoluted process of once again getting the casino issue before the voters, who must approve the project for it to become a reality, as it has happened in four other Virginia cities.

That includes getting the city’s latest casino package to the Virginia Lottery, the state’s casino regulator, which happened Tuesday, the Free Press has learned. Once the Lottery’s board approves the city holding a referendum, city officials can then request the Richmond Circuit Court to issue an order to put it on the November general election ballot.

Before the vote, 8th District Councilwoman Reva M. Trammell, who has led the effort for a second vote, touted the 1,300 new jobs and more than $30 million a year in new tax

13th Senate District primary candidates discuss their platforms

By Debora Timms

The issue of abortion and a woman’s right to choose has been front and center in the Virginia primary race in which Sen. Joseph D. “Joe” Morrissey and Lashrecse Aird are vying to become the Democratic candidate for the state 13th Senate District.

Sen. Morrissey has held the 16th Senate District seat since his election in November 2019 and represented the 74th District in the House of Delegates from 1989 to 1993. Despite being twice-disbarred and serving

Regina H. Boone/ Richmond Free Press

Calliope Snead, 5, of Church Hill, shows no fear as she looks over her shoulder for her mom, Tiffany Snead, cheering her on as she masterfully places her feet on the wedges as she climbs The Wall, a new attraction this year at the Robinson Theater’s Annual Block Party Friday, June 9, at 2903 Q St. in Richmond’s Church Hill. Please see more photos on B3.

a prison sentence while holding office, Sen. Morrissey is seen as an effective grassroots politician and fierce campaigner. This election, however, has seen some

taking political steps that are out of the ordinary — at least in part because of the 66-year-old senator’s stance on abortion. Sen. Morrissey has stated that he does not support abortion as it conflicts with his Catholic beliefs. The senator was rebuked by all six Democratic women serving in the Virginia Senate. They have chosen to break conven-

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79th House District candidates cite school funding, gun legislation and criminal justice reform as key issues

Lazarus

Jeremy M.

By

Three candidates have been knocking on thousands of doors and sending out mailers in pitching to represent the House of Delegates 7th District. Next Tuesday, June 20, voters will choose from Rae Cousins, Ann-Frances Lambert and Richard W. Walker as the Democratic nominee and the odds-on favorite to win in the November general election.

Frustration, sorrow mount in city after graduation shooting

By George Copeland Jr.

“My nephew lost his life. He lost his life at his high school graduation. That shouldn’t be.”

Those words, stated by Datrell Glover during a vigil Saturday in Abner Clay Park, were in response to the June 6 shooting deaths of her nephew, Shawn D. Jackson, and her brother, Renzo Smith, at Monroe Park after Huguenot High School’s graduation ceremony.

The vigil was among several that took place since the murders of Mr. Jackson and Mr. Smith, and the sentiment shared by their family has been echoed by efforts to support those grieving, and to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

Charles Willis, executive director of United Communities Against Crime and a represen-

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The winner would take on independent Kyle Sundberg, a graphic artist, who is regarded as a long-shot in the district rated predominantly Democratic.

While Richmond has three House districts, this is the only one where there is competition. City Council President Michael J. Jones is unchallenged in his bid to represent the 77th House District. Incumbent Delegate Betsy B. Carr also is unchallenged

Tameeka Jackson-Smith, seated left, is consoled by supporters as she mourns the deaths of her son, Shawn Jackson, and husband Renzo Dell Smith, both of whom were killed by gunfire near Monroe Park shortly after Mr. Jackson ‘s Huguenot High School graduation on June 6. Mrs. Jackson-Smith, whose 9-year-old daughter Renyah Smith, center, was hit by a car after witnessing the murders of her father and brother, was consoled by her grandmother, Grenda Smith of Monroe, La., who is the mother of Mr. Smith.

Ms. Hughes

honor and recognition

Black-owned weekly saluted for its ‘leadership, service, dedication and prominence in the community’

Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

Sen. Morrissey Ms. Aird

Cityscape

Slices of life and scenes in Richmond

A fully clothed Mayor Levar M. Stoney does a cannonball with several youngsters in tow, while 3rd District City Councilwoman Ann-Frances Lambert cheers them on during Battery Park’s 3rd Annual Splash Day celebration Friday, June 9. Along with Richmond Parks and Recreation Director Chris Frelke, far left, city officials’ pool moves helped inform the public that Richmond’s swimming pools are officially open for business. Summer camps also are enrolling happy campers and late-night gym access began June 9.

Area pools include:

•Randolph Pool: 1507 Grayland Ave., (804) 646-1329.

•Swansboro Pool: 3160 Midlothian Turnpike, (804) 646-8088.

•Blackwell Pool: E. 16th St & Everett St., (804) 6468718.

•Fairmount Pool: 2000 U. St., (804) 646-3831.

•Bellemeade Pool: 1800 Lynhaven Ave., (804) 646-8849.

•Powhatan Pool: Powhatan Community Center, 5051 Northampton St., (804) 646-3595.

•Battery Park Pool: 2719 Dupont Circle, (804) 646-0127.

•Hotchkiss Field Pool: 701 E. Brookland Park Blvd., (804) 646-3762.

•Woodville Pool: 2305 Fairfield Ave., (804) 646-3834.

Juneteenth holiday closings

In observance of Juneteenth on Monday, June 19, please note the following:

Affordable housing efforts build momentum

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Tall staircases rise from the ground at 7000 Carnation St. in South Side – the first major feature of the 218 new incomerestricted apartments that will rise on the 5-acre site.

Mayor Levar M. Stoney and other officials Tuesday joined developer John Gregory of Lynx Ventures to highlight the $53 million development the company is undertaking as an example of the city’s commitment to provide more affordable rental and ownership units.

Mayor Stoney said developments like this one are essential to address the housing crisis so many are facing because “the rent’s too damn high, and we know we need more housing, period.”

The mayor noted that all of the Carnation Street units will be reserved for people making 50 to 70 percent of median income.

“That means folks who make $15 to $25 an hour. That’s a huge deal,” he said.

Council President Michael J. Jones, who represents the area in the 9th district, called this development “a reason to celebrate.”

RPS bus drivers choose new union

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Richmond Public Schools now has a third union with which to bargain.

In a runoff election Friday, school bus drivers and other transportation employees voted to have the Laborers’ International Union of North America represent them.

Of the 144 votes cast, LIUNA Local 804 received 76 to secure a majority over the competitive Teamsters Union, which received 58 votes.

In a first round election last month, employees eliminated the Richmond Education Association.

LIUNA representatives have already contacted RPS officials in seeking to begin negotiations on behalf of the 220 members of the bargaining unit. However, any pay and benefit increases could not become effective until the 202425 budget, as the 2023-2024 budget already is in place.

The Teamsters previously gained a foothold in securing support from RPS principals who have agreed to join Local 592. All other employees, including teachers, instructional aides, office staff and technical employees, have chosen the REA as their representative.

Meanwhile, unionizing continues to take shape among City Hall employees. Voting is underway for several groups of employees to finalize bargaining units and representation.

The Service Employees International Union has won the support of most of the employees, except for police officers and firefighters, who have their own representation.

The only group left to make a decision are the nearly 600 labor and trades employees primarily in the departments of Public Utilities and Public Works.

The Free Press has been told that workers are voting by mail on whether to be represented by the LIUNA or the Teamsters. A decision is expected later this month.

Dr. Jones said the development would provide stable housing for people just starting jobs, but also for public school students for whom stable housing is a challenge.

“Imagine being a child who has to transfer schools because your mom couldn’t find a good place to live,” he said. “This project right here will help avert one particular challenge that our young people can face by providing nice housing in a place they can be proud of, a place that is clean and a place that is safe.”

The development is one of eight privately built affordable housing communities in which the city last year invested $6.34 million in federal American Rescue Plan

Staircases for new housing units at 7000 Carnation St. symbolize steps being taken to accommodate people making 50 to 70 percent of median income, said Richmond Mayor Levar M. Stoney. “That means folks who make $15 to $25 an hour. That’s a huge deal,” he said.

Act(ARPA) funds and that are to deliver a total of 769 affordable apartments.

At this event, Mayor Stoney also announced the second round of awards for affordable housing for which his administration is seeking council approval to spend ARPA dollars. The ordinance that was introduced Monday proposes to award about $2 million to three projects that would rehabilitate 167 existing units and provide about $6 million to nine new developments that plan to deliver another 938 affordable units. A majority of the

developments would be in South Side.

On the rehab front, Better Housing Coalition is to receive $1 million to support its plans to overhaul 91 units at Lafayette Gardens on Ruffin Road in South Side; Genesis Properties is proposed to receive $600,000 to improve 62 units at Swansboro Apartments on Broad Rock Road in South Side; and Urban Hope is to receive $450,000 to help it renovate 14 rental properties in Church Hill.

The list of new developments that are recommended to receive a share of the $6 million include Dakota Partners, which plans to add 66 more units to its Brady Square affordable housing development in South Side; Project: Homes, which is planning to build 86 new units at 2100 Bainbridge St. in South Side; and Lynx Ventures, which is planning to create 242 affordable apartments in the former Oak Grove Elementary School on Ingram Street in South Side.

Also on the list are Planet Zero Residences, which plans to include 48 affordable units among the 237 units that are to be developed on 3rd Street in South Side; Commonwealth Catholic Charities, which is seeking to develop 56 units on Fourquerean Lane in North Side; and Crescent Development, which is planning to develop 276 units in the 4800 block of Walmsley Boulevard in South Side.

ARPA funding also is proposed to go to Enterprise Community Development to support the creation of 43 affordable housing units in the 1200 block of East Brookland Park Boulevard; The Community Builders to support development of a second phase of 72 rental units to replace a portion of Creighton Court’s public housing units; and Dodson Development, which plans to include 49 affordable units among the 163 apartments it plans for the 500 block of Maury Street.

Bon Secours expanding in East End

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Following through on a three-year plan to expand health services in Richmond’s East End, Bon Secours announced this week the expansion of obstetrics and gynecology services on its Richmond Community Hospital campus, and plans to open a $2 million urgent care center by year’s end.

Dr. Samuel Campbell, an OB-GYN specialist, is now seeing patients in the clinic in the new $16.5 million office building that Bon Secours Richmond opened in January at 2600 Nine Mile Road, next door to the hospital, according to Bon Secours spokeswoman Jenna Green.

Dr. Campbell’s presence is part of the Bon Secours plan to beef up services in 12 specialty areas at Richmond Community in the next 36 months.

The plan, titled “Community Today, Community Tomorrow: Pathway to Well-

ness in the East End,” was unveiled at the grand opening of the new office building and came amid criticism that has died down now that the health system investing enough in its East End hospital.

The new urgent care center also will be located inside the new office building, Ms. Green stated, and is anticipated to take up about 5,000 square feet or about 20 percent of the building’s space. It will be in addition to a wellness clinic that Bon Secours already has opened, she stated.

The center is to have eight exam rooms, X-ray and imaging space and on-site labs and 10 to 12 staff members, she stated.

Bon Secours plans to operate the center from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, she stated, with the care center closed only on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

The giant nonprofit health system anticipates serving 12,000 or more patients a year who need “care for conditions that need attention” such as illnesses and

injuries, while reducing pressure on the hospital’s emergency department, Ms. Green stated.

To maintain staffing, she stated that Bon Secours also would be hiring radiology techs, certified medical assistants, receptionists, nurse practitioners and physician assistants.

The Bon Secours Urgent Care, East End, is one of five such centers Bon Secours is in the process of adding in the Richmond area. Currently, Bon Secours only has one urgent care center located in Glen Allen.

