Cole’s untold legacy
Governor, lawmakers clash over superintendent’s future
By Nathaniel Cline
Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, signaled before the end of this year’s regular legislative session that it is unlikely his colleagues will launch an ethics investigation against Sen. Jennifer Carroll Foy, D-Prince William, over allegations that she pressured the VMI Board of Visitors regarding the contract of Virginia Military Institute Superintendent Cedric Wins.
The request for the investigation came from U.S. Rep. Ben Cline, R-Botetourt, who accused Carroll Foy of attempting to sway the board’s decision on whether to extend Wins’ tenure.
Surovell dismissed the push for an inquiry, saying it would be hypocritical to investigate Carroll Foy while ignoring Youngkin’s influ-
ence over university and college boards he has appointed. The VMI board has 11 Youngkin appointees out of 15 total members.
“If that’s a problem, then I think we also ought to investigate the governor because he does this kind of stuff every day,” Surovell told The Mercury. “The governor has been trying to influence our universities through his board picks and through the budget process for the last three years. If the insinuation is that the General Assembly does not have the right to express its views on the current or future leadership or anniversaries, that’s preposterous.”
Cline’s call for an ethics probe stems from a Feb. 18 letter he sent to the clerks of the House and Senate, alleging that Carroll Foy and other
African Americans turn to Ghana for peace and belonging
By Jennifer Robinson
This article is the first in a three-part series exploring the growing movement of African Americans seeking refuge and reconnection in Ghana.
Amid growing social and political unrest in the U.S., Ghana has emerged as a beacon of hope — a sanctuary offering respite from America’s increasing polarization. What began as a call to reconnect with ancestral roots through the 2019 “Year of Return” campaign has transformed into the decade-long “Beyond the Return” initiative, offering not only a spiritual homecoming but also an escape from escalating discord.
The “Year of Return,” which commemorated the 400th anniversary of the first enslaved Africans arriving in Jamestown, invited descendants of enslaved people to return to their roots. It
resonated deeply with African Americans seeking to understand their heritage and reconnect with the continent. The initiative has struck a chord with many African Americans seeking a connection to their ancestral roots.
However, the second Trump presidency, marked by divisive rhetoric and policies, drives a desire among African Americans to seek refuge abroad.
“There’s really nowhere for me in Trump’s dystopia,” said George Braxton, a Richmond resident considering a move to Ghana with his wife. “This was always our Plan B. We have friends who have invited us to stay for several months to learn about life there. Ghana has essentially unlimited visas for us and is English-speaking.”
Ghana, located on the Gulf of Guinea in
Please turn to A4
Mayor, City Council discuss City priorities, water crisis aftermath
By George Copeland Jr.
City Council and Mayor Danny Avula met Monday to discuss housing, family support and the city’s long-term recovery from January’s water crisis.
Avula, now two months into his term, shared his vision for a “thriving Richmond.” His administration has developed seven strategic priorities as part of this vision, focused on City Hall, Richmond neighborhoods, families, economy, community, environment and history.
His proposals range from improving government services and expanding af-
fordable housing to investing in local businesses, inclusivity, expanding green spaces and telling Richmond’s full story.
Avula acknowledged the difficulties this plan could face, particularly as the Trump administration plans deep cuts to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
With the City budget also a concern, Avula emphasized the importance of collaboration and acting with “urgency, creativity and vision” to ensure this strategy was a success.
“There’s going to be a lot of challenges in the days ahead,” Avula said. “So just
know how committed I am to working with all of you to protect and support our people, our city and our shared vision of a safe, resilient and thriving Richmond.”
Avula also discussed information from an independent, preliminary report on January’s water crisis and efforts to improve the City’s recovery and response. Avula said around $5 million already has been spent on equipment repairs and upgrades to the water treatment plant.
While Avula presented an expansive vision for the city, City Council members
Golden
Fest
supports Richmond musician after cancer
diagnosis
By Brodie Greene
Local blues singer and guitarist Justin Golden was poised for a breakout year in 2025. After his album “Hard Times and a Woman” gained international attention, February promised to be one of his busiest months yet, with multiple shows lined up and plans for his fourth studio album.
Justin Golden, a local blues singer and guitarist, was poised for a breakout year until a stage 4 cancer diagnosis forced him to cancel upcoming shows.
Then, just over a month ago, the 34-year-old performer was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, forcing him to cancel upcoming performances. In response, his management team, record label, and local musicians rallied together to launch “Golden Fest,” a series of benefit concerts to help cover his medical expenses.
The lineup for Golden Fest, which began last Saturday, features several musicians who have worked with and performed with Golden. One of these performers, singer-songwriter Tyler
Roberta Flack, Grammy-winning ‘Killing Me Softly’
singer with an intimate style, dies at 88
By Hillel Italie The Associated Press
Roberta Flack, the Grammy-winning singer and pianist whose intimate vocal and musical style made her one of the top recording artists of the 1970s and an influential performer long after, died Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. She was 88. She died at home surrounded by her family, publicist Elaine Schock said in a statement. Flack announced in 2022 she had ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, and could no longer sing, Little known before her early 30s,
Flack became an overnight star after Clint Eastwood used “The First Time Ever I
Saw Your Face” as the soundtrack for one of cinema’s more memorable and explicit love scenes, between the actor and Donna Mills in his 1971 film “Play Misty for Me.” The hushed, hymn-like ballad, with Flack’s graceful soprano afloat on a bed of soft strings and piano, topped the Billboard pop chart in 1972 and received a Grammy for record of the year. “The record label wanted to have it re-recorded with a faster tempo, but he said he wanted it exactly as it was,” Flack told The Associated Press in 2018. “With the song as a theme song for his movie it gained a lot of popularity and then took off.”
A classically trained pianist so gifted she received a full scholarship at age 15 to Howard University, Flack was discovered in the late 1960s by jazz musician Les McCann, who later wrote that “her voice touched, tapped, trapped, and kicked every emotion I’ve ever known.” Flack was versatile enough to summon the uptempo gospel passion of Aretha Franklin, but she favored a more measured and reflective approach, as if curating a song
Cedric Wins and Virginia Military Institute
Virginia Military Institute superintendent, Retired Maj. Gen. Cedric Wins, greets Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Dec. 12, 2024.
AP Photo/Harold Filan, File
Roberta Flack holds the Grammy award for her record, “Killing Me Softly With His Song” as singer Isaac Hayes, right, looks on at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on March 4, 1974.
Photos by Julianne Tripp Hillian/Richmond Free Press
Family photo
Ahkbar (12), Indee, SelasiMawu (7), Alkabulan Kudjo and Vivi Sefofo (2) at Bridgeview Hotel, overlooking the Adomi Bridge in Atimpoku, Eastern Region, Ghana.
Mayor Danny Avula, left, at Monday’s City Council meeting. Kenya J. Gibson, 3rd District, addresses City Council during the meeting.
Richmond names Scott Morris director of public utilities
Free Press staff report
The City of Richmond has appointed Scott Morris as the permanent director of the Department of Public Utilities, officials announced Friday.
Morris, who had served as interim director since Jan. 20, accepted the role permanently on Feb. 22. His appointment follows a major water service interruption in January that left thousands of residents without clean drinking water.
“Director Morris has already shown tremendous leadership at the Department of Public Utilities,” Interim Chief Administrative Officer Sabrina Joy-Hogg said. “In the weeks following the service interruption at the Water Treatment Plant, he has run an excellent operation and implemented many of the recommendations from the preliminary after-action report.”
Before stepping into the interim role, Morris served as director of water at the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and as chief deputy at the agency. He previously held leadership roles in Chesterfield County’s Utilities Department for more than a decade and worked in wastewater plant operations for the City of Richmond for four years.
“I’m proud to have him on the team, and I know the city will benefit from his leadership as we build resilience at our Water Treatment Plant,” Mayor Danny Avula said.
A U.S. Navy veteran, Morris graduated from the naval nuclear program and served aboard the USS Enterprise. He holds a doctorate in business administration from Liberty University, a master’s in information services from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a bachelor’s in applied science and technology, with a focus on nuclear engineering technology, from Thomas Edison State College. He also earned an associate degree in wastewater and technology from Mountain Empire Community College.
Former City Council member Addison steps into leadership role
By George Copeland Jr.
As political shifts unfold in Richmond, two prominent leaders are making moves to shape the city’s and state’s Democratic future. Former City Council member Andreas Addison has been appointed first vice chair of the Richmond City Democratic Committee, while state Sen. Lamont Bagby has launched his campaign to become the next chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia.
Addison succeeds Jerome Legions in the position, after Legions replaced City Council member Andrew “Gumby” Breton as RCDC Chair when he stepped down to run for the seat last year.
“RCDC must once again become the center of influence for the Democratic cause in our city,” Addison said in a statement. “We need to be the place where candidates turn to, where voters engage, and where accountability and support are prioritized.”
Addison’s new role comes nearly a week after Bagby announced his candidacy for Chairman of the Democratic Party of Virginia.
“Now more than ever, Virginia Democrats need to be united in our mission to retake the Governor’s Mansion, expand our House majority, and push back on the extreme, chaotic agenda we are seeing across the river in Washington,” Bagby said in a statement announcing his campaign.
“I am committed to being a highly active and intentionally collaborative chair, working with the Central Committee, local committees, elected officials and candidates to ensure Democratic victories up and down the ballot.”
Free community testing for COVID-19 continues
For the week ending Saturday, Feb. 22, COVID-19 accounted for 1.2% of all emergency department visits in Virginia, with overall respiratory illness rates moderate and trending down compared to previous data. No COVID-19related deaths were reported during this period at press time. As of the most recent sample collection week on Sunday, Feb. 16, no trend in COVID-19 wastewater levels was available for Richmond, while levels in Henrico County had plateaued. The Richmond and Henrico County health districts are offering testing at the following locations.
• Thursday, Feb. 27, 2 to 4:30 p.m. – Calvary United Methodist Church, 1637 Williamsburg Road.
• Friday, Feb. 28, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Southside Women, Infants and Children Office, 509 E. Southside Plaza. RHHD’s Resource Centers are providing free at-home tests for pickup at select locations:
• Creighton Court at 2150 Creighton Road, call 804-3710433.
• Fairfield Court at 2311 N. 25th St., call 804-786-4099.
• Gilpin Court at 436 Calhoun St., call 804-786-1960.
• Hillside Court at 1615 Glenfield Ave., call 804-230-7740.
• Mosby Court at 1536 Coalter St., call 804-786-0204.
• Southwood Court at 1754 Clarkson Road, Unit B, call 804-230-2077.
• Whitcomb Court at 2106 Deforrest St., call 804-786-0555. For Virginia Department of Health testing locations, visit vdh. virginia.gov. Additional testing site information can be found at vax.rchd.com. Residents also can order four free at-home COVID test kits at covidtest.gov, while supplies last. Want a COVID-19 vaccine?
The CDC recommends the COVID-19 vaccine for everyone 6 months and older. Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are approved for those 6 months and older, while Novavax is for individuals age 12 and older.
To schedule an appointment with the Richmond and Henrico health districts, call 804-205-3501. A list of pharmacies and clinics offering the vaccine is available at Vaccines.gov
Additional locations can be found by texting your ZIP code to 438829 or calling 1-800-232-0233. Compiled by George Copeland Jr.
Cityscape
Dozens take oath of citizenship at Virginia Museum of History & Culture
Free Press staff report
The auditorium at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture was filled to capacity Presidents Day, Feb. 17, as more than 60 people from nearly 40 countries were sworn in as U.S. citizens during a naturalization ceremony led by Judge David J. Novak.
In his remarks, Judge Novak emphasized the importance of being active and informed citizens by participating in the country’s democratic processes — voting, serving on juries, and instilling the ideals of nation in the country’s youths. Novak acknowledged the significance of the holiday, paying great attention to American presidents and encouraging citizens to exercise their right to vote, but when doing so, to look beyond party labels and focus on candidates’ character.
“We have every right to demand that our president and elected officials are people of the highest possible character,” he said.
Following the ceremony, the newly sworn-in citizens and their families gathered in the museum’s lobby for a celebration with refreshments and music by the Richmond Brass Consort. The event was held in partnership with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Each new citizen received a one-year membership to the Virginia Museum of History & Culture to celebrate their status as citizens.
Chesterfield academy to offer government insight for local residents
Free Press staff report
Chesterfield County, in partnership with the Asian and Latino Solidarity Alliance of Central Virginia (ALSACV), is accepting applications for this year’s My Chesterfield Academy. The deadline to apply is Monday, March 17.
My Chesterfield Academy empowers residents, particularly those from multicultural communities, to understand and navigate Chesterfield government and local resources. Since launching in 2019, the academy has graduated 70 participants from 30 different countries, including Mexico, Egypt, China and India.
The program runs monthly from April through December, excluding July and August, with sessions held at various locations across the county. Each class consists of 15 to 20 participants. To qualify, individuals must live, work or play in Chesterfield County, with no requirement for U.S. citizenship. The academy will feature seven sessions, each from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on April 22, May 27, June 24, Sept. 23, Oct. 28, Nov. 18 and Dec. 16. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of local government and services through facility tours and meetings with government and school leaders. Graduates will be recognized at a
Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors meeting in January 2026. Applicants with leadership experience and community involvement are preferred. A $50 refundable deposit is required to cover meals and other expenses, which will be returned upon completion of the program.
My Chesterfield Academy is hosted by the Chesterfield County Department of Community Engagement and Resources (CER) and partially funded through corporate sponsorships and donations to ALSACV. For more information, visit chesterfield. gov/MyChesterfieldAcademy.
Julianne Tripp Hillian/Richmond Free Press
Parts of Richmond flooded after heavy storms over the weekend of Feb. 15-16, including sections of the Capital Trail east of Great Shiplock Park, leaving The Kickstand and Dock Street
Park submerged. As a precaution, the City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities activated the Dock Street floodwall, which reopened Feb. 18.
Photos by Julianne Tripp Hillian/Richmond Free Press
Niharika Patel of India joins dozens of other new U.S. citizens in reciting the Oath of Allegiance during a naturalization ceremony at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture on Presidents Day, Monday, Feb. 17.
The Hon. David J. Novak, U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia, lead the naturalization ceremony at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture on Presidents Day, Feb. 17. The event was held in partnership with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Scott Morris
Sen. Bagby Andreas Addison
Access to Care Shouldn’t
If you or someone in your family is a Bon Secours patient with Cigna commercial (employer-sponsored) health insurance, this may affect you.
WHAT’S HAPPENING?
Cigna’s payments to our doctors, nurses and caregivers don’t cover the cost of providing safe, quality care.
If Cigna doesn’t offer fair reimbursement rates, your in-network access to Bon Secours providers and facilities could be at risk.
If we don’t reach an agreement by April 1, Bon Secours will no longer be in-network for Cigna members in Richmond.
Starting April 1, Bon Secours hospitals, doctors, urgent cares and other care sites in Richmond will not be covered by Cigna.
Please call Cigna and let them know how important it is to keep uninterrupted access to Bon Secours in-network.
We are committed to working hard to reach an agreement with Cigna so you can continue seeing the caregivers you trust.
Gov., lawmakers clash over VMI superintendent
Continued from A1
legislators attempted to “pressure” VMI’s board into approving a long-term contract for Wins. The congressman claimed that some members hinted at legislative retaliation if the board did not comply.
Carroll Foy, a VMI graduate, forcefully denied the accusations, arguing that she never spoke with other members or issued any threats. Instead, she said John Adams, the board president, contacted her to discuss VMI’s affairs, including concerns about resistance to having a Black superintendent.
Board members should be solely focused on fulfilling VMI’s mission to “educate and train citizen soldiers who will be the future leaders of battalions and boardrooms,” Carroll Foy said.
Cline’s letter also cited an alleged conversation in which Carroll Foy reportedly told an unnamed board member that the General Assembly’s leadership, which is majority Black, could jeopardize funding for VMI if Wins did not receive a four-year contract extension.
“I am just trying to help VMI. Cedric is African American. The leadership of the General Assembly is African American. Your board appointments and budget amendments are in peril. You can fix this by giving Cedric a four-year contract extension,” Cline, in his letter, quoted the board member as saying.
Carroll Foy pushed back against the allegations, arguing that her conversations with Adams had been “mischaracterized.” She said Adams, a partner with McGuireWoods law firm, repeatedly told her the board “no longer” wanted a Black superintendent after Wins first took the helm.
With Wins’ employment publicly questioned, Youngkin’s office has signaled its trust in the board’s decision-making. Christian Martinez, a spokesman for the governor, said in a statement, “The governor appointed experienced and strong members to the Board of Visitors, all deeply committed to VMI and its mission. He has full confidence the board will act in the best interests of the institute and the commonwealth.”
A troubled history
When Wins was tapped as VMI’s first Black
superintendent in the institution’s history dating back to 1839, he stepped into a role shaded by controversy. His appointment followed the resignation of Retired Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III, who stepped down amid claims of racism within the institution, as first reported by the Washington Post.
Just months later, a state-commissioned report confirmed deep-seated racial and gender disparities persisted at VMI.
The investigation, conducted by the consulting firm Barnes & Thornburg at the request of then-Gov. Ralph Northam and state lawmakers and tasked to “investigate the culture, policies, practices, and traditions” at VMI, found that the institute’s culture created “barriers to addressing and solving” race and gender problems.
“Following the developments of 2020 and the arrival of MG Cedric Wins, VMI has taken incremental steps towards a more diverse, inclusive VMI, and it has outlined plans to address the existing culture,” the report stated. “However, many in the VMI community, including senior leaders, perceive no issues or reasons to change.”
Now, as Wins’ contract hangs in the balance, some alumni are voicing concerns about both the institution’s future and the political forces at play.
Shah Rahman, a VMI graduate, said he worries about how the governor’s influence over the board — where a majority of members are Youngkin appointees that could shape Wins’ fate, particularly given the broader political climate surrounding race and diversity.
Among those appointees is Thomas Gottwald, chairman and CEO of the chemical manufacturing company NewMarket Corporation. A major political donor, Gottwald has contributed over $500,000 to Youngkin’s campaign and affiliated groups, including Spirit of VMI PAC, a political action committee composed of alumni, parents and students. The PAC, where Gottwald is the top donor, has been vocal in its opposition to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, urging supporters to “reject the woke assault on VMI.”
In 2022, some critics also challenged the superintendent for his efforts to implement diversity, equity and inclusion reforms and requesting $6.1 million from the state to expand
Mayor, City Council discuss City priorities
Continued from A1
brought their own ideas and concerns. Questions about the role of public safety and the police in Avula’s strategy were raised alongside the need for economic development plans, infrastructure improvements and reflecting Richmond’s diverse community in its storytelling.
Kenya Gibson, 3rd District, also referenced Avula’s ideas for a thriving City Hall when pointing out that questions around the water crisis raised by council and others, including how utility funding had been spent in the past, remain unanswered.
“I think it’s important to ensure that those questions that are still relevant are all answered very clearly in the final report that comes out,” said Gibson, who also requested a breakdown of how the $5 million in plant improvements had been spent.
In addition to the discussion with Avula, councilmembers also unanimously approved three ordinances focused on special use housing, including a 352-unit apartment at 2811 Rady St.
Six of the nine councilmembers also voted to appoint new board and committee members, with Gibson voting no and Sarah Abubaker, 4th District, and Stephanie Lynch, 5th District, abstaining. Gibson voiced concerns about appointing Jared Loiben to the board of the Richmond Economic Development Authority over what she called the “outsized influence” of his employer Dominion Energy in Richmond.
She also voted against reappointing Harold Parker Jr., commissioner at the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority, saying he lacked commitment to one-to-one replacement based on their conversation.
Council President Cynthia Newbille said after the vote that these concerns had previously been raised with and vetted by the City Attorney’s Office.
Avula is expected to present a budget to City Council members on Thursday, March 27.
Golden Fest supports Richmond musician
Continued from A1
Meacham, recalled one of her first performances on stage was with Golden’s band at Cary Street Cafe.
“His mentality toward inviting people into this community is kind of unparalleled and I really think the response to his diagnosis and wanting to do something for him just stems from the fact that he’s already done a lot for us,” Meacham said.
Musician Jonathan Page Brown Jr., who also performed, said Golden is like a brother to him. The two met at an open mic night when Brown was just starting out. Over the years, Brown has turned to Golden for advice in his music journey.
“At almost every pivotal point of my career up to this point, I’ve always ended up running into him and having a really deep conversation about what to do,” Brown said.
Golden’s GoFundMe has raised $72,000 of its $75,000 goal. Although he couldn’t attend the first show, Golden expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the community’s support.
“Seeing everybody coming together for Golden Fest is so impactful for me, so moving for me as far as keeping my hopes up and distracting me from the reality of what’s going on and the diagnosis,” Golden said. “I’ve just been able to connect with a lot of people, and also the GoFundMe, it’s really, really helpful to keep those things in perspective.”
Upcoming Golden Fest concerts
• March 2 at Final Gravity Brewing Company
• March 14 at The Camel
• March 16 at Gallery5
Title IX and diversity offices.
Rahman said he believes lingering resentment over Peay’s departure is also fueling efforts to oust Wins.
“To [potentially] remove this gentleman before he has had a chance to fully see the institution’s strategic plan that he was instrumental in putting together … just because they want their vengeance, it couldn’t be worse for the future of the institute,” Rahman told The Mercury. Nominees, funding
As Cline circulated his letter calling for an ethics investigation into Carrol Foy, state lawmakers were in the midst of weighing Youngkin’s nominees for boards across Virginia — including appointments to VMI’s Board of Visitors — and reviewing funding requests for the military college.
In a move that escalated tensions, Senate Democrats blocked nine of Youngkin’s appointees, including two VMI Board of Visitors nominees, Quintin Elliott and John Clifford Foster. They also excluded funding to VMI’s proposed Center for Leadership and Ethics facility — a decision Youngkin viewed as an attempt to pressure the board into extending Wins’ contract, according to local media.
Democrats rejected that claim, arguing the project was cut simply because the state could not afford it in this year’s capital budget.
Despite the funding exclusion, lawmakers approved more than $1.2 million for VMI requests. The budget allocates one-time funds for the Unique Military Activities to improve and enhance campus facilities, including purchasing new laundry equipment, expanding the female ward in the infirmary, and outfitting the VMI Regimental Band with new instruments.
On the removal of Youngkin’s nominees, Carroll Foy pointed to remarks from Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, who said Senate Democrats found the candidates “inconsistent with the expectations, goals and values we had for the work of those boards.”
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
The concerns over Wins’s job security at VMI have intensified in the wake of another high-profile shakeup involving a Black military leader. On Friday, President Trump fired
Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown from his role as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a move that sent shockwaves through military and political circles.
Since taking office last month, Trump and his administration have aggressively dismantled diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, labeling them as “discrimination” and vowing to restore “merit-based” hiring.
In Virginia, Youngkin’s administration has taken a similar stance. His office rebranded the state’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as the Office of Diversity, Opportunity and Inclusion. In 2023, the governor’s chief diversity officer, Martin Brown, made headlines after remarking that “DEI is dead” while speaking at a VMI event.
Democrats have pushed back against Youngkin’s approach, arguing that his administration is failing to uphold state law on diversity policies. Surovell and House Speaker Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, have sought legal clarification from the attorney general and attempted to address the issue through budget proposals — so far, with little success.
“The superintendent has done everything that the previous Board of Visitors requested of him, and that the General Assembly expects, which is to put the institute first, and for his vision and values to align with the needs, to ensure that VMI is one of the top military colleges in the country,” Carroll Foy said, “And for his effort, now you have a few, well-funded VMI alum who now seek to destroy him. What’s next VMI officials have remained silent on the uncertainty surrounding Wins’ future. A spokeswoman for the institute said both Wins and Adams were unavailable for comment regarding his employment status.
Board members are not expected to announce any decision until action is taken. The board’s next scheduled meeting is May 1-3, but a special session could be convened sooner. The board president, the superintendent, a majority of the executive committee, or most board members can call a special meeting if necessary. This story originally appeared at VirgniaMercury.com
African Americans turn to Ghana for peace
Continued from A1
West Africa, has a population of just over 34 million and was the first Black African nation south of the Sahara to gain independence from colonial rule in 1957. The capital Accra sits along the coast and Kumasi, another major city, lies in the south-central region. With the Ghana cedi trading at approximately 14 to 1 USD, some African Americans see the country as an affordable alternative to life in the U.S.
“The evident racism and lack of inclusion in many spaces compels African Americans to look toward Africa in general and Ghana specifically for a safe haven,” said Indee Jordan, a Richmond native who moved to Ghana with her family two years ago. “With a ‘leader’ who is more concerned with exerting power than truly making an impact on the quality of life for all Americans, African Americans are searching for alternatives.”
Jillean McCommons, an assistant professor of history and Africana studies at the University of Richmond, visited Ghana in 2023 to research sites related to the slave trade, such as the Cape Coast and Elmina slave dungeons.
“African Americans have always had ties to West Africa going back to W.E.B. Du Bois,” she said, referring to the American sociologist and Pan-African activist. “The difference now is that many more of us
ber of African Americans moving to the country. According to The World, at least 1,500 Black Americans have relocated to Ghana since 2019. Ghana’s Ministry of the Interior reported that 524 people were granted Ghanaian citizenship in a historic ceremony in November 2024, more than four times the number who took the oath in 2019. To build on the success of the “Year of Return” campaign Ghana launched a decade-long follow-up initiative called “Beyond the Return.”
“The election results could push people to move even more,” McCommons said. “It’s the contrast between the welcoming messaging from Ghana versus the uninviting and perhaps even dangerous U.S. political climate.”
While most African Americans do not know the specific origins of their ancestors, Ghana’s invitation has brought them closer to their roots. Former Ghanaian president Nana Akufo-Addo acknowledged the country’s role in the transatlantic slave trade, estimating that 75% of the slave dungeons on the West Coast of Africa were located in Ghana, where Africans were enslaved and then shipped from Ghanaian ports.
can afford to go and we can explore our curiosity about our ancestral links.”
Since the launch of the “Year of Return,” Ghana has seen a significant num-
“For 40 days, it felt good not to worry about racism,” McCommons said. “It’s an opportunity for us to live in a Black country. People are happy to be in their ancestral home with the peace and tranquility they want.”
Roberta Flack, Grammy-winning ‘Killing Me Softly’ singer with an intimate style, dies at 88
Continued from A1
word by word.
For Flack’s many admirers, she was a sophisticated and bold new presence in the music world and in the social and civil rights movements of the time, her friends including the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Angela Davis, whom Flack visited in prison while Davis faced charges — for which she was acquitted — for murder and kidnapping. Flack sang at the funeral of Jackie Robinson, major league baseball’s first Black player, and was among the many guest performers on the feminist children’s entertainment project created by Marlo Thomas, “Free to Be ... You and Me.”
Flack’s other hits from the 1970s included the cozy “Feel Like Makin’ Love” and two duets with her close friend and former Howard classmate Donny Hathaway, “Where Is the Love” and ”The Closer I Get to You” — a partnership that ended in tragedy. In 1979, she and Hathaway were working on an album of duets when he suffered a breakdown during recording and later that night fell to his death from his hotel room in Manhattan.
“We were deeply connected creatively,” Flack told Vibe in 2022, upon the 50th anniversary of the million-selling “Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway” album. “He
could play anything, sing anything. Our musical synergy was unlike (anything) I’d had before or since.”
She never matched her first run of success, although she did have a hit in the 1980s with the Peabo Bryson duet “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love” and in the 1990s with the Maxi Priest duet “Set the Night to Music.” In the mid-90s, Flack received new attention after the Fugees recorded a Grammy-winning cover of “Killing Me Softly,” which she eventually performed on stage with the hip-hop group.
Overall, she won five Grammys (three for “Killing Me Softly”), was nominated eight other times and was given a lifetime achievement Grammy in 2020, with John Legend and Ariana Grande among those praising her.
“I love that connection to other artists because we understand music, we live music, it’s our language,” Flack told songwriteruniverse.com in 2020. “Through music we understand what we are thinking and feeling. No matter what challenge life presents, I am at home with my piano, on a stage, with my band, in the studio, listening to music. I can find my way when I hear music.”
In 2022, Beyoncé placed Flack, Franklin and Diana Ross among others in a pantheon of heroines name-checked in the
Grammy-nominated “Queens Remix” of “Break My Soul.” Flack was briefly married to Stephen Novosel, an interracial relationship that led to tension with each of their families. For years, she lived in Manhattan’s Dakota apartment building, on the same floor as John Lennon and Yoko Ono, who became a close friend and provided liner notes for a Flack album of Beatles covers, “Let It Be Roberta.” She also devoted extensive time to the Roberta Flack School of Music, based in New York and attended by students between ages 6 to 14. Roberta Cleopatra Flack, the daughter of musicians, was born in Black Mountain, N.C., and raised in Arlington, Va. After graduating from Howard, she taught music in D.C.-area junior high schools for several years in her 20s, while performing after hours in clubs.
She sometimes backed other singers, but her own shows at Washington’s renowned Mr. Henry’s attracted such celebrity patrons as Burt Bacharach, Ramsey Lewis and Johnny Mathis. The club’s owner, Henry Yaffe, converted an apartment directly above into a private studio, the Roberta Flack Room.
“I wanted to be successful, a serious all-round musician,” she told The Telegraph in 2015.
Photo courtesy Morgan McCommons
Morgan McCommons, assistant professor of history and Africana studies at the University of Richmond, stands at the “Door of Return” at Cape Coast Castle in Ghana, a symbolic passage marking the reconnection of the African diaspora with their ancestral homeland.
Wage bills vetoed last year by Youngkin clear General Assembly again
By Madison Parlopiano VCU Capital News Service
Democratic lawmakers passed a bill to increase the state’s minimum wage, although the effort might be thwarted again by Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who previously said the bump stifles economic competitiveness.
Delegate Jeion A. Ward, D-Hampton, introduced House Bill 1928, which amends the state’s current minimum wage law and increases it incrementally each year until 2027.
State code established in 2020 required lawmakers to reaffirm the minimum wage increases during the last legislative session. The House and Senate approved the increases but the governor vetoed the legislation.
The current $12.41 minimum wage will go up to $13.50 per hour in 2026, then to $15 in 2027, according to the bill. After 2027, the minimum wage will be adjusted yearly based on inflation.
The increases will provide Virginia full-time workers who earn minimum wage more than $4,000 in additional annual income, according to Sophie McGinley, of The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, who spoke in support of the bill.
“Since 2020 prices in Virginia have shot up 22%,” McGinley said. “More than double what we expected, but wages haven’t kept pace. The math is simple: When a gallon of milk costs 22% more, but wages only went up 3.4%, working families fall behind.”
Opponents of the bill worry the state will be less economically competitive.
Virginia’s minimum wage already is higher than neighboring states, said Ethan Betterton, with the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, during public testimony against the bill. Small businesses could be harmed by the wage increase.
“When labor costs increase, businesses face tough decisions, such as reducing hours, limiting expansion and increasing prices
Henrico
Virginia General Assembly building in
Lawmakers approved minimum wage bills to raise pay incrementally until 2027 but Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who vetoed similar measures last year, may block the increases again.
— this can stifle economic growth and opportunity,” Betterton said.
Higher minimum wages also make it more difficult for businesses to hire unskilled entry level workers, according to Betterton.
The minimum wage of nearby Washington is $17.50, while in Maryland and Delaware it is $15 per hour, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. A worker in West Virginia earns a minimum wage of $8.75 per hour, while in North Carolina they earn $7.25 an hour.
“The minimum wage debate has been one of the more controversial issues in Virginia in the last several years,” said
employee receives $25,000 scholarship from Chick-fil-A CEO
Free press staff report
At Chick-fil-A White Oak Village on Feb. 26, Taylor Powell, a Rise Academy student and employee, was surprised with a $25,000 scholarship as part of Chick-fil-A’s Remarkable Futures Scholarships program. The scholarship will support Powell’s plans to attend the University of Virginia, where she intends to major in psychology and pursue a career as a clinical child psychologist.
Powell was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor at age 8, an experience that influenced her decision to help children facing illness.
“She’s a great leader here at Chick-fil-A. She demonstrates a lot of characteristics that we think will be the ones to plant the seeds for the future,” Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew T. Cathy said.
The scholarship is one of 13 $25,000 awards granted nationwide to Chick-fil-A employees in 2025. Chick-fil-A will distribute over $27 million in scholarships to more than 15,000 employees across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico this year. Since 1973, the company has awarded more than $215 million in scholarships to over 122,000 individuals.
Cathy made the surprise presentation during the event, held at the restaurant at 4443 Laburnum Ave.
Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor and director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington. “You see significant public support for increasing the minimum wage, but you also see some resistance in the business community to higher minimum wages.”
The bill’s patron said that “times are difficult for everyone right now, but especially for college students,” and that’s why Democrats are working to raise the pay to a more livable wage.
“Some of them are working at minimum wage jobs to make sure they can complete tuition, buy books or whatever,” Ward said. “That’s really important, and that’s the reason why we’re pushing it, because you can’t live on $12.41 an hour.”
Other bills to improve wages and employee protections cleared the General Assembly this session, also along party lines.
Delegate Adele Y. McClure, D-Arlington, introduced HB 1685 which amends the current legislation to no longer exclude farm laborers and certain temporary foreign workers from minimum wage laws, according to the bill. McClure’s bill also cleared both chambers of the General Assembly last year, but met the governor’s veto pen.
Delegate Alfonso H. Lopez, D-Arlington, introduced HB 2561, which expands employee protections, including minimum and overtime wages, civil actions and misclassifications of workers. The bill would allow employees to take civil action against employers who violate wage provisions.
Legislation also passed both the House and Senate that will entitle domestic service workers to overtime pay.
The bills head to Youngkin, who has until March 24 to take action on legislation. The governor’s 201 vetoes last year set a new record, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. Youngkin now has a record-breaking total of 242 vetoes, before he even begins to axe the latest batch of bills, several of which are repeats from last year.
Photo by Madison Parlopiano/Capital News Service
Richmond.
Julianne Tripp Hillian/Richmond Free Press Taylor Powell, 16, a Rise Academy student and Chick-fil-A employee, was surprised with a $25,000 scholarship from Chick-fil-A. CEO Andrew T. Cathy on Feb. 26. Powell is one of 13 recipients nationwide to receive the award through the Chick-fil-A Remarkable Futures Scholarships program.
Sweet celebrations Honey tasting in honor of Black History Month
As Virginia housing costs rise, General Assembly offers little relief
By Ian Munro
The Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO
The median price of a single-family home in Virginia rose almost 40% between 2019 and 2024, pushing home ownership out of reach for many working-class families.
This year, Virginia legislators have introduced various measures to make home buying more attainable, both by helping buyers and incentivizing more home building. Progress has been slow.
“This problem is growing faster than we’re responding to it,” said Isabel McLain, director of policy and advocacy for the Virginia Housing Alliance.
The median sales price for a Virginia home was $412,000 in 2024, up $117,000 since 2019, according to data from the Virginia Realtors. In January, the median home sold for $341,150 in Hampton Roads, $265,000 in Roanoke, $370,000 in Richmond and $600,000 in Northern Virginia, according to Virginia Realtors’ data.
Virginia has an estimated housing shortage of about 105,000 homes, according to a 2022 study by Up for Growth, a housing advocacy group. The scarcity of housing has driven up home prices and rents to record levels in recent years, according to Pew researchers.
The ability of the typical blue-collar worker household, like that of a carpenter, to purchase a home has declined markedly in most of Virginia’s largest metro areas between 2012 and 2023, according to data from the conservative American Enterprise Institute. In 2023, less than half of such working households in Virginia could afford the median entry-level home – down from almost two-thirds about a decade ago, according to AEI.
Some housing advocates say they are noticing an urgency and new creativity this year toward addressing the housing crisis. But not all new measures have had success in the General Assembly.
“I think over the past five years, the members of the General Assembly have been more, I want to say, assertive and proactive in their approach across the board to housing,” said Christie Marra, director of housing advocacy
at the Virginia Poverty Law Center.
Virginia legislators have sought to make it easier to build more housing and give more tools to localities to address their specific housing issues, she said.
Reforming zoning codes, the development rules set by local governments, are key to increasing the supply of housing. And localities can only do what the state explicitly allows them to do.
One such bill would provide grants to localities to make it easier to build more affordable housing. The bill, HB2149, was introduced by Delegate Betsy Carr, D-Richmond, and included $1.5 million in funding.
Carr said the bill acts like a carrot, not a stick, and would have offered grants to localities to loosen zoning laws and make it easier to develop dense housing. The measure failed in a Senate committee, a fate shared by similar bills Carr has brought in previous sessions.
Another bill from Carr to allow localities to change zoning laws and make it easier for tax-exempt nonprofits to develop affordable housing won narrow approval from the House and Senate. It was originally meant for religious groups and called the Faith in Housing for the Commonwealth Act, but was amended to include all tax-exempt nonprofits.
To help localities, Delegate David Bulova, D-Fairfax, introduced a bill to amend rules and provide money to a long-ago established, but never funded, urban public-private partnership redevelopment fund. The measure failed to pass.
Rural residents have also felt the pinch of rising home costs.
Prices in many rural parts of the state are also increasing, such as in Prince Edward County where home prices rose 68% to a median sales price of almost $282,000 between 2019 and 2024, according to Virginia Realtors.
A bill from Sen. Jeremy McPike, D-Prince William, to allow suburban and rural communities to establish affordable housing programs and become eligible for relevant grants, passed both chambers with bipartisan support and is now headed for Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s desk.
The Virginia Realtors expect housing prices to rise at a slower pace this year, due mostly to an increase in homes coming on the market, according to Ryan Price, chief economist of the group.
“The higher interest rates, you know, we thought were going to deter some of the price growth but it turned out not to be the case,” he said. “In 2024, we didn’t see any improvement in interest rates and we still had very robust price growth.”
To deal with rising prices, Delegate Josh Cole, D-Fredericksburg, introduced a bill to establish a grant program for first-time home buyers. The program would reimburse certain first-time buyers up to 5% of their costs up to $10,000. To qualify, a buyer must have income below $100,000 or under the area’s median income. The measure passed the House but stalled in a Senate committee. Cole was hopeful the grant program could be passed in the House budget proposal.
Housing was a key issue for Cole and other lawmakers this year, he said.
“We know there are conversations happening and you can tell by the types of bills that were introduced this session, right from the faith in housing legislation to the [accessory dwelling unit] bills,” Cole said. “We know that housing is getting expensive.”
Bipartisan proposals meant to drive down demand by banning large investment companies from buying single-family homes didn’t
make it out of the Senate. Similar bills have been introduced in Texas and Congress. The governor of New York has also called for a similar policy.
Bills are not the only vehicle for reform in the statehouse. The proposed budget in the House also includes $5 million for a down payment assistance program for those making below 60% of an area’s median income, according to Marra. Those programs can make a key difference for working Virginians trying to get on the property ladder, she said.
“We support anything that is done to help people become first-time homeowners because we know that it is still the primary way to build wealth in this country,” Marra said. Less than 1% of Virginia’s $31.8 billion general fund fiscal year 2025 budget is allocated for affordable housing development and assistance, according to McLain. To meet the demand for affordable housing, it would cost $1.6 billion each year to build 20,000 units annually over the next decade, according to a 2021 legislative study.
McLain added that the federal government’s current instability hurts the delicate partnerships that help develop housing with federal funding, which might also be cut.
“We are trying to do a lot more with housing,” she said, “but I don’t think we’ve quite gotten to the point where we’re able to put funding behind it that’s needed.”
File photo by Christopher Tyree /VCIJ
The backyard of a home for sale in Henrico County.
City Bees beekeepers Broson McLeod, Taylor Gayot and Mr. C. discuss the honey harvesting process with attendees.
Danielle Freeman Jefferson, a farmer at Gilpin Court Restorative Garden, chats with Habakkuk Aziz Jr. about his favorite honeys during the tasting. Habakkuk was accompanied by his parents, Habakkuk Aziz Sr. and Sis Aziz.
This event, hosted by City Bees in honor of Black History Month, featured a free honey tasting at Virginia Union University on Feb. 8. Cousins Kingston Stroia and Liam Marrow, below, sample honey during the Honey Tasting event.
Photos by Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press
Kamala Harris receives prestigious NAACP Chairman’s Award
By Johnathan Landrum Jr. The Associated Press
Former Vice President Kamala Harris stepped on the NAACP Image Awards stage Saturday night with a sobering message, calling the civil rights organization a pillar of the Black community and urging people to stay resilient and hold onto their faith during the tenure of President Trump.
“While we have no illusions about what we are up against in this chapter in our American story, this chapter will be written not simply by whoever occupies the oval office nor by the wealthiest among us,” Harris said after receiving the NAACP’s Chairman’s Award. “The American story will be written by you. Written by us. By we the people.”
The 56th annual Image Awards was held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in the Los Angeles area.
Harris, defeated by Trump in last year’s presidential election, was the first woman and the first person of color to serve as vice president. She had previously been a U.S. senator from California and the state’s attorney general.
In her first major public appearance since leaving office, Harris did not reference her election loss or Trump’s actions since entering the Oval Office, although Trump mocked her earlier in the day at the Conservative Political Action Conference. Harris spoke about eternal vigilance, the price of liberty, staying alert, seeking the truth and America’s future.
“Some see the flames on our horizons, the rising waters in our cities, the shadows gathering over our democracy and ask ‘What do we do now?’” Harris said. “But we know exactly what to do, because we have done it before. And we will do it again. We use our power. We organize, mobilize. We educate. We advocate. Our power has never come from having an easy path.”
Other winners of the Chairman’s prize have included former
President Obama, the late Rep. John Lewis and the late actor Ruby Dee.
NAACP Hall of Fame
Harris was honored during the ceremony along with the Wayans family. The family was inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame in recognition of pioneering contributions to film, TV, sketch and stand-up comedy that have shaped Hollywood for decades.
Keenen Ivory Wayans, Damon Wayans Sr., Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Kim Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. each were recognized.
Marlon Wayans, whose guest appearance on Peacock’s “Bel-Air” was up for an NAACP award, shared how Keenen Ivory Wayans sparked the family’s rise.
“He raised us all like Jedis,” he said. “We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for our big brother.”
Marlon Wayans joked that when his brother told their mom he was leaving college for comedy, she said, ”Boy, I’ve known you your whole life, and you ain’t never said nothing funny. That’s the funniest thing you’ve said.”
The crowd erupted in laughter, a fitting tribute to a family that has kept audiences laughing for more than three decades.
The family has a long list of credits. Keenen Ivory Wayans created the sketch comedy series “In Living Color” in 1990 and directed the 2000 slasher spoof “Scary Movie,” which was written by Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans, who also wrote and starred in “White Chicks” in 2004. Damon Wayan’s had a starring role in the 1995 comedy “Major Payne,” and currently co-stars with son Damon Wayans Jr. in the CBS sitcom “Poppa’s House,” which was nominated for an NAACP Award. The pair also were nominated for their acting on the show.
Damon Wayans Jr. has acted in two of the most critically acclaimed comedies in recent years: “Happy Endings” and “New Girl.” Kim Wayans, a comedian, actor and director,
Apple shareholders reject proposal to scrap company’s diversity programs
By Michael Liedtke Associated Press
Apple shareholders rebuffed an attempt to pressure the technology trendsetter into joining President Donald Trump’s push to scrub corporate programs designed to diversify its workforce.
The proposal drafted by the National Center for Public Policy Research — a self-described conservative think tank — urged Apple to follow a litany of high-profile companies that have retreated from diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives
currently in the Trump administration’s crosshairs.
After a brief presentation about the anti-DEI proposal, Apple announced shareholders had rejected it. In a regulatory filing submitted Tuesday evening, Apple disclosed that 97% of the outstanding shares that cast ballots voted against the measure.
The outcome vindicated Apple management’s decision to stand behind its diversity commitment even though Trump asked the U.S. Department of Justice to look into whether
these types of programs have discriminated against some employees whose race or gender aren’t aligned with the initiative’s goals.
But Apple CEO Tim Cook has maintained a cordial relationship with Trump since his first term in office, an alliance that so far has helped the company skirt tariffs on its iPhones made in China.
Tuesday’s shareholder vote came a month after the same group presented a similar proposal during Costco’s annual meeting, only to have it over-
whelmingly rejected, too.
That snub didn’t discourage the National Center for Public Policy Research from confronting Apple about its DEI program in a presentation by Stefan Padfield, executive director of the think tank’s Free Enterprise Project, who asserted “forced diversity is bad for business.”
Just as Costco does, Apple contends that fostering a diverse workforce makes good business sense.
“We will continue to create a culture of belonging,” Cook told shareholders during the meeting.
also received praise for her work in the 2011 drama “Pariah.” Entertainer of the Year
Keke Palmer expressed her surprise after her name was called as winner of the coveted Entertainer of the Year.
“Oh my gosh. Guys, I didn’t think I was going to win,” said Palmer, who paid homage to fellow nominee Cynthia Erivo’s Oscar-nominated performance in “Wicked.”
Palmer starred in the buddy comedy “One of Them Days,” which debuted No. 1 at the box office last month. She also won an Emmy for her hosting efforts on NBC’s “Password.”
“It’s such an amazing category to be in with all these people,” Palmer said. “It’s a beautiful night. It’s Black History Month, y’all. It’s so important we all come here together and celebrate one another with one another.”
Other nominees included Kendrick Lamar, Kevin Hart and Shannon Sharpe.
Awards recognize LA residents impacted by wildfires Image Awards host Deon Cole honored residents of the nearby Altadena neighborhood who were affected by January’s devastating Los Angeles-area wildfires.
A video of the fire devastation played before actor Morris Chestnut took the stage.
“Homes were lost, stores destroyed, countless lives shattered and over two dozens souls gone forever,” said Chestnut, a Los Angeles native who referenced impacted areas such as Altadena, the Pacific Palisades and Malibu.
“But what was not lost is the spirit of our community,” said Chestnut, who noted 22 Altadena residents attended the show on Saturday. Many in the audience stood and applauded. Cole shifted tone and brightened the mood with a comedic prayer for Kanye West’s wife to find more clothes after her barely-there Grammys look and for Shannon Sharpe to finally size up his T-shirts.
The opening act was a lead-up to the evening’s first award: Queen Latifah as best actress in a drama series for her role in “The Equalizer.”
For the second consecutive year, Westminster-Canterbury on Chesapeake Bay has been recognized by Newsweek, in partnership with respected global research firm Statista, as the best Continuing Care Retirement Community in Virginia. This year, we’ve climbed the national rankings 8 spots to #19 out of nearly 2,000 communities across the United States.
Ideally situated on the city’s scenic coastline, only one bayfront community offers unbeatable views, unmatched amenities, and the full continuum of care. Relax in the security of knowing that no matter what kind of lifestyle you’re searching for, or how your health care needs may change, you’ll be right at home at Westminster-Canterbury on Chesapeake Bay, Newsweek’s #1 Continuing Care Retirement Community in Virginia.
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Photo by Richard Shotwell/AP
Former Vice President Kamala Harris accepts the Chairman’s Award Feb. 22 during the 56th NAACP Image Awards.
Richmond Free Press
February 27-March 1, 2025
You can’t steal our Joy
This week, we witnessed what appeared to be a purge of diverse voices at MSNBC, a television channel owned by NBCUniversal. The final episode of “The ReidOut,” a show hosted by political commentator Joy Reid, aired Monday, after being canceled by the network. Two other programs, “The Katie Phang Show” along with José Díaz-Balart Reports” also were canceled. But Phang, who is Asian, and “José Díaz-Balart, who is Latino, will remain with the network. Reid mentioned taking her talents to Substack on her last show, but we doubt that will be the only place we will hearing her voice in the future.
Elsewhere at the network, in what appears to be a case of awful timing, veteran broadcaster Lester Holt announced he will be stepping down from the daily “NBC Nightly News,” in a few months, after a decade behind the desk. Holt will continue to host “Dateline NBC,” a news magazine that primarily features true crime stories and in-depth reports on national and international events.
Back at the cable network, one of Reid’s colleagues, Rachel Maddow, didn’t hide her displeasure at the decision to remove Reid’s program from the lineup.
“I do not want to lose her as a colleague here at MSNBC, and personally, I think it is a bad mistake to let her walk out the door,” Maddow said. “It is not my call, and I understand that.
She continued: “In all of the jobs I have had in all of the years I have been alive, there is no colleague for whom I have had more affection and more respect than Joy Reid,” she said. “I love everything about her. I have learned so much from her. I have so much more to learn from her.”
Some might say that this is the kind of thing that might happen when you replace a “Rashida” (Rashida Jones, the first Black woman to lead a major cable news network and a former Henrico High School student) with a “Becky,” (Rebecca Kutler, who dropped the interim from her title on Feb. 12 and now leads the network.) That’s an easy conclusion to jump to, especially given the long history of diversity gains being undone and the distasteful efforts of the current presidential administration.
The change at the network does raise broader questions about representation, equity and the challenges Black professionals face in leadership. For some, it reinforces a familiar pattern — where groundbreaking progress is made, only to be rolled back in favor of the status quo.
In the television business, someone’s always watching what you do. On Monday, members of the National Association of Black Journalists met with NBCUniversal’s head of diversity to discuss the recent changes at the network. According to a press release from the association, they were assured NBCUniversal leadership is committed to elevating Black voices and remain disappointed by the removal of Joy Reid from her time slot.
“We remain concerned about industry-wide patterns in which Black talent is disproportionately affected by corporate changes,” the statement reads. “We urge news leaders across the board to recognize that removing Black voices affects how networks shed light on issues of great importance to our communities. Reducing those voices also limits the diversity of content and viewpoints. Networks must also ensure that more Black journalists by trade have opportunities to contribute. We urge all news platforms to add rather than subtract from the diversity of their talent — both on-camera and behind the scenes.”
Fortunately, for popular commentators such as Joy Reid, the current media landscape provides options for staying in touch with the audience she built at MSNBC. She could land at another corporate broadcaster, such as TV ONE or BET. Or she could follow the path of Roland Martin, another former network anchor who has built his own platform with #RolandMartinUnfiltered. The later path would allow her to bypass the rules and limitations of commercial media and speak directly to the community without compromise.
The fight for representation and equity is far from over, and no matter how much they try to silence us, we will continue to elevate our voices and demand truth.
An elective despotism was not the government we fought for; but one in which the powers of government should be so divided and balanced among the several bodies of magistracy as that no one could transcend their legal limits without being effectually checked and restrained by the others.”
— Thomas Jefferson The foundational principle of the United States Constitution is the separation of powers, commonly described as “checks and balances.” The authority of each of the three branches of government is limited by the other two. While previous administrations have pushed the boundaries of those limits, no administration in modern American history has tried to disregard them as thoroughly and wantonly as the current one. The New York
Times is keeping a running list of examples. If allowed to stand, the administration’s anti-equity executive orders would hamstring the National Urban League’s ability to advance fair housing, equal employment, financial opportunity, health care access, and the rest of our empowerment agenda.
But even more critically, the orders represent a violation of the First Amendment right to free speech, by censoring and chilling views on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Because the orders are vague as to what is and is not prohibited, they represent a violation of the Fifth Amendment right to due process. And, because the orders discriminate against people of color, women, and LGBTQ+ people, they represent a violation of the Fifth Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection. And so we are asking the
Voter’s remorse?
Colorful billionaire and presidential adviser Elon Musk sparked quite a reaction at the Conservative Political Action Conference outside Washington last week when he leaped around the stage waving a chainsaw.
“This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy. CHAINSAAAW!” he exclaimed. “Uwaaauwaargh!”
That’s Elon. Always ready to light up an adoring crowd.
As the CPAC audience settled down, Newsmax talking head Rob Schmitt asked Musk what it feels like to “absolutely shred … the government — the swamp — whatever you want to call it.”
It’s cool, Musk said (according to a transcript published by The Verge). It’s awesome. “We’re … trying to get good things done, but also, like, you know, have a good time doing it and, uh, you know, and have, like, a sense of humor.”
The “good things” Musk and his minions at DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency, are doing consist of cutting government payrolls, canceling contracts and apparently aiming to “delete” (Musk’s word) whole federal agencies.
The most visible fruits of their efforts have been large reductions in force, or RIF in government-speak: layoffs, furloughs and terminations of thousands of Americans who work in the public sector.
What’s less apparent so far is the effect these RIFs will have on potentially millions of Americans who count on services from the targeted government offices and agencies. For example, the Internal Revenue Service began laying off some 7,000 employees Thursday, according to the AP. While tax cheats across the nation will no doubt take comfort, tax filers who need customer
service in the upcoming tax season are possibly in for some major frustration.
DOGE’s purported goal is to rid the government of waste, fraud and abuse. And who wouldn’t want to do that? It’s been a standard political mantra of both parties for a long time. The worry is that it’s a cover for other ulterior motives.
The problem I have with the Trump administration’s RIFs is
the manner in which they have been carried out, which is too fast, too indiscriminate and utterly lacking accountability or oversight, not to mention the question of legal authority.
DOGE is acting so fast and sowing so much chaos that it’s difficult to grasp the nature and scope of its operations. It’s also difficult to find out who besides Musk is calling the shots.
Musk and Trump claim to have found thousands of cases of rampant waste and fraud, yet DOGE has been suspiciously light on details about its accomplishments or effectiveness.
DOGE has claimed to have cut $55 billion in government spending already, but an analysis by Yahoo Finance finds the figure is closer to $8.5 billion.
And some of the claims Trump and Musk have made about DOGE’s work don’t hold up to scrutiny. They claimed repeatedly last week that DOGE found Social Security beneficiaries who were hundreds of years old. The claim is based on a misunderstanding, perhaps willful, of how COBOL, the programming language used by the Social Security Administration, deals with files lacking birth dates. SSA’s new acting commissioner explained Wednesday that dead centenarians were “not necessarily receiving benefits,” according to AP.
Yes, I still cite the AP, which remains one of the most reliable news organizations on the
judicial branch to exercise its constitutional duty to check the power of the executive branch.
This week, the National Urban Leaguefiled a federal lawsuit challenging three of those orders. Represented by the Legal Defense Fund and Lambda Legal, we are joined in the lawsuit by co-plaintiffs, the National Fair Housing Alliance, and the AIDS Foundation of Chicago.
Key to our complaint is the administration’s wildly false assertion “that DEIA programs and activities are illegal and inconsistent with merit, hard work, and standards of excellence.”
This misconception is the big lie behind the extremist anti-equity movement, which is nothing more than a desperate scramble to protect and preserve white, male advantage.
The day after Inauguration Day, the National Urban League launched the Demand Diversity Roundtable to combat the disinformation campaign aimed at undermining the principles of DEI.
planet, even though Trump bars the agency from presidential events for refusing to use “Gulf of America,” his new made-up name for the Gulf of Mexico. So much for freedom of the press.
Another embarrassing development boiled up last week when DOGE actions resulted in more than 300 staffers fired at the National Nuclear Security Administration as part of Department of Energy layoffs.
Apparently somebody later realized that retaining those hundreds of experts, with the required security clearances, would be more than a little useful — critical, actually — to managing the nation’s nuclear stockpile, CNN reported.
Fortunately, some members of Congress petitioned Energy Secretary Chris Wright to rehire the workers, and most were reinstated once they could be found, despite having had their telephones cut off.
It’s almost as if haste makes waste.
Anyhow, the chaos sown by DOGE has done little if any damage to the president’s approval ratings so far. According to a Washington Post-Ipsos poll last week, 45% of Americans say they support what the president has done during his first month in office, while 53% say they disapprove.
On the question of whether the president has exceeded his authority since taking office, 57% said he had. Yet Trump has so conditioned us to be shocked, or at least surprised, by his excesses (pardoning all of the Jan. 6 offenders, including those who confessed to beating police, is a prize-winning excess in my view) that it may take more than the usual affronts to turn the electorate against him.
Good luck with that, Mr. President, but be careful. At some point the dust will settle, and American voters will be able to check your work. And they might just hold you accountable.
The writer is a columnist for the Chicago Tribune.
Make no mistake — disinformation is the only hope the anti-equity movement has of succeeding, because the vast majority of Americans support diversity initiatives and understand their positive impact. Multiple studies show that companies with diverse leadership teams tend to have higher profitability, better innovation, and improved decision-making. Only by amplifying what LDF President and DirectorCounsel Janai Nelson called “inaccurate, dehumanizing, and divisive rhetoric” can the Trump administration advance its antiequity, anti-diversity agenda. We are hopeful that the court will act quickly, as Nelson added, “so the arduous work of advancing and sustaining our multiracial democracy can continue without unlawful interference from the Trump administration.”
The writer is president of the National Urban League.
Julianne
Hillian/Richmond Free Press
Clarence Page
Marc H. Morial
Nat King Cole’s role in Civil Rights Movement overlooked
Six decades after Nat King Cole’s death in 1965, his music is still some of the most played in the world, and his celebrity transcends generational and racial divides. His smooth voice, captivating piano skills and enduring charisma earned him international acclaim.
One of the most influential artists of the 20th century, Cole was not only a groundbreaking musician but also a quiet, yet resolute, advocate for social justice.
As an African American sacred music scholar, I have been immersed in the inseparable link between music, culture and social change for over 40 years. Examining Cole through the lens of his activism uncovers the nuanced ways in which he challenged the status quo and contributed to the Civil Rights Movement.
Beneath the polished veneer of his public image lay a deeply personal commitment to confronting racism and advocating for equality that is often overlooked.
Formative years
Nathaniel Adams Coles was born on March 17, 1919, in Montgomery, Ala., to Perlina Adams Coles and Edward James Coles. Perlina served as the organist at the True Light Baptist Church and later the First Baptist Church of North Chicago, both pastored by Nathaniel’s father. She passed her love for music to her children, teaching them to play the piano and organ. Cole’s formative years were spent in church; gospel songs, hymns and spirituals formed the foundation of his musical education.
Though Cole is primarily remembered for his jazz and pop hits, the emotive power, communal emphasis and uplifting nature of Black sacred music profoundly shaped his artistry throughout his career, despite his single sacred album, “Every Time I Feel The Spirit,” released in 1959. The influence of gospel music, in particular, can be heard in his soulful phrasing and heartfelt delivery, contributing to his remarkable ability to connect
with audiences.
Growing up in Chicago, he also was exposed to a rich tapestry of musical genres, including blues, classical and jazz. This eclectic upbringing laid the foundation for his versatile musical style and commercial success.
While Cole’s music was not overtly political, his very presence in the mainstream was a statement. In an era of racial segregation, he was a Black man achieving unprecedented
success in a predominantly white music industry. His impeccable diction, tailored suits and sophisticated performances countered the prevailing stereotypes of African Americans as uncouth or subservient.
By embodying a poised and dignified persona, Cole communicated a powerful message: Black excellence and humanity could not be denied. As race scholar George Lipsitz writes in “The Possessive Investment in Whiteness,” “The cultural field … is a site of struggle where meanings are contested and power relations are negotiated.”
Cole’s success challenged the structural racism that sought to confine Black artists to the margins and opened doors for future generations. He acknowledged the significance of his presence on national television, recognizing it as a potential turning point for Black representation. While hesitant to explicitly label himself an activist, he contemplated the impact of his success on breaking down barriers, believing that “when you’ve got the respect of white and colored, you can ease a lot of things.”
Confronting racism
In response to critics who dismiss Cole’s legacy as apolitical, I argue that they overlook the complexity of his resistance. Several scholars have stated that in a society where overt defiance often resulted in violence or economic ruin, Cole’s ability to navigate the entertainment industry while maintaining his dignity was itself a form of activism.
Though Cole never referred to himself as an activist, he confronted racism in both
overt and quiet ways. Scholars such as cultural theorist Stuart Hall and researcher Laura Pottinger define “quiet activism” as modest, everyday acts of resistance – either implicitly or explicitly political – that challenge dominant ideologies and power structures. These acts often entail processes of production or creativity.
Despite his commercial success, Cole faced relentless systemic and personal racism. In 1948, he purchased a home in the affluent Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, a move met with hostility; the local homeowners association attempted to expel him, and he endured threats and acts of vandalism.
Yet Cole refused to be intimidated. His resolve was a courageous act of resistance that highlighted the pervasive inequalities of the time.
Cole faced blatant discrimination in Las Vegas. He was often denied access to the same hotels and restaurants where he performed, forced to stay in segregated accommodations. One particularly notable incident occurred at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas. When the maitre d’ tried to deny service to Cole’s Black bandmates in the dining room, Cole threatened to cancel his performance and leave. This forced the hotel management to back down, setting a precedent for other Black entertainers and patrons.
Cole quietly sued hotels and negotiated contracts that guaranteed his right to stay in the hotels where he performed, a significant step toward desegregation. He also made it a point to bring his entire entourage, including Black musicians and friends, to these establishments, challenging their “whites only” policies.
“We Are Americans Too” Cole’s impact extended beyond the realm of music. In 1956, he became the first African American to host a national network television show, “The Nat King Cole Show.” This was a groundbreaking moment, as it brought a Black man into the living rooms of millions of white Americans every week.
Though the show faced challenges with sponsorship due to racial prejudice, it marked a significant step toward greater
representation and acceptance. As historian Donald Bogle notes in his 2001 book “Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies, and Bucks,” “Television … became a new battleground for the image of the black performer.” Cole’s show, despite its short run, was a crucial battle in this war. When Cole was attacked onstage by white supremacists during a concert in Birmingham, Ala., in 1956, it underscored the physical danger Black public figures faced and galvanized Cole’s commitment to the Civil Rights Movement.
It is important to note that
Cole’s support for the Civil Rights Movement was often quiet and behind the scenes. He faced criticism from some who felt he should have been more outspoken. However, his actions demonstrate his commitment to the cause of racial equality. Cole, who died in 1965 at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, was a member of his local NAACP branch. He also performed at benefit concerts for the organization, raising money to support their efforts in fighting racial discrimination. Shortly after the attack in Birmingham, Cole recorded his only song that is specifically political, “We Are Americans Too.” Recorded in 1956, the song was a powerful statement of belonging and a challenge to racial exclusion. Though it would not come close to reaching commercial success, it did serve as a powerful reminder that African Americans were, in fact, Americans. Over a half-century later, this song still resonates and speaks to the ongoing struggle for full inclusion and recognition for marginalized groups. The juxtaposition of the refrain “We are Americans too” against the backdrop of the treatment of Black people during the Civil Rights Movement gives this song emotional weight. The very act of having to assert “We are Americans too” highlights the injustice of the situation. It underscores the disconnect between the ideals of American democracy and the reality of racial inequality. In this context, the refrain “We are Americans too” is an act of resistance, a challenge to the prevailing social order. It highlights the hypocrisy of a nation founded on principles of liberty while denying those same liberties to a significant portion of its population. It’s a call for America to finally recognize the full humanity and citizenship of its Black citizens. Great art, and great artists, are powerful witnesses of the times in which they live, love, work and play. Their commentary, both artistically and humanly, leaves an important record for generations. This is clearly evident in Nat King Cole. The writer is a professor of music at the University of Dayton.
The County Manager’s recommended amendments to the budget for fiscal year 2024-25 are prepared and published in synopsis form solely for the purposes of fiscal planning and public information. Publication of this proposed amendments does not constitute an appropriation of funds for those purposes by the Board of Supervisors. Funds cannot be allocated or distributed until they are appropriated by the Board. The amendments consist of estimates and are requests submitted to the County Manager with his recommendations concerning the requests.
The Board of Supervisors of the County of Henrico, Virginia, will hold a public hearing regarding the proposed amendments to the budget at a meeting on February 25, 2025, at 6:00 p.m., in the Board Room at the Henrico Government Center, Hungary Spring and East Parham Roads. The public hearing will be held pursuant to Virginia Code Section 15.2-2507, and is for the purpose of allowing the public to question and comment on the proposed amendments to the budget. All citizens have the right to attend and share their views on the proposed amendments within such reasonable time limits as shall be determined by the Board of Supervisors.
At the February 25, 2025, meeting, after the public hearing, the Board will consider approving the amendments to the Annual Fiscal Plan and appropriating funds, as applicable, for fiscal year 2024-25. PROPOSED AMENDMENT ESTIMATED ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
be viewed on the County’s website at: http://henrico.us/finance/divisions/office-of-management-and-budget/ Given under my hand this 12th day of February, 2025.
Nat King Cole
Donna M. Cox
Tanya N. Brackett, Clerk Henrico County Board of Supervisors
VCU dominates second half to take down George Mason 70-54
Free Press staff report
Virginia commonwealth University used a dominant second half to power past George Mason 70-54 on Saturday before a sellout crowd of 7,637 at the Siegel Center, pulling the Rams into a tie for first place in the Atlantic 10.
Graduate guard Max Shulga led VCU (22-5, 12-2 A-10) with 22 points, hitting 4-of-7 from beyond the arc. Jack Clark added 12 points and nine rebounds, while Phillip Russell chipped in 11 points. The Rams took control with a 15-0 run early in the second half and never looked back.
George Mason (21-6, 12-2) led 24-23 at halftime and briefly extended the lead to 29-27 early in the second half. However, turnovers proved costly for the Patriots, as they committed nine giveaways after the break. VCU capitalized with a 20-9 edge in points off turnovers.
Senior Darius Maddox and K.D. Johnson led the Patriots with 12 points apiece, while Jalen Haynes contributed 10 points and eight rebounds. Woody Newton added eight points for George Mason, which struggled from the perimeter, hitting just 26% from 3-point range.
VCU shot just 24% in the first half but connected on 5% of its shots in the second, including seven three-pointers. The Rams also forced 14 turnovers while committing only nine. Their defensive intensity in the second half disrupted George Mason’s rhythm, limiting the Patriots’ scoring opportunities.
The Rams have now won six straight and are 48-22 all-time against George Mason. Their 70 points are the most George Mason has surrendered in regulation since Jan. 11 against UMass. The win strengthens VCU’s case for a top seed in the upcoming Atlantic 10 tournament, where both teams will look to solidify their postseason résumés.
Free Press staff report
Dawn Staley, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and five-time WNBA All-Star, will publish a book titled “Uncommon Favor: Basketball, North Philly, My Mother, and the Life Lessons I Learned from All Three” on May 20.
The book will detail Staley’s career from her early years in North Philadelphia to her time as a professional player and coach. Staley played for the Richmond Rage in the American Basketball League, leading the team to the ABL Finals in 1997 before continuing her professional career in the WNBA with the Charlotte Sting and Houston Comets. She has been inducted into both the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and
Nutzy’s Block Party set for March 1 at The Diamond
Free Press staff report
The Richmond Flying Squirrels will host their annual Nutzy’s Block Party on Saturday, March 1, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Diamond. The free event will feature food, games, PlayRVA fire truck rides, a mascot autograph session, vendors, and the Squirrels Nest Team Store also will be open. Fans will have the chance to purchase individual game tickets for the upcoming season and place a $100 deposit to join the waitlist for season ticket memberships for the 2026 season at CarMax Park.
“Nutzy’s Block Party is always a sign that baseball season is right around the corner,” said Ben Rothrock, chief operating 0fficer for the Flying Squirrels. “With all the snow this winter, everyone is ready to spend a few warm summer nights at The Diamond.”
The event also will be the first opportunity for fans to participate in the No. 1 Fan Bobblehead Contest. Fans are invited to submit nominations for a chance to be featured on a bobblehead to be given away at the team’s 2025 regular season finale on Sunday, Sept. 14. The contest, presented by Pepsi, asks fans to share why they should be named the No. 1 fan. Submissions are open now through Feb. 27, with the winner to be announced in early April.
“The Flying Squirrels experience wouldn’t be what it is without our incredible fans,” said Anthony Oppermann, chief marketing officer. “They create an amazing atmosphere at The Diamond that is unrivaled throughout the minor leagues. As we enter our 15th season, it only feels appropriate that on Fan Appreciation Day this year we celebrate a member of our fan base as our No. 1 fan.” The No. 1 Fan Bobblehead giveaway
will be part of The Diamond Through the Decades Celebration series, which will feature several giveaways, including a Diamond Ring on June 12 and a Chipper Jones R-Braves bobblehead on July 24. Fans also can take part in the site visit to CarMax Park during Nutzy’s Block Party, where they will receive priority access to purchase 2026 season memberships, which
are expected to be in high demand. The Flying Squirrels will open the 2025 season Friday, April 4, against the Akron RubberDucks, with Hall of Fame inductee and former Richmond Braves pitcher John Smoltz throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. Individual tickets and opening night group packages are available now. For more details, visit SquirrelsBaseball.com.
Smith, one of two returners from the previous staff, will continue as the Spartans’ wide receivers coach. Quinn,
a former director of strength and conditioning at several HBCU programs, will continue in the role in Norfolk. Appleton, an SEC-Academic All-American quarterback at Auburn, will coach cornerbacks.
Smith joined Norfolk State before the 2024 season and helped the Spartans score 12 touchdowns through the air, including a 500-yard, four-touchdown season for graduate wide receiver Jacquez Jones.
remains the only individual to win a Naismith Award as both a player and a coach.
In her coaching career, Staley has led the University of South Carolina women’s basketball team to three NCAA championships in 2017, 2022, and 2024. She also coached Team USA to a gold medal
at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“From my first moment on the court, basketball made me feel like I belonged. This book is my chance to honor the people who have built me up and to show the world what I’ve learned about what it takes to move the room and get things done,” Staley said.
The announcement was made by Black Privilege Publishing, an imprint of Atria Books.
“We are honored to have acquired Dawn Staley’s debut book at Black Privilege Publishing,” said Jonathan Karp, chief executive officer of Simon & Schuster. “Beyond her extraordinary accomplishments as a player and a coach, she is known as an inspiring and exemplary leader. The same winning insights that have produced championship teams will benefit generations of readers.”
Free Press staff report
Virginia Union University’s Maia Charles was named the CIAA Women’s Basketball Rookie of the Year, a welldeserved honor announced Sunday, Feb. 23, at the CIAA Tournament Awards Ceremony in Baltimore.
The freshman phenom has been a force for the Lady Panthers, averaging 7.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and racking up 21 blocks this season. Her all-around game has made a big impact in her first year.
“We are ecstatic that Maia was named Rookie of the Year because she has worked hard all year and earned the title,” said VUU Head Women’s Basketball Coach Tierra Terry. “She has made a tremendous impact on our program in Year one and we are looking forward to her growth in the upcoming seasons! She has always been our Rookie of the Year, but we are glad she has been acknowledged by the conference.”
VUU kicks off action in the 2025 CIAA Tournament at noon Thursday, Feb. 27, in Baltimore.
Prior to Norfolk State, Smith was the wide receivers coach at Valparaiso and previously coached at Lincoln University (Pa.) and his alma mater, Oscar Smith High School. Quinn brings extensive experience from HBCU football,
Free Press staff report
Norfolk State football Coach Michael Vick announced three additions to his coaching staff Wednesday, welcoming Tim Smith, DeCedrick Quinn Sr. and Wilson Appleton for the 2025 season.
James Haskins/Richmond Free Press VCU’s
Bamisile (22) powers down a dunk Feb. 22 as the Rams dominate George Mason
at the Siegel Center.
AP Photo/Nell Redmond
South Carolina Coach Dawn Staley during the second half of a game against Charleston Southern in December 2024.
Coach Vick
Nutzy and Nutasha pose with baseball fans.
Personality: Russell W. Scott
Spotlight on president of Howard University Alumni Club of Richmond
Founded to provide educational opportunities to formerly enslaved persons, HBCUs continue to empower Black Americans in pursuit of racial equity. A study by the Institute for College Access and Success reveals that HBCUs account for only 3% of all colleges and universities in the U.S. Still, they serve 10% of all Black students and award 17% of all bachelor’s degrees earned by Black students.
The alumni of these institutions carry forward their powerful legacy. Russell Scott, president of the Howard Alumni Club of Richmond (HUAC Richmond), is a testament to the rich cultural and professional legacies of HBCUs. He’s committed to advancing their mission.
“It’s the fellowship, the common experience that HBCU graduates have,” Scott said. “The only way you stand out at an HBCU is to be exceptional.” Scott is a second-generation Howard University graduate. He chose the school because he grew up in the Howard community, attending activities that his parents were involved in. His father taught pharmacy at Howard and relocated the family to Silver Spring, Md., where Scott grew up.
“My parents took us to sporting events, homecomings and cookouts at Rock Creek Park,” Scott said. “It was the indoctrination and exposure that landed me at Howard.”
In 1951, during segregation, Scott’s mother was accepted to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill but was denied the opportunity to enroll because she was Black. Instead, the school gave her a stipend to attend Howard.
“Back then, HBCUs were really the only option,” Scott explained. “Now, when there are options, people still choose
to go to HBCUs.”
Scott began his career in upstate New York with IBM, but when his former wife received a job offer from Philip Morris, the family relocated to Richmond in the 1990s. He has since retired after a 39-year career.
As a retiree, Scott tries to unite the Howard University community in the Richmond area to support the school and its students. He reconnected with an old friend from Howard, and they married in 2014. After caring for his aging parents for several years, the couple travels internationally. Last year, they visited Egypt, Granada and Panama. They also indulge their shared love of history by exploring historical landmarks around Richmond.
“It’s almost like we’re empty nesters after all of the caretaking we’ve been doing for family over the last several years,” Scott said. “But we’re not going to let any grass grow under our feet now.”
Meet a Howard University alum and career IBM employee, working now to keep the university’s legacy alive, and this week’s Personality, Russell W. Scott:
Occupation: Retired IBM IT project manager and environment health and safety engineer. Date and place of birth: Aug. 25 in Buffalo, NY. Where I live now: North Chesterfield.
Education: Bachelor’s in chemistry and a minor in math), Howard University; master’s in public health, Yale University.
port the mission of the Howard University Alumni Association through fundraising and supporting area students’ dream of attending Howard University while also doing our part to help our local community.
Mission: The purpose of the HUAA is to promote the University as an institution of academic excellence and to create and maintain an environment that encourages alumni participation through volunteerism and financial support.
Why HUAC Richmond was founded: For Howard alumni in the Richmond area to network and uphold Howard’s mission of truth and service.
Number of members: Over 200 local alumni in Central Virginia.
Election to HUAC Richmond president: I was elected in 2021. It has been my honor to have served two consecutive terms, with my current term concluding in June.
Want to go?
Event: 13th Annual Charter Day Scholarship Fundraiser
When: 1 p.m. Sunday, March 9
Where: Appomattox Regional Governor’s School in Petersburg
Details: A discussion featuring Nikole Hannah Jones, racial injustice reporter for The New York Times Magazine and creator of “The 1619 Project.” Colita Fairfax, social justice professor and historiographer at Norfolk State University, will moderate the discussion based on our theme, “From 1619 to 1867.” Jazz vocalist Kia Bennett will perform. Tickets are available through the QR code
hard-working alumni who share a love for Howard University. I was inspired to take on this leadership role because of the continued need for renewed vision and commitment necessary to strengthen the organization’s mission.
No. 1 goal as president: To raise funds in support of scholarships for area students who are currently matriculating to Howard University.
Strategy for achieving goal or project: Our Annual Charter Day Fundraiser on the first Sunday in March is a major fundraising event for us.
Biggest challenge: Getting more alumni involved in club activities.
Why Howard University is special to its alumni: As graduates of the leading HBCU, there is tremendous pride in our shared accomplishments. We are incredibly motivated when we see Howard achieving recognition as an R1 Research Institution, when we see the heightened student interest in attending our alma mater and the pride in the leaders that Howard produces in almost every field of endeavor.
member of the Class of 1979.
How my Howard University experience impacted me: As a second-generation graduate, the impacts are immeasurable. My education prepared me for the rigors of Yale University and the corporate boardroom at IBM. I also met my wife at Howard!
How to join the HUAC Richmond: Email us at huacrichmond@thehuaa.org.
Notable alumni: Kamala Harris, Thurgood Marshall, Chadwick Boseman, Andrew Young and L. Douglas Wilder.
How I start the day: I collect my thoughts and listen to the birds and world outside my window.
Three words that best describe me: Caring, analytical and loyal.
Dream dinner party guest: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore because he is an inspiring leader.
Why I accepted the position: The club has a strong nucleus of
IT’S TIME FOR BUSINESS.
Graduation year: I’m a proud
How has HUAC Richmond made a difference in Richmond: In addition to providing scholarships and mentorship to area students, we attend HBCU college and career events. HUAC Richmond has participated in the Annual Feedmore ACC, providing more than 1 million pounds of food to support our local community. During this winter’s water crisis in Richmond, we supported fellow alum Pastor Ralph Hodge of Second Baptist Church by helping distribute 6,000 bottles of water to impacted residents. HUAC Richmond also provides support in our local community to nonprofits such as Second Chance at Renewing Self, which supports survivors of intimate partner abuse. We collect toys and donations at our annual holiday parties to support local organizations like Richmond Christmas Mother, Angel Tree
Top three on my musical playlist: Chuck Brown’s “Block Party,” The Blackbyrds’, “Rock Creek Park” and Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.” Something I love to do that most people would never imagine: I’m a certified SCUBA diver.
Inspirational quote: Ecclesiastes 7-12 “For Wisdom is a defense, even money is a defense; but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it”.
Most influential person: My father, Dr. Kenneth Scott. He drove me to realize many of my accomplishments.
Most influential book: “Why Should White Guys Have All the Fun?” by Blair S. Walker and Reginald Lewis.
My current read: Zora Neale Hurston’s “Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick.” Next goal: This is an election year for the Club, so I aim to pass the torch to the next president of HUAC Richmond.
Family: Son, Taylor W. Scott; Wife, Tami Tucker Scott; two stepdaughters, Ariel Thomas and Chance Thomas. What is the Howard University Alumni Club of Richmond (HUAC Richmond): We supand Housing Families First to support local families in need. How readers can stay in touch with our chapter: Readers can follow us on Facebook or Instagram.
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Richmond Ballet prepares for first performance at VMFA in decades
Free Press staff report
As renovations to the Leslie Cheek Theater at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts near completion, the museum and Richmond Ballet have announced that beginning March 20, the ballet company will move its repertory series, now known as “Moving Art,” to the theater.
“The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts welcomes the return of Richmond Ballet to the newly enhanced Cheek Theater,” said VMFA Director and CEO Alex Nyerges. “We’re delighted to be the new home for the Ballet’s innovative Moving Art performance series, which presents exciting opportunities for our audiences and artists.”
Richmond Ballet last performed in the VMFA theater in the 1990s, and for more than four years, museum officials have been in discussions with the ballet company about returning. Before its first Moving Art performance in March, the ballet company will have the opportunity to rehearse on the newly renovated stage to prepare for the upcoming performances.
“It is truly such an honor to once again perform within the walls of VMFA,” said Richmond Ballet founding artistic director Stoner Winslett. “It has been a dream of mine to one day return to the Leslie Cheek Theater, and we are so grateful that the recent renovation has made this dream into a reality.”
“Moving Art,” formerly known as the Studio Series, will feature both contemporary and clas-
sical ballet in an intimate theater setting. The first performance, Moving Art One, will run from March 20 to March 30 and will include three distinct ballets.
In Pentaptych, a painter takes the stage alongside the dancers, using brushstrokes influenced by their movements to create a wholly unique painting. It is choreographed by Richmond Ballet Artistic Director Ma Cong with original music composed by Ryan Lott. Set to music by Arvo Pärt, this duet evokes a sense of longing, intimacy and vulnerability through subtle and tender choreography. Inspired by a score of the same name, this ballet blends traditional African music with extended passages from compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Moving Art Two — also featuring three works each performance — will run from May 8 to May 18. Joshua L. Peugh’s Slump is a quirky ballet that explores the concept of modern courtship through lively choreography and complex partnering. Slump is set to a culturally diverse score ranging from klezmer to jazz music. Inspired by the melting clocks in Salvador Dalí’s surrealist painting “The Persistence of Memory”, this world premiere will serve as the final performance of the season,
“The Moving Art series will allow Richmond audiences to witness the full breadth of our art form,” said Ma Cong. “By performing this series in the legendary VMFA, we are delighted to celebrate and uplift the arts in Virginia.”
Library of Virginia event explores Jimmie Strother’s music and legacy
Free Press staff report
On March 7, the Library of Virginia will take visitors back to a time when street musicians roamed the Upper South, sharing the music and stories of their lives. From 6 to 7:30 p.m., the library will host a free music performance and book talk focused on Jimmie Strother, a blind Virginia songster whose recordings from 1936 continue to influence American music today.
In June 1936, Strother performed 13 songs at the Virginia State Prison Farm for famed folklorist John Lomax and the Library of Congress. Rooted in the rich soil of the Piedmont region, Strother’s repertoire epitomized the Black songsters who defied easy classification. Blinded in a steel mill explosion, Strother’s drive to connect to the world through song only grew stronger, and
he drew on old spirituals and country breakdowns while also exploring blues and ragtime.
Histo -
rian and author Gregg D. Kimball will discuss his book, “Searching for Jimmie Strother: A Tale of Music, Murder and Memory,” which reveals Strother’s dramatic life and the creative and historical forces that shaped it. Kimball sheds light on the myths that surround Strother. Strother’s comedic ditties, spirituals and blues tunes reached wide audiences, and artists such as Pete Seeger and Jefferson Airplane later covered his songs. Yet beneath the surface, his music carried a dark undercurrent, addressing the realities of sundown towns, Jim Crow segregation and labor exploitation that Black Americans faced. The event is free, but registration is required at lvavirginia.libcal.com. Limited free parking is available at 800 E. Broad St.
They continually thank God for longevity of life and
now
Tickets for Moving Art performances at the Cheek Theater are available through Richmond Ballet at www.RichmondBallet.com or by calling (804) 344-0906, extension 224.
In addition to being the venue for the Moving Art performance series, VMFA is the official partner for Richmond Ballet’s Minds In Motion community engagement program this school year. Through this initiative, Richmond Ballet creates a bridge for students, starting in fourth grade, to gain a greater understanding of themselves through dance, classroom curriculum, community partnership, and professional performances.
“One of the defining goals of Minds In Motion is to make the program an integral part of the school curriculum,” said Minds In Motion Director Jordan Glunt. “The 2024/2025 school year marks the 30th anniversary of Minds In Motion. VMFA was the program’s first community partner, and it is so special to once again partner with them this momentous year.”
Established in 1954, the theater at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts was renamed after the museum’s first director, Leslie Cheek, in 2011. The Cheek Theater hosts a array of museum
programs and performances as well as events from community groups that serve more than 10,000 visitors each year.
“Beginning in March 2024, the Cheek Theater at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts underwent a $5.3 million renovation, which was supported by private funds,” said Nyerges. “This marks the first time our theater has been renovated since it was built 70 years ago.”
The renovations have expanded the types of programs that can be held in the Cheek Theater. Improvements include a widened stage to accommodate ballet and other performances, new house and stage lighting, and upgraded audio-visual equipment to enhance programs and performances. Additionally, performers’ dressing rooms and restrooms have been renovated, and the green room refreshed. The seating, which accommodates 472 people, has been refurbished.
Accessibility has been a key focus of the theater renovations. An assisted listening device (ALD) system has been added, while ramps have been installed for improved wheelchair accessibility in the house and to the stage. For more information visit vmfa.museum.
The Virginia Museum of History & Culture awarded more than $500,000 in grants to 11 organizations across the state to support history
and education efforts.
New round of funding to preserve Virginia’s diverse historical narratives
Free Press staff report
History is alive across Virginia, from museums and archives to tribal centers and cultural institutions. A new round of funding from the Virginia Museum of History & Culture will support those efforts, awarding more than $500,000 to 11 organizations dedicated to preserving and sharing the Commonwealth’s past.
The latest grants, the largest sum ever awarded through the Commonwealth History Fund, mark the fourth cycle of the program. Over its first five years, the fund is expected to distribute more than $2 million to historical societies, educational institutions, community centers and state-recognized Indian tribes.
“VMHC is proud to play a leading role in the enduring and far-reaching mission of saving and sharing Virginia’s history,” said VMHC President and CEO Jamie Bosket. “We are similarly proud to be able to provide meaningful financial support to our fellow history organizations—empowering great preservation and education efforts taking place in communities all across Virginia.”
More than 80 applications were submitted, requesting a total of more than $5 million. The 2025 grant recipients include the Fredericksburg Area Museum & Cultural Center, Historic Alexandria, Historic Richmond, Historic Staunton Foundation, Historical Society of Western Virginia (Roanoke), The JXN Project (Richmond), Monacan Nation Cultural Foundation (Amherst), Pamunkey Indian Tribe (King William), Toano Historical Society, Virginia Tribal Education Consortium (Ashland) and WHRO Public Media (Norfolk).
“The impressive projects chosen come from organizations of all sizes, are spread across every region of the Commonwealth and span a great deal of historical topics and time periods,” Bosket said.
Several grants will support Virginia’s Native American communities, including a documentary on Native identity since the 1924 Indian Citizenship Act, an apprenticeship program to preserve Monacan pottery traditions and an exhibition featuring modern Indigenous perspectives on westward expansion. Other projects will highlight overlooked stories from the American Revolution, African American history and key landmarks such as Alexandria City Hall, Monumental Church and the Cabell Log House.
More information about the funded projects is available at VirginiaHistory.org/HistoryFund.
Wed., March 5
2–3 p.m. | Free
Registration is required: lva-virginia.libcal.com/event/13801161
The Library presents “A Loving Community,” an educational touring program commissioned by Virginia Opera featuring music and history relevant to the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Excerpts from the world-premiere opera “Loving v. Virginia,” co-commissioned with the Richmond Symphony, will be performed.
Gregg D. Kimball
Children: Yaadira and Earska, Jr. | Grandchildren: Maria, Mikhael, Maya (deceased)
photo/VMHC
preservation
Photo by Sandra Sellars/Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Richmond Ballet dancers Eri Nishihara, Khaiyom Khojaev, Zacchaeus Page and Mikell Graf perform on stage at the Leslie Cheek Theater at VMFA.
Lenten Lunch series to highlight women in faith leadership
Free Press staff report
Fifty years ago, the Episcopal Church ordained its first female clergy, a milestone that reshaped faith leadership. This Lenton season, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church will mark the anniversary by hosting a special lunch and speaker series featuring women in ministry.
The Rt. Rev. Gayle E. Harris, assistant bishop of the Diocese of Virginia, will speak on March 12. Harris, ordained in 1982, previously served as bishop suffragan of the Diocese of Massachusetts and has held leadership roles in interfaith and pastoral development committees within the Episcopal Church. On March 19, The Rev. Jan Brown, founder and executive
Hayes to speak at Richmond Peace Center event
Free Press staff report
The Richmond Peace Education Center will host Rev. Mark J. Hayes as a guest speaker for its 2025 Peace Center Speaker Series on March 11. Hayes, a Hampton Roads-based pastor, activist and youth advocate, partners with the Virginia Center
Hayes director of SpiritWorks Foundation Center for the Soul, will be the featured speaker. SpiritWorks is a recovery and wellness organization specializing in addiction recovery support. The series will take place
on Wednesdays from March 12 through April 9, with the speaker program held from noon to 12:45 p.m. in the church, followed by lunch from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in the Parish House. Take-out lunches will be available until 2:30 p.m.
Lunch options, including a weekly cheese soufflé and a rotating entrée, will be prepared in St. Paul’s kitchen. A suggested donation of $10 is requested for meals, with orders due one week in advance. For more information or to order lunch, visit stpaulsrva.org.
for Public Safety to combat community violence through outreach and engagement. His talk, titled “It’s About Saving Lives,” will focus on violence prevention and youth empowerment. The free event is set for 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the First Unitarian Universalist Church, 1000 Blanton Ave.
Legal trailblazer Willard Douglas Jr. remembered
By George Copeland Jr.
Behind and beyond the judge’s bench, Willard H. Douglas Jr. broke new ground for African Americans in Virginia. The state’s first full-time African American judge died Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025 at the age of 93, following decades of legal and community service.
“He left a rich legacy,” “his daughter, Wendelin Douglas, said, “and we just hope to make him proud.” Douglas was born Feb. 4, 1932, in Amherst County to Thelma Douglas and Willard H. Douglas Sr., the oldest of their five children. Following military service in the Korean War, Douglas earned a bachelor’s from Virginia Union University in 1957 and his law degree from Howard University in 1960.
After being admitted to the bar in 1962, Douglas used his skills in Richmond as a United States Civil Rights Commission attorney and later at the law firm of Hill, Tucker & Marsh. He also served as the first African American assistant to the Richmond commonwealth’s attorney from 1969 to 1974.
On Jan. 30, 1974, Douglas was elected presiding judge of the Richmond Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, becoming Virginia’s first fulltime African-American judge and the first officially elected by the Virginia General Assembly. Former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder, at the time a state senator, was a key supporter behind his election.
Douglas also would serve on the Ethics Committee of the Virginia Supreme Court, the first African American to be appointed to the role.
Outside his legal career, Douglas was a devoted member of the Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church and the United Methodist denomination, serving on multiple committees and as a district lay leader.
Through groups such as the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment and Capital Area Partnership Uplifting People, Douglas sought to ensure better living
and support for the Richmond community.
“My Dad’s life and legacy will forever be etched in history as a man of faith, family and firsts,” Wendelin said. “His impact will continue to resonate for generations to come, ensuring that his life’s work was not just a moment in time but a movement that will live on.”
Douglas’ other major associations included Big Brothers Big Sisters, national and local bar associations and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. He also enjoyed travel, whether in the form of marathon running or attending world conferences, nationally or internationally, to represent his church.
“A legal trailblazer and dedicated community servant, Brother Douglas broke barriers throughout his career,” the Richmond Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, wrote in a social media post. Douglas was preceded in death by his parents, siblings and wife, Jane E. Douglas. He is survived by his daughter and son Willard H. Douglas III, two sisters-in-law and several nieces and nephews.
A funeral service will be held 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 28 at Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church at
Chris Jasper, legendary Isley Brothers member, dies at 73
Free Press staff report
Chris Jasper, the renowned singer, songwriter and producer who helped shape the sound of The Isley Brothers, died on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, at the age of 73. His death followed a cancer diagnosis in December 2024.
Born Dec. 30, 1951, in Cincinnati, Jasper was a classically trained musician whose journey began at age 7 studying classical piano. He later studied music composition at the Juilliard School of Music in New York, earning a bachelor’s. His classical background fused with R&B, funk and soul to form the foundation of his groundbreak-
ing career. In 1973, Jasper, along with Ernie and Marvin Isley, transformed The Isley Brothers into a six-member selfcontained R&B/funk group. As the group’s primary keyboardist, his songwriting and skills were central to hits such as “For the Love of You,” “Between the Sheets” and “Fight the Power.” In 1984, Jasper formed IsleyJasper-Isley with Ernie and Marvin Isley. The trio gained success with the hit single “Caravan of Love” in 1985, which delivered a message of
peace and love and was later covered by several artists.
Jasper launched his solo career in 1987 and founded Gold City Records, releasing 17 R&B albums including four gospel albums. His debut solo album featured the hit “Superbad.” In 2015 he released The Essential Chris Jasper, a compilation of his work from the Isley-Jasper-Isley era and his solo career. Jasper’s contributions were widely recognized. He earned numerous gold and platinum albums and in 1992 was inducted
into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. In 2014 he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, followed by the National R&B Society Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2022. His innovative work influenced generations of musicians, with compositions sampled and covered by artists including Whitney Houston, Aaliyah, Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, Queen Latifah, Jay-Z, Gwen Stefani, Fantasia, Will Smith and Jaheim. Jasper is survived by his wife of 42 years, Margie Jasper, a New York-based attorney and author and their three sons Michael, Nicholas and Christopher.
Ida Cheatham, beloved Maymont figure, dies at 105
By George Copeland Jr.
To walk through Richmond’s Maymont neighborhood is to experience the work of its most famous resident, Ida L. Cheatham, who died Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, at 105.
The centenarian was the first to live on South Meadow Street, and her influence is still visible in the neighborhood — from her home and the plants she cultivated to the lives she touched over the years.
“I know people are gonna miss her, because everyone knew Miss Cheatham,” said her niece, