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VOL. 29 NO. 37
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
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SEPTEMBER 3-5, 2020
Relief? Richmond School Board votes 6-0 to open five schools for emergency day care for 500 children of essential workers and low-income families By Jeremy M. Lazarus and Ronald E. Carrington
Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras acknowledges that a huge number of parents with children in the school system may need help with child care to avoid financial ruin. On Monday, he notified the School Board during a special meeting that 63 percent, or 850 of the 1,344 parents who responded to an online survey, reported that they would have no other option but to quit working to look after their children now that classes will be offered only online beginning Tuesday, Sept. 8. “We’ve heard some heart-wrenching stories in writing and during tonight’s public comments,” Mr. Kamras noted, “from parents worried about losing their jobs and their homes because they want their children to have the proper supervision during the virtual semester” and are out of options because private day care is financially
Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press
Shayla D.B. Holman, right, principal of Overby-Sheppard Elementary School in North Side, and Assistant Principal Duane Samuels survey a room packed with books and other items that parents were to pick up between 2 and 5 p.m. Thursday so students could be ready for the start of online classes Tuesday, Sept. 8.
Mayor Stoney
Please turn to A4
Mr. Kamras
Parents anxious about virtual learning as new school year starts By Ronald E. Carrington
Mr. Barlow
Ms. Lynch
As Richmond Public Schools launches a new school year Tuesday, Sept. 8, with all virtual learning, parents and students are grappling with the reality of not having face-to-face instruction. Parents’ questions are very simple: Will RPS have adequate services and resources to keep
my child on track academically and at the right grade level? Even with school officials having worked long and hard during the summer providing professional development and teacher training for virtual instruction to ensure students will be engaged and captivated, parents are still anxious Please turn to A4
Pink and green, OK; but no AKA symbols Early in-person voting starts Friday, Sept. 18 around campaign of Kamala Harris By George Copeland Jr.
By Reginald Stuart
When U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris was announced as Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s running mate, social media was flush with the pink and green excitement of Sen. Harris’ sorority sisters of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. The sorority, the oldest of the historically AfricanAmerican Greekletter sororities, was started in 1908 Dr. Glover on the campus of Howard University, Sen. Harris’ alma mater. Sen. Harris pledged AKA during her undergraduate years, a connection she proudly mentioned during her vice presidential nomination acceptance speech on Aug. 19 at the virtual Democratic National Convention. But as the Nov. 3 election draws closer and people around the country are energized to work for their favored
Photo courtesy of James Witherspoon
Vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris with members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority at an event in July 2019 in Atlantic City.
candidate, officials at the AKA’s national headquarters in Chicago have sent out a warning to its more than 300,000 members in more than 1,000 chapters in the United States: Get-out-the-vote efforts are fine, but avoid direct sorority involvement in partisan politics to protect the sorority’s tax status. Contacted about the two pages of guidelines that have been circulating among sorority members with the dos and don’ts of political activity and en-
dorsements, Dr. Glenda Baskin Glover, international president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, was circumspect in a recent Free Press interview. “We are extremely proud of Kamala,” said Dr. Glover, who also is president of Tennessee State University in Nashville. “She has the qualities we, as HBCU leaders, impart to our students. She possesses all the qualities of qualifying Please turn to A4
State high court criticizes Judge Cavedo in throwing out Confederate statue injunction By Jeremy M. Lazarus
Complaints that Richmond Circuit Court Judge Bradley B. Cavedo made up the law in a bid to halt Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s removal of racist Confederate statues just gained support from the Virginia Supreme Court. In an order issued Aug. 26, the state’s highest court threw out a July 10 restraining order Judge Cavedo slapped on Mayor Levar M. Stoney and the city to prevent them
from removing the statue of Confederate Gen. A.P. Hill in North Side. The state’s highest court also sharply rebuked Judge Cavedo for putting the 60-day order in place. Judge Cavedo, who later removed himself from the case and others involving Confederate artifacts, issued the injunction on behalf of an anonymous plaintiff he allowed to remain unidentified. “The circuit court abused its discretion,” stated the Virginia
Supreme Court order that found the plaintiff had no legal right to seek an injunction and that Judge Cavedo had no authority to issue it. The order was a clear victory for Mayor Stoney and his legal team that had sought the review, and it also bolstered the claims of attorney David Baugh and former City Councilman Sa’ad El-Amin. Both have filed a separate request with the Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission seeking Judge Cavedo’s removal for
abuse of his position. The commission’s review of such complaints is conducted in secrecy. In its order, the state Supreme Court found that Judge Cavedo should have thrown out the anonymous plaintiff’s case rather than accepting the pleadings as valid. With six justices participating, the Supreme Court found that the state law the plaintiff relied upon had been changed Please turn to A4
Time out for unity Jasmine Howell and her son, Aiden Howell, 4, relax and listen to speakers after participating in the Unity Walk through the Museum District last Friday to commemorate the 57th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Speakers at the event, organized by Coming to the Table, recited excerpts from Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech that was delivered at the 1963 march. The walk also marked the 65th anniversary of the lynching of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old from Chicago who was brutally murdered in Money, Miss., in 1955 for allegedly whistling at a white woman. His lynching, and a photo of his disfigured body lying in a casket that was published by JET magazine, drew widespread public attention to the brutality Black people faced, particularly in the South, and helped mobilize the Civil Rights Movement.
Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press
For the first time, Virginia voters won’t need to provide an excuse to vote ahead of Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3, thanks to changes in state law. Beginning Friday, Sept. 18, registered voters can vote in person at designated locations. In-person early voting will continue through Saturday, Oct. 31. Sept. 18 also is the day local voter registration offices will start mailing out ballots to voters who have requested them. There’s more good news. Voters will not need a witness to sign the envelope containing their completed ballot. A court ruling sought because of the pandemic eliminates that requirement. The state is even paying the postage for mail-in ballots. Details on early in-person voting, voting by mail, requesting an absentee ballot to vote by mail and acceptable forms of ID to vote are available on the state Department of Elections website at www.elections.virginia.gov. Here is information on Richmond area locations for in-person early voting: Richmond Initially, there will be just one location for in-person early voting — 2134 W. Laburnum Ave., the new address of the Richmond Voter Registrar’s Office. Early voting will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with Saturday voting on Oct. 24 and Oct. 31. Mail-in ballots also can be dropped off Please turn to A4
Free COVID-19 testing Free community testing for COVID-19 continues. The Richmond and Henrico County health districts are offering testing at the following locations: • Thursday, Sept. 3, 9 to 11 a.m., Tuckahoe Middle School, 9000 Three Chopt Road in Western Henrico. • Tuesday, Sept. 8, 4 to 6 p.m., Southwood Management Properties, 1400 Southwood Parkway in South Side. If it rains, event moved to Sept. 10 at Hotchkiss Field Community Center. • Thursday, Sept. 10, 4 to 6 p.m., Hotchkiss Field Community Center, 701 E. Brookland Park Blvd. in North Side. • Saturday, Sept. 12, 9 to 11 a.m., Fairfield Middle School, 5121 Nine Mile Road in Eastern Henrico. If it rains, event moved to Sept. 14 at Diversity Richmond. • Monday, Sept. 14, 4 to 6 p.m., Diversity Richmond, 1407 Sherwood Ave. in North Side. People are advised to bring an umbrella in case of inclement weather or to use as shade from the sun while waiting in line. Appointments are encouraged by calling the Richmond and Henrico COVID-19 Hotline at (804) 205-3501 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Walk-up testing will be offered while test supplies last. The Virginia Department of Health reported on Wednesday a total of 122,542 positive cases of COVID-19 statewide, along with 9,678 hospitalizations and 2,641 deaths. According to the data, African-Americans comprised 25.7 percent of cases and 26.5 percent of deaths for which ethnic and racial data is available, while Latinos made up 32.8 percent of the cases and 10.9 percent of deaths. With more than 1,000 positive cases of COVID-19 reported each of several days and reports of more than 500 cases in Virginia colleges, state health officials reported that Virginia’s positivity rate has risen to 7.7 percent. In the face of these statistics, and data on how previous summer holidays resulted in case increases, Gov. Ralph S. Northam said on Tuesday there are no plans to change COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines for Labor Day. “I understand from a business perspective the importance of Labor Day, but we’ve come too far to go back,” said Gov. Northam, adding that the pandemic is “moderately contained” in the state. He also stressed the importance of more residents taking advantage of free COVID-19 testing.
Richmond Free Press
A2 September 3-5, 2020
Local News
Labor Day holiday schedule In observance of Labor Day on Monday, Sept. 7, please note the following: Government offices Local government offices in the City of Richmond and Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover counties will be closed. State and federal offices will be closed.
Trash and recycling No pickups; all collections will be delayed by one day.
Courts Closed in Richmond and the counties of Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover.
U.S. Postal Service Closed.
Schools Closed. Classes begin Tuesday Sept. 8, for Richmond, Henrico and Hanover public schools. In Chesterfield County, public school students in grades 1 to 6 and ninth-graders start classes on Tuesday, Sept. 8, with 7th to 12thgrade students starting on Wednesday, Sept. 9. Public libraries Closed. Library of Virginia closed Saturday, Sept. 5; reopening Tuesday, Sept. 8.
Banks, credit unions and other financial institutions Closed.
Department of Motor Vehicles customer service centers Closed. Malls, major retailers and movie theaters Varies; check with specific locations. ABC stores All stores open from noon to 6 p.m. on Labor Day. GRTC Operating on a Sunday schedule on Labor Day. Free Press Offices Closed.
15 percent of city inmates under COVID-19 quarantine The number of COVID-19 cases has risen sharply at the Richmond City Justice Center, Sheriff Antionette V. Irving has reported. The jail reported that as of Wednesday, 91 inmates — 13.5 percent of those being held — have tested positive for the virus and are in quarantine. That is a reduction from the Aug. 26 report that 103 inmates were in quarantine. The spike in numbers has sparked renewed protests at the jail from advocates seeking release of nonviolent offenders. The Richmond Police Department arrested 11 people Tuesday, including a bicyclist who allegedly sought to interfere with the towing of an illegally parked vehicle, six others who allegedly obstructed officers seeking to restore order and four others alleged to have engaged in disorderly conduct. A video taken at the scene and posted on social media shows the bicyclist being pushed to the ground by a police officer and striking his face on the sidewalk. The bicyclist had bandages on his face in a photo released by the police department. The good news from the test results from 1,200 inmates who have been in the jail since testing began in July: None of those with positive tests have required hospitalization and most testing positive have no symptoms, Sheriff Irving stated. The report stated that 10 of those testing positive have minor or mild symptoms. Also, the jail has plenty of empty space in which to quarantine people. Sheriff Irving reported a total of 675 incarcerated people at the jail, meaning 40 percent of the prisoner space is vacant. The jail was built to house 1,132 men and women, including beds in the medical clinic and in solitary confinement. – JEREMY M. LAZARUS
Families of federal inmates to show support on Sept. 5
Relatives of prisoners at the federal prison complex near Petersburg plan to make some noise to let the inmates know they are not forgotten at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5. “We plan to honk our horns and be as loud as we can,” said Ashley Young, whose brother Nicholas Young, is among the incarcerated. The main focus will be on the federal prison camp and its low-security areas, she said. Ms. Young said she plans to travel from Washington to participate in the event that Lucie Martinez-Lopez of North Carolina has developed through a social media group for families of those incarcerated at Federal Correctional Institution, Petersburg. Ms. Young said the activity is needed because federal prison officials have barred visits and shut down an email communication system for relatives and inmates. “I haven’t heard from my brother in several months. My mother is very worried about him as a result of COVID-19. We don’t know if he is well,” she said. Prison officials have reported that nearly 100 inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus. Ms. Young said Petersburg ranks near the top among federal prisons reporting virus outbreaks, based on the information the federal Bureau of Corrections posts on its website. “From what we have learned, prisoners are receiving inadequate food and care,” she said. “The kitchen has been shut down and is being used as quarantine space. Prisoners are getting a sandwich and chips for their meals. We’re all very scared that a lot of people inside are needlessly going to die.” The prison system did not immediately respond to a request for comment. – JEREMY M. LAZARUS
Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press
Cityscape Slices of life and scenes in Richmond
A giant symbol of the times now adorns the facade of the Science Museum of Virginia as it prepares to reopen to the public 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 5. The museum, at 2500 W. Broad St. near Downtown, has been closed to visitors for months because of the pandemic. The giant mask is a reminder that visitors will need to wear one to get in. The museum is one of many cultural spaces that are putting new requirements in place in moving from virtual events to actually welcoming visitors. In addition to the mask requirement, the museum will have visitors buy timed admission tickets in advance. It also will limit the number of people entering during operating hours. The museum currently is hosting the state Senate during the General Assembly’s special session.
Henry L. Marsh III Elementary School New school a reflection and symbol of namesake’s life, achievements By Ronald E. Carrington
Former state Sen. Henry L. Marsh III, one of Richmond’s African-American political trailblazers, was given a private tour last week of the new East End elementary school named in his honor. The 86-year-old retired civil rights attorney, who served as Richmond’s first African-American mayor from March 1977 to June 1982, attended George Mason Elementary, the old school at 813 N. 28th St. that has been replaced on the same site by the new $40 million Marsh Elementary. He was joined on the Aug. 27 tour by his daughter, Sonya Marsh-Craft, school Principal Kimberly Cook, Richmond Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras, School Board Chair Linda Owen, board Vice Chair Cheryl Burke, Mayor Levar M. Stoney and City Council President Cynthia I. Newbille. The walk through the new building— one of three new city schools ready for occupancy once the coronavirus is under control—was emotional for all. Mr. Marsh said having his name on the school in his old neighborhood is one of the greatest tributes he can imagine, notwithstanding the city courthouse in South Side bearing his name and that of his late brother, Harold M. Marsh Sr., who also was an attorney and substitute judge. While students will spend the fall semester learning online because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the first thing they will see at Marsh Elementary when schools open for in-person classes will be a large mural in the lobby depicting in photos, articles and other historical artifacts, the life and achievements of Mr. Marsh, according to a plan school officials outlined during the tour. “This is what I always wanted for our young people because they have so much potential,” Sen. Marsh said touring the sparkling new facility. “This is a great feeling to tour my namesake school. This is one of the most important things we can do because, in the future, one of the children entering Marsh Elementary may become president, governor or ambassador.” Former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder, the nation’s first elected African-American governor, attended George Mason Elementary. The oldest section of the school, dating to the late 1800s, was among the first schools built for African-American students in the city. The new Marsh Elementary, a modern
Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press
Former Sen. Henry L. Marsh III pauses to talk with Principal Kimberly Cook in the cafeteria-auditorium of the new Henry L. Marsh III Elementary School in the East End during a tour Aug. 27. Finishing touches are being made to the building that replaces the old George Mason Elementary School, which Mr. Marsh attended as a youngster.
brick and glass structure that can accommodate 750 students, has new technology that will bring learning into the 21st century. The other two new schools are in South Side. They are Cardinal Elementary, located at 1745 Catalina Drive and replacing E.S.H. Greene Elementary, and River City Middle School, located in the 6300 block of Hull Street Road, at the site of the old Elkhardt Thompson Middle School. Mr. Marsh played an instrumental role in the legal fight against school segregation, handling more than 50 such cases in Virginia. He also battled racial discrimination in employment and won a legal fight in 1981 that forced Virginia to adopt singlemember legislative districts, which opened the door for the election of more AfricanAmericans to the General Assembly. From Richmond City Council and the mayor’s position, Mr. Marsh was elected to the state Senate in 1991, representing the city and portions of surrounding counties until he stepped down in 2014. After his retirement, he was appointed by then-Gov. Terry McAuliffe as a commissioner on the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. He has since resigned from that position. Ms. Burke, who represents the School Board’s 7th District in which Marsh Elementary is located, said the new school building is a symbol and reflection of Mr. Marsh’s life. It is “an act of need as well as an act of love” and a demonstration of “love for the community, love for our children and
love for the accomplishments Sen. Marsh brought to this community, this city and the nation,” Ms. Burke said. She and the others said they want Richmond students to continue to excel, while the new schools will provide them with the best 21st century learning opportunities. “Being here with Sen. Marsh now is really one of the highlights of my entire career,” said Mr. Kamras, who added that the new school did not exist, even as an idea, when he arrived in Richmond three years ago. “This stately icon,” he said in referring to Mr. Marsh, “represents the very best of what we expect of our students. He is someone who changed Richmond for the better. I can’t think of a better role model for our students than Mr. Marsh.” Mayor Stoney’s eyes welled up with pride and emotion during the tour with Mr. Marsh. “All of this makes me emotional and bring tears to my eyes,” Mayor Stoney said. “This building, with all of the latest technology and innovation, speaks to the legacy of Henry Marsh as well as what we (the city) can do for our children. “We have a lot more to do for our children in different neighborhoods throughout the city,” he continued. “And Henry L. Marsh Elementary is a shining example of what we can do for our children as they work toward who they want to be in the future.”
$4M grant enables Legal Aid to hire new attorneys to help curb evictions By Jeremy M. Lazarus
Legal Services Corp. of Virginia, also known as Legal Aid, has received a $4 million grant from the state that could allow the organization to hire an additional 20 attorneys to support tenants facing court action from landlords seeking to evict them for nonpayment. Gov. Ralph S. Northam announced the grant Monday, with $2 million to come from a COVID19 relief fund the state established through a tax on the now legal electronic slot machines set up in convenience stores, truck stops and other outlets. The remaining $2 million is from a donation by the IKEA U.S. Community Foundation, the charity arm of the giant furniture maker and retailer. This is the latest step for the governor, who has secured two court-ordered moratoriums on evictions and also pumped $50 million in federal CARES Act funds into support for an eviction diversion effort. That effort has aided more than 3,100 families, according to a statement from
Gov. Northam’s office. The new effort to boost legal help for people facing eviction comes amid concern about an impending wave of evictions, although the size of the problem remains uncertain. The RVA Eviction Lab at Virginia Commonwealth University has suggested that potentially 262,000 households, or about 8.4 percent of the state’s 3.12 million households, are at risk of eviction based on projections of those foregoing rent or mortgage payments in August and estimates of those who did not pay in previous months. While a Virginia Supreme Court three-week moratorium on evictions is to end on Labor Day so that sheriffs’ departments could resume removal work on Tuesday, Sept. 8, many who are behind on rent are being helped by a separate federal moratorium on evictions that has been extended to Dec. 31. That moratorium temporarily halts evictions for nonpayment of rent from public housing and a host of other apartment developments that have government-supported mortgages or receive government housing subsidies from Housing Choice
Vouchers that pay a share of rent. The moratorium also applies to homeowners struggling to pay mortgages obtained through federal housing agencies or those with loans backed by government-supported mortgage buyers such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Other help could come from the General Assembly, which is meeting in special session, although it may be less than hoped for. Both the House of Delegates and the state Senate have passed separate bills that would require landlords to offer structured repayment plans to tenants who are in arrears on rent before seeking to evict. More aggressive bills to support cash-strapped tenants appear to have been sidetracked, including one that would provide an eviction moratorium until April 2021. Gov. Northam said the $4 million grant should “help more Virginians stay in their homes as we fight this virus,” given that people represented by an attorney are considered more likely to do better in court than those who are not. The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus hailed the agreement as a step in the right direction to
help people remain in their homes and prevent evictions. Henrico Delegate Lamont Bagby, VLBC chairman, cheered the public-private partnership and described it as one piece “of a multifaceted approach our Commonwealth should be adopting in order to address these underlying, systemic issues related to evictions and housing.” “Affordable housing for all Virginians is essential to building an equitable economy,” Prince William Delegate Luke Torian, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, commented in a VLBC statement. “During the pandemic,” he continued, “the need for housing is essential to our public health response. The grant announcement shows Virginia is bolstering its commitment to reducing evictions and keeping families safe in our homes. “The General Assembly and the governor continue to make changes to the law to reduce evictions,” he stated, “but these new protections require legal representation — so that both landlords and tenants know their rights and responsibilities.”
Richmond Free Press
September 3-5, 2020
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Richmond Free Press
A4 September 3-5, 2020
News
Richmond School Board votes 6-0 to open five schools for emergency day care for 500 children of essential workers and low-income families Continued from A1
out of reach. How widespread the impact may be is unknown as the survey drew responses from only a small fraction of the estimated 12,000 to 14,000 households with RPS students. Even so, at a time when the city is working to create a robust program of day care with supervised virtual learning, RPS appears to be dragging in its support of the effort to provide relief to worried working single parents like Mina Clemons, who wrote the board pleading for day care help that she cannot afford and describing the problems she is facing in trying to keep her family financially afloat. On Monday, the School Board voted 6-0 to open five school buildings for use by the city and its partners to run such a day care program, with priority going to families of essential workers and those with low incomes. The five schools to be used are Linwood Holton Elementary in North Side, Martin Luther King Jr. Middle in the East End and Blackwell and Miles Jones Elementary schools and Huguenot High in South Side. Mr. Kamras’ approved plan would limit the day care use to a maximum of 500 children, or 100 per building, even though the school system’s survey shows a greater need and the buildings have enough classrooms to accommodate three to four times
that number even with 10 children to a classroom. The board also requested that a memorandum of understanding, or MOU, be drawn up between RPS and the city because of a lack of clarity in how the day care system would be implemented, how it would be staffed and financed and how COVID-19-related responsibilities would be handled. Mr. Kamras stated the school system is not going to dip into its own resources to back the effort. The plan the board approved allows the city’s program access to the buildings, but bars RPS from providing any transportation services for the children or any janitorial services. Mr. Kamras also said his administration would not open the buildings until the MOU is completed — virtually ensuring that the five school buildings will not be available for use when the new school year begins next week. School Board member J. Scott Barlow, 2nd District, told the superintendent and the board that any agreement should include a provision that would allow the board to rescind its approval at any time. He voiced concern about the expectations and the liability in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak at one of the buildings. Mr. Barlow and board member Kenya Gibson, 3rd District, abstained from voting on the proposal. Ms. Gibson expressed disappointment in the lack of details given to the board about the plan that she said was being presented to the board for rushed consideration too close to the start of school. Board member
Pink and green, OK; but no AKA symbols around campaign of Kamala Harris Continued from A1
as vice president.” Beyond that, Dr. Glover said, she would offer no more comments. Dr. Glover knows when it comes to politics, members had better dot their I’s and cross their T’s, asserting she and peer Greek-letter organization leaders need to make sure they are aware of rigid federal campaign laws and regulations. They need to make sure they do not endanger the federal tax-exempt status of their respective nonprofit organizations—even as members may be rooting for Sen. Harris and others and as the candidates and political parties are looking to the organizations for support. Dr. Glover, a certified public accountant whose credentials also include a MBA and a law degree, cited federal election laws and contribution disclosure rules and regulations as why she could say no more as a nonprofit organization officer and spokesman about Sen. Harris. The home stretch of the political campaign season will collectively cost hundreds of millions of dollars, most coming from nominal campaign contributions from voters and supporters including members of Black Greek-letter organizations. Dr. Glover declined to share precise details of a recent confidential memo sent to AKA leaders on “guidelines” regarding political endorsements. “I have communicated with them (AKA
leaders) on what can and cannot be done,” she said. However, an unofficial copy of the AKA guidelines obtained by the Free Press lists more than a dozen points that run the gamut from abiding by rules stemming from federal election laws to sorority protocol when hosting official events. Among items on the list: “Do not refer to the candidate as ‘Soror.’ ” Members cannot wear paraphernalia, display hand gestures and symbols or issue the “skee-wee” call at political events. But pink and green, the sorority’s traditional colors, are “universal colors and can be worn while participating in political activities as long as the symbols and sorority name are not printed, referenced or displayed in any way.” Sorority members are authorized to wear paraphernalia at non-partisan, political activities such as voter registration drives or get-out-the-vote efforts. Members are not authorized to endorse a political candidate or make a political contribution on behalf of the sorority, but political activity in their individual capacities is permitted and must be made “clear and unambiguous.” Talking points can be obtained from the AKA’s regional directors, but “Madam Supreme Basileus Glenda Glover is the Chief and ONLY spokesperson for the Sorority.” “The AKAs are a tax-exempt organiza-
tion,” Dr. Glover stressed, as she reasserted the significance of her message to the sorority’s members. “As such, we do not endorse candidates or political issues. In their individual capacities, members can endorse any political issue, any candidate they want,” she added. Dr. Glover’s move was applauded by attorney Lezli Baskerville, president and chief executive officer of the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education, a Washington, D.C.based, advocacy organization for the nation’s 108 historically black colleges and universities. Ms. Baskerville noted that election time is usually when college campuses are busy with political debates, voter registration campaigns and running polling places at or near campuses. She said Dr. Glover’s guidance to the AKAs, which she had not seen in detail, is good advice for Black college Greeks and complements the role Congress mandates for higher education under federal law. “Many college presidents are not aware of what they can and cannot do,” Ms. Baskerville said, including requirements that “institutions engage in civic participation.” As the Nov. 3 national Election Day rapidly approaches, Greek-letter organization leaders echo Dr. Glover in admonishing their members to adhere to the stern election traffic rules governing political dancing in the streets.
State high court criticizes Judge Cavedo in throwing out Confederate statue injunction Continued from A1
as of July 1 and no longer granted private citizens the right to challenge government action involving Confederate statuary. “Because Anonymous failed to allege a potentially viable right of action, he or she was not entitled to a temporary injunction,” the order noted. The court did not address Mayor Stoney’s authority as city director of emergency management at the time to remove Confederate statues owned by the city. The statue of A.P. Hill is the last of 12 city-owned Confederate statues still standing. The city-owned Confederate statues on Monument Avenue, as well as one in Libby Hill Park and Monroe Park were either removed by the city or toppled by protesters. Removal of Gen. Hill’s statue at Hermitage Road and Laburnum Avenue is more complex because it sits above his grave.
City Council, meanwhile, is in the process of seeking bids to dispose of 10 of the 12 city-owned Confederate statues, including that of Gen. Hill. The council has not addressed the fate of the two remaining Confederate statues or taken any steps to deal with an unrelated statue of Christopher Columbus, which protesters pulled down in June. Judge Cavedo Separately, the future of the state-owned statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue remains tangled in a legal fight. Gov. Ralph S. Northam’s efforts to remove it have been blocked by another temporary injunction issued by Richmond Circuit Court Judge W. Reilly Marchant. Mr. El-Amin is seeking to intervene as a defendant in that case to support removal of the statue erected in 1890 as a show of support for white supremacy.
Early in-person voting starts Friday, Sept. 18 Continued from A1
at this location. Beginning Saturday, Oct. 24, two additional early in-person voting locations will be open — City Hall at 9th and Broad streets in Downtown and the Hickory Hill Community Center, 3000 E. Belt Blvd. in South Side. Details: (804) 646-5950 or www.richmondgov.com/registrar/ Henrico County There will be two locations for early voting in person — the Henrico Voter Registrar’s Office in Administration Building Annex Room 105 at Henrico’s Western Government Center, 4305 E. Parham Road; and Room 100 at the Eastern Government Center, 3820 Nine Mile Road. Voters with mail-in ballots also can hand-deliver them to either location. Both offices will be open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. Details: (804) 501-4347 or henrico. us/registrar/ Chesterfield County Initially, in-person early voting will take place at one location—the Chesterfield Voter Registrar’s Office, 9848 Lori Road in the county government complex. Starting Monday, Oct. 19, four satellite voting
sites will operate from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays: Meadowdale Library, 4301 Meadowdale Blvd.; LaPrade Library, 9000 Hull Street Road; North Courthouse Road Library, 325 Courthouse Road; and EttrickMatoaca Library, 4501 River Road. The five locations also will provide in-person voting from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, and Saturday, Oct. 31. Mail-in ballots also can be dropped off at those sites during operating hours. Details: (804) 748-1471 or www.chesterfield.gov/Registrar Hanover County One early in-person voting location will be open—Wickham Building in the Hanover County Government Complex,7497 County Complex Road. The office will be open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. It also will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, and Saturday, Oct. 31. Details: (804) 365-6080 or www.hanovercounty.gov/365/voting To vote early in person or on Election Day, Nov. 3, voters must provide identification. The following forms of I.D. are accepted: • Voter confirmation documents sent after you’ve registered to vote • A Virginia DMV-issued driver’s
license or identification card • A valid U.S. passport • Any ID card issued by the U.S., Virginia or local government in the state • Any student ID card issued by a U.S. university or community college • Valid student ID issued by a public school or private school in Virginia • Employer-issued photo ID card • Any current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document with your name and address Registered voters who don’t have any of these forms of ID can sign an ID Confirmation Statement. Voters dropping off absentee ballots must do so in person with a valid form of ID. Important Deadlines • Tuesday, Oct. 13 at 5 p.m. — Last day to register to vote in the November elections. • Friday, Oct. 23 at 5 p.m. — Last day for absentee ballot requests and to apply by mail for an absentee ballot for the November election. • Saturday, Oct. 31 at 5 p.m. — Last day to apply in person for an absentee ballot. • Monday, Nov. 2 — Last day voters can request an emergency absentee ballot.
Linda Owen did not attend the meeting. Mayor Levar M. Stoney, whose administration spent three weeks lobbying Mr. Kamras to help on day care after Mr. Kamras and his staff initially rejected the idea, publicly expressed satisfaction. In a statement, the mayor praised the School Board for its “willingness to partner with the city to offer emergency child care in school buildings” that would follow federal guidelines. “Now that we have secured safe, reliable child care sites, my administration is getting to work on planning and implementing high-quality emergency child care.” In his statement, Mayor Stoney did not provide any details of the program to be offered, when service might be available and who might qualify. He said that he expects to announce more details later, but no timeframe was specified. The mayor has promised to put $3 million in federal CARES Act money the city has received to support the program, though the funding was not listed in a description presented to City Council’s Finance Committee on Aug. 20 of the ways the city plans to spend the entire $40.2 million in federal funds. City Councilwoman Stephanie A. Lynch, 5th District, who has fought to make day care a priority since first raising the alarm in early July, said surveys conducted by RPS and the city show “there is a real need.” She said her best estimate is the city would need to serve 1,500 to 2,000 children and possibly be prepared to serve more. “We really don’t have a handle on the size of the problem.” She said she has been told the city will roll out an even bigger day care program that will involve more than the school buildings. A city task force is making plans to provide day care in some of the city’s recreation centers, and she said city staff is reaching out to churches and others with larger buildings to secure more space through MOUs. Ms. Lynch expressed dismay that the School Board did not fully embrace the program and make school buses and cleaning services available. She said School Board members need to talk with people in public housing and lower-income neighborhoods to understand the desperation. Some parents feel ill-equipped to ensure their children get the most of the computer learning, while others who work need a safe place to keep their kids. For most, Ms. Lynch said, private day care is not an option. But she noted that the city program will be needed more than ever with many of the private child care programs facing financial collapse. A recent Richmond survey of child care businesses found that 70 percent expect to be out of business in six months.
Parents anxious about virtual learning as new school year starts Continued from A1
and see virtual learning as a challenge they have to overcome. Many show and express their fatigue as they face a fall semester having their children learning at home — a situation they have been dealing with since March when public schools were closed statewide to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Katima Melmx has two sons in RPS, both of whom will be 11th-graders at John Marshall High School. While her son, Marcus Brooks, 16, has John Marshall as his home school, he attends CodeRVA Regional High School. Her son, Kevaugha Brooks, 17, goes to the Richmond Technical Center. Both have Individualized Education Programs, or IEPs, focusing on learning through their attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. “Both Marcus and Kevaugha didn’t want to work at home when school closed in March. They didn’t like it,” Ms. Melmx said. “They are upset with September’s virtual school schedule and the schools’ hours.” Her concerns center on staying on top of her sons to help them stay organized, get their work done and turned in on time, as well as keeping them engaged in the virtual world because they get bored quickly. Because her sons are new to John Marshall, Ms. Melmx said she is trying to get to know the support staff at the North Side high school. They previously attended Armstrong High School, where Ms. Melmx said she had an exceptional rapport with their teachers and counselors. Marcus has attended CodeRVA since ninth grade. The school, located now on the campus of Virginia Union University, is an innovative, regional high school that prepares students for college and careers in computer science and coding. Ms. Melmx said CodeRVA instructors prepared Marcus’ IEP in June because he struggles a lot with his attention span. She said the IEP provides a lot of one-on-one time for him with instructors and counselors as well as breakout sessions so that he is not on a computer most of the day. She is uncertain how that will be handled in the fall, whether by Zoom, by phone or in-person at their home. “His counselor called twice a week (during the last school year) and made sure that he checked in to ensure that he completes all of his assignments,” Ms. Melmx said. He also worked closely with a special education instructor and someone from special education and English language services. “On the other hand,” Ms. Melmx continued, “Kevaugha wants to be an electrician.” She said he likes the Richmond Technical Center. “He was upset that he can’t do the hands-on activity.” Parents and guardians of children in the lower grades expressed similar concerns about keeping their children engaged with virtual learning. But some new students are embracing the change. Kathy MacMillan’s niece, 4-year-old Sha’Mya McBride, is excited about going to pre-school at Ginter Park Elementary in North Side. She has been walking around with her electronic tablet waiting for school to begin. “Sha’Mya also has an RPS-issued Chromebook and she has gotten the hang of it after working with it this summer,” Ms. MacMillan said. “I really don’t have any concerns about her going to school virtually, but it would be better if she was in the classroom with her teacher and classmates.” Kapri Harris is worried about her two children who will be attending Richmond schools for the first time this fall. They attended Henrico County Public Schools in the past and used Chromebooks there. But Ms. Harris said the family hasn’t totally plugged into RPS’ website or Facebook page and hasn’t been able to get new laptops from the city school system. Her children, Kayrie, 8, and Roandil, 11, will be attending Overby-Sheppard Elementary School in Highland Park. Ms. Harris said she was uncomfortable with virtual learning at first because she was concerned her children would not do their work, especially when she is working away from home. But now, her sister is living with her and will be home during the day and can check on the children, Ms. Harris said. She said her comfort level with virtual learning is much better.
Richmond Free Press
September 3-5, 2020
When you wear a mask, you protect others. When others wear a mask, they protect you. The coronavirus is still out there, so remember to wear a mask. A mask doesn’t eliminate the need for other safety precautions, but it does help save lives.
How to take your mask off carefully when you’re home Wear your face mask correctly
Secure under the chin.
Cover the nose.
Your face mask should: • Cover your nose and mouth and be secured under your chin • Fit snugly on your face • Allow you to breathe easily Children under age 2 should not wear masks.
Once you’re home, do the following: 1. Untie the strings behind your head or stretch the ear loops 2. Handle only by the ear loops or ties 3. Fold outside corners together 4. Place mask in the washing machine (set water at warmest possible temperature) 5. Be careful not to touch your eyes, nose and mouth when removing mask 6. Wash your hands with soap and water after removing mask Make sure to wash your mask after every use.
The CDC doesn’t recommend wearing masks with exhalation valves or vents because they allow air to escape, which could potentially transmit the coronavirus to others.
Continue to practice safety precautions
6 feet
Disinfect
20 Seconds
Hand Sanitizer
Please practice the following: • Stay at least six feet away from others • Avoid close contact with people who are sick • Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds • Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available • Disinfect frequently touched surfaces • Wear your mask when you are outside of your home — running a quick errand or at a social gathering, no matter the size
We care about the health and safety of our communities. To learn more, visit vcuhealth.org. © 2020 VCU Health. All rights reserved. Sources: VCU Health; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A5
A6 September 3-5, 2020
Richmond Free Press
News
Mayor Stoney officially kicks off Attorney General Mark Herring to run re-election campaign for re-election By Jeremy M. Lazarus
for a private investment of $1.5 billion on city property in Downtown, Mayor Levar M. Stoney ofwith the city financing a new and ficially launched his bid for a larger arena to replace the Richmond second four-year term with a Coliseum. show of support from the state’s He also has faced criticism in top elected Democrat, Gov. Ralph dealing with the coronavirus as S. Northam. well as his handling of the police The mayor, who faces five opbrutality-racial justice protests ponents, urged people to stick with since late May that have pushed an experienced leader on Tuesday police reforms but also caused as he opened his re-election camdamage to numerous businesses paign with a news conference held around the city and Downtown. at the city overlook on East Grace “The next decade will be the Street in Church Hill accompanied most critical in our city’s history, by the governor. and the next mayor will need to act The governor also joined Mayor quickly and decisively to ensure we Stoney later at a virtual rally for do not miss our moment here in supporters at which Henrico DelRichmond,” Mayor Stoney declared Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press egate Lamont Bagby, chairman Mayor Levar M. Stoney talks about the successes of his in kicking off his campaign. of the Virginia Legislative Black first term in office and details his vision for Richmond’s “To tackle these challenges Caucus, issued an endorsement. facing our city, we need a leader future as he launches his bid for re-election Tuesday with Separately, Richmond Delegate the endorsement of Gov. Ralph S. Northam. Location: who has the experience and partDelores L. McQuinn said she is en- City overlook at East Grace Street in Church Hill. nerships to get the job done. I am dorsing Mayor Stoney as well. the only candidate in this race who “Levar has been a leader,” Gov. Northam said in announcing his can accomplish that mission.” support. “He’s listened, and he’s taken action. He’s taken Richmond He cited successes he said he has achieved during his first to the next level. I plan to vote for him on Nov. 3rd. I encourage term, including fulfilling his campaign promise to expand aftereveryone else in the city of Richmond to do so.” school programs to every middle and elementary school student, Delegate Bagby, who lives outside the city and cannot vote for building three new schools and creating an eviction diversion the mayor, praised Mayor Stoney as “the most experienced candidate program that has helped 140 families stay in their homes. He did in the race” and for building a “strong track record of helping com- not include his successful removal of 11 of the 12 city-owned munities in Richmond and Virginia that have been neglected.” Confederate statues. An early poll the Free Press reported on in July suggested The mayor pledged during a second term, he would call for that Mayor Stoney holds a narrow lead, but has not expanded universal access to pre-kindergarten, and seek to increase Black his base of city voters since winning election in 2016. and Latino home ownership. The poll indicated he has the support of around 36 percent Mayor Stoney also committed to redoubling his efforts to of city voters and, like the contest four years ago, is benefiting protect public health during the COVID-19 pandemic, while from having multiple opponents who each have a smaller share also continuing the work of reforming and re-imagining public of support. The poll suggested that Mayor Stoney is leading in safety and policing. four City Council districts; he would need to win five districts Strikingly, he did not mention any reforms within City Hall, to secure a second term. including any effort to upgrade the permit section to simplify His opponents in the November election include 2nd District the process for builders, developers and business owners. City Councilwoman Kim B. Gray, who is completing her first He also did not mention beefing up funding for affordable term, and four people who would be newcomers to City Hall housing in the city, although on Monday night, he indicated his — Michael J. Gilbert, M. Justin Griffin, Tracey V. McLean and support for increasing a city fund to aid such development to Alexsis Rodgers. $10 million a year. Mayor Stoney took a big hit early this year with his ardent At this point, Mayor Stoney has raised more money than his support of the failed and unpopular Navy Hill project that called five opponents combined.
Free Press staff report
Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring has decided he wants to keep his job, rather than making a bid to become Virginia’s 74th governor. The two-term Democrat announced Wednesday he is dropping out of the 2021 race for the state’stop elected job and would Attorney General campaign for four more years as the state’s Herring counsel. Norfolk Delegate Jay Jones, 31, a member of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus and Mr. Herring’s top rival for the Democratic nomination for attorney general, remains undaunted. Delegate Jones stated he would wage a strong campaign to show voters that he represents the “fresh voice and ideas” the Commonwealth needs and that “reflect who we are, what we value and where we’re going.”
Annual Labor Day political event to go virtual Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott’s Annual Labor Day Picnic is going virtual. Now in its 44th year, the free political event that draws dozens of candidates and office holders and hundreds of participants has been moved from the waterfront lawn of Rep. Scott’s family home in Newport News to online because of the coronavirus pandemic. Rep. Scott Organizers said a bevy of elected officials will participate this year, including U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine and Gov. Ralph S. Northam, along with candidates for various offices and special guests. Taped remarks will be broadcast at the event that will be held from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 7, on Bobbyscottforcongress. com or www.facebook.com/bobbyscottforcongress. People are encouraged to have watch parties with social distancing for this year’s event. Info: (757) 245-2000.
‘Shut up and play’ is tossed from the game Free Press wire report
The sports world came to a halt last week as leagues postponed professional men’s and women’s basketball games, football practices, soccer matches, baseball games, hockey playoffs and tennis competitions as players protested the shooting of a Black man by police in Kenosha, Wis. It was an unprecedented move that got the world’s attention as athletes began to realize their own power. With every get-out-the-vote campaign, every shutdown of a major sport, every detailed list of actions by athletes demanding change, one new reality comes into sharper focus: The days of “shut up and play” are winding down. This summer of police shootings of Black people — the aftershocks exacerbated by a coronavirus pandemic that has upended life everywhere — has emboldened athletes to draw on the platform they’ve long commanded. One big difference between now and even a year ago is that there’s less indecisiveness on how hard those athletes will press the issues. And to some, the odds seem greater, this time, that what the athletes are calling for might actually come to pass. “None of us are politicians,” said NFL veteran Marcedes Lewis, an outspoken tight end who plays for Green Bay, which is in the same state where Jacob Blake was shot in the back and paralyzed by police on Aug. 23 as three of his children looked on. “We get paid to go out there and play and do our job. At the same time, wrong is wrong and right is right. It’s encouraging to see guys stepping up.” In tennis, golf, hockey, baseball, basketball, soccer and football, there have been gestures big and small, and in ways once unimaginable. Even among college athletes, there has been a ripple effect. University of Oklahoma players and coaches did not practice late last week, but instead marched around campus together. And according to lineman Creed Humphrey, the entire team registered to vote last Friday. The unprecedented move began when the Milwaukee Bucks refused to play their Aug. 26 playoff game against the Orlando Magic following the shooting of Mr. Blake. “There has been no action, so our focus today cannot be on basketball,” said Bucks guard Sterling Brown, who joined teammate George Hill in reading a statement on the team’s behalf. Brown has a federal lawsuit pending against the city of Milwaukee alleging he was targeted because he was Black and that his civil rights were violated in January 2018 when officers used a stun gun on him after a parking violation. The statement by the Bucks also called for state lawmakers to reconvene and take immediate action “to address issues of police accountability, brutality, and criminal justice reform.” “I couldn’t agree more. Thank you, Bucks,” Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers tweeted. The Bucks’ action was quickly followed by players from five other NBA teams, then WNBA teams, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer and tennis in a snowballing boycott as players decided the best way to use their plat-
Athlete power
form and demand change was to literally step off the playing surface. Demanding societal change and ending racial injustice has been a major part of the NBA’s restart at Walt Disney World. The phrase “Black Lives Matter” is painted on the arena courts, players are wearing messages urging change on their jerseys and coaches are donning pins demanding racial justice as well. Many players wrestled for weeks about whether it was even right to play, fearing that a return to games would take attention off the deaths of, among others, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd in recent months. Ms. Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, was fatally shot when police officers burst into her Louisville, Ky., apartment using a no-knock warrant during a narcotics investigation on March 13. The warrant was in connection with a suspect who did not live there and no drugs were found. Then on May 25, Mr. Floyd was killed after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee into his neck for nearly nine minutes — all captured on cell phone video. Hill said after Mr. Blake’s shooting that he felt players shouldn’t have come to Disney. “We’re the ones getting killed,” Los Angeles Clippers Coach Doc Rivers, who is Black, said in an emotional speech Aug. 25. “We’re the ones getting shot. We’re the ones that we’re denied to live in certain communities. We’ve been hung. We’ve been shot. And all you do is keep hearing about fear. It’s amazing why we keep loving this country and this country does not love us back. And it’s just, it’s really so sad.” “The baseless shootings of Jacob Blake and other black men and women by law enforce-
ment underscores the need for action,” the NBA Coaches Association later said in a statement following the action by players. “Not after the playoffs, not in the future, but now.” It all led to serious consideration of canceling the NBA season altogether. Such a move was avoided in part because of the counsel of former President Obama and input from former NBA star Michael Jordan. According to an ESPN report, the NBA great and Charlotte Hornets owner asked players to consider that their voices would be better heard on the court than off it. Nine NFL teams canceled practices on Aug. 27 — a notable break from routine for a league that still has not found a job for Super Bowl quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who kneeled on the sideline during the national anthem to protest racial injustice. The police shooting of Mr. Blake came four years to the day after Kaepernick’s first protest. The Baltimore Ravens, in a posting that went viral, put out a statement with a seven-point plan of action to help combat systemic racism in the U.S. “If you’re not trying to lead this world, lead this earth with making a positive impact, what are you here for?” receiver DJ Chark Jr. of the Jacksonville Jaguars said. “Whether it’s sports that gives you the platform, whether it’s music, entertainment, whatever it is. If you have a voice, I think if you’re contributing to something that is going to help, something that is positive, I think you should use it.” “We understand how strong our voice is, how powerful our voice is and ultimately we decided if we go away from this stage we don’t necessarily have that same platform so
we stood in solidarity,” said Chris Paul, the Oklahoma City Thunder guard and president of the players’ union. President Obama advised the players and league to establish a social justice coalition, made up of players, coaches and owners, that will focus on voting access and police and criminal justice reform. Some teams now are making plans to allow their arenas to serve as polling places for November’s election. While many sporting events have resumed, all this stands in stark contrast from the predominant attitude of athletes during Jordan’s prime — an attitude Jordan himself embodied. During a U.S. Senate race in his home state of North Carolina, Jordan was reluctant to use his star power to endorse Harvey Gantt, the African-American Democrat running against longtime segregationist U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms. “Republicans buy sneakers, too,” was Jordan’s now-famous quote. It still resonates today, if only because it is becoming the antithesis of what current NBA stars are doing. LeBron James has created “More Than A Vote,” a website designed to urge Black people to vote and to root out Black voter suppression. Among the more than four dozen Black athletes who are part of the cause are Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes and Olympic champion sprinter Allyson Felix. “It’s a start. The players are pressuring the owners in the only language they understand — the money,” said 30-year-old Jahreem Edwards, a Black resident of Washington who attended the March on Washington last Friday. “LeBron James has 70 million Instagram followers. That’s power. That’s just about as much power as any Black man in America.” The Olympic world that Felix inhabits has been among the slowest to heed the call for changes despite commanding the attention of huge swaths of the globe’s population every two years. The movement that gave rise to some of the most notable civil rights protesters in any venue — Muhammad Ali, and Tommie Smith and John Carlos — is still studying the idea of relaxing its rule that forbids protests on the medals stand. It is taking heat from across the globe, but especially from the United States. On Friday, American athletes held the first meeting of a newly formed council on racial and social justice to tackle the issues at the Olympic level. Given the glacial pace at which attitudes shift at the Olympic level, a council designed to tackle these issues looks a lot like progress. More concrete and fast-moving are the moves in the NBA, NFL and other American pro sports, where a growing number of players are less conflicted about calling off games, calling for action and, in short, using their platform for change. How big an impact will it all have? “It’s those ripple effects,” said Jeremy Jones, founder of Protect Our Winters, an athlete-driven environmental group that is spearheading its own voting project this year. “And when you say, ‘Do you think it’s starting to make a difference?’ I think in a lot of ways, we’ll look back at this time and say that this was a turning point.”
Richmond Free Press
September 3-5, 2020 A7
A cleaner energy future is on the horizon. As a leader in wind and solar, we take our responsibility to the planet very seriously. That is why we are developing the country’s largest offshore wind project—one which will produce enough energy to power 660,000 homes by 2026. We have also added more than 2.5 million solar panels throughout Virginia since 2015, helping to make us America’s third largest in solar. While our commitment to cleaner energy has made us a national leader in sustainability, it is our commitment to future generations that inspires us every day. For more information, visit DominionEnergy.com.
DominionEnergy.com
Richmond Free Press
Hibiscus in Downtown
Editorial Page
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September 3-5, 2020
Honoring all workers
Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press
Athletes standing up for justice
Happy Labor Day!
The greatest athletes in America are standing up for justice at a critical time. Despite unprecedented, multiracial demonstrations across the country protesting police violence against AfricanAmericans, the horrors keep on coming. On Aug. 23, Jacob Blake was shot seven times in the back by a policeman in Kenosha, Wis. As the anger has grown, some of the protests have been marred by vandalism and looting. Now, armed right wing militia groups are escalating the tensions. In Kenosha, two demonstrators were murdered and one wounded by a 17-year-old Trump supporter illegally wielding an assault weapon. It is into this cauldron that the professional basketball players of the NBA stood up, forcing a suspension of the playoffs, to support the call for justice. Their example was picked up by others — the WNBA, baseball players, tennis champions such as Naomi Osaka and others. This takes courage. Great athletes are taught to focus on their sport and to ignore their power in the culture. Owners, agents, managers and fans see them as entertainment, not as citizens or leaders. Yet the very God-given gifts, discipline and skills that make a great athlete
contribute to their capacity for leadership. In the Old Testament, little David honed his skill with a sling. When an oppressive horde led by a giant named Goliath threatened the Hebrew people, David stepped up, hurling the stone that slew the giant and saved his people. Now America’s greatest athletes are standing up,
Jesse L. Jackson Sr. calling this country to change. They know that they will face criticism and abuse. They know that they could be risking their careers and livelihood. When LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and the Miami Heat players stood up in response to the death of Trayvon Martin, Americans across the country took notice. The same is true now as the current athletes focus on Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Jacob Blake and the others they name. The athletes know the risks, but they also know that when they leave the court or playing field and return to their families, they are just another Black person to the police, and must worry about how to protect their sons and daughters, sisters and brothers or even themselves. Both Sterling Brown of the Milwaukee Bucks and Thabo Sefolosha of the Houston Rockets were victims of police lawlessness. Now, the example and leadership of LeBron James has been
critical. Athletes across the world look up to him. When LeBron uses his platform to speak out — even in the face of insults from the president and others — he sets a tone and an example for others. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. used his gifts and platform to change the culture. Today, athletes are using their commitment to call this country to its senses. Great athletes often have been pacesetters. When heavyweight champion Jack Johnson stood up to racially biased and arbitrary social mores, he impacted the culture. When Joe Lewis defeated Max Schmeling, he pummeled the entire Nazi theory and racist ideology. When Jesse Owens became the world’s fastest man at the Berlin Olympics, Adolf Hitler wouldn’t shake his hand. But when Mr. Owens came home, he told me President Roosevelt wouldn’t shake his hand either. Jackie Robinson broke the racial barrier in baseball and bore the physical and psychological scars from doing it. At the height of his career, Muhammad Ali, became a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War, and paid the price of years stolen from his career. Every athlete should be grateful to Curt Flood for ending the reserve clause and gaining athletes the right to free agency to negotiate the best deal they could. Colin Kaepernick launched his nonviolent campaign against police killing of Black people four years ago that cost him his
With COVID-19, we are on our own
As of now, there is no clear proof that the antibodies that develop after being infected with COVID-19 offer any protection from future infections. Even if these antibodies will protect you, no one knows what antibody levels are needed to protect against reinfection. As evidenced by the man in China who was the first confirmed case of being infected a second time, we need to accept that there is much we need to understand about COIVD-19 in order to protect ourselves as best as possible. As summer comes to an end, the prospect of a flu season during the coronavirus pandemic is a frightening thought for many health experts. Six months after the start of the pandemic, we are seeing tens of thousands of deaths and thousands of people experiencing horrible effects from the virus even after surviving. And yet we seem to be far away from understanding this virus. Now, it can only be called “mind-blowing” that the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has just issued guidance that says if you have been in close contact (within 6 feet) of a person with COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes but do not have symptoms, you do not necessarily need a test unless you are a vulnerable individual or your health care provider or state
or local public health officials recommend you take one. Really? It has been barely a month since the CDC confirmed that 40 percent of all COIVD-19 cases in the United States are among people who don’t know that they are infected. In other words,
Glenn Ellis they are asymptomatic. Up until now, the guidance stressed the importance of testing people who were in close contact with infected people. Now, without explanation, this is no longer recommended. The whole purpose of doing testing is to reduce the rate at which someone infected comes in contact with someone not infected, or reduce the probability of infection if there is contact. The more a person interacts with different people, and the longer and closer the interaction, the higher the risk of COVID-19 spread. So can someone help me understand why, all of a sudden, the CDC is changing course and now discouraging testing? Hospital and death records show that Black people, Latinos and Native Americans are disproportionately suffering and dying from this severe disease. Nationwide, Black people are dying at 2.5 times the rate of white people. Black and brown communities face higher rates of diabetes, heart disease and other conditions that worsen the COVID-19 prognosis. It’s no secret that Black and
Latino people are more likely to live in densely populated inner cities and neighborhoods, in cramped, multigenerational homes, exposing them to more people, thus more opportunity to infect or be infected. On top of that, the same families are, in essence, being forced to send their children back into schools, only magnifying the potential for children and young people to expose older relatives. There are two reasons to conduct COVID-19 testing during this pandemic — to confirm that people with symptoms are actually infected with COVID-19 and to detect the virus in people who have been infected but don’t know it because they don’t have any symptoms. The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine estimated that 10 percent of people may be responsible for 80 percent of novel coronavirus cases. So what is it that the CDC is saying to the rest of us? There’s not a lot more “evidence” we need to see from the ever-changing guidelines; the neglected communities who have carried a disproportionate burden of the infection, sickness and the deaths; and now the seemingly blatant ignoring of the need for testing in light of the obvious vulnerability, to realize that in many ways — as we have been historically — we are on our own. The writer is a visiting scholar at the National Bioethics Center at Tuskegee University and a Harvard Medical School Research Bioethics Fellow.
The Free Press welcomes letters The Richmond Free Press respects the opinions of its readers. We want to hear from you. We invite you to write the editor. All letters will be considered for publication. Concise, typewritten letters related to public matters are preferred. Also include your telephone number(s). Letters should be addressed to: Letters to the Editor, Richmond Free Press, P.O. Box 27709, 422 East Franklin Street, Richmond, VA 23261, or faxed to: (804) 643-7519 or e-mail: letters@richmondfreepress.com.
career. The athletes had to stop business as usual to gain attention. They have been in intense meetings figuring out how they can most be effective. They understand that the murders can’t go on; the system must change. They are calling on others to join them. They are putting their time and their resources on the line. They’ve now convinced NBA owners to turn their arenas into polling places where people may vote safely. Their actions have already had an effect. It is too easy for cynical politicians and entrenched interests to turn attention from the injustice to the excesses that mar those protesting it. The players have forced our attention back to the injustice and to the core demand that Black Lives Matter. For that, they deserve our respect and our support. The writer is founder and president of the national Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
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September 3-5, 2020 A9
Letters to the Editor
On Labor Day, let’s work to elect champions for the working class This year, Labor Day comes just 57 days away from what could be the most historically important election for Virginia’s working people. As a leader of the Central Virginia Labor Federation, we have seen firsthand the difference in having community leadership that uplifts working people. The coronavirus pandemic has presented the toughest challenge we’ve seen in modern history. Across the country, millions of people have been laid off through no fault of their own, including 344,135 in Virginia, nearly three times as many as a year ago. In these times of turmoil, the labor move-
ment has risen to the occasion. We’ve given our time, money and assistance to those in need because that is what community leaders do. But no matter how much effort we give, it pales in comparison to the assistance we could have had — and still need — from our federal government. We’ve waited for months as the House-passed HEROES Act sits untouched in U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s lap — and our nation continues to suffer. That’s why we cannot stress enough the importance of this upcoming election. In 2018, America’s voters elected more than
964 union members to public office. Now we have the opportunity to elect more. This Labor Day, when it’s time to head back inside after a day at the pool or an evening barbecue, let’s reflect on why we get this day off — to recognize the decades America’s working people and the labor movement have spent fighting to ensure we have safe, quality workplaces.
Now, let’s make sure we elect people to public office who will keep it that way. THELMA J. HUNT Richmond The writer is president of the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 496 and president of the Central Virginia Labor Federation.
Democracy vs. authoritarianism Re “Trump uses Black people to defend him at RNC,” Free Press Aug. 27-29 edition: No. 45 is a daily fixture on the airwaves crowing about everything and saying nothing about helping lower income Americans as the COVID-19 pandemic rages. For No. 45 and the Republican Party, it’s business as usual, with the U.S. Senate blocking common sense legislative bills from the U.S. House of Representatives, trying to adjust the stock market’s reactions, putting profits over deaths and the right wing media defending the shooting of Jacob Blake seven times in the back by Kenosha, Wis., police. No. 45 has lots of anti-immigrant and racist policies but no major legislative achievements in four years. Monday through Thursday last week were nightly lies from the GOP. When President Trump took the stage to accept the Republican nomination for president, he goaded his supporters into chanting “12 more years,” not “four more years.” It all tops off a profoundly frightening month in which President Trump said he could postpone
the election, threatened to send police to polling stations, sent secret federal agents into cities to attack peaceful protesters and tried to sabotage the U.S. Postal Service to suppress the vote. The 2020 election is about democracy versus authoritarianism. No. 45, the White House and the Republican Party leadership are not honest and cannot be trusted. There is a pathological liar and idiot in the seat of command. There should be more kudos from the people for our governor, Ralph S. Northam, and selected health staff members who moved out front on COVID-19 actions and planning. I continue to believe Gov. Northam and his staff over the White House, Fox News, U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell and other Trump cronies. If you listen to No. 45, you can be accelerating your meeting with God. Bishop Gerald O. Glenn and former GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain are sad examples.
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September 3-5, 2020 A9
Sports Stories by Fred Jeter
Jackie Robinson Day commemorated by MLB on Aug. 28 In this unprecedented year of sports, April 15 — better known in Major League Baseball as Jackie Robinson Day — became Aug. 28. Baseball was in a holding pattern this year on April 15 because of the global pandemic. Instead, the groundbreaking Mr. Robinson was honored Aug 28 at MLB ballparks across the country. Aug. 28 was chosen as the replacement date for two reasons. It was Aug. 28, 1963, that Jackie Robinson — who broke baseball’s color line on April 15, 1947 — participated in the March on Washington. Also, it was Aug. 28, 1945, that Robinson signed a contract with Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey. Robinson played the 1946 season with the Dodgers’ Montreal farm club before joining the parent squad on April 15, 1947. In 10 big league seasons, Robinson hit .311 with 197 stolen bases. In 1955, he helped Brooklyn to a World Series title. He was a six-time All-Star and the 1949 National League MVP. A daring base runner, Robinson stole home 19 times. That’s not counting his famous steal of home in Game 1 of the 1955 World Series. As part of the annual Jackie Robinson Day celebration, all players and coaches wear Rob-
inson’s now retired No. 42 jersey. New York Yankees relief pitcher Mariano Rivera was the last big leaguer to wear No. 42 in 2013. Also on Aug. 28, Robinson’s iconic No. 42 was mowed into the outfield grass and behind home plates at baseball stadiums across the country. It was also displayed on the back of pitcher’s mounds. Baseball is being played this season with no fans in the stands, but with full radio and television coverage. The Aug. 28 celebration came during the same week in which several Major League games were postponed to protest racial injustice following the Aug. 23 police shooting and critical wounding of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis. The Los Angeles Dodgers game in San Francisco against the Giants on Aug. 26 was among the contests postponed. The Brooklyn Dodgers, for whom Robinson earned Hall of Fame status, moved to Los Angeles in 1958, two years after Robinson retired. The Dodgers played the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, on Jackie Robinson Day. As a sign of the times, the Dodgers have just one African-American player this season — All-Star right fielder Mookie Betts. That’s one less Black player than the Dodgers had in 1947 when, first
Cliff Robinson, former NBA star, dies at 53 Cliff Robinson, who played 18 NBA seasons from 1989 to 2007, died Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020, in Portland, Ore. He was 53. His family said he had a yearlong battle with lymphoma. A native of Buffalo, N.Y., Mr. Robinson starred at the University of Connecticut prior to being picked by the Portland Trail Blazers in the second round of the NBA draft in 1989. With the Trail Blazers, he earned the Sixth Man of the Year Award in 1993 and was an NBA All-Star in 1994. Mr. Robinson helped Portland reach two NBA Finals. During his distinguished career, the 6-foot-10 athlete nicknamed “Uncle Cliffy” scored 19,591 points and collected 6,306 rebounds. He was also an excellent defender, twice winning NBA second-team All-Defensive honors. In addition to Portland, he also played with the Phoenix Suns, the Detroit Pistons, the Golden State Warriors and the New Jersey Nets. Mr. Robinson got his nickname in 1992 after performing a victory dance following a Portland win over Utah in the Western Division playoff finals. Asked what the dance was called, he replied, “The Uncle Cliffy.” The tag stuck. He also was a contestant on “Survivor” in the season filmed in 2013 and broadcast in 2014. Mr. Robinson’s jersey No. 00 is retired at UConn, where he earned All-Big East honors and led the Huskies to the 1989 NIT championship.
Jackie Robinson’s jersey number, 42, stands outside one of the entrances to Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles during this year’s commemoration of the trailblazing athlete on Aug. 28.
Robinson, and later pitcher Dan Bankhead suited up for Brooklyn. Los Angeles Pitcher David Price, who is African-American, decided to sit out this season because of COVID-19 and health concerns for himself and his family. In the saddest of coincidences, actor Chadwick Boseman, who played Robinson in the 2013 film
“42,” died on Aug. 28, Jackie Robinson Day, in Los Angeles. Mr. Boseman was 43 and had fought a private four-year battle with colon cancer. Among his numerous starring roles, Mr. Boseman played James Brown in “Get on Up,” Thurgood Marshall in “Marshall” and King T’Challa in “Black Panther.”
Washington Nationals’ young players looking to make ‘the chaperones’ proud A nucleus of the Washington Nationals more resembles a college team than a pro squad. At least in terms of age, the defending World Series champs have four players who wouldn’t look out of place at a campus fraternity party. The youngest of the young guns is the Nats’ promising second baseman Luis Victoriano Garcia. The New York City native was born May 16, 2000.At 20 years, three months, that makes Garcia the majors’ youngest performer. Then there is left fielder Juan Soto, 22, and center fielder Victor Robles and third baseman Carter Kieboom, both 23. Garcia, Soto and Robles have become regulars in manager Dave Martinez’s lineup. Kieboom, ranked among baseball’s leading prospects, is currently polishing some rough edges at the Nats’ alternate training site in Fredericksburg. The Nationals won their first World Series a year ago with an older cast led by National League MVP Anthony Rendon. The third baseman has since switched coasts, opting for free agency and a spot on the Los Angeles Angels roster. Kieboom, the Nats’ 2016 first round draft choice, is eyed as Rendon’s permanent replacement on the hot corner. The Nats are hopeful Garcia will follow in the steps of Soto, who became the major’s youngest player in 2018 at 19 years, 207 days. Soto, a left-handed batter, has developed into one the big league’s most feared sluggers. Soto had 34 homers and 110 runs batted in a year ago, and started this season with eight homers and 18 RBIs in his first 20
games. T h e speedy Robles, among the game’s m o s t Luis Garcia Juan Soto Victor Robles Carter Kieboom spectacular defenders, had 33 doubles, three triples the Baltimore Orioles, Garcia, wearing jersey and 17 home runs last season, while stealing No. 62, had two hits, including a double, with two RBIs and a run scored. 28 bases. Two days later, he socked his first big Soto was only 20 years, 11 days, when league home run—a 410-foot blast— he made his Nats debut in 2017. Both Soto and Robles hail from the against Atlanta. Still, the Nats’ roster isn’t without its Dominican Republic and signed with the “old-timers.” Veteran utility man Howie Nats as 16-year-olds. Garcia, the first player to reach the Kendrick is 37, and catcher Kurt Suzuki and majors with a birthday in the 2000s, is a pitching ace Max Scherzer are both 36. Good naturedly, the young Nats refer to second-generation big leaguer. His father, Luis Rafael Garcia, played shortstop for the older veterans as “the chaperones.” the Detroit Tigers in 1999. Garcia, who still wears braces on his Not your average Joe teeth and speaks little English, was born Joe Nuxhall had just finished his in Bronx, N.Y., but moved with his famsophomore year in high school in Hamilton, ily to the Dominican Republic at age 3. In Ohio, when he made his big league debut 2016, Garcia signed a $1.3 million contract at age 15 with the Cincinnati Reds. with the Nats. It was the second largest He remains the youngest player in international signing bonus the Nats have Major League history. awarded, after Yasel Antuna. The left-handed pitcher was brought in to pitch in relief June 10, 1944, in a Antuna, 20, is now in the Nats’ minor World War II era game against the St. league system and is considered a star of Louis Cardinals in Cincinnati. the future in the nation’s capital. It didn’t go well. The teen gave up An opening emerged for Garcia when five quick runs before being taken out regular season baseman Starlin Castro and didn’t pitch again in the majors until broke his right wrist. Garcia played last 1952, when he was 23. season, at age 19, for Harrisburg, Pa., an There’s a happy ending. Nuxhall went Eastern League opponent of the Richmond on to hurl 14 seasons for the Reds, compiling a 135-119 record. Flying Squirrels. In his Aug. 15 debut in the majors against
U.Va. kicks off all-ACC football season against rival Virginia Tech on Sept. 19 This will be an upside-down season for the Virginia Cavaliers. Normally, the University of Virginia ends its regular season against archrival Virginia Tech. This season, with all 10 of U.Va.’s football games being played against ACC rivals, the Cavaliers and Hokies are opening against each other on Saturday, Sept. 19, in Blacksburg. Virginia originally was scheduled to host Virginia Military Institute on Sept. 11 in Charlottesville. That game was canceled when the Southern Conference, of which VMI is a member, called off fall football. U.Va. enjoyed one of its best-ever football seasons in 2019. An encore this season could depend on some gifted athletes from the 804 area code. A year ago, the Cavaliers posted a 9-5 record, won the ACC Coastal Division, ended an agonizingly long drought against Virginia Tech and earned a trip to the Orange Bowl. While the university in Charlottesville recruits nationally and even internationally, it keeps a sharp eye on Central Virginia. Here are some Richmond area players who hope to keep the Cavaliers near the top of the ACC standings this season: Junior receiver/kick returner Billy Kemp IV from Highland Springs High School in Henrico County. Senior defensive back/kick returner D’Angelo Amos from Meadowbrook High School in Chesterfield County. Junior running back Ronnie Walker Jr. from Hopewell High School. Freshman all-around student-athlete Chris
Barfield from L.C. Bird High School in Chesterfield County. Kemp, who helped Highland Springs High to consecutive State 5A titles, was at his best against the best a year ago for U.Va. In the ACC championship game against Clemson, Kemp had nine receptions for 66 yards. Clemson won that game and went on to claim the national title. Overall, Kemp had 35 catches for 289 yards. He also returned punts for 137 yards, including a 25-yard scamper in the victory over Virginia Tech. With Joe Reed (77 catches) and Hasise Dubois (75) having completed eligibility, Kemp figures to inherit a stronger role as a junior. Amos earned All-Colonial Athletic Association honors as both a defensive back and kick University of Virginia’s 2020 football schedule The schedule was revised because of the coronavirus pandemic. Kickoff times have not been announced. Sept. 19 at Virginia Tech Oct. 3 at Clemson University Oct. 10 North Carolina State University Oct. 17 at Wake Forest University Oct. 24 at University of Miami Oct. 31 University of North Carolina Nov. 7 University of Louisville Nov. 14 Duke University Nov. 28 at Florida State University Dec. 5 Boston College
returner at James Madison University. He came to U.Va. as a graduate transfer with immediate eligibility this season. For the JMU Dukes, Amos returned punts for 1,259 yards in three seasons, including five touchdowns. Walker is a former All-State sensation at Hopewell High who played two seasons in the Big 10 Conference for Indiana University. With the Big 10 opting out of fall football this year, Walker decided to return to his home state. His eligibility for this season is still in question. Walker will have two full seasons of eligibility once the NCAA makes a final decision. Barfield, after starring as both a running back and linebacker at L.C. Bird High, arrived in Charlottesville as a preferred walk-on. An excel-
lent student – he graduated with a 4.46 GPA—he was president of his senior class at Bird and a member of the National Honor Society. For the Cavaliers, Barfield could eventually see duty on offense, defense or special teams. Virginia has had good luck with L.C. Bird athletes. U.Va. alumnus Anthony Harris, now a starting safety with the Minnesota Vikings, hails from Bird. About 50 percent of the current U.Va. football roster is made up of African-Americans. U.Va.’s first Black football players were Kent Merritt, Harrison Davis, stanley Land and John Rainey in 1970. Merritt was the state 100-yard dash champion from Lane High School in Charlottesville. At the time, Lane competed in the same district with Richmond Public Schools.
College football starts elsewhere despite pandemic Pandemic or not, college football is underway. In the first game of the season, the University of Central Arkansas defeated Austin Peay State University of Tennessee 24-17 last Saturday in the annual Football Championship Subdivision, or FCS, Kickoff Classic. The game, sponsored by Guardian Credit Union, was played in Montgomery, Ala., in front of about 2,000 welldistanced fans at the 25,000 seat Cramton Bowl. Attendance was limited because of COVID-19.
Spectators were frequently reminded by the public address announcer to wear masks and socially distance. There were no bands, cheerleaders, mascots or halftime show, but the contest was televised live nationally by ESPN. It marked the first time Austin Peay, located in Clarksville, Tenn., has ever been on national TV. The game got off to a fast start with Austin Peay freshman C.J. Evans running for a 75-yard touchdown on the first
snap from center. Several players on both teams sat out the event for undisclosed reasons. Central Arkansas, located in Conway,Ark., and nicknamed the Sugar Bears, is a member of the FCS Southland Conference. The Austin Peay Governors play in the FCS Ohio Valley Conference. Several other FCS conferences, including the MEAC and Colonial Athletic Association, have postponed football until the spring.
A12 September 3-5, 2020
Richmond Free Press
Taking action on our commitment to Richmond We know we must do more to address the very real consequences of systemic racism that exist in society today. The impact is clear for communities across the country, including where our teammates live and serve our clients. To drive progress, Bank of America has committed to invest $1 billion over four years to advance racial equality and economic opportunity, building on work we’ve had underway for many years. We’re partnering with community and corporate leaders to create sustainable change. Our actions will help address critical issues and long-term gaps that have only been widened by the coronavirus and amplified by the most recent acts of injustice. Our efforts include: •
connecting workers to new skills and enhanced job readiness
•
increasing medical response capacity and access to health care and nutritious food
•
powering small businesses owned by people of color through access to capital
•
helping people find a place to call home
My teammates and I here in Richmond are committed to doing more, and doing more now.
Victor Branch Richmond Market President
Working together Here in Richmond, we are proud to already partner with local organizations to advance racial equality and economic opportunity, including: Goodwill of Central and Coastal Virginia, Inc. The Maggie Walker Community Land Trust The Cross-Over Ministry, Inc.
To learn more, please visit bankofamerica.com/community.
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September 3-5, 2020 B1
Section
B
Richmond Free Press
Happenings
Personality: Dr. Luisa A. Igloria Spotlight on Virginia’s poet laureate \It was in early May when Dr. Luisa A. Igloria learned she was on the short list for consideration to be named poet laureate of Virginia. The notice that she had been chosen came on July 16. The next day, Gov. Ralph S. Northam made the official public announcement. “I’m very grateful,” Dr. Igloria says. “It’s such an honor to join the ranks of many esteemed Virginia poets laureate.” The native of the Philippines and creative writing and English professor at Old Dominion University is Virginia’s 20th poet laureate and the fourth person of color to be named to the distinguished honorary position as an ambassador for poetry for the Commonwealth. Dr. Igloria follows Rita Dove, the first African-American poet laurate of Virginia and of the United States, Sofia Starnes and Tim Seibles, who blazed the trail as poets laureate of color in Virginia. During her two-year tenure as poet laureate, Dr. Igloria is expected to promote the exchange of arts information and perspectives, though she’s not required to write any poetry. But Dr. Igloria says that she has written at least a poem a day for almost 10 years now as part of her daily poetry practice. It’s a “pleasure and high point of each day,” she says. “I look forward to that part of the day, not rigidly scheduled, when I claim that window of time to sit down and write a poem. I think this is just because poetry is the place I prefer to go in order to think through and feel and process things.” Dr. Igloria has authored 14 books of poetry and four chapbooks. She has won numerous national and international awards for her writing throughout the years, including the James Hearst Poetry Prize, the May Swenson Poetry Prize, the Resurgence Poetry Prize for ecopoetry, the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Award for Literature and the Crab Orchard Open Competition Award for Poetry. Her work delves into any number of themes. Poetry, she says, “taps into those places that are difficult to express otherwise, those places where we experience our very human fears, rage, doubt, pain, but also joy, love, hope.” Dr. Igloria credits her parents with giving her the joy of reading, “which led to the joy of writing,” she said. She remembers writing poems and stories when she was just a first-grader using lined elementary school paper. That passion has continued to this day, with the current COVID-19 pandemic, protests against police brutality and rallies for racial justice and other societal changes occupying her thoughts. She doesn’t take her selection as poet laureate lightly, however, and sees it as “an indicator of important changes that are starting to manifest more forcefully in this country,” from re-examinations of history and the role of the marginalized in that history to the increased awareness and desire for equity and justice across a wide span of social and cultural issues. Asked if she feels this new honor comes with any additional responsibility during this moment in time, Dr. Igloria says that she’s waiting to see “what things will evolve out of this.” Being poet laureate already has led to an increase in at-
tention, she says. And she encourages others to share their own perspectives and ideas through poetry. “One poet laureate can’t do it alone,” Dr. Igloria says. “And poetry is better shared in a more public way and a broader setting.” Meet a creative thinker and writer and this week’s Personality, Dr. Luisa A. Igloria:
language of poetry taps into those places that are difficult to express otherwise, those places where we experience our very human fears, rage, doubt, pain, but also joy, love, hope. Themes covered in my poetry: Place, displacement, history, home, exile and migration; nature and the environment; the complexities of family and relationships; the self, coming back to self, transformation; the duality, no, multiplicity and depth of experience.
Latest honor: 20th poet laureate of Virginia and the fourth Virginia poet laureate of color. Date and place of birth: Sept. 3, in Makati, Manila, Philippines, but I grew up in Baguio City, and consider it my hometown. Current residence: Norfolk. Occupation: Louis I. Jaffe Endowed Professor and university professor of English at Old Dominion University. Community involvement: Board member of The Muse Writers Center, a community nonprofit writing center in Norfolk; Poetry Society of Virginia; and Friends of the ODU Master of Fine Arts Creative Writing Program. Alma maters: Bachelor’s in comparative literature, English and philosophy, University of the Philippines College Baguio, 1980; master’s in literature, Ateneo de Manila University, as Robert Southwell Fellow, 1988; and Ph.D. in Englishcreative writing, University of Illinois at Chicago, as Fulbright Fellow, 1995. Family: Husband, Ruben V. Igloria, and four daughters. Being named poet laureate of Virginia means: With Rita Dove, who was the first African-American poet laureate of Virginia and of the United States; Sofia Starnes, who is of Spanish and Filipino ancestry; Tim Seibles; and now myself, now there are four poets of color who have been appointed to this distinguished position. These numbers more or less parallel those in the history of the poet laureateship of the United States. There have been 23 U.S. poets laureate since Richard Auslander was named the first Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1937. Of the 23, only five are poets of color. I think this is significant as an indicator of important changes that are starting to manifest more forcefully in this country, that have to do with the ongoing re-evaluation of history and the place that marginalized communities have been accorded in it; and that have to do with making people more aware of the heightened need to work to eradicate social, educational, cultural, racial and other forms of inequity and injustice. How I learned I was named Virginia’s poet laureate by Gov. Ralph S. Northam: In early May, I was informed by Henry Hart, immediate past poet laureate of Virginia and
a member of the board of the Poetry Society of Virginia, that my nomination for poet laureate had moved forward along with two other poets to the short list. Since that time, honestly, I hadn’t thought about it much anymore because of all that constantly rivets our attention — COVID-19 news, Black Lives Matter and all the other changes we’ve been experiencing in our daily lives. So I felt a bit overwhelmed when I received the news on July 16, and when the official press releases came out of Richmond the following day. I’m very grateful. It’s such an honor to join the ranks of many esteemed Virginia poets laureate, including Rita Dove, Claudia Emerson, my friend and retired colleague Tim Seibles, Ron Smith, Sofia Starnes and Henry Hart. Length of tenure: Two years to June 30, 2022. Poetry is: — or can be — a way of living in the world and responding to it. Among other things, poetry shows the importance of paying attention to details, to the world around us, the sounds and shapes and music of words; how the language of poems can help us keep alive that very important condition of wonder. It also has taught me that it’s OK to be vulnerable, that vulnerability is not necessarily a weakness. It’s OK to feel deeply. We should feel deeply, otherwise, what are we when we cannot be moved by anything? Poetry can lead to discovery or surprise. Even when you think you have nothing new to learn, a poem can show you the inexhaustibility of experience. A poem can show you that something can still open even when you think it’s closed. First poem written and why: Goodness, I can’t remember exactly. I know I started writing poems and little stories as early as first grade on lined elementary school paper. Why? Just for the love of writing them. Who or what is the main inspiration behind my literary work: The idea that literature/ art allows us to imagine possibility. We need that in order to create conditions for freedom and change in our lives. The
How reading and writing poetry can help people during difficult times like today: It’s good to think about how this position was created/formalized through an act of Congress, an act of government. This would send the message that poetry and the arts are recognized as important to civic and social well-being, which I believe in because poetry and the arts, like community, have human empathy as their cornerstone. Who do I hope to inspire with my position and poetry: While I haven’t had a chance to work out specific details yet, the poet laureateship is such a unique position for service and engagement through poetry. I hope to have many conversations with others and to find meaningful ways to support and promote the voices of Virginian poets in particular and the work of poets and poetry in general as an important part of living in these times. How I start the day: A quick shower. Then if I can, a bit of writing and reading. When the academic year is in full swing and things are busier, I usually “go” straight to work. Now, this mostly means logging on to our computers. But always, with a mug of coffee. A perfect day for me is: Ah, that dream of having no interruptions on one’s time to do what one pleases. There is so much I still want to read. And write. I’d do that during such a “perfect” day. Spend time in the sunshine, even just out in my backyard. Not have to rush. To make a meal and share it with those I love. Have those I love all around me. Something I love to do that most people might never imagine: I used to play the piano for many years. I might have gone on to conservatory if my college English teachers had not “kidnapped” me for life. Having no instrument at home now —we have a tiny house — I do miss that. I like to hand-bind little books. I knit. A quote that I am inspired by: Two have resonated with me strongly in the past month or so because of the pandemic and everything else that is troubling in the nation and the world: “In these bruising days, any delicately made thing quickens
the heart.” ~ Teju Cole “I make you a box of darkness with a bird in its heart.” ~ Terrance Hayes My friends describe me as: Devoted, organized, artistic; a “woman of letters.” At the top of my “to-do” list: Overall, to make more art. Maybe not the top, but among the things I would still like to do: Travel more, or again, with loved ones; work on a book of essays and a novel. Listen to more music. Learn to garden properly. Best late-night snack: Cheese and fruit. Or cheese and bread. Gelato or ice cream. See, I can’t limit the idea of “favorite” or “best” to just one. The best thing my parents ever taught me: The joy of reading, which led to the joy of writing. The person who influenced me the most: My late father Gabriel Z. Aguilar was a big influence in my life and still is. One of the things he once said to me: “I may not be able to give you an inheritance, but I tried to make sure you got a good education.” He wasn’t a wealthy man. He came late into his career but was a lawyer and local public servant until the end of his life. In a culture where it seemed hard to do so, he never took a bribe and took pride in that. But he loved the arts and culture. He was always reading something — a book, a magazine, the newspaper. Or finding tickets for us so we could watch a concert or a ballet. When a controversial biography of Imelda Marcos — “The Untold Story of Imelda Marcos” by Carmen Navarro Pedrosa — was surreptitiously circulated during martial law, he somehow got a borrowed copy and said even I could read it. I think I was only 8 years old then. Then he’d put it away inside his coat closet. We’d sit on the porch after breakfast on Sunday and he taught me to do crosswords, showed me the section of the paper with “Ripley’s Believe it or Not.” He bought many books for me growing up, signed me up for painting lessons for a few years. Decided to take me out of the parochial high school I was in as a freshman, and move me to the University of the Philippines high school in our home city because he said he wanted me to learn to be a more independent and critical thinker. He said he was afraid
I might forget about religion in that environment, but he wanted me to develop a good mind. Though we had a simple but sustaining life, he had an expansive imagination for taste and new experiences. He’d save some new or interesting food item from a dinner out with colleagues, for instance, and bring it home to us so we could have a taste. That’s how I first tasted abalone and sea urchin. He said, “Don’t be afraid to eat what the world brings to your door.” Favorite poet and why: Anyone who writes is usually an avid reader. I read a lot of, and am inspired by many, poets. I read many poets of color. I find that the experiences they write about are the ones that resonate most with my own as an immigrant, as a poet of color myself. Don’t ask me about favorites though, because that’s like asking someone who their favorite child is. One poet whose words have stayed with me through the years is Federico Garcia Lorca, who wrote about “duende,” or that spirit of creation welling up from that deep, mysterious, interior space in the psyche. He talks about poems that are transformative and powerful as having “duende,” which is not the same as “inspiration.” He talks about going into one’s psyche and finding the courage to wrestle with “duende” there. Only in doing so can great poems come out of us. A book that influenced me the most: When I was young, my mother gave me “Magnificence,” a book of powerful short stories written by Filipina writer Estrella Alfon. What I’m reading now: Because I’ve just made selections to teach this semester, and because I regularly review books for Rhino Reviews, in no particular order: “Everyone Knows I Am a Haunting” by Shivanee Ramlochan; “Refuse” by Julian Randall; “Eyes Bottle Dark with a Mouthful of Flower” by Jake Skeets and “Antiemetic for Homesickness” by Romalyn Ante. Next goal: To curate a small series of virtual programs — readings, conversations — featuring mostly Virginia poets and to work with other poets in the state to make sure that our representation online gets updated, and is more inclusive.
B2 September 3-5, 2020
Richmond Free Press
Happenings Chadwick Boseman, who brought Black icons to life on the silver screen, dies at 43
those qualities have infused themselves into me at this point.” Wakanda forever! Mr. Boseman started out as a Those words have gone viral on playwright. He was raised in the social media since the announcement manufacturing town of Anderson, S.C., last Friday that Chadwick Boseman, the youngest of three boys. As a junior who starred in the blockbuster superhero in high school, he wrote and staged a Marvel film “Black Panther,” shockingly play inspired by the shooting death of died at the age of 43 in his home in a basketball teammate. Before he was Los Angeles after a private, four-year a Hollywood star, he penned numerous battle with colon cancer. hip-hop-infused plays — “HieroMr. Boseman was an important pillar glyphic Graffiti,” “Rhyme Deferred,” in the African-American entertainment “Deep Azure” — and directed others. world who humanized several Black In New York, he performed with the historical trailblazers in his roles — National Shakespeare Company. including color-line breaking baseball He compared his alma mater, Howstar Jackie Robinson, legendary singer ard University, to his own personal James Brown and the first AfricanWakanda. American U.S. Supreme Court Justice “If you have a blanketed idea of Thurgood Marshall. His family said what it means to be of African descent he endured “countless surgeries and and you go to Howard University, chemotherapy” while portraying King you’re meeting people from all over T’Challa of Wakanda in the Oscarthe diaspora — from the Caribbean, nominated “Black Panther,” a film that any country in Africa, in Europe,” Mr. proved a person of color could lead a Boseman said. “So you’re seeing people successful superhero film. from all walks of life that look like “For him to pass at this time when you but they sound different.” we are disproportionately affected by It wasn’t until he was in his midCOVID and have all of these attacks 30s, after a handful of brief television by law enforcement, and him being the appearances, that he landed his first symbol bringing us to Wakanda, it’s leading role as Jackie Robinson in “42.” just a blow,” said the Rev. Al Sharpton, He was, from the start, a self-evident founder and head of the National Action movie star with a rare, effortless chaMatt Sayles/Invision/AP Network. “To hear that our superhero A happy Chadwick Boseman and Taylor Simone risma. Rachel Robinson, the baseball who projected a positive light was now Ledward arrive at the Screen Actors Guild Awards Hall of Famer’s widow, said it was gone, it was a gut blow.” in Los Angeles in this photo from Jan. 27, 2019. like seeing her husband again. Mr. Boseman was elevated to a stage The two married in a private ceremony prior to Mr. Boseman died on the day that that many Black actors don’t get the his death. Major League Baseball was celebrating chance to occupy, said Los Angeles Jackie Robinson Day. “His transcendent Lakers star LeBron James. And his ability to be “transcendent” performance in “42” will stand the test of time and serve as a on that stage brought a comic book character to life for many in powerful vehicle to tell Jackie’s story to audiences for generations the Black community. to come,” the league wrote in a tweet. “Even though we knew that it was like a fictional story, it Since the news of Mr. Boseman’s death, the story of how Denzel actually felt real. It actually felt like we finally had our Black Washington paid for Boseman and other Howard students to attend superhero and nobody could touch us. So to lose that, it’s sad a summer theater program at the University of Oxford has been in our community,” Mr. James said, lamenting on the loss of the much retold. It’s especially fitting because it, as if by fate, links Mr. Black Panther and the “Black Mamba” — basketball superstar Boseman with Mr. Washington. Like his long-ago benefactor, Mr. Kobe Bryant — in the same year. Boseman exuded strength and self-possession. When he played Mr. In a tragically brief but historically sweeping life as an actor, Robinson and James Brown in “Get on Up” and Justice Marshall Mr. Boseman played men of public life and private pain. Before in “Marshall,” Mr. Boseman’s power wasn’t asked for or worked Friday, few knew that he, too, was bearing such a burden. That up to. It was innate. It was there already. “When I hit the stage, has only magnified his accomplishment, bringing him closer to the people better be ready,” he says in “Get on Up.” “Especially the great figures whose shoes he wore on film. He played men who white folk.” advanced a people’s progress, a trail he helped blaze himself. He After playing Mr. Robinson and Mr. Brown, many would have played icons, and died one, too. turned a blind eye to biopics. But by playing a young version of “There’s a lot to learn from Jackie Robinson. There’s a lot to the Supreme Court justice in “Marshall,” which he co-produced, learn from James Brown. There’s a lot to learn from Thurgood Mr. Boseman confirmed the ongoing nature of his project, one that Marshall,” Mr. Boseman said in an interview with The Associated would reach a staggering climax in “Black Panther.” Mr. Boseman Press two and a half years ago. “I would like to say that some of made his debut as King T’Challa in “Captain America: Civil War”
Chadwick Boseman is known for his portrayal of the Black Panther as well as Thurgood Marshall, Jackie Robinson and James Brown.
Free Press wire report
in 2016, the same year he was diagnosed with colon cancer. “We all know what it’s like to be told that there is not a place for you to be featured — yet you are young, gifted and black,” Mr. Boseman said, accepting the 2019 Screen Actors Guild Award for best ensemble for “Black Panther.” “We know what it’s like to be told there’s not a screen for you to be featured on, a stage for you to be featured on. ... We know what it’s like to be beneath and not above. And that is what we went to work with every day,” Mr. Boseman said. “We knew that we could create a world that exemplified a world we wanted to see. We knew that we had something to give.” He faced down an industry’s historical prejudice while suffering through cancer treatments. In less than a decade, Mr. Boseman changed the movies. In last year’s “21 Bridges,” a film he also produced, Mr. Boseman played an NYPD detective whose copkiller case uncovers the department’s own persistent corruption. Mr. Boseman’s very presence reorients the story. He worked through the cancer when he played a young, aware Black leader — seen only in flashbacks and visions — whose death is mourned by Vietnam War comrades-in-arms in Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods.” The cancer was there last summer when Mr. Boseman completed one last performance, in a Netflix adaptation of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” a play by his hero, August Wilson. During the filming of “Black Panther,” Mr. Boseman said he was communicating with two boys who had terminal cancer. They were hoping to make it long enough to see the film. “I realized they anticipated something great,” Mr. Boseman said in a SiriusXM interview. The kids, Mr. Boseman said through tears, didn’t make it. In the final tweet that he wrote himself on Aug. 11, he shared a photo of himself with U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris of California, a fellow Howard University alum, on the day she was chosen as Democrat Joe Biden’s vice presidential nominee. “YES @KamalaHarris!” he tweeted. The photo showed him and Sen. Harris embracing and laughing. He added emojis of three hands clapping and the hashtags #WhenWeAllVote and #Vote2020. On Aug. 28 after Mr. Boseman’s death, Sen. Harris tweeted a photo of the two of them at the same event, adding, “Heartbroken. My friend and fellow Bison Chadwick Boseman was brilliant, kind, learned and humble. He left too early but his life made a difference.” His family issued a statement after his death. “A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much,” his family said. “It was the honor of his career to bring King T’Challa to life in Black Panther.” Mr. Boseman is survived by his wife, Taylor Simone Ledward, whom he married a few months before his death; his parents, Leroy and Carolyn Boseman; and two brothers.
Families decry ‘two systems of justice’ at D.C. march Free Press wire report
WASHINGTON Standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. famously laid out a vision for harmony between white and Black people 57 years ago, his son issued a sobering reminder about the persistence of police brutality and racist violence targeting Black Americans. “We must never forget the American nightmare of racist violence exemplified when Emmett Till was murdered on this day in 1955, and the criminal justice system failed to convict his killers,” said Martin Luther King III, speaking to thousands who gathered Aug. 28 to commemorate the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. “Sixty-five years later (after Emmett Till’s murder), we still struggle for justice — demilitarizing the police, dismantling mass incarceration, and declaring as determinately as we can that Black lives matter,” Mr. King said. Even in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, many felt compelled to join civil rights advocates in Washington to highlight a scourge of police and vigilante violence that gave way to what many feel is an overdue reckoning on racial injustice. Some stood in sweltering temperatures in lines that stretched for several blocks, as organizers took temperatures as part of coronavirus protocols. Organizers reminded attendees to practice social distancing and wear masks throughout the program, although distancing was hardly maintained as the gathering grew in size. They gathered following another shooting by a white police officer of a Black man — this time, 29-year-old Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis., on Aug. 23 — sparking demonstrations and violence, including by a 17-year-old member of a white militia group who shot and killed two protesters and wounded a third. As peaceful protests
turned to arson and theft, naysayers of the Black Lives Matter movement issued calls for “law and order.” The Rev. Al Sharpton, whose civil rights organization, the National Action Network, planned last week’s 57th commemoration of the historic march, had a message for naysayers. “Some say to me, ‘Rev. Al, y’all ought to denounce those that get violent, those that are looting,’” Rev. Sharpton said. “All of the families (of victims of police and vigilante violence) have denounced looting. What we haven’t heard is you denounce shooting.” Rev. Sharpton asked, “We will speak against the looting, but when will you speak against wrong police shooting?” Rev. Sharpton and Mr. King stood with relatives of an ever-expanding roll call of victims — Mr. Blake, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin and Eric Garner, among others. Mr. Arbery and Mr. Martin both were killed by men who pursued them with guns and whose arrests were delayed until residents protested. “There are two systems of justice in the United States,” said Jacob Blake Sr., the father of the man whose shooting by police in Kenosha left him paralyzed from the waist down. “There’s a white system and a black system. The black system ain’t doing so well. “No justice, no peace!” he proclaimed. Philonise Floyd, brother of the late Mr. Floyd who was killed by a police officer on May 25 in Minneapolis, stared out at the massive march audience and said he wished his brother was there to see it. Last Friday’s march shaped up to be the largest political gathering in Washington since the pandemic began. Many attendees wore T-shirts of the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Georgia who, until his death on July 17, was the last living speaker at the
Jacquelyn Martin/Associated Press/Pool
Jacob Blake Sr., father of the man who was shot in the back and paralyzed by police in Kenosha, Wis., delivers a short, but passionate speech to thousands of people at the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington held Aug. 28 to commemorate the 57th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic 1963 march. Last week’s theme: “Get Your Knee Off Our Necks,” with family members of African-Americans and Latinos shot and killed by police calling for police accountability, justice reform and people to vote.
original March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. That march went on to become one of the most famous political rallies in U.S. history, and one of the largest gatherings with more than 200,000 people in attendance. Organizers said they intended to show the urgency for federal policing reforms, to decry racial violence and to demand voting rights protections ahead of the November general election. A handful of satellite marches were held in other states. Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris, in a video, said the original conveners would be disappointed that Black Americans are still marching for justice and equality under the law. “I have to believe that if they were with us today, they would share in our anger and frustration as we continue to see Black men and women slain
in our streets, and left behind in our economy and justice system that has too often denied Black folks our dignity and rights,” she said. Former Vice President Joe Biden tweeted his support for the march. Although President Trump did not comment on the march, the Republican National Committee marked the event’s anniversary by highlighting the president’s record as a “champion for the Black community.” “While there is more work to be done, Donald Trump is the leader to make it happen,” Paris Dennard, an RNC senior communications adviser, said in a statement. Activist Frank Nitty, who said he walked 750 miles for 24 days from Milwaukee, Wis., to Washington for the march, spoke to the audience about persistence in the fight for justice. “Are y’all tired? Because I’m
tired,” Mr. Nitty said. “They think this is a negotiation, but I came here to demand change. My grandson ain’t gonna march for the same things that my granddaddy marched for.” Navy veteran Alonzo Jones-Goss, 28, who traveled from Boston to participate in the march, said the nation has seen far too many tragic events that claimed the lives of Black Americans and other people of color, and “that needs to come to an end.” Following the rally, participants marched to the King Memorial in West Potomac Park, next to the National Mall, and then dispersed. Some participants headed toward Black Lives Matter Plaza, which was renamed from Pennsylvania Avenue during protests in June. Rev. Sharpton instructed those in other states to march on their U.S. senators’ offices in Rep. Lewis’ memory. In June, the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passed the George Floyd Justice In Policing Act, which would ban police use of stranglehold maneuvers and end qualified immunity for officers, among other reforms. A Republican-authored police reform bill, introduced in June by U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who is Black, failed a procedural vote in the Senate because Democrats felt the measure didn’t go far enough to address officer accountability. In July, following Rep. Lewis’ death, Democratic senators reintroduced legislation that would restore a provision of the historic federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 gutted by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2013. The law previously required states with a history of voter suppression to seek federal clearance before changing voting regulations. Both measures are awaiting action in the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate.
Richmond Free Press
September 3-5, 2020
B3
Obituaries/Faith Directory
Charles L. Conyers, consummate educator and retired state education administrator, dies at 92 By Jeremy M. Lazarus
Charles Lee Conyers believed that a good education was the ticket out of poverty. The son of a sharecropper, Mr. Conyers used his own education to become an educator and then spent 42 years trying to help other children from poor families gain the knowledge they would need to create successful lives. As a staff member with the Virginia Department of Education for 26 years, Mr. Conyers earned recognition for his work to ensure schooling for children of migrant workers picking farm crops and played a key role in ensuring billions of dollars in federal Title I assistance were used to address the learning needs of low-income children in school districts across the state. “My father touched a lot of lives as an educator,� said his son, Dr. Charles C. “Corky� Conyers of Chesterfield County, a federal government employee and adjunct professor at Howard University in Washington. “He got kids to go to college who never had imagined that was for them and found scholarships for them,� Dr. Conyers said. A passionate grill master who loved cooking for others, Mr. Conyers’ efforts to lift others are being remembered following his death on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, at his Richmond residence. He was 92. The family held a private graveside service
Tuesday, Sept. 1, at Forest Lawn school in Culpeper. Cemetery. Before securing a position with His death occurred seven months after the state and moving to Richmond in that of his wife of 67 years, Mary Foster 1966, Mr. Conyers taught in agricultural Conyers, a retired reading specialist for programs in Madison, Accomack and Richmond Public Schools. Louisa counties and served as principal Born in Cyrene, Ga., a rural commuof Central Academy in Botetourt County nity near the Florida border, Mr. Conyers and the John J. Wright Consolidated was a beneficiary of his family’s push School in Spotsylvania County. for education, his son said. He started at the state Department His sharecropper father, Luther H. of Education as a supervisor of comDr. Conyers Conyers Sr., only had a fourth-grade pensatory education where his son said education, Dr. Conyers said, but helped lead the he focused on aiding educationally underserved effort to develop a Rosenwald School in a nearby communities. community to ensure his children got more educaMr. Conyers became the first Black director in tion than he did. the department to manage a budget when he was Mr. Conyers graduated at age 15 and started promoted to manage the state’s migrant education classes at what is now Savannah State University. programs, Dr. Conyers said. In an innovation that Before he could complete his degree, he was drafted was later adopted nationally, he sought to make into the Army. During his service, his son said he sure that student educational and medical records taught fellow soldiers to sign their names so they flowed more easily as families crossed state lines could cash their checks. to harvest vegetables and fruits. After his military service, Mr. Conyers returned “He implemented cooperative agreements up to Savannah State and graduated in 1949. He would and down the East Coast to make that happen. later earn a second bachelor’s degree and a master’s That was his baby,� Dr. Conyers said, “and a lot from Virginia State University. of children benefited.� With his diploma and agricultural experience, Mr. Conyers moved up to director of Virginia Mr. Conyers landed his first job in Virginia in Title I programs in the late 1970s. In that post, he 1950. Clifton Jeter of the state Department of oversaw the flow of federal funds that provide extra Education recruited him to work with returning funding to school districts to undertake such activiBlack veterans at a segregated regional training ties as improving curriculum, bolstering instruction,
Legendary basketball coach John Thompson succumbs at 78 Free Press wire report
WASHINGTON Coach John Thompson, the imposing Hall of Famer who turned Georgetown University into a “Hoya Paranoia� powerhouse and became the first Black coach to lead a team to the NCAA men’s basketball championship, has died. He was 78. His death was announced in a family statement released by Georgetown on Monday, Aug. 31, 2020. No details were disclosed. “Our father was an inspiration to many and devoted his life to developing young people not simply on but, most importantly, off the basketball court. He is revered as a historic shepherd of the sport, dedicated to the welfare of his community above all else,� the statement said. “However, for us, his greatest legacy remains as a father, grandfather, uncle and friend. More than a coach, he was our foundation. More than a legend, he was the voice in our ear every day.� One of the most celebrated and polarizing figures in his sport, Coach Thompson took over a moribund Georgetown program in the 1970s and molded it in his unique style into a perennial contender, culminating with a national championship team anchored by center Patrick Ewing in 1984. At 6-foot-10, with an everpresent white towel slung over his shoulder, Coach Thompson literally and figuratively towered over the Hoyas for decades, becoming a patriarch of sorts after he quit coaching in 1999. One of his sons, John Thompson III, was hired as Georgetown’s coach in 2004. When the son was fired in 2017, the elder Thompson—known affectionately as “Big John� or “Pops� to many—was at the news conference announcing Ewing as the successor. Along the way, Coach Thompson said what he thought, shielded his players from the media and took positions that weren’t always popular. He never shied away from sensitive topics—particularly the role of race in both sports and society— and he once famously walked off the court before a game to protest an NCAA rule because he felt it hurt minority athletes. “I’ll probably be remembered for all the things that kept me out of the Hall of Fame, ironically, more than for the things that got me into it,� Coach Thompson said on the day he was elected to the Hall in 1999. Coach Thompson became coach of the Hoyas in 1972 and began remaking a team that was 3-23 the previous season. Over the next 27 years, he led Georgetown to 14 straight NCAA tournaments (1979-92), 24 consecutive postseason ap-
pearances (20 NCAA, four NIT), to stop associating with Hoyas three Final Fours (1982, 1984, players and to leave them 1985) and won six Big East alone, using his respect in the Black community to become Tournament championships. Employing a physical, de- one of the few people to stare fense-focused approach that down Edmond and not face a frequently relied on a dominant reprisal. Though aware of his influcenter — Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo were ence, Coach Thompson did among his other pupils — not take pride in becoming Coach Thompson compiled a the first Black coach to take 596-239 record (.715 winning a team to the Final Four, and percentage). He had 26 players he let a room full of reporters know it when asked his feelings drafted by the NBA. on the subject at a One of his honnews conference in ors — his selec1982. tion as coach of “I resent the hell the U.S. team for out of that question the 1988 Olymif it implies I am the pics — had a sour first Black coach ending when the competent enough Americans had to to take a team to settle for the bronze medal. It was a Coach Thompson the Final Four,�
John Thompson led the way Black coaches who won NCAA Division I basketball championships 1984 – John Thompson (Georgetown University) 1994 – Nolan Richardson (University of Arkansas) 1998 – Tubby Smith (University of Kentucky) 2014 – Kevin Ollie (University of Connecticut)
result so disappointing that Coach Thompson put himself on a sort of self-imposed leave at Georgetown for a while, coaching practices and games but leaving many other duties to his assistants. Off the court, Coach Thompson was both a role model and a lightning rod. A stickler for academics, he kept a deflated basketball on his desk, a reminder to his players that a degree was a necessity because a career in basketball relied on a tenuous “nine pounds of air.� The school boasted that 76 of 78 players who played four seasons under Coach Thompson received their degrees. He was a Black coach who recruited mostly Black players to a predominantly white Jesuit university in Washington, and Coach Thompson never hesitated to speak out on behalf of his players. One of the most dramatic moments in Georgetown history came on Jan. 14, 1989, when he walked off the court to a standing ovation before the tipoff of a home game against Boston College, demonstrating in a most public way his displeasure against NCAA Proposition 42. The rule denied athletic scholarships to freshmen who didn’t meet certain requirements, and Coach Thompson said it was biased against underprivileged students. Opposition from Coach Thompson and others led the NCAA to modify the rule. Coach Thompson’s most daring move came that same year, when he summoned notorious drug kingpin Rayful Edmond III for a meeting in the coach’s office. Coach Thompson warned Edmond
Coach Thompson said. “Other Blacks have been denied the right in this country; coaches who have the ability. I don’t take any pride in being the first Black coach in the Final Four. I find the question extremely offensive.� Born Sept. 2, 1941, John R. Thompson Jr. grew up in Washington, D.C. His father was always working — on a farm in Maryland and later as a laborer in the city — and could neither read nor write. “I never in my life saw my father’s hands clean,� Coach Thompson told The Associated Press in 2007. “Never. He’d come home and scrub his hands with this ugly brown soap that looked like tar. I thought that was the color of his hands. When I was still coaching, kids would show up late for practice and I’d (say) ... ‘My father got up every morning of his life at 5 a.m. to go to work. Without an alarm.’ � Coach Thompson’s parents emphasized education, but he struggled in part because of poor eyesight and labored in Catholic grammar school. He was moved to a segregated public school, had a growth spurt and became good enough at basketball to get into John Carroll, a Catholic high school, where he led the team to 55 consecutive victories and two city titles. He went to Providence College as one of the most touted basketball prospects in the country and led the Friars to their first NCAA bid in school history. He graduated in 1964 and played two seasons with Red Auerbach’s Boston Celtics, earning a pair of championship rings as a sparingly used backup to Bill Russell. Coach Thompson returned to Washington, got his master’s
in guidance and counseling from the University of the District of Columbia and went 122-28 over six seasons at St. Anthony’s before accepting the job at Georgetown, an elite school that had relatively few Black students. Faculty and students rallied around him after a bedsheet with racist words was hung inside the school’s gym before a game during the 1974-75 season. Coach Thompson sheltered his players with closed practices, tightly controlled media access and a prohibition on interviews with freshmen in their first semester—a restriction that still stands for Georgetown’s basketball team. Combined with Coach Thompson’s flashes of emotion and his players’ rough-and-tumble style of play, it wasn’t long before the words “Hoya Paranoia� came to epitomize the new era of basketball on the Hilltop campus. Success allowed Coach Thompson to rake in money through endorsements, but he ran afoul of his Georgetown bosses when he applied for a gambling license for a business venture in Nevada in 1995. Coach Thompson, who liked playing the slot machines in Las Vegas, reluctantly dropped the application after the university president objected. Centers Ewing, Mourning and Mutombo turned Georgetown into “Big Man U� under Coach Thompson, although his last superstar was guard Allen Iverson, who in 1996 also became the first player under Coach Thompson to leave school early for the NBA draft. “Thanks for Saving My Life Coach,� Iverson wrote at the start of an Instagram post Monday with photos of the pair. The Hoyas teams in the 1990s never came close to matching the achievements of the 1980s, and Coach Thompson’s era came to a surprising and sudden end when he resigned in the middle of the 1998-99 season, citing distractions from a pending divorce. Coach Thompson didn’t fade from the limelight. He became a sports radio talk show host and a TV and radio game analyst, joining the very profession he had frustrated so often as a coach. He loosened up, allowing the public to see his lighter side, but he remained pointed and combative when a topic mattered to him. A torch was passed in 2004, when John Thompson III became Georgetown’s coach. The younger Thompson, with “Pops� often watching from the stands or sitting in the back of the room for news conferences, returned the Hoyas to the Final Four in 2007. Another son, Ronny Thompson, was head coach for one season at Ball State University and is now a TV analyst.
providing remedial services, engaging parents and serving homeless and foster children. The funding goes to schools where 40 percent or more of students qualify for free or reduced price lunches. “He was very disciplined and organized� in carrying out his duties, his son said, and “he was an absolute stickler on time. He didn’t like people showing up late, and he made sure he was always on time.� Mr. Conyers was serving as president of the Theban Beneficial Club at the time of his death and was a past president of the Iota Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. He also was a longtime member of First African Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon, participated in Sunday Bible study and was best known as the head chef of the Culinary Arts Committee, which staged barbecues and fish frys. He also staged an annual cookout on Jan. 1 at his North Side home. “He was the life of the party. My parents would open their home and feed all comers,� Dr. Conyers said. He recalled his parents rolling out the welcome mat for schoolmates. “They always came to our house. When there were snowstorms, they wanted to get snowed in at my home.� In addition to Dr. Conyers, survivors include Mr. Conyers’ son, Brian K. Conyers of Atlanta; a brother, Luther H. Conyers Jr. of Georgia; and four grandchildren. A third son, Andrei “Bernie� Conyers, died in February.
Zion Baptist Church
2006 Decatur Street, Richmond, VA 23224 ZBCOFFICE@VERIZON.NET • (804) 859-1985 or (804) 232-2867 Church OďŹƒce Dr. Robert L. Pettis, Sr., Pastor
You may join us on Facebook Live: Zion Baptist Church (South Richmond) For Sunday Services at 10:30 AM Bible Study, Wednesdays at 7 PM Dr. Robert L. Pettis, Sr., Pastor Listeners can call: (508) 924-3234 Support us Online through the Givelify App
St. Peter Baptist Church $R +IRKLAND 2 7ALTON 0ASTOR
Worship Opportunities Sundays: All Sunday services have been suspended for the remainder of the month. Join us for online streaming this Sunday at 10 AM. Visit our WEBSITE, look under “/NLINE 3ERVICES,� and access the “0ASTOR S -ESSAGE.� Bible Study Opportunities Thursdays: Virtual Bible Study session via Zoom, every Thursday at 7 PM. Email request to spbcoffice@stpeterbaptist.net; A new Meeting ID and password will be emailed weekly. Tithing Opportunities Download the Tithe.ly giving app for Apple and Android devices. Your gift is safe/secure and goes directly to our church. -OUNTAIN 2OAD s 'LEN !LLEN 6IRGINIA /FlCE s &AX s WWW STPETERBAPTIST NET
Triumphant
Baptist Church 2003 Lamb Avenue Richmond, VA 23222 Dr. Arthur M. Jones, Sr., Pastor (804) 321-7622 “Due to the Corona Virus all services at Triumphant Baptist Church are suspended until further notice.� Join us on Sundays at 12 noon via Conference Call: 1(503)300-6860 Code:273149#
New Deliverance Evangelistic Church
1701 Turner Road, North Chesterfield, Virginia 23225 (804) 276-0791 office (804)276-5272 fax www.ndec.net
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic NDEC Sunday services are suspended until further notice.
Bishop G. O. Glenn D. Min., Pastor
Mother Marcietia S. Glenn First Lady
SUNDAY 8:00 a.m. Sunday School 9:30 a.m. Worship Service
Follow peace with all WEDNESDAY SERVICES men, and holiness, Noonday Bible Study without which no man 12:00 p.m. (Noon) shall see the Lord: Sanctuary - All Are Welcome! HebrewEvening 12:14Bible (KJV) Wednesday Study 7:00 p.m. (Bible Study) www.ndec.net SATURDAY 8:30 a.m. Intercessory Prayer
You can now view Sunday Morning Service “AS IT HAPPENS� online! Also, for your convenience, we now offer “full online giving.� Visit www.ndec.net.
Please join us for virtual live streaming Church services at www.ndec.net Sundays at 9:30 a.m. Tune in on Sunday Morning to WTVR - Channel 6 - 8:30 a.m.
CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (NDCA)
NOW ENROLLING!!!
K5 thru 4th Grade Virtual Learning At A Discount Price Chrome books will be issued to all students if needed For more nformation Please call (804) 276-4433 Monday-Friday, 9 am-5pm
Richmond Free Press
B4 September 3-5, 2020
Faith News/Directory
Hospital Street burial ground gets support as new historic district forgotten black burial ground — initially called the Grave Yard known as the Shockoe Hill African Burying Ground after the for Free People of Colour and Slaves — the former Richmond Civil War. It replaced the first burial ground for Black people at Lenora C. McQueen’s three-year crusade to gain recognition Almshouse, the Shockoe Hill and Hebrew cemeteries and sites 15th and Broad streets and remained active until 1879. Ms. McQueen, a genealogy buff, got involved with the cemetery for the long forgotten and largely destroyed Shockoe Hill Afri- where a powder magazine, city gallows and a city-owned poor when she discovered that at least one and possibly five of her can Burying Ground at 5th and Hospital streets in Richmond is house for Black people once stood. starting to secure results. The district represents a prime example of the municipal social relatives, including her enslaved four times great-grandmother, were buried there in graves that are unmarked and/or In August, a panel of the Virginia Department of Historic service, hospital and cemetery complexes for the poor covered over. Ms. McQueen has since unearthed city Resources unanimously endorsed a preliminary proposal spear- that developed in the early years of the United States maps and other documentation of the burial ground headed by the San Antonio, Texas, resident to make the cemetery after churches were removed as primary providers, that has been regularly desecrated. The city intruded where 22,000 people were buried a key element of a new historic according to the proposal written by retired archaeoloon the site to build a bridge over Shockoe Valley and district on the state and national historic landmark registers. gist Dr. L. Daniel Mouer. allowed railroad tracks and an interstate to be built According to the proposal, the district would encompass the In support, Ms. McQueen secured endorsements from through it. 60 groups and individuals, including Mayor Levar The city also built its first animal shelter and authoM. Stoney, City Council members Kim B. Gray, rized a now-closed gas station and mechanic’s shop to Stephanie A. Lynch and Ellen F. Robertson, the Dr. Mouer be built on top of it. Historic Richmond Foundation and area legislators Ms. McQueen has received research support from two private such as Henrico Delegate Lamont Bagby, chairman of the archaeologists, Ellen Chapman and Steve Thompson, and an ally in Virginia Legislative Black Caucus. There are more steps in securing the landmark status, Dr. Ryan K. Smith, a history professor at Virginia Commonwealth but Ms. McQueen calls the approval a significant first step University, who is writing a book on Richmond cemeteries. Dr. Mouer got involved, in part, because of his interest in the toward giving proper attention to the area and the almost erased burial ground that ranked among the largest municipal area. Thirty years ago, as a VCU archaeology professor, he had proposed a similar historic district for the same area. cemeteries for people of African descent in the nation. During the early 1990s, Dr. Mouer led the recovery of the “I see it as very important that this full history be reskeletons of Black people from a pre-Civil War well on VCU’s corded, particularly the African burial ground, as it was removed from memory and is no longer visible,” Ms. medical campus. The skeletons were from bodies that were used to train medical students and then discarded. Dr. Mouer said McQueen said. Gaining historic designation could impact other projects, most of the bodies likely were stolen from fresh graves in the including a state plan to widen Interstate 64 and lay extra African burial ground at Hospital Street. Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press In the historic district proposal, Dr. Mouer noted the city Lenora C. McQueen stands in the forgotten Grave Yard for Free tracks to speed up passenger train service to and from “is trying to come to grips with and correct some failings of Main Street Station. People of Colour and For Slaves during a visit to Richmond. The cemetery, opened in 1816, was once called the Grave its history. Among those is the abandonment and destruction of Behind her is the vacant, graffiti-marked mechanic’s shop at 1305 N. 5th St. In the background is the Hebrew Cemetery. Yard for Free People of Colour and For Slaves and was the Shockoe Hill African Burying Ground. “It is time,” he continued, “to recognize the formerly discarded and ignored portions of the history of this important district. And it is time to honor the fact that a large part is sacred ground for descendants of more than 22,000 African-Americans buried here.” By Jeremy M. Lazarus
Falwell being investigated after resigning as president of Liberty University BUILDING OR Free Press wire report
have been swirling for some time. Last year, Mr. Falwell allegedly sought out President Liberty University is opening an inde- Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, pendent investigation into Jerry Falwell Jr.’s to help prevent the release of some racy tenure as president, a wide-ranging inquiry personal photos, according to published that will include financial, real estate and reports. Mr. Falwell then denied Mr. Cohen’s legal matters, the evangelical school’s board account that he flew to Florida around 2015 announced Monday. and got the person with the Falwell photos In a statement, the board said it had to agree to destroy them. retained an outside firm to investigate “all The couple said in a statement provided facets” of the school’s operations under to The Associated Press late Sunday that Mr. Falwell, and that it was “committed they support Liberty University’s board and to learning the consequences “welcome any inquiry as we have that have flowed from a lack nothing to hide.” of spiritual stewardship by our Mr. Falwell had been placed former president.” on indefinite leave in August Calls for such an investigation after he posted, then deleted, a had been mounting since Mr. Falprovocative Instagram photo of well’s departure last week from him with his pants unzipped, the post he held since 2007. He stomach exposed and arm high officially resigned as president around the waist of his wife’s Aug. 25 after a confusing day of pregnant assistant, whose midriff back-and-forths about whether or also was showing. He also held Mr. Falwell not he would be leaving. a glass of dark liquid that he His departure came after a news outlet described in a caption as “black water.” published an interview with Giancarlo Mr. Falwell has said the photo was taken at Granda, a younger, former pool attendant a costume party during a family vacation. at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach Hotel After that post, alumni and former who later became a business partner of the teaching faculty at the private, Christian Falwell family. Mr. Granda said that he had school called for his permanent ouster, a yearslong sexual relationship with Mr. citing a long list of offensive statements Falwell’s wife, Becki Falwell, and that Mr. by Mr. Falwell. Falwell participated in some of the liaisons This summer, 35 Black Liberty University as a voyeur. alumni publicly rebuked Mr. Falwell after he Although the Falwells have acknowl- responded to a coronavirus mask mandate by edged that Mr. Granda and Mrs. Falwell Gov. Ralph S. Northam, a Democrat, with had an affair, Mr. Falwell has denied any a tweet invoking the blackface scandal that participation. The couple allege that Mr. nearly forced Gov. Northam from office. Granda sought to extort them by threatenMr. Falwell’s tweet in June included the ing to reveal the relationship unless he was image of a mask emblazoned with a picture paid substantial monies. of a person in blackface and another in The allegations of a sexual threesome Ku Klux Klan garb that appeared on Gov.
Good Shepherd Baptist Church Due to the COVID-19 Corona Virus All regular activities have been suspended until further notice. Visit https://youtu.be/qqzhnIEQyQc for inspirational messages from Pastor Smith
We Embrace Diversity — Love For All! Come worship with us! Sunday Service will not be held in our sanctuary. Join us for 11:00 AM Worship by going to our website www.sixthbaptistchurch.org
“The Church With A Welcome”
3HARON "APTIST #HURCH 500 E. Laburnum Avenue, Richmond, VA 23222 www.sharonbaptistchurchrichmond.org (804) 643-3825
Twitter sixthbaptistrva
Rev. Dr. Yvonne Jones Bibbs, Pastor
400 South Addison Street Richmond, Va. 23220
(near Byrd Park)
(804) 359-1691 or 359-3498 Facebook Fax (804) 359-3798 sixthbaptistrva www.sixthbaptistchurch.org
Rev. Dr. Paul A. Coles, Pastor
SUNDAYS s of Christia 1 yearHours See ng 15Summer n Ser i t a r b vice you e l e C Morning Worship 10:00 AM there! Drive-In Service in our Parking Lot
Ebenezer Baptist Church 1858
±4HE 0EOPLE´S #HURCH²
216 W. Leigh St. • Richmond, Va. 23220 Tel: 804-643-3366 • Fax: 804-643-3367 Email: ebcoffice1@yahoo.com • web: www.richmondebenezer.com
Thirty-first Street Baptist Church
C
e with Reverence elevanc R in g Rev. Dr. Joshua Mitchell, Pastor-Elect bin m ❖ o Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic All regular activities have been suspended until further notice. Please join us on
Facebook or YouTube
10:30 a.m. Sundays 7:00 p.m. Wednesdays-Bible Study
For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. (Jeremiah 29:11, NRSV) Please visit our website Ebenezer Baptist Church Richmond, VA for updates http://www.richmondebenezer.com Dr. Wallace J. Cook, Pastor Emeritus Rev. Dr. Adam L. Bond, Pastor-Elect
Contact Davis Brothers Construction Company, Inc., Building Churches for over 100 years. Est. 1908
Corporate Office Richmond, Va.: s &AX
Langston R. Davis email: ldavis@davisbrotherscc.com
Atlanta, Ga. Office: s &AX
Langston R. Davis Jr. email: ldavisjr@davisbrotherscc.com
Broad Rock Baptist Church 5106 Walmsley Blvd., Richmond, VA 23224 804-276-2740 • 804-276-6535 (fax) www.BRBCONLINE.org
“Due to the Corona Virus Pandemic, Services Are Cancelled, until further notice; but, please join us, by visiting BRBCOnline.org or YouTube (Broad Rock Baptist Church).” Pastor Kevin Cook
8LIQI JSV 1SFMPM^MRK *SV 1MRMWXV] 6IJVIWLMRK 8LI 3PH ERH )QIVKMRK 8LI 2I[ A 21st Century Church With Ministry For Everyone
RENOVATING A CHURCH IN THE FUTURE?
“MAKE IT HAPPEN”
7M\XL &ETXMWX 'LYVGL
1127 North 28th St., Richmond, VA 23223 s Office: (804) 644-1402 Dr. Sylvester T. Smith, Pastor “There’s A Place for You”
Northam’s 1984 medical school yearbook page. Several African-American faculty members resigned in protest, citing what they said were the school’s long-standing issues with race. A group of students and alumni blamed the crisis in leadership on the university’s board, saying it had been “derelict” in its duties in allowing Mr. Falwell to damage the spiritual vitality, academic quality and national reputation of the school. The group, called “Save71,” suggested the school begin by removing the “beneficiaries of Mr. Falwell’s inappropriate nepotism.” It also proposed an independent investigation of claims of financial corruption. Mr. Falwell took over as the president of Liberty University after the 2007 death of his famous evangelist father, the Rev. Jerry Falwell Sr. Rev. Falwell, founder of Moral Majority, a conservative political group that was associated with the Christian right and the Republican Party, started the university in 1971. It has since grown into one of the nation’s largest Christian schools, with Mr. Falwell greatly expanding the school and its offerings during his tenure. Mr. Falwell also stayed in the news for a series of divisive remarks as well as his vocal support of President Trump, and was the subject of news stories that focused on his business dealings. Liberty’s statement acknowledged that Mr. Falwell’s sharpest critics have long been calling for a departure. “Some may say that all the signs were there for a long time before last week,” the board’s statement said. “It’s certainly fair to say that there were questionable comments made, worrying behavior, and inappropriate social media posts, but all the signs were not there until the start of last week.”
823 North 31st Street Richmond, VA 23223 (804) 226-0150 Office
Moore Street Missionary Baptist Church
1408 W. Leigh Street · Richmond, Va. 23220 (804) 358—6403
Dr. Alonza L. Lawrence, Pastor
All church ac�vi�es are canceled un�l further no�ce. Follow us on Facebook for “A Word from Moore Street’s Pastor” and weekly Zoom worship info. Drive-thru giving will be available the 1st and 3rd Saturday from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the church. (Bowe Street side) You also may give through Givelify. Be safe. Be blessed.
2IVERVIEW
"APTIST #HURCH Sunday School – 9:45 AM Sunday Services – 11:00 AM Via Conference Call (515) 606-5187 Pin 572890# Also Visit Us On Facebook Sunday Service – 11:00 AM 2604 Idlewood Avenue Richmond, Va. 23220 (804) 353-6135 www.riverviewbaptistch.org Rev. Dr. Stephen L. Hewlett, Pastor Rev. Dr. Ralph Reavis, Sr. Pastor Emeritus
Richmond Free Press
September 3-5, 2020 B5
Legal Notices City of Richmond, Virginia CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the Council of the City of Richmond has scheduled a public hearing, open to all interested citizens, on Monday, September 14, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. to consider the following ordinances: Ordinance No. 2020-148 As Amended To amend Ord. No. 2020148, which amends ch. 26, art. V of the City Code by adding therein a new div. 10 (§§ 26-590—26599) for the purpose of providing for the partial exemption of certain rehabilitated commercial or industrial structures from real estate taxation, to replace references to the Director of Housing and Community Development with the Director of Economic Development. Ordinance No. 2020-165 To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer to accept funds in the amount of $477,498.00 from the United States Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, and to appropriate the increase to the Fiscal Year 2020-2021 Special Fund Budget by increasing estimated revenues and the amount appropriated to the Department of Police’s special fund by $477,498.00 for the purpose of providing funding for COVID- 19 pandemic response programs, projects, and services by the Department of Police, the Richmond Sheriff’s Office, and the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office. Ordinance No. 2020-166 To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer to accept grant funds in the amount of $79,779.52 from the Vi r g i n i a D e p a r t m e n t of Conservation and Recreation, and to appropriate the funds received to the Fiscal Year 2020-21 Special Fund Budget by increasing estimated revenues and the amount appropriated to the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities’ special fund by $79,779.52 for the purpose of funding the construction of the P u m p H o u s e Tr a i l extension. Ordinance No. 2020-167 As Amended To amend City Code §§ 1079, concerning the award of franchises and permits to operators of emergency medical service vehicles, 10-80, concerning the responsibility of authorized providers to respond to the City’s centralized dispatch center, and 10-83, concerning the suspension of authorization to operate emergency medical service vehicles, to make modifications to the City’s regulations governing the operation of emergency medical service vehicles in the city. Ordinance No. 2020-168 As Amended To grant to Med-Trans Corporation a permit for the operation of rotarywing emergency medical services vehicles in the city to provide [nonemergency] emergency aeromedical services, upon certain terms and conditions. Ordinance No. 2020-169 To amend Ord. No. 2019-084, adopted Apr. 8, 2019, as previously amended by Ord. No. 2020-040, adopted Feb. 24, 2020, which declared that a public necessity exists and to authorize the acquisition of certain fee simple interests and easements for the public purpose of constructing multimodal transportation and drainage improvements along Hull Street Road between its intersection with Hey Road and its intersection with Warwick Road, to authorize the acquisition of additional fee simple and easement interests for the project. Ordinance No. 2020-170 To change the use of the City-owned real estate known as the Annie Giles Community Resource Center and located at 1400 Oliver Hill Way so that such City-owned real estate will be used as an inclement weather shelter for homeless persons in the city of Richmond when the outdoor or wind chill temperature falls to 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below and when the outdoor temperature rises to 92 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, when there is a forecast of accumulation of one inch or more of rain, snow, sleet or other precipitation within a 24hour period, or when there is a forecast that includes a warning for a hurricane, tornado or high winds. Ordinance No. 2020-171 To amend and reordain City Code §§ 30-402.2, concerning permitted accessory uses and
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structures, 30-413.15, concerning yards, 30-419.2, concerning permitted principal uses, 30-419.3, concerning permitted principal uses on corner lots, 30-419.4, concerning permitted accessory uses and structures, 30-420.5, concerning yards, 30424.5, concerning yards, 30-426.5, concerning yards, 30-428.6, concerning yards, 30430.5, concerning yards, 30-442.1, concerning permitted principal and accessory uses, 30442.4, concerning yards, 30-444.2, concerning permitted principal and accessory uses, 30-444.4, concerning yards, 30446.4, concerning yards, 30-447.2, concerning permitted principal and accessory uses, 30-610.3, concerning alley frontage, 30-620.1, concerning lots and lot areas, 30630.1, concerning yards, 30-630.4, concerning side yards, 30-630.9, concerning permitted projections and encroachments in yards and courts, 30-680.1, concerning location of accessory buildings, 30-800.2, concerning extension or expansion, 30-810.1, concerning alterations to buildings, 30-940.3, concerning the Urban Design Committee, and 30-1080, concerning unlawful conduct and penalties; to amend ch. 30, art. IV, div. 2, 3, 4, and 6 of the City Code by adding therein new §§ 30-402.8, 30-404.8, 30-406.8 and 30-410.8, concerning driveways from streets; to amend ch. 30, art. VI, div. 7 of the City Code by adding therein a new § 30- 660.1, concerning standards for location of refuse areas; to amend ch. 30, art. X, div. 4 of the City Code by adding therein a new § 30-1030.8, concerning expiration of approval of plans of development, and to amend ch. 30, art. XII of the City Code by adding there new §§ 301220.94, 30-1220.110:1, 30-1220.110:2, and 301220.110:3, concerning certain definitions. Ordinance No. 2020-172 To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to execute a Deed of Quitclaim of Utility Easement Portion between the City of Richmond and the Capital Region Airport Commission, for the purpose of releasing a portion of a utility easement to the Capital Region Airport Commission. Ordinance No. 2020-173 To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to execute a Governor’s Agriculture & Forestry Industries Development Fund Performance Agreement between the City of Richmond, Virginia, the Economic Development Authority of the City of Richmond, Virginia, and River City Cider, LLC, doing business as Bryant’s Small Batch Cider, for the purpose of enabling the Authority to provide an economic development grant to River City Cider, LLC, doing business as Bryant’s Small Batch Cider, as an incentive to construct and improve a Virginia agricultural products processing facility in the city of Richmond. Ordinance No. 2020-186 To amend Ord. No. 2020053, adopted May 11, 2020, which appropriated and provided funds for financing the school budget for the fiscal year commencing Jul. 1, 2020, and ending Jun. 30, 2021, by decreasing estimated revenues from various sources. This meeting will be held through electronic communication means pursuant to and in compliance with Ordinance No. 2020-093, adopted April 9, 2020, as amended by Ordinance No. 2020-183, adopted August 20, 2020. This meeting will be open to participation through electronic communication means by the public and closed to in-person participation by the public. Less than a quorum of Richmond City Council will assemble in the Council Chamber on the Second Floor of City Hall, located at 900 East Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia, and most Council members and other staff will participate by teleconference/ videoconference via Microsoft Teams. Video of the meeting will be streamed live online at the following web address: https:// r i c h m o n d v a . l e g i s t a r. com/Calendar.aspx. To watch the meeting’s live stream at the web address provided, find and click the link that reads, “In Progress” in the farthest right hand column entitled, “Video”. Continued on next column
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The agenda for the Richmond City Council meeting is accessible through the City’s legislative website at the following web address: https://richmondva. legistar.com/Calendar. aspx. To view the agenda at the web address provided, find and click the link that reads, “Agenda” associated with the September 14, 2020 Richmond City Council Formal meeting listed in the calendar. Interested citizens who wish to speak at the Richmond City Council meeting will be given an opportunity to do so by following the “Formal Meeting Access and Public Participation Instructions” attached to the September 14, 2020 Richmond City Council Formal meeting agenda. Citizens are encouraged to provide their comments in writing to CityClerksOffice@ r i c h m o n d g o v. c o m i n lieu of calling in. The person responsible for receiving comments in writing is Candice D. Reid, City Clerk. All comments received prior to 10:00 a.m. on Monday, September 14, 2020, will be provided to Council members prior to the meeting and will be included in the record of the meeting. Copies of the full text of all ordinances are available by visiting the City Clerk’s page on the City’s Website at http:// www.richmondgov.com/ CityClerk/index.aspx. Candice D. Reid City Clerk
Divorce VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER HEATHER HOLMSLEY, Plaintiff v. LAUREN HOLMSLEY, Defendant. Case No.: CL20003403-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 19th day of October, 2020 at 9:00 AM, and protect his interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Attorney VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER MERLE DIANN PEARSON, Plaintiff v. ROBERT PEARSON, JR., Defendant. Case No.: CL20001800-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, who has been served with the Complaint by posted service appear here on or before the 1st day of October, 2020 at 9:00 AM, and protect interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Counsel VSB# 27724 The Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667
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Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER MICHELLE DIANE GARCIA, Plaintiff v. CHRISTIAN ALFREDO GARCIA VEGA, Defendant. Case No.: CL20003011-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce based on the ground of separation over one year. It is ORDERED that Christian Alfredo Garcia Vega appear at the above-named court and protect his interests on or before September 25, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Mark H. Schmidt, Plaintiff’s Attorney VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER DARIEN SMITH, Plaintiff v. YCOLA PERSON SMITH, Defendant. Case No.: CL20003149-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 1st day of October, 2020 at 9:00 AM, and protect her interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Attorney VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER KATE N. ONI, Plaintiff v. MARCUS BRADSHAW, Defendant. Case No.: CL20002955-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 1st day of October, 2020 at 9:00 AM, and protect his interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure, Esquire Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER MADRICE HAMN, Plaintiff v. IRIS HAMN, Defendant. Case No.: CL19000950-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 1st day of October, 2020 at 9:00 AM, and protect her interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure, Esquire Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER TINA BALDERSON, Plaintiff v. GERALD JOHNSON, Defendant. Case No.: CL19002605-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 1st day of October, 2020 at 9:00 AM, and protect his interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure, Esquire Law Office of
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE COUNTY OF HENRICO JOHNIE R. W. REIVES, II, Plaintiff v. CECELIA R. REIVES, Defendant. Case No.: CL19-4829 AMENDED ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this action is for Plaintiff, Johnie R. Reives, II, to obtain a divorce from the bonds of matrimony from Defendant, Cecelia R. Reives, on the ground of having lived separate and apart, without cohabitation and without interruption, for a period in excess of one year, and it appearing from an Affidavit for Order of Publication that diligence was used by or on behalf of Plaintiff,
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without effect, to ascertain the location of Defendant and that she cannot be found, it is therefore ORDERED that Defendant appear before this Court on the 28th day of September, 2020, at 9:00AM, and do what is necessary to protect her interest herein. An Extract, Teste: HEIDI S. BARSHINGER, Clerk
QLOV is the rightful owner of the property located at 1738 North 28th Street, Richmond, Virginia 23223 (Tax Parcel Identification No. E0001086010) (the “Subject Property”) and vesting QLOV with fee simple title to the Subject Property. And it appearing by affidavit filed according to law that the following persons may have an interest in the Subject Property and that they are not residents of the Commonwealth and/or their names and/or addresses are not known and that diligence has been used by and on behalf of Plaintiffs to ascertain such names and addresses without effect: A’RIYAN MILES JAMES MILES YOLANDA MILES HEIKO MOESSNER THE UNKNOWN HEIRS AT LAW OF LUCILLE B. MILES and PARTIES UNKNOWN It is ORDERED that the aforesaid parties appear on or before October 14, 2020, in the Clerk’s Office of the Circuit Court of the City of Richmond, Virginia and do what is necessary to protect their interests. I ask for this: Godfrey T. Pinn, Jr. (VSB No. 43106) Adam N. Harrell, Jr. (VSB No. 22098) Harrell & Chambliss LLP Eighth & Main Building 707 East Main Street, Suite 1000 Richmond, Virginia 23219 (804) 643-8401 – main dial (804) 648-2707 – main fax gpinn@hclawfirm.com aharrell@hclawfirm.com Counsel for Plaintiffs
ALEJANDRO JUAREZ, M AY N OR M A U RICIO MUNOZ BONILLA, JOSE ATLLANO ARIOS JAIME, S A N T O E D U VI G E S SECOBAR, JUAN VARGAS CO L , L U I S M I G U E L GOMEZ, JUAN CARLOS ALVARADO MORALES, FIDEL FRANCISCO CRUZ ESTRAD, KATHY PICKING, T R U S T EE , C A M O L IV LAND TRUST, ALVINA E. L. MANUEL, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before OCTOber 15, 2020 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219
their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER BRENDA JORDAN-WEST, Plaintiff v. CHARLES WEST, Defendant. Case No.: CL20003291-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown appear here on or before the 7th day of October, 2020 at 9:00 AM, and protect his interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Attorney VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER CHRISTIAN VANLANDINGHAM, Plaintiff v. RACHEL VANLANDINGHAM, Defendant. Case No.: CL20001529-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding six months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, who is a nonresident, appear here on or before the 25th day of September, 2020 and protect her interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure, Esquire VSB# 27724 Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER EDDIE DAVIS, Plaintiff v. ANTQUANETTE DAVIS, Defendant. Case No.: CL20001714-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, who has been served with the Complaint by posted service appear here on or before the 26th day of September, 2020 at 9:00 AM, and protect her interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Counsel VSB# 27724 The Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667
PROPERTY VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND John Marshall Courts Building QUALITY LIFE OF VIRGINIA, LLC, and LARRY C. MILES, SR., as Trustee of Word for Living Ministries Plaintiffs, v. A’RIYAN MILES, JAMES MILES, YOLANDA MILES, HEIKO MOESSNER, and any unknown heirs, beneficiaries, devisees, assigns, creditors, successors-in-interest, and any other unknown persons claiming by, through and under Lucille B. Miles, deceased, and any unknown persons claiming an interest in City of Richmond Tax Parcel No. E0001086010, if any there be (“UNKNOWN PARTIES”), Defendants. Case No.: CL20-3965-2 ORDER OF PUBLICATION In this proceeding, plaintiffs Quality Life of Virginia, LLC (“QLOV”) and Larry C. Miles, Sr., as Trustee of Word for Living Ministries (collectively, “Plaintiffs”), seek inter alia the entry of an Order declaring that Continued on next column
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. THEODORE ISSAAC KNIGHT, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL20-2255 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 917 Saint John Street, Richmond, Virginia, Tax Map Number N0000107/035, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Theodore Issaac Knight. An Affidavit having been filed 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 Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before OCTOBER 8, 2020 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. SHANAE A. GEORGE, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL20-2367 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 700 Northside Avenue, Richmond, Virginia, Tax Map Number N0001154/026, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Shanae A. George. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, SHANAE A. GEORGE, who has been served by posting and by mailing a copy of the complaint to her last known address, has not been personally located and has not filed a response to this action; that MICHAEL J. CHAMPLIN, TRUSTEE, of a Deed of Trust filed in the records of the Richmond Circuit Court at Instrument Number 0348979 on December 23, 2003, has not filed a response to this action; that LEXINGTON COURT, LLC, an entity listed as inactive in the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, BENEFICIARY of a Deed of Trust filed in the records of the Richmond Circuit Court at Instrument Number 03-48979 on December 23, 2003, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action; that HARRISON MCCARGO, upon information and belief deceased, BENEFICIARY of a Deed of Trust filed in the records of the Richmond Circuit Court at Instrument Number 04-4507 on February 12, 2004, or his heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, have not been located and have 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 SHANAE A. GEORGE, MICHAEL J. CHAMPLIN, TRUSTEE, of a Deed of Trust filed in the records of the Richmond Circuit Court at Instrument Number 0348979 on December 23, 2003, LEXINGTON COURT, LLC, an entity listed as inactive in the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, BENEFICIARY of a Deed of Trust filed in the records of the Richmond Circuit Court at Instrument Number 0348979 on December 23, 2003, HARRISON MCCARGO, upon information and belief deceased, BENEFICIARY of a Deed of Trust filed in the records of the Richmond Circuit Court at Instrument Number 04-4507 on February 12, 2004, or his heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before OCTOBER 8, 2020 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. CAMOLIV LAND TRUST, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL19-5186 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 410 North Madison Street, Tax Map Number N000-0181/013, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Camoliv Land Trust. An Affidavit having been filed that said creditors, LUIS F R A N CI S CO H U ER TA , ALEX ABIMAEL HERRERA G O N Z A L E S , CE S A R HUERTA DIAZ, DAVID VA L E N CI A A R T E A G A , GERARDO HERNANDEZ FACUNDO, GONZALES AGUILAR, IMELDA DEL CARMEN MUNOZ, IVON M O D E S TA G O M E Z , KARLA ESPINOZA, JOSE MARAZAN MIRANDA, JOSE FRANCISCO RUIS, JORGE MARTINEZ HERNANDEZ, MANUEL MALONADO, P A S T OR A N T O N IO E S CO B A R M U N O Z , RE N A M A L D O N A D O , RO B ER T O M ORE N A CI S N ERO S , S ER G IO ARTURO CASTRO SOLIS, VICTOR ESPINO, DAVID GAMERO, ROSA YESENIA ESCOBAR, TEODOSIA S A U CE D O , R A F A E L ANGEL MALDONADO VARGAS, MARIE ALVAREZ, RO S A D E L C A R M E N SANDOBAL CORTEZ, JOSE, ALEJANDRO JUAREZ, M AY N OR M A U RICIO MUNOZ BONILLA, JOSE ATLLANO ARIOS JAIME, S A N T O E D U VI G E S SECOBAR, JUAN VARGAS CO L , L U I S M I G U E L GOMEZ, JUAN CARLOS ALVARADO MORALES, and FIDEL FRANCISCO CRUZ ESTRADA, are to be proceed against by Order of Publication pursuant to Section 8.01-316(A)(3) of the Code of Virginia; that KATHY PICKING, TRUSTEE, CAMOLIV LAND TRUST, who is not a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia, has not filed a response to this action; that ALVINA E. L. MANUEL, who may be a creditor with an interest in said property, who has been served by posting and by mailing a copy of the complaint to her last known address, 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 LUIS FRANCISCO HUERTA, ALEX ABIMAEL HERRERA G O N Z A L E S , CE S A R HUERTA DIAZ, DAVID VA L E N CI A A R T E A G A , GERARDO HERNANDEZ FACUNDO, GONZALES AGUILAR, IMELDA DEL CARMEN MUNOZ, IVON M O D E S TA G O M E Z , KARLA ESPINOZA, JOSE MARAZAN MIRANDA, JOSE FRANCISCO RUIS, JORGE MARTINEZ HERNANDEZ, MANUEL MALONADO, P A S T OR A N T O N IO E S CO B A R M U N O Z , RE N A M A L D O N A D O , RO B ER T O M ORE N A CI S N ERO S , S ER G IO ARTURO CASTRO SOLIS, VICTOR ESPINO, DAVID GAMERO, ROSA YESENIA ESCOBAR, TEODOSIA S A U CE D O , R A F A E L ANGEL MALDONADO VARGAS, MARIE ALVAREZ, RO S A D E L C A R M E N SANDOBAL CORTEZ, JOSE,
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. BENSON F, WOO, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL20-2020 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 2625 Q Street, Richmond, Virginia, Tax Map Number E0000475/013, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owners of record, Benson Woo and Cynthia S. Woo. An Affidavit having been filed that said owners, BENSON F. WOO and CYNTHIA S. WOO, who have been served by posting and by mailing a copy of the complaint to their last known address, have not been personally located and have 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.” I T I S OR D ERE D that BENSON F. WOO, CYNTHIA S. WOO, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before OCTOBER 8, 2020 and do what is necessary to protect
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. SAMMY M. COPPEDGE, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL20-2178 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 4038 McKay Avenue, Richmond, Virginia, Tax Map Number C0090398/100, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Sammy M. Coppedge. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, SAMMY M. COPPEDGE, upon information and belief deceased, or his heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, have not been located and have not filed a response to this action; that TOMMY O. COPPEDGE and REBECCA F R A U N B ER G ER a k a REBECCA FRAUNRUBER, who may have an ownership interest in said property, who have been served by posting and by mailing a copy of the complaint to their last known address, have not been personally located and have not filed a response to this action; that PIONEER MORTGAGE CORPORATION, an entity not appearing in the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission
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VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. SARAH R. CHAPMAN, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL20-2361 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 2006 Redwood Avenue, Richmond, Virginia, Tax Map Number E0120276/020, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Sarah R. Chapman. An Affidavit having been filed 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 Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before OCTOBER 8, 2020 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949
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TRUSTEE, of a Deed of Trust filed in the records of the Richmond Circuit Court at Deed Book 203 page 759 on May 31, 1989, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action; that NATIONAL CITY MORTGAGE COMPANY an entity not appearing in the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, B E N E F I C I A RY o f a n Assignment of Deed of Trust filed at Deed Book 333 page 19444 on February 1, 1999, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action; that VIRGINIA WOMEN’S CENTER, PC, an entity listed as inactive in the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, which may be a creditor with an interest in said property, has not been 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 SAMMY M. COPPEDGE, upon information and belief deceased, or his heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, TOMMY O. COPPEDGE, REBECCA FRAUNBERGER aka REBECCA FRAUNRUBER, PIONEER MORTGAGE CORPORATION, an entity not appearing in the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission TRUSTEE, of a Deed of Trust filed in the records of the Richmond Circuit Court at Deed Book 203 page 759 on May 31, 1989, NATIONAL CITY MORTGAGE COMPANY an entity not appearing in the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, B E N E F I C I A RY o f a n Assignment of Deed of Trust filed at Deed Book 333 page 19444 on February 1, 1999, VIRGINIA WOMEN’S CENTER, PC, an entity listed as inactive in the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before OCTOBER 8, 2020 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949
OCTOBER 8, 2020 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. WILL A. SCHULTZ, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL20-2256 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 2904 Seminary Avenue, Richmond, Virginia, Tax Map Number N0000861/005, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owners of record, Will A. Schultz and Julia F. Schultz. An Affidavit having been filed that said owners, WILL A. SCHULTZ, upon information and belief deceased, or his heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, and JULIA F. SCHULTZ, upon information and belief deceased, or her heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, have not been located and have 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 WILL A. SCHULTZ, upon information and belief deceased, or his heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, JULIA F. SCHULTZ, upon information and belief deceased, or her heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before Continued on next column
PUBLIC NOTICE
CONTACT: Lucinda Shannon 434-979-0654 Ishannon@tjpdc.org
Hearings will be held at the: MPO Policy Board Meeting on Wednesday, September 23, 2020 at 4:00 p.m.
ABC License Sitting Pretty Yoni Steam with K LLC Trading as: Sitting Pretty Yoni Steam with K 105 W Williamsburg Rd Sandston, VA 23150-1442 The above establishment is applying to the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage C o n trol (ABC) AUTHORITY for a Day Spa license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages. Kevin Snead/Owner NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www. abc.virginia.gov or 800-5523200.
PUBLIC NOTICE RICHMOND CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING AMENDMENT TO THE 2019-2020 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN
The Charlottesville-Albemarle MPO will host public hearings on:
In accordance with City’s citizen participation requirements for federal funds, a 10-day public comment period for the amendment to 2019 Annual Action Plan (City FY 2020) will begin on September 3, 2020, and will be extended to end on September 17, 2020. By this notice the City of Richmond announces the availability of the Amended 2019 Annual Action Plan Budget, is ready for public review and comment.
These planning documents outline future Charlottesville-Albemarle MPO activities. More information can be found at (http://campo.tjpdc.org).
On Monday, September 28, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. in City Council Chambers, the Richmond City Council will hold a public hearing on an amendment to the 2019 Annual Action Plan and FY 2019-2020 budget for CARES Act funding related to COIVID-19 pandemic for Community Development Block Grant COVID-19 (CDBG-CV), Emergency Solutions Grant COVID-19 (ESG-CV) and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS COVID-19 (HOPWA-CV). The additional funds are a result of the CARES Act passed by Congress and signed by the President in March of 2020 to address the Corona Virus Pandemic. These funds were allocated to the City from the U. S. Department of Housing & Urban Development to address the City of Richmond priorities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic that have been identiďŹ ed in the 2019 Annual Action Plan. Citizens and interested persons are invited to give their views regarding the use of CDBG-CV, ESG-CV and HOPWA-CV funds for the proposed Annual Action Plan. The City will arrange for reasonable accommodations for non-English speaking persons or those persons with visual, hearing, or mobility impairments when notiďŹ ed. Anyone wishing to speak at the public hearing please contact the OfďŹ ce of the City Clerk by 10:00 am September 28, 2020 at 804-646-7955.
La Fronterna Mexican Restaurant and Bar LLC Trading as: La Fronterna Mexican Restaurant and Bar 1412 Starling Dr Ste C Richmond, Virginia 23229-5543 The above establishment is applying to the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage C o n trol (ABC) AUTHORITY for a Wine and Beer On Premises and Mixed Beverage Restaurant license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages. NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www. abc.virginia.gov or 800-5523200.
The following project budget amendments are the result of reprograming of surplus funds and the cancelation of an existing activity. No additional funds were received from HUD for this amendment. The propose activities are outlined below: Community Development Block Grant funds (CDBG-CV): $1,736,378 Bringing Families Home (HFF) - Add a new activity at $75,000 for a homeless prevention program to move families living in hotels and overcrowded “double-up� situations into permanent rental housing Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention (Legal Aid) - Add a new activity at $130,000 for free legal representation and education to low-income, elderly, and other eligible City of Richmond clients in civil matters involving housing. GRCoC Pandemic Response - Non-congregate Shelter (Homeward) – Add a new activity at $1,060,000 for providing 1,000 persons with non-congregate pandemic shelter, provide 100 persons with medically prescribed pandemic response isolation.
NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE OF INTENT TO RELOCATE EXPOSED HUMAN REMAINS FOUND NEAR EVERGREEN AND EAST END CEMETERY, 50 EVERGREEN ROAD, RICHMOND & HENRICO COUNTY
Adopting the updated Public Participation Plan for the Charlottesville-Albemarle MPO.
The hearings will be held online and phone, visit http://campo.tjpdc.org for connection instructions. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend. Comments may also be submitted via telephone, email or letter to the MPO: POB 1505, Charlottesville, VA 22902; phone (434) 979-7310; email: info@tjpdc.org.
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. EOE M/F/D/V
Virginia Community Development Corporation (VCDC) Asset Manager VCDC is currently seeking a full time Asset Manager to join our team. For more details and how to apply visit: https://www.vacdc.org/careers/ Deadline for applications is Friday, September 11, 2020.
HMHY Emergency Supportive Housing Solution (HMHY) – Add new activity at $150,000 for 50 hotel rooms to assist individuals who have been released from jail.
MATHEMATICS INSTRUCTOR
Veteran’s Emergency Shelter Beds (HomeAgain) – Add a new activity at $84,400 to provide 12 months of low barrier shelter services, housing information and counseling for 8 veteran speciďŹ c beds. Foreclosure Prevention Program (HOME, Inc.) – Add a new activity at $110,000 to assist 75 homeowners at or below 80% AMI with foreclosure intervention and case management.
APPLICANT: John Sydnor Enrichmond Foundation PO Box 25609 Richmond, VA 23260
Grant Administration (HCD) – Increase by $126,978 from $100,000 to $226,978 for program management by Housing and Community Development.
PROPOSED WORK AND NEED FOR RELOCATION: The applicant proposes to respectfully reinter human remains found eroding from a ravine near the edge of East End Cemetery property on July 20, 2020.
Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG-CV): $2,270,466
The remains appear to be associated with several unknown individuals, and were likely exposed at intervals by erosion, animal activity, or the excavation of new graves. Based upon wood fragments and nails recovered in immediate association with the remains, it appears that they were collected into a box or crate and reinterred at the edge of the ravine at some point in the past.
Community Housing Coordinator (Homeward) – Add a new activity at $90,000 to fund system level position that would allow the GRCoC shelter and housing providers to maximize staff and resources by centralizing landlord engagement, recruitment, and education. Position will focus on recruiting landlords and housing options for clients in pandemic response program to build on the network of housing options.
Bringing Families Home (HFF) – Add a new activity at $50,000 to target prevention of homelessness. CCC Street Outreach (CCC) - Add a new activity at $100,000 to help reach an additional 150 homeless families and connect them with case management and housing services.
Housing Assistance for COVID-19 Higher Risk Individuals/Families (SA) - Add a new activity at $30,000 to assist 50 individuals with rent, application fees, utilities to secure or maintain permanent affordable housing. Greater Pandemic Response Non-Congregate Shelter (Homeward) - Increase by $1,469,516 from $614,003 to $2,083,519 for emergency shelter operations (ESO). Homeward, the Collaborative Partner for the GRCoC will coordinate with the service providers in the network to assist families and individuals experiencing homelessness to secure permanent housing and access to additional services.
The remains of the unknown individuals were carefully recovered by archaeologists with the Department of Historic Resources, and are housed in that agency’s secure collections facility.
Street Outreach Worker (DP) – Increase by $97,500 from $50,000 to $147,500 for Emergency Shelter Operations, and medical health services for non-congregate residents. Eviction Prevention (HOME, Inc.) – Add a new activity at $316,193 to assist families and individuals with rent to avoid eviction.
COMMENT PERIOD: We rely on the community to serve as family for these unknown individuals, and to guide their proper and respectful treatment. Comments should be made in writing, preferably by email, and addressed to both Enrichmond and the DHR:
(FO141)
Reynolds Community College, Richmond, VA Full-time, nine-month teaching faculty-ranked appointment. Master’s degree in Mathematics; or Master’s degree with 18 graduate semester hours in Mathematics is required. Preemployment background screening is required. Salary range: $45,089 - $65,000. Salary commensurate with the education and experience of the applicant. Additional information is available on the college’s web site: www.reynolds.edu. APPLICATION PROCESS: Review of applications will begin October 1, 2020, and will be accepted until the position is filled. AA/EOE/ADA/Veterans/ AmeriCorps/Peace Corps/ Other National Service Alumni are encouraged to apply.
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Freelance Writers: Richmond Free Press has immediate opportunities for freelance writers. Newspaper experience is a requirement. To be considered, please send 5 samples of your writing, along with a cover letter to news@richmond freepress.com or mail to: Richmond Free Press, P. O. Box 27709, Richmond, VA 23261. No phone calls.
Grant Administration (HCD) – Increase by $117,257 from $30,000 to $147,256 for program management. Eviction Prevention (BHC) – Cancel the BHC’s Eviction Prevention activity. This activity was awarded funds in the ďŹ rst round of the NOFA for COVID-19 funding; however, HUD made a determination that the activity was not an eligible activity. The City is reprogramming the $316,193 to other eligible activities in this O & R.
John Sydnor, Enrichmond Foundation, P.O. Box 25609, Richmond, VA 23260 or by email at info@enrichmond. org; and
Housing Opportunities for Persons with Aids (HOPWA-CV): $137,779 Commonwealth Catholic Charities (CCC) – Increase by 137,779 from $45,000 to 182,779 for 10 additional clients with STRMU, 15-20 HIV/AIDS individuals placed in temporary hotel stays to prevent homelessness.
Joanna Wilson Green, Virginia Department of Historic Resources, 2801 Kensington Avenue, Richmond, VA 23221 or by email at burialpermits@ dhr.virginia.gov.
Copies of the amended 2019 Annual Action Plan are available for public review online on the Department of Housing and Community Developments website located at www.richmondgov.com. Citizens can also request a hard copy or electronic copy via e-mail or US Mail. To request a copy, contact Daniel Mouer at daniel.mouer@richmondgov. com or by mail at the City of Richmond, Department of Housing & Community Development, 1500 E Main Street, Suite 400, Richmond VA 23219-3571. The City of Richmond does not discriminate on the basis of disability status in the admission of, or access to, or treatment in its federally assisted programs or activities. Virginia Relay Center - TDD Users - 1-800-828-1120.
Written comments should be received by the close of business on Friday, September 11th. A public hearing may be requested by any respondent to this notice. Please note that social distancing requirements may necessitate a virtual/online meeting.
Citizens and interested persons are invited to give their views regarding the use of CDBGCV, ESG-CV and HOPWA-CV funds for the proposed Annual Action Plan. The City will arrange for reasonable accommodations for non-English speaking persons or those persons with visual, hearing, or mobility impairments when notiďŹ ed within ďŹ ve (5) business days of the close of the public comment period. Submit comments and views in writing to: Daniel Mouer, Housing and Community Development Administrator, Housing and Community Development, 1500 E. Main Street, Suite 400, Richmond, VA 23219-3571 or by e-mail to daniel.mouer@richmondgov.com.
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