During the next six months, Bon Secours plans to develop and open two urgent care centers in the Midlothian and Swift Creek areas of Chesterfield County and two others in Regency Square and on Nuckols Road in Henrico County.

Urgent care centers are seen as offering quicker and more convenient care, according to Mike Lutes, president of Bon Secours Richmond.

Trump pleads not guilty to federal charges that he illegally kept classified documents

The Associated Press MIAMI

Donald Trump became the first former president to face a judge on federal charges as he pleaded not guilty in a Miami courtroom Tuesday to dozens of felony counts accusing him of hoarding classified documents and refusing government demands to give them back.

The history-making court date, centered on charges that Mr. Trump mishandled government secrets that as commander-inchief he was entrusted to protect, kickstarts a legal process that will unfold at the height of the 2024 presidential campaign and carry profound consequences not only for his political future but also for his own personal liberty.

Mr. Trump approached his arraignment with characteristic bravado, posting social media broadsides against the prosecution from inside his motorcade en route to the courthouse and insisting — as he has through years of legal woes — that he has done nothing wrong and was being persecuted for political purposes. But inside the courtroom, he sat silently, scowling and arms crossed, as a lawyer entered a not guilty plea on his behalf in a brief arraignment that ended without him having to surrender his passport or otherwise restrict his travel.

The arraignment, though largely procedural in nature, was the

latest in an unprecedented reckoning this year for Mr. Trump, who faces charges in New York arising from hush money payments during his 2016 presidential campaign as well as ongoing investigations in Washington and Atlanta into efforts to undo the results of the 2020 race.

Always in campaign mode, he swiftly pivoted from the solemn courtroom to a festive restaurant, stopping on his way out of Miami at Versailles, an iconic Cuban spot in the city’s Little Havana neighborhood where supporters serenaded Mr. Trump, who turns 77 on Wednesday, with “Happy Birthday.” The back-to-back events highlight the tension for Mr. Trump in the months ahead as he balances the pageantry of campaigning with courtroom stops accompanying his status as a twice-indicted criminal defendant.

Yet the gravity of the moment was unmistakable.

Until last week, no former president had ever been charged

by the Justice Department, let alone accused of mishandling topsecret information. The indictment unsealed last week charged Mr. Trump with 37 felony counts — many under the Espionage Act — that accuse him of illegally storing classified documents in his bedroom, bathroom, shower and other locations at Mara-Lago and trying to hide them from the Justice Department as investigators demanded them back. The charges carry a yearslong prison sentence in the event of a conviction.

Mr. Trump has relied on a familiar playbook of painting himself as a victim of political persecution. He attacked the Justice Department special counsel who filed the case as a “thug” and “deranged,” pledged to remain in the race no matter what and addressed supporters Tuesday night at his Bedminster, N.J., golf club, where he delivered a roughly half-hour speech full of repeated falsehoods and incendiary rhetoric and threatened to go after President Biden and his family if elected.

“The seal is broken by what they’ve done. They should never have done this,” Mr. Trump said of the indictment.

But Attorney General Merrick Garland, an appointee of President Biden, sought to insulate the department from political attacks by handing ownership of the case last November to a special counsel, Jack Smith, who on Friday declared, “We have one set of laws in this country, and they apply to everyone.”

Jeremy M. Lazarus/Richmond Free Press

Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press.

Mr. Trump

Janine

Photos by Brian Palmer

June 10 during a Juneteenth per-

Juneteenth attendees

participated in a “Torchlight Night Walk,” walking the route into Richmond that was taken by African captives who became slaves.

Juneteenth events

June 17 11 a.m.

The Juneteenth Community Celebration Cookout comes to Forest Hill Park from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The inaugural event includes performances from country artist Trae Taylor and rapper/singer Kamuu, along with food, speakers and bounce houses.

Noon

Gospel singer Hezekiah Walker headlines the third annual Gospel Family Picnic at Virginia Union University, also featured are The Legendary Ingramettes, VUU Gospel Choir, Vincent Bohanan & SOV and others. The event is free

One of the few lasting changes from the moment of “racial reckoning” that America experienced after the murder of Minnesota resident George Floyd was the federal recognition of Juneteenth as a national holiday in 2021. While diversity and equity programs may go in and out of style with some corpo-

and open to the public. Registration is requested and lawn chairs are suggested. eventbrite.com

Noon

The Hardywood Juneteenth Celebration returns to Hardywood Park Craft Brewery with an art walk, poetry readings and music from Corey El & The Fam. The free event runs from Noon to 8 p.m. hardywood.com.

4 p.m.

Henrico Recreation & Parks annual Juneteenth Celebration returns with entertainment and activities from 4 to 10 p.m. at Dorey Park. The event closes with a fireworks display and features

music from Akoma De Gado, Desirée Roots, Bak N Da Day and Mighty Joshua. henrico.us.

June 18 Noon

Juneteenth Block Party Festival returns to Diversity Richmond from Noon to 10 p.m. The event will feature Black-owned vendors, dance, food, spoken word, games and live music. The festival is free, with VIP packages ($75 -$125) available. theblackvillageofrva.com Noon

The Juneteenth Freedom Day

rations and commonwealths, Juneteenth is here to stay. In the Richmond area, the number and variety of events continue to expand, with festivities in Scott’s Addition, at Virginia Union University and the Intermediate Terminal. In keeping with the spirit of the holiday, the following Juneteenth events are free.

Celebration comes to Brambly Park in Scott’s Addition with over 30 food vendors and music from Sista Nickey and Stable Roots, JTucker and The Krewe and a performance from the City Dance Theatre. The free event starts at noon and ends at 7 p.m. eventbrite.com 3 p.m.

The second annual Jubilation in June Festival comes to the Intermediate Terminal at 3101 Wharf St. at 3 p.m. On the schedule are performances from Thea Paul, WanMor, Kammuu and hip-hop veterans Arrested Development. The event also features food and resource vendors and is accessible via Pulse,

with parking available at Main Street Station. The festival closes at 9 p.m. with fireworks. eventbrite.com 7 p.m.

Virginia Repertory Theatre and Chesterfield County Parks and Recreation present a tribute based on Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream,” speech at 7 p.m. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the speech delivered at the March on Washington in 1963. Singer Desirée Roots narrates while her brother, Rev. Dr. Arthur L. Roots will portray Dr. King. Registration is required for this free event. chesterfield.gov.

Compiled by Craig Belcher

High blood pressure plagues many Black Americans Combined with COVID, it’s catastrophic

The

Associated Press

By Kat Stafford

DISTRICT HEIGHTS, Md.

Charles Thomas was unwell but he had no time for rest.

He was on the cusp of a management promotion and a move to Florida to begin a new chapter that would alter his family’s financial future and break the cycle of generational poverty.

Yet, as his family’s prospects improved, concerns about his health grew.

A severe bout of COVID-19 left the 52-yearold weak and in recovery for weeks. His wife, Melanese Marr-Thomas, worried he was pushing himself too hard to get back in the swing of things. Mr. Thomas was a big man at 6 feet tall and 300 pounds. He struggled for years to get his weight under control.

Later in life, that struggle gave way to high blood pressure and a medley of medications.

In a nation plagued by high blood pressure, Black people are more likely to suffer from it — and so, in the time of COVID-19, they are more likely than white people to die. It’s a stark reality. And it has played out in thousands of Black households that have lost mothers and fathers over the past three years, a distinct calamity within the many tragedies of the pandemic.

It has devastated families like the Thomases of District Heights, Md.

Mr. Thomas had an intense fear of hospitals, needles and doctors, partially because they had, in the past, brushed aside his concerns. He felt doctors were quick to blame any ailments solely on his weight, but slow to listen to his symptoms or examine other causes. He eventually gave up on seeking medical care for a long time because he was tired of feeling judged.

His family had recently found a Black doctor who, for the first time in his life, made Charles feel comfortable— and most importantly, heard.

Race and high blood pressure

Among white people, the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and disease is projected to decrease over time. Yet significant increases are projected among people of color, especially Black and Latino Americans.

It is clear that high blood pressure has played a major role in COVID deaths, and especially in the COVID deaths of Black people. Together, high blood pressure and COVID have created a deadly combination: While high blood pressure is listed as a contributing factor in 15.5% of the deaths of white COVID sufferers, the figure for Black victims is 21.4% — the highest of any racial group.

Like many conditions, genetics do play a part. Experts also blame poor diets, high cholesterol, obesity and smoking — risk factors that often exist at higher rates in Black communities. In recent years, more academics and doctors have called attention

disease is expected to drastically increase. High blood pressure rates alone are projected to rise 27.2%, or from roughly 127.8 million to 162.5 million Americans. ***

When they met, the two quickly hit it off and could spend hours just talking. But they were in vastly different places in life: While Melanese Marr was focused on her studies, Mr. Thomas was trying to survive in a particularly tough Maryland neighborhood. He eventually cut off all ties from her with little explanation.

Charles Thomas

“I was so hurt.”

to structural inequities.

The nation’s health disparities have had a tragic impact: Over the past two decades, the higher mortality rate among Black Americans resulted in 1.6 million excess deaths compared to white Americans. That higher mortality rate resulted in a cumulative loss of more than 80 million years of life due to people dying young and billions of dollars in health care and lost opportunity.

“Until we reach health equity, these disparities are going to be a scar on the health care landscape in the United States,” said Dr. Keith C. Ferdinand, the Gerald S. Berenson Endowed Chair in Preventive Cardiology at Tulane University’s School of Medicine. He emphasized the importance of equal access to primary and specialty care and medications.

“If we don’t do that, then we don’t have a just society,” Dr. Ferdinand said. The Associated Press

he grew up poor and bounced around various communities that all suffered from the simmering effects of racism and segregation-era policies, with little hope and few pathways to escape poverty.

Mr. Thomas and Melanese Marr reconnected in late 2009 and rekindled their romance. The couple eventually married and blended their families. He never shied away from talking about his earlier struggles in life. He acknowledged his mistakes and instead used it as a powerful way to teach his children to avoid the pitfalls he fell prey to.

Then Mr. Thomas began having trouble breathing. The smallest tasks left him breathless and taking a few steps left him tired and struggling for air. Still, in late January 2021, he decided to go back to work.

“He was so enthusiastic about trying to make sure we got our food truck back up and running,” Mrs. Marr-Thomas said. “But I told him he just came out of the ICU with double pneumonia. I asked, ‘Why are you going back so quickly?’”

She suspects Mr. Thomas felt he still had to make up for lost time and his past mistakes. The stress of it was toxic, and taxing on his health, and Mrs. Marr-Thomas worried it exacerbated his high blood pressure — and also his COVID complications.

“I think that also killed him,” Mrs. MarrThomas said. ***

Near the end of February 2021, Charles Thomas’ 16-year-old ran into the room one evening and shook Melanese awake. Something was wrong with Dad.

She rushed into the bedroom and found her husband on the floor on his hands and knees.

“It looked like he had fallen and was trying to get himself back up,” Melanese said. “I said, ‘What’s wrong?’ He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t say anything to me.”

He struggled to get up, but collapsed on the floor and stopped breathing.

Emergency responders performed CPR, but it was too late. Charles died Feb. 28, 2021, of COVID-19 related complications. He was 52.

“He knew he needed to take better care of himself so we were trying to change his diet and be more active,” Melanese said. “His blood pressure was beginning to come down.”

But then, COVID intervened.

About 56% of Black adults have high blood pressure, compared to 48% of white people. Three in four African-Americans are likely to develop the disorder by age 55.

When the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your blood vessels is consistently too high, it makes the heart and blood vessels work harder and less efficiently, which can lead to significant health issues.

While only 32% of white adults with high blood pressure have their condition under control with medication, the figure for Black Americans is even lower — 25%.

And it’s likely to get worse: By 2060, the number of Americans battling cardiovascular

“‘You deserve so much more than what I can give,’” Mrs. MarrThomas recalled Mr. Thomas saying to her.

Years later, she found out it was because he was struggling to find his way out of a life of selling drugs.

Mr. Thomas eventually had a son, Charles Thomas III, with another woman — a child whom Charles tried to be heavily involved in raising. But his street life eventually caught up with him.

Mr. Thomas was incarcerated off and on for much of his son’s childhood and teenage years.

“He was heavy in the streets,” Charles Thomas III, 33, recalled. “But he made his presence known even when he was in jail. He would still find a way to send me gifts for Christmas. I’ll never forget the little toy car he sent me and I said ‘My daddy sent me this present,’ not putting two and two together that he was in jail.”

It took years for Mr. Thomas to eventually begin the hard journey of changing his life.

Years later, he acknowledged the vicious cycle he found himself in. As a young Black man,

He worked his way up at his job as a concrete truck driver and became well respected in the company — and within his community, as a known father figure to other Black boys at his youngest son’s football games. He launched a food truck and catering business, Sol Familia Mobile Kitchen, with his wife. Everything was looking up, finally.

But Charles Thomas began to feel sick around Thanksgiving in 2020. He thought it was a passing cold, but his wife was worried; the number of COVID cases was climbing, both nationally and locally, and the vaccine wasn’t yet widely available.

Mrs. Marr-Thomas was right. The entire family — parents and six children — would be diagnosed with COVID. But as the others got better, Charles’ condition worsened. His wife convinced him to go to the hospital, where his oxygen levels dropped severely and he spent eight days in the intensive care unit, where he was nearly placed on a ventilator. But he recovered, and went home in time for Christmas.

The family thought the worst was over.

So much was lost that night. The family was getting ready to move to Jacksonville, Fla. Charles had just been offered a job he spent 10 years working toward. He was slated to be a plant manager. The family was in the midst of planning a trip to look at homes there.

“I still relive that night,” Mrs. MarrThomas said. “I was so numb and in disbelief that someone that was just talking to me is no longer here. He was the pillar of our family, the foundation, our protector. He was everything and it is an immeasurable loss.”

For his namesake, Charles Thomas III, that means imparting love and wisdom to his own 5-year-old daughter, who his father adored. It also means supporting Mrs. Marr-Thomas and helping her with his younger siblings.

“I can’t look in the mirror without seeing my dad,” he said. “When I go to school as teacher and I’m correcting my students, I see my dad. When I’m talking to my daughter and my girlfriend, I hear my father. Everything I say. I can hear him. He’s going to live on through me.”

This story is part of an Associated Press series examining the health disparities experienced by Black Americans across a lifetime.

To read more, visit https://apnews.com/article/ high-blood-pressure-covid-racism-370646e86ea8868d641aba9a67664c92

Bell of the Elegba Folklore Society performs

formance at Ancarrow’s Landing/Manchester Dock.

later

Melanese Marr-Thomas

Staging the future: Council bets on showbiz

Continued from A1 revenue the project would generate, which she said would create positive benefits for her district and the entire city. She also noted the city would receive a $25 million payment if voters approve the casino.

Others cited the fact the city would gain new revenue without using any taxpayer dollars. “I’m in support of a project that isn’t going to cost us anything,” said 3rd District Councilwoman Ann-Frances Lambert. “This is something that can actually help us bring our tax rate down. We’ve got to say yes to projects like this in order for us to do so.”

Fourth District Councilwoman Kristen M. Nye said voters received misinformation in 2021

that that Richmond was giving away land and investing in the project “and we weren’t. This is purely revenue for us. I haven’t seen a deal like this since I’ve been on council.”

Two community activists, Allan-Charles Chipman and Debbie Rowe, urged the council to shoot down the casino ordinance and respect the 2021 referendum results.

Also Monday, the council cleared the way for the proposed 7,500-seat amphitheater development that is projected to bring, by summer 2025, major outdoor concerts to a nine-acre site off 2nd Street that would overlook the river near Belle Isle.

The vote authorizes the Stoney administration to help repay the cost of the development that Red Light Ventures, a company led by R. Coran Capshaw, would undertake by rebating to

the company the new and additional real estate, admissions and the state share of sales taxes the project would create at the site.

Before the vote, council members, including 7th District Councilwoman Cynthia I. Newbille, sought administration assurances that some effort would be made to illuminate the history of the enslaved people who once worked at the site.

She did so after Joseph Rogers, a former employee of the American Civil War Museum, noted that memorial markers to enslaved persons who worked in the Tredegar Iron Works had been removed without any notice.

Also that night, Council extended the program of real estate tax relief for the elderly and disabled to benefit those with incomes up to $70,000 a year. In addition, Council approved

honorary street signs for two ministers for their significant contributions to the city. They are former Mayor Dwight C. Jones, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of South Richmond, and the late Rev. Robert L. Taylor of Fourth Baptist Church in Church Hill.

The street sign for Dr. Jones would serve as recognition of his service as mayor and as a former member of the Virginia General Assembly, as well as for serving 50 years as senior pastor of First Baptist, the Richmond area’s oldest Black Baptist church.

The sign for Dr. Taylor would remember the crucial role he played in Richmond during the Civil Rights Movement and his leadership in the creation of a job training and development program for unemployed adults.

13th Senate District primary candidates discuss their platforms

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tion by endorsing Sen. Morrissey’s opponent. In another unusual move, the Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia have also chosen to back Ms. Aird in the Democratic primary race.

Ms. Aird, who will turn 37 this month, is the chief of staff at the Richard Bland College of William & Mary. She became the youngest woman ever to serve in the House of Delegates when she was elected to represent the 63rd District in November 2015, but lost the seat to a Republican opponent in 2022.

Saturday will be the last day of early voting before the Democratic primary on Tuesday, June 20. As voters continue to make up their minds and head to the polls, the Richmond Free Press asked following questions to each of the candidates.

Free Press: What do you intend to do on the issue of gun violence?

Mrs. Aird: On the issue of gun violence I believe in prioritizing prevention. In order to prevent gun violence we must take a multi-pronged approach. We have to get real about the root causes resulting in people turning to guns to begin with. We must also commit to acknowledging we still have a lot of work to do in Virginia to improve our strained mental health system to ensure those in need are getting the care they deserve. In addition, we must eliminate assault weapons and the use of high capacity magazines. This must change if we are serious about prevention.

Free Press: How would you improve education in the district?

Mrs. Aird: In every part of the district, families are concerned about our schools. Our children deserve the very best public schools — to include modernization of our facilities. Educators and school administrators are desperate for an increase in their wages and resources, while students need mental health and increased academic support. During my time in the House of Delegates I introduced legislation to fully fund our SOQ’s (Standards of Quality) and I believe in continuing to push for the full funding of our schools. Education has been a top priority in the past and will continue to be one in the future.

Free Press: What steps would you take to address affordable housing?

Mrs. Aird: In 2020, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) conducted a review of affordable housing in Virginia. I support their recommendations to have Virginia Housing reinvest a portion of its net income into a program to expand access to affordable housing, Resources Enabling Affordable Community Housing (REACH). In addition, I will advocate for a comprehensive state-led effort to identify and plan for housing needs statewide. JLARC shared that state officials need statewide, regional, and locality-specific information on housing needs to make informed decisions about how and where to deploy available resources, and I agree this would be an invaluable first step to make policy and funding decisions.

Free Press: Do you support maintaining Virginia’s current abortion laws? If not, how should the laws be changed? If so, does Virginia’s constitution need an amendment to protect women’s reproductive rights?

Mrs. Aird: Reproductive access, which includes maternal health, contraception as well as abortion, should be in the Virginia Constitution. To ensure the well-being of individuals, their families and our communities, reproductive health care must be accessible. It is intrinsically linked to all financial, mental and psychological aspects of life. As such I support our existing laws but we must protect the rights that exist in Virginia today and cement them in our constitution.

Frustration, sorrow mount in city after shooting

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tative for the family, noted the outpouring of support from the community and local organizations.

“The mother (Tameeka Jackson-Smith), is very grateful for all the support,” Mr. Willis said. “She just wants to honor her son and her husband, and that’s we’re going to do.”

A criminal investigation into the events leading up to the shooting continues. The FBI and the Richmond Police Department have requested that people at the graduation celebration in Monroe Park submit photos and videos of the event to .fbi. gov/huguenotgraduation. A tip line has also been set up at (804) 646-6741 for witnesses of the shooting and its aftermath to share information.

“Our goal is to establish the facts of what took place and deliver a solid case to the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney for prosecution,” RPD said in a statement. “Any new information that can be shared will be provided as available as the department balances the need for public safety and the upcoming criminal proceedings.”

Officials with Richmond Public Schools and the City of Richmond government, meanwhile, were present for Saturday’s vigil, and promised to support solutions to ensure students’ safety and curb future violence in the city.

“I pledge to work with the RPS administration to do our part to end it, including prioritizing mental health support for our youths,” said Richmond School Board Chair Stephanie Rizzi. “I call on the entire community to join us.”

Beyond the speeches and promises, the tone for many officials and individuals since the shooting has been filled with exhaustion and frustration.

“I pray, with all my heart and all my soul, that this is the last vigil that I ever have to do,” said RPS Superintendent Jason Kamras.

A funeral for Mr. Jackson and Mr. Smith is scheduled to take place at Speaking Spirit Ministries at 4205 Ravenswood Road on Thursday, June 15, at noon.

Free Press: If elected, what other issue do you see as being a priority?

Mrs. Aird: Access to quality and affordable healthcare continues to be a critical issue all around the district, while the rising costs in particular are burdening families of all economic makeup. If elected I will prioritize exploring the reduction of costs through regulation, and adopt policy that offers incentives to reduce the utilization of low-value care, as first steps.

Free Press: What do you intend to do on the issue of gun violence?

Sen. Morrissey: Before I answer this question, let me take a moment to express my profound condolences to those families that lost loved ones as well as those individuals whose lives were forever changed by the tragedy at the Altria Theater last Tuesday, June 6, 2023. As a State Senator, I have already taken steps to address this issue of gun violence. During the 2023 Session, I introduced SB 918, which would have prohibited the sale of assault firearms and large capacity ammunition feeding devices.

Finally, there have been 58 school shootings in Virginia since 1971. That stunning statistic alone warrants the banning of these weapons of war!

Free Press: How would you improve education in the district?

Sen. Morrissey: One of the most successful efforts to improve education in school districts around the country are those programs that allow individuals in non-education related careers, who are looking for a second career, to use their expertise (e.g. math, science, accounting, etc.) to teach in public schools without having to get a formal education certificate. In other words, their life experiences as a pharmacist, accountant, budget analyst, etc. would allow them entry to teach in a related field. This program should be instituted in Virginia immediately.

Free Press: What steps would you take to address affordable housing?

Sen. Morrissey: Every single new housing development, without exception, must set aside a dedicated portion to affordable housing. Additionally, affordable housing should not be clustered in one particular area. After 75 years of failure, we now realize that clustering individuals in “housing projects” is a pathway to disaster. Instead, in return for developers being given rights to develop a housing track, require that they set one-third of the housing aside for affordable housing.

Free Press: Do you support maintaining Virginia’s current abortion laws? If not, how should the laws be changed? If so, does Virginia’s constitution need an amendment to protect women’s reproductive rights?

Sen. Morrissey: As I have repeatedly said, a woman’s decision to have an abortion is between herself and her physician. I do not believe that legislators should be telling women what they can and cannot do with their bodies. Additionally, we need to have exceptions in cases of rape, incest, and when the mother’s life is in danger.

Free Press: If elected/re-elected, what other issue do you see as being a priority?

Sen. Morrissey: I have served in the General Assembly for nearly 13 years. My primary focus during this time has been on criminal justice reform. I have introduced and passed over 21 criminal justice related bills that have had a huge impact on the Commonwealth, from abolishing the death penalty, to ending solitary confinement to doubling the number of mental health dockets. Additionally, it was my legislation that reestablished parole for juveniles, geriatric defendants and Fishback defendants. Finally, it was my legislation that ended the jury penalty and now allows individuals to have jury trials but sentencing by judges that can take a multitude of factors into consideration at sentencing.

If re-elected, I would focus on reestablishing parole for all incarcerated inmates as well as eliminating mandatory minimum sentences.

79th House District candidates cite school funding, gun legislation and criminal justice reform as key issues

Continued from A1

in her bid for the 78th House District.

Based on interviews and their remarks, whichever one of the candidates win will be supporting a progressive agenda that matters to Democrats. All are strong supporters of women’s reproductive and abortion rights, public schools, restrictions on firearms and restoration of voting rights for felons.

If money matters, Ms. Cousins, a 43-yearold attorney and fourth-generation Richmond, is the clear leader in fundraising.

Making her first run for public office, she has received more than $500,000 in donations, almost 10 times the amount her rivals have raised.

Still, money might not matter as much in a contest where turning out the vote is a challenge in the district wholly within the city that includes the 6th and 7th Council districts and portions of the 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 8th districts.

More than 61,000 people in the district are currently registered to vote, according to the Virginia Department of Elections but the most optimistic estimate suggests that 15 percent or fewer of them will cast ballots.

According to the Virginia Voter Access Project, fewer than 1,500 voters had voted early as of Tuesday.

Ms. Lambert, 47, shrugs off the money issue and believes she can pull ahead based on her experience.

“It matters,” said Ms. Lambert, the only one of the candidates to have won elective office. She is in her first term representing the 3rd District on City Council.

She also may have greater name recognition as the daughter of the late Gilpin Court optometrist Dr. Benjamin J. Lambert III, who represented Richmond for 31 years in the General Assembly.

Ms. Lambert, who also has worked as a legislative aide for elected officials at the city, state and federal levels, is hoping voters will allow her to follow in her father’s footsteps. For her, this a free shot as she will keep her council seat should she lose this contest.

Mr. Walker, 65, believes he has a chance to win, though his campaign has raised only about $7,000.

The leader of a nonprofit that focuses on helping felons succeed after release, he said, “I’m hoping and believing these two women cancel each other out and I squeeze through.”

For example, Mr. Walker, who has served time in prison and had his rights restored, puts the most stress on the need for criminal justice reforms and pushing for environmental reforms.

He has been most notable in starting the first program in the city to train people for employment for solar energy installation.

Ms. Cousins, puts funding of public schools as her top priority, with particular focus on advocating for greater state involvement in helping localities to replace outdated and crumbling school buildings.

Ms. Lambert emphasizes the need for “common sense” gun legislation that would ban assault rifles and fight to “keep Black history” in our schools.

She also uses her city governing experience to explain how she would advocate at the state level for more tools to enable localities to address the rising costs housing, child care, taxes and other expenses.

Free Press founders receive City Hall honor

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city,” said 8th District Councilwoman Reva M. Trammell, who sponsored the award.

The award, as detailed by the official summary, celebrates the Boones and “their collective community leadership, service, dedication and prominence in the community, and for helping to make our city an even better and more socially and racially just place to live, love, work, learn, play, visit and enjoy family.”

Standing in for Mayor Levar M. Stoney, Lincoln Saunders, the city’s chief administrative officer, called it important to “honor a couple who has done so much for the city” and expressed his delight “for the unique opportunity to be in the presence of a legend.”

Richmond is better, he said, for “the work you and your husband have done to lift up the voices of the Black community.

It is an incredible legacy.”

Members of the council took turns offering praise for the Boones and the newspaper.

Council President Michael J. Jones, 9th District, who also is a full-time pastor, described the Free Press as a crucial outlet for Black churches to let the public know about services and events. “We could always count on the Free Press to be there,” he said

Fifth District Councilwoman Stephanie A. Lynch recalled coming to Richmond 17 years ago and quickly learned how important the newspaper is to the community and how it provided “a voice for those who did not have one.”

She praised the newspaper for “telling the truth and even honestly kicking butt when we needed it.” She said that helped “make us better leaders” and helped “teach the community how to use their voice and tell their stories.”

First District Councilman Andreas D. Addison said that he has followed the advice of former governor and former Mayor L. Douglas Wilder “to read the Free Press” and found it to be an important outlet in reporting “on what is happening in the city”

Eighth District Councilwoman Cynthia I. Newbille praised the newspaper for airing “concerns and perspectives on any number of issues,” while 6th District Councilwoman Ellen F. Robertson said that the newspaper has helped council “make the right kinds of policies in so many ways” and influenced the direction of the city.

Third District Councilwoman AnnFrances Lambert, who once worked at the Free Press handling classified ads, praised the newspaper for “continuing to express history.”

Fourth District Councilwoman Kristen

M. Nye thanked Mrs. Boone for “what you are doing for our city’s journalism. You are the voice to speak to my residents, to get the message out. I can never match what the Free Press and other media outlets can do. You can ask those hard questions” and bring “everything into the sunlight where it needs to be.”

Moved, Mrs. Boone said her husband of 45 years sought to build a newspaper that would “be attractive and tell the truth. We as a family believed there was no other alternative.”

Mrs. Boone was joined by the newspaper’s managing editor, Bonnie Newman Davis. Also at Mrs. Boone’s side was her son, Raymond Boone Jr., vice president for new business development for the Free Press, and her daughter, award-winning Free Press photographer Regina H. Boone. Also in the audience was Cathy L. Hughes, founder and board chair of Urban One, the radio and television conglomerate. Ms. Hughes drove from Washington to show her support for the Free Press and the Boone family.

Ms. Boone said the newspaper seeks to hold elected officials accountable and make a difference in the community.

“I believe we are doing a good job,” Ms. Boone said. “Just watch out. We’re still here.”

Ms. Lambert Ms. Cousins Mr. Walker

Jeff Wilson receives local PRSA chapter’s highest honor

VHMC’s Taylor Fuqua receives ‘Rising Star’ award

Free Press staff report

Jeff Wilson, vice president of Workplace Culture, Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and chief of staff at Padilla, recently received the 2023 Excellence in Public Relations Award from the Richmond chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA Richmond).

In a June 8 ceremony at the Dominion Energy Center, Mr. Wilson also was recognized as the first Black recipient of the prestigious award.

The career achievement award is PRSA Richmond’s highest honor, which recognizes the extraordinary achievements of seasoned public relations practitioners working in the Greater Richmond Region.

As a member of the agency’s senior leadership team, Mr. Wilson is responsible for workplace culture programs, internal communications and DEI initiatives. He also provides DEI strategic counsel to clients across several industries as part of the agency’s Social Impact Consultancy, and speaks nationally on DEI and social impact issues. He previously led the agency marketing team for Padilla, and has exper-

tise in community relations, grassroots marketing, issues management and higher education.

Along with professional achievements, the Excellence in Public Relations Award also recognizes senior leaders for their community involvement, mentorship of others, service to PRSA, continuing education in the field and overall contributions to the profession. Mr. Wilson’s volunteer leadership positions include serving on the board (executive committee) for the Visual Arts Center of Richmond. In addition, he previously served on the national board of directors for the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), as co-chair of the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame advisory committee, chair for MENTOR Virginia, president of PRSA Richmond, and president of the Richmond Public Relations Foundation, which recently named a scholarship on his behalf for Richmond Region college students of color.

“I’m humbled by this recognition. I’ve had the pleasure of

meeting many of the past award recipients – some who’ve served as mentors and colleagues,” Mr. Wilson said. “It is a privilege to have my name listed among theirs.”

Mr. Wilson began his career as a city government reporter for the Greenville News in South Carolina, and later worked as a public information coordinator at the University of South Carolina, where he earned a bachelor’s in print journalism.

Mr. Wilson grew up in Elliott, S.C. He moved to Richmond in 2000 to work for Carter Ryley Thomas Public Relations and Marketing Counsel, which became Padilla in 2013.

Also, during the PRSA awards, Taylor Fuqua, manager of public relations and marketing at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, was recognized with this year’s Rising Star award. The award is given to someone with five years or less experience “who has done incredible work in the public relations field” according to PRSA. Ms. Fuqua is a graduate of Norfolk State University.

New tool to help Chesterfield residents locate voting precincts

With the June 20 primary one week away, the Chesterfield County Registrar’s Office is making it easy for county residents to locate their respective representatives and voting precinct with the click of button.

The Political Districts Viewer is a new digital tool created to allow users to access and visualize information related to magisterial districts, state and federal political districts, voting precincts and polling locations.

During the June 20 primary, voters will be able to scan a QR code with their phone at each polling location to ensure they are at their respective voting place.

About 1 in 12 African Americans have Sickle Cell Trait.

When two people with Sickle Cell Trait have a child, there is a 1 in 4 chance with each pregnancy, that the child will have a painful life threatening disease called Sickle Cell Disease.

“We realize there may be some confusion for some of our voters since several voting precincts and polling places were combined or relocated as a result of the recent redistricting,” said Chesterfield General Registrar and Director of Elections Missy Vera. “The Political District Mapping Viewer is a wonderful resource to help county voters view who the current representatives are in their district and arrive at their correct polling site place to vote.”

By accessing the “Layer List” feature, users can easily control the visibility of different layers within the map viewer by simply entering their address. This function allows for a customized viewing experience, as users can choose to display only the specific layers they are interested in at any given time.

Furthermore, the user guide for the Political Districts Viewer is available directly within the map viewer itself. The website link is: https://chesterfieldva.maps.arcgis.com/apps/ webappviewer/index.html?id= c33f94b81215461eb4cbb5dea 63c9ac4.

The guide provides detailed instructions. and explanations

on how to use the various features and functions of the viewer. Users can refer to the guide to better understand how to navigate the map and toggle between layers. Registered voters must report to their designated polling places to participate in the June 20 primary.

Meanwhile, the last full week of early weekday voting for the June primary wraps up this week.

Voters can continue to cast their ballots in person early for the June primary from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Friday, June 16, and on Saturday, June 17, at the Registrar’s Office at 9848 Lori Road in Chesterfield.

Early voting will only be available at the Registrar’s Office for the June primary. No other locations will be open for early voting. To view a complete list of acceptable IDs, please visit https://www.elections.virginia. gov/casting-a-ballot/in-personvoting/.

Free Press staff report

Mr. Wilson Ms. Fuqua

No more ‘jo(e)king’ around

Voting has been underway for several weeks in what The Nation magazine called “the most important Democratic primary of 2023,” between former state representative Lashrecse Aird and the incumbent, a scandal-prone former lawyer named Joe Morrissey.

What makes this race so important? It has to do with reproductive rights. Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, many states have enacted restrictions on abortion. In Virginia, Democrats have a slim margin in the state Senate, which allows them to hold back any abortion restrictions that Gov. Glenn Youngkin may propose. That makes every seat more important, especially the one Mr. Morrissey sits in, as he has been called “pro-life” and has intimated that he would vote with republicans on this issue.

There are some in the black community who say they’re okay with women losing their reproductive rights. They join the chorus of well-heeled white republicans and claim that keeping abortion safe and legal is a trick to reduce the population of black people.

That would mean Republicans want more black people in the world, a stance I haven’t seen on any of their platforms or talking points memos, but I digress. I suggest to our brothers and sisters who side with the so-called “pro-life” movement, that sharing a point of view with someone doesn’t mean you share the same status.

A privileged person will always have abortion access, no matter what state houses and governors decree, because they can pay the cost and know the “right” people. But people of lesser means will have their own health at risk as they submit to dubious medical providers using potentially unsafe methods. a dangerous process that could threaten the life of the mother, which could result in less Black people. Now there’s a trick.

Sleight of hand aside, the facts are clear. Abortion restrictions disproportionately affect people of color, who already face enormous health disparities as noted by the four-part Associated Press series that the Free Press has published over the past three weeks. And, according to the Centers for Disease Control, Black and Hispanic women have the highest abortion rates. These same groups of women also may have to contend with inadequate health care, poverty and racism.

“This fight for abortion access that we’re in right now is a fight against white supremacy in this country,” Monica Raye Simpson, the executive director of the reproductive justice group SisterSong, told ABC News in 2022.

This election is about more than Mr. Morrissey, although his name is on the ballot. But it’s clear what side he’s taken in the war against white supremacy. It’s time to let him know that his actions and behavior will no longer be afforded.

Lashrecse Aird is unequivocable in her stance on abortion, as are the numerous Democratic men and women who stand in support of her.

“Reproductive access, which includes maternal health, contraception as well as abortion, should be in the Virginia Constitution,” she tells Free Press reporter Debora Timms in this week’s edition.

“To ensure the well-being of individuals, their families and our communities, reproductive health care must be accessible,” Mrs. Aird continues. “It is intrinsically linked to all financial, mental and psychological aspects of life. As such, I support our existing laws but we must protect the rights that exist in Virginia today and cement them in our constitution.”

Vote for Lashrecse Aird as the Democratic candidate for Virginia’s 13th Senate District.

Get your vote on

After months of campaigning, it’s now the voters’ turn to determine the winners and losers in local elections. On Tuesday, June 20, polling places will open in districts with contests from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. and citizens can choose their Democratic or Republican nominee to run in the November election.

The primary elections are being held in revamped and renumbered districts created as a result of population changes disclosed through the 2020 Census. Only a fraction of the 140 General Assembly districts will have June 20 primary elections. Of the 40 Senate districts, only 18 will have primary contests.

Among the races to watch is the 81st District, where 14-year Democratic Delegate Delores L. McQuinn is seeking another two-year term. None of the district is in Richmond’s East End, which she has represented since she won her seat in 2009. Now, the district is comprised of Eastern Henrico and Charles City County, along with a small piece of Chesterfield County.

The former chair of the House Transportation Committee, Del. McQuinn believes her experience gives her the edge over her competitor Terrence L. Walker, who works at Virginia Commonwealth University as a mental health administrator.

Del. McQuinn, who grew up in Eastern Henrico, serves on House Appropriations and several other key House committees. Among other things, she led the charge that ended state support for Confederate cemeteries and shifted the funding to support neglected Black cemeteries.

Mr. Walker has garnered major support from Clean Virginia, which seeks to oust those like Delegate McQuinn who take contributions from Dominion Energy.

Most of the hottest races involve the Senate. Few races have been more intense or more closely watched than the battle between Sen. Lucas, 79, one of the longest serving state senators after 31 years and her rival, Sen. Spruill, 76, a 22-year veteran of the House who moved up to the Senate in 2016.

Each has raised about $1.4 million to fuel their respective campaigns in the 18th Senate District that includes Chesapeake and Portsmouth, making it one of the most expensive elections this cycle. Sen. Lucas is from Portsmouth and Sen. Spruill is from Chesapeake.

Next door in the 12th Senate District, two-term Republican Sen. Amanda Chase is facing two well-funded challengers, former Delegate and former Richmond School Board member Glen H. Sturtevant Jr. and Tina Ramirez, leader of a an international nonprofit she founded that focuses on safeguarding religious freedom.

Also shaping up as a big race is the contest in the 11th Senate District in the Charlottesville area.

There, another veteran of the state Senate, Creigh Deeds, a former candidate for governor, is facing a tough challenge from Delegate Sally Hudson.

Another attention magnet is the battle for the Democratic nomination in 33rd Senate District between former Delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy, who ran for governor, and former Delegate Hala Ayala, who ran for lieutenant governor.

I woke up a few days ago expecting, almost hoping, that my day would be sufficiently uneventful so as not to aggravate my spirit. Instead, while listening to “The View,” I heard Sen. Tim Scott proclaim, “There is no Systemic Racism in America.”

Sen. Scott attempted to justify his assertion by using his home state of South Carolina as an example. He mentioned there being a Black police chief. Just one time, he mentioned America having had a Black president. Thoughtlessly, or maybe with full thought and consideration, he didn’t mention President Obama as being only one president out of 46 in 247 years.

To be fair to him, he named two or three other Black people as examples for his premise, but he was speaking on “The View” where the hosts knew better. His understanding of systemic racism was somewhere outside the realm of reality and Joy Behar told him so.

It was clear Sen. Scott was prepared for an adversarial response from Whoopi Goldberg, and he seemed somewhat surprised that

he was confronted by Sunny Hostin. Ms. Hostin asked him to define what he believed to be systemic racism. Responding as I’ve come to expect, Sen. Scott gave a solid “non-answer” to her question, saying, “One of the things I think about, and one of the reasons I’m on this show, is because of the comments that were made, frankly, on this show that

the only way for a young AfricanAmerican kid to be successful in this country is to be the exception and not the rule.” He went on to say, “That is a dangerous, offensive, disgusting message to send to our young people today, that the only way to succeed is by being the exception.”

Sen. Scott’s other-worldly understanding of systemic racism in American history obviously does not include nearly 250 years of enslavement or the empirical data which caused Republican President Nixon to establish The Federal Affirmative Action Program (E.O. 11478 – August 8, 1969) to correct the ills of an uninterrupted pattern of racial discrimination in the Federal sector.

Sen. Scott has obviously ignored the history and patterns

of personal Black American achievement in post-enslavement America. On one hand, are the “chosen few” – those Blacks whose demeanor, disposition, and/or unique circumstances present them as non-threatening to whites and acceptable for favorable treatment. On the other hand, are those I characterize as indomitable – those who have the talent, courage, confidence, and perseverance to challenge any obstacle that confronts them. Either of these personality types achieve because of their exceptionalism. Unlike the chosen few, those who are indomitable achieve without willingly compromising their principles.

While success is not always measured by wealth or position, opportunity and access or lack thereof are prime considerations. Black Enterprise founder Earl Graves, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, and Maryland’s Gov. Wes Moore ARE exceptions because of the obstacles they overcame.

Sen. Scott and his black-robed judicial counterpart, Clarence Thomas, exemplify the “chosen few.” Sen. Scott echoes the talking points of his handlers and denies the obvious realities of those who must live through the hazards of racism. When ap-

Political hypocrisy should come with a political price

When serving as then-President Trump’s attorney in 2018, Rudy Giuliani was a guest on the Sunday morning show “Meet the Press.” During the interview with host Chuck Todd, Mr. Giuliani gave a contradictory and confusing comment that explains how supporters of the former president view the subject of truth.

Mr. Giuliani said that “truth isn’t truth” when explaining that he would not allow Special Counsel Robert Mueller to rush Mr. Trump into testifying because he doesn’t want investigators to trap the president in a lie. Meaning Mr. Giuliani recognizes a Trump lie when he hears one.

The same can be said about former Vice President Mike Pence, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Unlike lying to MAGA supporters, having Mr. Trump lie to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigators carried legal consequences that the Trump team sought to avoid.

On the one hand, where Mr. Giuliani brought confusion regarding truth, former FBI Director James Comey brought clarity when he responded via Twitter: “Truth exists and truth matters. Truth has always been the touchstone of our country’s justice system and political life.

People who lie are held accountable. If we are untethered to truth, our justice system cannot function and a society based on the rule of law dissolves,” Mr. Comey tweeted.

“Truth isn’t truth” is why some believe the pandemic was a hoax. “Truth isn’t truth” is why people believe critical race theory is taught in K-12 schools and needs to be banned. “Truth isn’t truth” is why questions of ethics and conflicts of interest over Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas are characterized as a witch hunt.

Republican Congressman George Santos, indicted by a federal grand jury on 13 charges ranging from wire fraud and money laundering, also played the witch hunt victim card. Distorting the truth by playing the victim allows current and future lies, misinformation, corruption, and injustice to thrive within sympathetic echo chambers. Playing the victim in Rep. Santos’ case becomes a form of manipulating and misleading others by highlighting how much you are harassed and wrongly treated.

Yet, you leave out your own corruption that led to the scrutiny in the first place. Mr. Trump has become the ultimate “victim.” In Mr. Trump, we have a former president twice impeached, found liable for sexual abuse, his company found guilty of tax evasion, and now he faces a

37-count federal indictment for retention of classified documents and conspiracy with a top aide to hide them from the government and his attorneys.

“The ridiculous and baseless indictment of me by the Biden administration’s weaponized department of injustice will go down as among the most horrific abuses of power in the history of our country,” said Mr. Trump in his remarks to supporters in Georgia. Ironically, the criminal charges remind us that protecting classified material was part of Mr.Trump’s political platform in his 2016 presidential campaign against Hillary Clinton.

The hypocrisy is simply part of the overall corruption of a man who knows how to manipulate the emotions of his MAGA followers. Political hypocrisy should ultimately come with a political price of personal accountability. Therefore, if there is a willingness to avoid lying to a special counsel, there should be a willingness to avoid lying to the American people. Consequences should be paid in both cases. Mr. Trump has already vowed to stay in the race even if convicted. As a nation, we shouldn’t be put in that situation. Even Richard Nixon had enough decency left within himself to resign, go away, and spare the country further pain.

The writer is founder of the faith-based organization, TRB: The Reconciled Body, and author of the book God Bless Our Divided America.

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pointed to coordinate with Sen. Corey Booker to create a bipartisan response to police violence, Sen. Scott initially spoke with knowing candor. Somewhere in the process, he was reined in and unyieldingly embraced the qualified immunity doctrine for police which effectively ended any bipartisan effort.

Since joining the Supreme Court, Justice Thomas has espoused the destruction of the same affirmative action initiatives which provided the lift necessary for his professional development. All appearances suggest that these two “chosen ones” ignore any indignity or violence inflicted upon Black people and other people of color or upon members of “other out-groups.” Maybe guilt prevents the senator from acknowledging his own complicity in the practices of systemic racism. The writer is president of the Dick Gregory Society.

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Reflections on freedom for Juneteenth

The official recognition of the day the last enslaved people in the United States learned of their freedom, known as Juneteenth, was a long time coming. It wasn’t until 2021 — nearly 160 years after slavery ended — that the president signed a proclamation making Juneteenth a federal holiday. The holiday itself shows how freedom delayed can be freedom denied: It took two years for the last enslaved people in Texas to get the word they had been emancipated.

Some African-Americans celebrate freedom twice — Juneteenth and July Fourth — while some have embraced the new federal holiday and released the older one. One argument: Black people were still enslaved at the time of the country’s founding, and today the holiday reminds us that America’s promise is still unkept.

For some of us, even our relationship with Juneteenth is complicated: The official recognition came on the heels of the police murder of George Floyd. That could be interpreted as a hasty response to the mass movement inspired by Floyd’s tragic death while still not addressing the need to police violence against Black people. And unfortunately, in some instances, Juneteenth already has been co-opted and commercialized, reducing the significance of the day to a slogan on a T-shirt or soda can.

Yet Juneteenth is still an important way to acknowledge our history. This year, the holiday falls at a time when the very freedom to learn Black history is under attack. Books featuring Black protagonists or written by Black authors are being banned, Black history courses dropped, and nascent efforts toward diversity, equity and inclusion are being gutted or eliminated.

Despite the holiday, we continue to be reminded that Black bodies are not free. As Black women, our freedom to have a child or to not have a child is under threat, and we are disproportionate victims of human trafficking. As a community, our freedom to vote for our political leaders and issues that matter to us is being eroded in state after state.

Why freedom matters: We need a sense of bodily freedom to move about the world and feel safe. We need personal and

political freedom to experience agency and make choices in our lives. With these liberties, we can have a voice, set goals, and take responsibility for our futures. Without these basic freedoms, we are at risk and can suffer from mental health challenges like anxiety and depression. Structural racism is a well-established source of trauma for African Americans.

Robin Stone

Ongoing racial trauma can harm our mental health and wellbeing, leading to avoidance, distrust, chronic stress, physical symptoms, and illness.

At this moment, let’s use Juneteenth as a reminder to reflect on and reclaim our freedoms. If you can, take the day off from work. Whether you’re planning to celebrate with a family gathering, community event or quietly at home, consider these questions for affirming the past and embracing the idea of freedom:

What more can I learn?

If you’re like a lot of AfricanAmericans, particularly in the North, you may not have even heard of Juneteenth until recent years. The National Museum of African American History and Culture offers an overview of Juneteenth as well as a summer reading list, resources to share with children, and ways to mark the holiday on social media. Find out what local libraries and museums in your community are offering in the days leading up to and including Juneteenth.

What more can I do?

The struggle for freedom is on many fronts — economic, educational, health, criminal justice, and more. What issue do you feel compelled to do something about? See if there

is a committee within your faith community, sorority, fraternity or other organization where you can lend your time and talents.

The NAACP outlines a list of key issues and ways to make your voice heard.

What can I change? Take a moment to watch this vide o ( https://youtube/ NBe5qbnkqo M ) of the descendants of abolitionist Frederick Douglass reading his famous “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” speech. You can also read the full text (teachingamericanhistory. org).Then grab your laptop or a notebook and take 5 to 10 minutes to respond to the following writing prompts:

In what area of my life could I use more freedom?

What makes this so important to me is __________.

Once you’re done, take several minutes to reflect on what you wrote and consider how you can turn your thoughts into reality.

Juneteenth is more than a holiday – it’s an opportunity to renew our personal and collective commitment to the full realization of freedom for ourselves, our families and our communities.

Robin D. Stone, LMHC, is the founder and clinical director of Muse & Grace Mental Health Counseling in New York. As a psychotherapist and coach, Ms. Stone helps couples and individuals overcome challenges and reach their life goals by engaging the arts and other modalities to move through trauma, grief, loss and change. Ms. Stone is author of the book “No Secrets, No Lies: How Black Families Can Heal from Sexual Abuse” and is co-authoring a book on Black women and resilience. Learn more at https:// www.musegrace.com/ or robinstone.com.

The Associated Press Sam Collins III, left, and others celebrate at the Juneteenth historical marker on June 17, 2021, in Galveston, Texas, after President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law. Communities all over the country will be marking Juneteenth, the day that enslaved Black Americans learned they were free. Yet, the U.S. government was slow to embrace the holiday.

Stories by Fred Jeter

Denver Nuggets win first NBA title over Miami Heat in Game 5 High 5!

This is no joke. The Denver Nuggets, led by Nikola Jokic, aka “The Joker,” are NBA champs for the first time since entering the league 47 years ago.

And the Rocky Mountain high may be just beginning. The Nuggets are terrific now and there is little reason to suspect a decline.

With a quintet of starters still in their prime, the Nuggets came from behind in the fourth quarter Monday to defeat the Miami Heat, 94-89, to clinch the NBA title at an overflowing, frolicking Ball Arena.

Jokic had 28 points (including 10 in the fourth period), 16 rebounds, four assists and was named the Bill Russell Finals MVP.

“The job is done; now we can go home,” the 6-foot-11, 284-pound native Serbian center told the press.

Jamal Murray added 14 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.

“I think this will be the first of many,” Murray said in the post-game presser.

The future is glowing for Coach Michael Malone’s Nuggets when it comes to his players.

Among the first five, Jokic is 28, Murray is 26, Aaron Gordon is 27, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is 30, and

Michael Porter is 24. Top reserves are Bruce Brown, 26, and Christian Braun, 22. Except for Brown, all are under contract through at least 2023-2024.

Jokic and Murray became the first duo in NBA annals to average 25 points, five rebounds and five assists for a championship team. This was not only Denver’s first

NBA title, but also its first trip to the NBA Finals.

The MVPAward rightfully is named after the late Bill Russell, who led Boston to 11 NBA crowns. Mr. Russell died July 31, 2022, at age 88.

On Monday, Ball Arena was filled to its capacity 18,000, and seats didn’t come cheap. The average ticket price was $3,085, with tickets going “as low” as $1,965 in the nose-bleed section.

The high rollers paid $50,000 to sit courtside. Whatever the cost, “The Joker” sent them all home happy.

Rockets remembered: Before they were the Denver Nuggets, the pro team in the Mile High City was the Denver Rockets (1967-74) of the old ABA.

Led by David Thompson, who was in attendance during the game, the Rockets finished second to the New York Nets (led by Julius Erving) in the 1976 ABA Finals.

The Rockets were 60-24 during the 1976 regular season and defeated the Kentucky Colonels in the first round of the ABA playoffs before falling to the Nets, 4-2.

It was the last time a Denver team had made The Finals until this year.

Better late than never for Miller

Breshauna Miller got off to a slow start but had a fantastic finish to her Huguenot High School track career.

The recent Huguenot graduate didn’t take up organized running until her junior year, at which time she kicked up her heels, leaving others behind.

“‘Bre rose to the occasion,” said Falcons Coach Kyle Fuller.

One of only 11 athletes (boys and girls combined) on Coach Fuller’s squad, the 5-foot-5 speedster had arguably the most successful spring track season of any Richmond Public Schools athlete.

Competing at the Class 4 State meet June 3 in Lynchburg, she finished fourth in the 400 meters out of 18 finalists in 57.72.

A week before, at Matoaca High in Chesterfield, Breshauna was second in the Region 4B meet with a 400 clocking of 58.61. She was also fourth in the 200 at 26.32.

Her personal bests are 57.72 (set at States) for 400 and 25.9 for 200 and 12.7 for the 100.

“I’m proud of what I’ve done, but there are

Falcon flashback!

Huguenot High alumnus Gerald Henderson is best known for his basketball skills at Virginia Commonwealth University and three NBA championship rings that he later earned.

Henderson also excelled in track and field and, in 1974, won the State Group AAA long jump with a leap of 22-10¾.

more great things to come,” said the gifted daughter of Felipe and Susanna Miller.

Now that Breshauna’s track career has hit full stride, she’s in no mood to tap the brakes.

Next up is the Adidas High School Nationals at North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, June 16-18, where she qualified for the 400.

That will be Breshauna’s farewell high school event before taking her fast feet to the next level.

She will enroll in Virginia Military Institute in Lexington with designs on running track for

the Division I Southern Conference Keydets and majoring in biology.

Her classroom marks are as impressive as her performances in track spikes.

Ranking 11th overall among Huguenot seniors, Breshauna compiled a 3.94 GPA and was named Falcons Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year by the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

It is not accidental she is choosing VMI.

Coach Fuller is a VMI graduate and former middle distance runner for the military school. He suggested his star sprinter give it a look.

So why didn’t Breshauna sign up for track earlier? She never ran at Thompson Middle School, nor did she play any other sports – at least not officially.

“I didn’t have anyone pushing me,” she said. “But I’d always enjoyed the outdoors, playing outside, and I was on the running club in elementary school.”

Another activity she enjoys is playing with her two dogs and taking them for walks … walks that turn into runs.

“They can’t catch me,” she said with a laugh.

Similarities in Dandridge, Arraez are hard to miss

Much of the baseball buzz this spring has centered around Luis Arraez’ quest to hit a next-to-impossible .400-plus.

Miami’s second baseman was stroking the ball at a major league leading .403 (87-for-216) as of June 7.

More on up-and-comer Arraez later.

For area fans, no talk of hitting .400 is complete without the mention of Richmond Church Hill native Ray Dandridge.

Playing third base for the Newark, N.J., Dodgers in 1934, Dandridge hit an amazing .432 (51-for-118 in 35 games), leading the Negro National League.

Negro League teams of that era didn’t play nearly as many league games as current teams.

The Negro League teams preferred barnstorming (“money games”) with the potential of greater revenue.

Born in 1913, Dandridge’s .432 in 1934 was based on Negro League games only. He later played with the Negro League Indianapolis Clowns, Newark Elite Giants and Newark Eagles, followed by 10 years in Mexico.

Arraez, a 26-year-old Venezuelan, is similar to Dandridge in that he is smallish in stature, rarely strikes out and is not a home run hitter.

Dandridge was listed at 5-foot-5 and 175 pounds and nicknamed “Squats” for his short stocky frame. Leadoff hitter Arraez, who bats left but throws right, is 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds.

Arraez won the American League batting title last year with Minnesota (.316). He is bidding to add the National League

batting crown this year.

He was traded from the Twins to the Marlins this past offseason for starting pitcher Pablo Lopez.

A .400 batting average is like the Mount Everest of baseball milestones. It was last done in the Major Leagues in 1941 by Boston’s Ted Williams (.406).

Reaching .400 was more common in the Negro Leagues. Oscar Charleston, Red Parnell, Chino Smith, Artie Wilson, Tefelo Vargas, Mules Sutter and Willard Brown were among those to do so, all before 1950.

Brown was the last to do it, hitting .408 in 1948 with the Kansas City Monarchs.

Like so many of the Negro League headliners, Dandridge was considered “too old” when the racial barrier was removed in 1947.

He never played in the mainstream big leagues but did win Most Valuable Player (hitting .363) for the AAA American Association in 1950. At the time he was 37 and playing for the Minnesota Millers, a New York Giants’ farm team.

While he never got the call to the big leagues, he trained with New York in Florida and was a role model for a young Giants outfielder you may have heard of: Willie Mays.

Arraez can only hope he is someday honored like Dandridge, who is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame (inducted in 1987 by Veterans’ Committee), Mexican Hall of Fame and Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.

Any comparison to Ray Dandridge is a compliment indeed.

U.S. Club Lacrosse National Championships taps local region for 2024 event

Free Press staff report America’s top youth lacrosse athletes will vie for national titles when the first ever U.S. Club Lacrosse National Championship comes to the Richmond Region next year.

The region will host the U.S. Club Lacrosse National Championship from Aug. 1-4 in 2024 at River City Sportsplex in Chesterfield County and Glover Park in Henrico County.

U.S. Club Lacrosse is partnering with Elite Tournaments to put on the event. The groups worked with Richmond Region Tourism and local partners to bring the championship to the region.

Organizers expect 192 teams to compete

at the U.S. Club Lacrosse National Championship. Approximately 7,000 athletes and families will travel to the Richmond Region for the event.

“We’re thrilled to host the first-ever U.S. Club Lacrosse National Championship in the Richmond Region in 2024,” said Jerrine Lee, vice president of sales at Richmond Region Tourism. “Next August will be an exciting time as some of the best youth lacrosse athletes compete on the Richmond Region’s fields and explore our dynamic community.”

Qualifications for the championship are based on U.S. Club Lacrosse season

rankings. More than 10,000 club teams participate in an average lacrosse season in the U.S. The top 16 teams across 12 age groups will earn spots to participate in the tournament.

“The US Club Lacrosse National Championship is bringing a new level of competitiveness to the world of men’s and women’s lacrosse,” said Caitlin Schmelz, Elite Tournament’s director of Lacrosse.

“We are proud to partner with U.S. Club Lacrosse and Richmond Region Tourism to organize the 2024 event. We believe the upcoming tournament will be one of the best lacrosse events in the country.”

As an ABA team, Denver made frequent trips to the Commonwealth to play the Virginia Squires at such locations as Richmond Arena and Richmond Coliseum.

ABA franchises in Denver, Indiana, San Antonio and the Nets were absorbed by the NBA the next season. The Squires didn’t make the cut.

Bones-less Nuggets: Former VCU standout Bones Hyland missed out on the celebration because he was traded from Denver to the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 9.

In his second NBA season, Hyland played 42 games for Denver and 14 for the Clippers plus five playoff games. Hyland was the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year in 2021 and the 26th player taken in the 2021 draft by Denver.

Willis swinging for Carolina title

Virginia Union University’s Travon Willis has won one golf title in his home state of North Carolina, and now he’s shooting for another. Willis was set to tee off today (June 15) in the 63rd annual North Carolina Amateur at Jefferson Landing in Jefferson, N.C. The tournament runs through Sunday.

A graduate student majoring in data analytics, Willis qualified for the N.C. State event in May by winning a Sectional title in Monroe, N.C.

He prevailed over a field of 74 with a sizzling, 6-under-par, no-bogey round of 66.

Willis is eligible for the North Carolina events as a native of Indian Trail, N.C., near Charlotte.

The Tennessee State basketball program has added a blue chip prospect.

Point guard Zachiah “ZZ” Clark has signed to play for the HBCU Tigers of the Ohio Valley Conference.

Clark chose the Nashville school over offers from the likes of Illinois (where his brother, Skyy, plays), Kansas, Arizona State, DePaul, Vanderbilt and Creighton, all of the NCAA Power 6 Conferences.

It’s rare nowadays when an HBCU lands a top recruit being courted by the more traditional college powers.

A native of Los Angeles, Clark played this past season for the City Reapers of the Atlanta-based Overtime Elite pro league for athletes ages 16 to 20.

With the Reapers he played with twins Amen and Ausar Thompson, likely first round selections in the upcoming NBA Draft.

Clark played the previous season for Windermere Prep Fla., where he was ranked among the nation’s top 25 point guards.

He originally committed to Illinois to play with his brother but changed his mind.

“I’m making my own way,” he told the press.

Tennessee State18-14 last season under Coach Brian “Penny” Collins. The Tigers won consecutive NAIA titles in 1957, ’58 and ’59 behind NBA bound Dick Barnett.

The program has sent 18 players to the NBA, but none recently.

On the Division I level, the Tigers have been to two NCAA tournaments (1993-94), losing in the first round both times.

Ray Dandridge Luis Arraez

Zachiah Clark

Breshauna Miller

Travon Willis

Zachiah ‘ZZ’ Clark prefers ‘making my own way’

The Associated Press

The Denver Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon rises to try and block the shot of Miami’s Jimmy Butler.

Library of Virginia, Virginia Folklife Program hosts

‘Celebration of Virginia Folklife’

Free Press, staff report

The Library of Virginia and the Virginia Folklife Program of Virginia Humanities will present a free two-day celebration featuring documentary screenings, live music and more to highlight Virginia’s diverse and evolving folklife heritage. “A Celebration of Virginia Folklife” will take place July 7 and 8 at the library as part of its yearlong 200th anniversary celebration.

Artists to be honored are:

• Joshua Purnell of Norfolk, who is working to revive Tidewater’s tradition of community Blues Dancing;

• D. Brad Hatch, who has trained fellow Patawomeck tribal members David Onks IV and Reagan Andersen to weave eel pots in Fredericksburg;

• Kazem Davoudian and Alexander Sabet, whose Washington, D.C.-based apprenticeship centered on the tar, an Iranian long-necked string instrument;

• Isha M. Renta Lopez of Fredericksburg, who trained with one of the leaders in Bomba dance, Margarita Tata Cepeda of San Juan, Puerto Rico;

• Bernadette “B.J.” Lark of Roanoke, who is mentoring Alanjha Harris in the Gullah Geechee gospel traditions;

The celebration begins Friday, July 7, from

5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., with a reception, short screenings of apprenticeship documentaries and a stage program honoring teams in the Virginia

Folklife Program’s 2022-2023 apprenticeship program. Registration is required for Friday’s event at

VMHC honors dads with free admission

Free Press staff report

Dads may visit the Virginia Museum of History & Culture and receive free admission to the museum galleries, including the museum’s most recent exhibition, “Apollo: When We Went to the Moon,” as part of a special Father’s Day offering.

“Apollo: When We Went to the Moon,” which will be on display now through Dec. 31, chronicles the history of human space exploration through artifacts, objects and powerful media presentations

Ashe art

organized by the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. Visitors can “touch a piece of the Moon,” be transported to the Apollo 11 launch pad as part of an immersive audiovisual experience; leave their “footprints” behind as they walk across a virtual lunar surface; and climb aboard a full-scale Apollo 17 lunar rover model to experience how astronauts got around on the moon,” according to the museum. The VMHC also has partnered with the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton to present a special

section of the exhibition that explores Virginia’s place in this pivotal area of our history.

To receive free admission, dads may check in at the guest

services desk Tickets for other members of the family can be purchased in person at the museum or online at VirginiaHistory.org.

https://lva-virginia.libcal.com/event/10720875

The celebration continues Saturday, July 8, from noon to 4 p.m. with performances, displays and family activities highlighting old and new Virginia musical traditions, including blues, fiddling, shape-note singing and more. Performers include Kandencia, a Richmond-based Bomba and Plena band dedicated to playing, promoting and preserving Afro-Puerto Rican music (and featuring 2023-2024 Folklife Apprentice Maurice Sanabria); Eddie Bond, an old-time fiddler from Fries, Va., and a 2018 National Endowment for the Arts. National Heritage Fellow; and The Richmond Shape-Note Singers, a group of community members who gather to sing early American music in the shape-note tradition.

The library will also display rare items from its music collections and documentary films featuring Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship teams.

Children’s activities will include drawing and coloring projects based on musical themes, crafting with quilt squares, and building a didley bow (a simple, one-stringed instrument).

Kids will also enjoy an instrument petting zoo where they can experience everything from ukuleles to mountain dulcimers.

Free limited parking is available in the library’s garage, which can be accessed from 8th and 9th streets. For more information, visit lva.virginia.gov/200

VHMC announces 2024 history fund grant cycle

Free Press staff report

As the Virginia Museum of History & Culture (VMHC) prepares for the 2024 Commonwealth History Fund grant cycle, the museum encourages organizations that wish to receive funding to begin planning now.

The Commonwealth History Fund was established by the Virginia Museum of History & Culture in partnership with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR), to support and encourage meaningful history education and preservation projects throughout the Commonwealth. The fund provides grants to eligible recipients which include Virginia non-profits, educational institutions and state-recognized Virginia Indian tribes. Funding can be used for several purposes including preservation, publications, research, conservation of artifacts and educational programming.

The VMHC will begin receiving applications for its third annual grant cycle starting Sept. 1, 2023. Winners will be notified in December. Applicants can view grant guidelines and download the application for the Commonwealth History Fund at VirginiaHistory.org/HistoryFund.

Happenings hub

Here’s a look at what’s happening around Richmond this week.

June 16

Singer-songwriter Jaylin Brown performs at her album (“Audible Love: Live this Spring,”) release event at the Tin Pan at 6 p.m. Tickets are $28.27. shockoerecords.com

Comedian Alonzo Bodden headlines a show featuring comedians from the popular NPR program “Wait, Wait …Don’t Tell Me,” at Dominion Energy Center at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35-$102. dominionenergycenter.com

Local muralist Jake Van Yahres, back right, along with three young Richmond artists, Jordan Felder, 16, left, Leah Johnson, 15, and Jay Campbell, 16, join Richmond Parks and Recreation Director Chris Frelke and other parks and recreation staff for the grand reveal June 9 of a mural they created with tennis balls on what was once just a backboard for practice.

is now transformed into another celebration of the life of local hero Arthur Ashe at Battery Park on Richmond’s

Rock the block

Brandy W. Stoney, left, board chairwoman of the Robinson Theater, and her husband, Richmond Mayor Levar M. Stoney, greet 9-year-old Joseph Phelps during the Robinson Theater’s Annual Block Party on June 9. Mayor Stoney and Joseph played a super competitive and skilled game of Jenga during the event at 2903 Q St. in Richmond’s Church Hill neighborhood.

Meanwhile, zumba instructor Sam Minns leads a high-paced

Zumba class during the Robinson Theater Block Party. Other activities throughout the day included a petting zoo, wall climbing, food, music and more!

The Robinson is a nonprofit organization designed to inspire, encourage and restore healthy community life to the residents of North Church Hill primarily through arts, fitness and nutrition-based programs and community events.

To learn more: http://www.robinsontheater.org

The New Orleans-based R&B band Tank and Bangas comes to Friday Cheers on Brown’s Island. Piranha Rama opens. Tickets are $10. venturerichmond.com

June 17

Magician Reggie Rice presents family-friendly magic and comedy at The Perkinson Center for the Arts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $27-$45. Perkinsoncenter.org.

June 19

Asia O’Hara, Bosco, DeJa Skye, Lady Camden, Laganja Estranja, Rosé and others from Season 15 of RuPaul’s Drag Race come to the Altria Theater as part of the “Werq The World Tour 2023.” Tickets are $49.50$99.50. altriatheater.com

June 21

“Native Gardens,” a play about a property dispute between neighbors set in Washington, D.C. suburb, presented by the Cadence Theatre Company on the back lawn of the Wilton House Museum at 7 p.m. Shows continue through June 26. cadencetheatre.org.

June 22

The Richmond Flying Squirrels take on the Harrisburg Senators in the second half of a double-header at The Diamond at 6:35 p.m. Also on the bill — canine tricks and jumps from the Dynamo Dogs. Tickets are $10-$25.

Compiled by Craig Belcher

Regina H. Boone/ Richmond Free Press

It

North Side.

Pat Jarrett/Virginia Humanities

Mentor artist Joshua Purnell, center, and apprentice Tom Norris dance with partners during a social dance at the Fred Huette Center in Norfolk.

Photos by Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

Personality: Richard Allen Jackson Sr.

Spotlight on VHEF’s honorary co-chair for 12th Annual Jazz Inside Out

Richard Allen Jackson Sr.,

M.D. describes himself as compassionate, caring and supportive. The decision to be the honorary chair for the 12th Annual Jazz Inside Out, along with his wife, Eucharia “Ukay” Jackson, fits right in with those ideals.

The annual gala raises funds to benefit the Virginia Higher Education Fund (VHEF) whose mission is to help high school students who have experienced poverty or homelessness pursue higher education opportunities. This year’s gala is 8 p.m. on July 1 at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 200 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd.

During a recent telephone interview, Dr. Jackson said his parents who taught him the importance of higher education. Education, he said, is vital in giving individuals the knowledge and skills they need to navigate the world.

“If you have aspirations or dreams, many times education is a must,” he added. “If you don’t have the opportunity to obtain that higher education, the world loses the potential you had to offer.”

It is one of the reasons he has supported the nonprofit since it was founded in 2010 by Rose Giles following her 25-year career as a speech language pathologist with Richmond Public Schools.

Dr. Jackson’s love of jazz, especially contemporary jazz, also contributes to his excitement for the Jazz Inside Out gala.

“It’s a great idea to have some fun and support higher education,” he said of the organization’s signature fundraiser, which this year will feature Grammy-nominated pianist William “Chan” Hall and the Chan Hall Trio and, J. Tucker and The Krewe.

Proceeds from the event will provide scholarships, emergency aid, college prep workshops, mentoring, dorm kits containing items such as bedding, towels, luggage and gas gift cards to recipients in Richmond and surrounding counties.

This year, 18 to 20 students will receive scholarships to two-and four-year colleges, and

some two dozen first-generation college students will receive dorm kits and gift cards.

Dr. Jackson’s care, compassion and support are evident in his goal for this year’s event — “raise money to get more kids into college.”

Those same traits played a part in his decision to follow in the medical footsteps of his father, Dr. Reginald Jackson, and grandfather, Dr. Isaiah Allen Jackson.

He found them as well in another inspiration in his lifeScout Master Linwood Ross. Dr. Jackson was about 10 years old when he became a Boy Scout and found a love of nature camping under the stars.

“The friendship and camaraderie ... all this was so magical to me,” he said. “After I turned 18, I continued to be an assistant scout master for the next 30 years.”

They are even evident in his love of gardening. Dr. Jackson said he always had a green thumb as a boy. Now he grows annuals, perennials and small crops such as tomatoes and peppers around his Richmond home.

“It’s peaceful to work with the earth and watch Mother Nature transform a seed into a plant,” he said.

He plans to continue working to help the underserved - through the clinical research he does with his son, Dr. Richard Allen “AJ” Jackson, Jr., at the Dominion Medical Associates practice, and through his continued support of VHEF.

Meet a supporter of higher education and the arts and this week’s Personality,, Dr. Richard Allen Jackson Sr., M.D.: Volunteer position: Honorary chair, 12th Annual Jazz Inside Out, benefitting the Virginia Higher Education Fund.

Occupation: Physician, Dominion Medical Associates.

Date and place of birth: Osaka, Japan.

Where I live now: Richmond.

Education: John Marshall High School and Howard University.

Family: Wife, Eucharia “Ukay,” children, Richard Jr. (AJ), Rainey,

Mia, Tori, Maya.

The Virginia Higher Education Fund is: A 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that provides scholarships and educational services such as college prep workshops, mentoring, and dorm kits for households in Richmond and surrounding counties.

When, where and why founded: VHEF was founded in 2010 in Henrico County.

Founder: Rose Giles.

How long I’ve been involved with Virginia Higher Education Fund: Since 2010.

Why this organization is meaningful to me: It is a fundraiser that supports youth education. Education is vital because it equips individuals with knowledge and skills to navigate the world effectively. Virginia Higher Ed Fund fosters a sense of curiosity, broadens horizons, and encourages lifelong learning.

Why I accepted position as honorary chair: Fundraising efforts can help provide financial support for higher education, which plays a crucial role in shaping the future of our youths and society.

Number one goal as honorary chair: Raise money to get more kids into college.

Why this is a hot ticket to grab: The VMFA is the ultimate “Jazz Inside Out” venue with its cascad-

Want to go?

Upcoming event: “Jazz Inside Out”, VHEF’s annual signature fundraising event on Saturday, July 1.

Featured artists: Grammy-nominated pianist Chan Hall and the Chan Hall Trio, along with J. Tucker and The Krewe. Dance instructor Kemel Patton also will provide interactive line dancing.

Location: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Cost: $75

Visit: https://vahigheredfund.com/event-tickets/

ing waterfalls and beautiful gardens. Guests can groove to live entertainment in the Atrium and on the Terrace. The ticket also includes interactive line dancing and hors d’oeuvres. How event will benefit scholarship recipients: VHEF is a 100% volunteer charity; therefore, all proceeds will provide financial assistance, college prep workshops, dorm kits and gift cards for scholarship recipients in Richmond and surrounding counties. Anticipated number of students to receive help: This year 18 to 20 students will receive scholarships to two- and fouryear colleges. Additionally, 20

to 30 first-generation college students will receive dorm kits and gift cards.

Virginia Higher Education Fund partners with: Many local and national companies such as NBC12, Dominion Medical Associates, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Spider Management, Mercedes Benz, Virginia Lottery, Virginia Oral & Facial Surgery, FamilyLife Services, Accent Interiors and many individuals who support “Jazz Inside Out” annually.

How I start the day: Meditation and exercise.

The three words that best describe me: Compassionate, caring, and supportive.

If I had 10 extra minutes in the day: More time to analyze the events of the day.

Best late-night snack: Leftovers from my wife’s delicious dinners.

The music I listen to most is: Jazz.

Something I love to do that most people would never imagine: Gardening.

A quote that I am most inspired by: “Find yourself in others, give your life for others, let person No.1 give himself, and person No. 2 give himself for the relationship that exists between person No. 1 and person No. 2.”

At the top of my “to-do” list: Travel more and work less. The best thing my parents ever taught me: The importance of higher education.

The person who influenced me the most: Besides my parents, my scout master – Linwood Ross. Book that influenced me the most and how: “Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine.”

Next goal: Develop clinical research organization to help the underserved.

The path to homeownership may be shorter than you think! Don’t let the potential hurdle of not having enough funds for a down payment or closing costs stop you from achieving your dreams of homeownership. GMM’s Pathway Home Grant1 may be the perfect path for you.

Athlete, coach and educator Ethan M. Pitts Jr. dies at age 50

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

For the first time in at least 15 years, veteran Coach Ethan Matthew “Matt” Pitts Jr. was missing from the Richmond delegation to the Virginia Special Olympics summer games at the University of Richmond.

Mr. Pitts, a volunteer who helped train the mentally challenged for the competition, died of a heart attack at his home on Wednesday, May 31, 2023, his family said, just nine days before the games were to begin on June 9. He was 50.

“He was missed,” said Sylvia Seaborne, a retired Richmond teacher and head coach for the city’s Special Olympics athletes. “He got along so well with the athletes. The kids loved him, and he was like a big, happy kid himself when he was working with them.”

Mr. Pitts coached track, Ms. Seaborne said,

Good

and the children he worked with honored him by doing well. She said Richmond’s track team won five gold medals and several silver and bronze in the June 10 track meet.

Described as an outgoing, generous man with a passion for helping others, Mr. Pitts’ role in Special Olympics and his contributions to other young athletes were highlighted at his funeral Thursday, June 8, at Bethlehem Baptist Church, of which he was a lifelong member.

A full-time physical education and health teacher at Albert Hill Middle School, Mr. Pitts also was an assistant football coach at Thomas Jefferson High School and an assistant basketball coach for Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School.

A Richmond native, Mr. Pitts grew up play-

ing multiple sports, but found his passion as a football kicker. Honing his skill at summer camps, he starred on John Marshall High School’s football team. He became known for kicking straight-on like the pros instead of using a soccer-style approach as most other kickers did and went on to win district and metro honors and be named to the All-State first team.

“There was a saying, ‘If white boys can’t jump, can Black boys kick?’ He wanted to show that he could. And he did,” said his father, Ethan M. Pitts Sr., a retired John F. Kennedy High School principal. He also was a longtime coach there. Mr. Pitts’ kicking skill earned him a scholarship to Hampton University, where he played four

years and earned his bachelor’s degree.

Following his father into coaching, Mr. Pitts served as a graduate assistant coach at Hampton and then at Virginia State University while also teaching in public schools. Later, he served as an umpire for youth baseball and refereed basketball games as a member of the RVA Umpire Group, his family said.

He also served as a part-time counselor for special needs children at the Virginia Home for Boys and Girls. His family said he had a special talent for dealing with children who needed extra help due to mental challenges.

Mr. Pitts’ other pursuits included playing cards, fishing and camping, as well as grilling, at which he was considered a master. Survivors include his son, Ethan M. Pitts III; his parents, Ethan M. Pitts Sr. and Gwendolyn Pitts; and his sister, Bridget Pitts Mosley.

Mr. Pitts

C0090557010, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Gelsson M. Reyes

An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, Gelsson M. Reyes who has not been personally located and has not filed a response to this action, and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of Parties Unknown. IT IS ORDERED that Gelsson M. Reyes , and Parties Unknown , come forward to appear on or before AUGUST 17, 2023 and do what is necessary to protect

COUNTY OF HENRICO, VIRGINIA PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2023

The County Manager’s recommended amendments to the budget for fiscal year 2022-23 are prepared and published in synopsis form solely for the purposes of fiscal planning and public information. Publication of this proposed amendments does not constitute an appropriation of funds for those purposes by the Board of Supervisors. Funds cannot be allocated or distributed until they are appropriated by the Board. The amendments consist of estimates and are requests submitted to the County Manager with his recommendations concerning the requests.

The Board of Supervisors of the County of Henrico, Virginia, will hold a public hearing regarding the proposed amendments to the budget at a meeting on June 13, 2023, at 7:00 p.m., in the Board Room at the Henrico Government Center, Hungary Spring and East Parham Roads. The public hearing will be held pursuant to Virginia Code Section 15.2-2507, and is for the purpose of allowing the public to question and comment on the proposed amendments to the budget. All citizens have the right to attend and share their views on the proposed amendments within such reasonable time limits as shall be determined by the Board of Supervisors.

At the June 13, 2023, meeting, after the public hearing, the Board will consider approving the amendments to the Annual Fiscal Plan and appropriating funds, as applicable, for fiscal year 2022-23.

The City of Richmond announces the following project(s) available for services relating to:

IFB No. 230013378: Gas Curb Boxes

Proposal Due Date: Thursday, July 6, 2023 /Time: 11:00 A.M.

Information or copies of the above solicitations are available by contacting Procurement Services, at the City of Richmond website (www.RVA. GOV), or faxed (804) 646-5989. The City of Richmond encourages all contractors to participate in the procurement process.

AMC Technology, LLC (Richmond, VA)

seeks Software Engineer II. Research, design, & develop computer & network software or specialized utility programs. Req: MS in Comp Sci or rel/equiv. Knowledge of JavaScript, Angular, HTML, C#, C++, & Microsoft Azure req. Send resumes: jobs@amctechnology.com

Mechanical Design Engineer in Richmond, VA.

Design & engineer all aspects of precision, high-speed tobacco-processing machines using computer-aided design (CAD) tools. Mail resume to J. Klele at Körber Technologies, Inc., 2800 Charles City Rd., Richmond, VA 23231.

Thank you for your interest in applying for opportunities with The City of Richmond. To see what opportunities are available, please refer to our website at www.richmondgov.com.

The St. Peter Baptist Church Child Development Center - Glen Allen invites applications for a Child Care Center Program Director. If you believe that your skills, talent, and desire to continue the development of young people meet our standard of excellence, please download, and complete an Employment Application and submit it along with your resume. Description and further details are located on our website; www.stpeterbaptist.net.

Richmond, VA 23219.

PART-TIME POSITIONS AVAILABLE

(3) part-time positions, Finance Team Member, Pianist and Drummer. The Finance Team Member will be responsible for monitoring, accounts and records. The Pianist and Drummer will provide musical support and accompaniment for scheduled worship services and other activities of the music ministry. Complete details for each position can be found on our website at www.sjuhcrichmond.org or contact Trustee Wilbert Jones at (804) 733-4590 or E-mail at stjohnsuhc1915@gmail.com

A copy of these proposed amendments is available for inspection in the County Manager’s office at the Henrico Government Center, Hungary Spring and East Parham Roads, and is also available to be viewed on the County’s website at: http://henrico.us/finance/divisions/office-of-management-and-budget/

Given under my hand this 1st day of June, 2023.

County Board of Supervisors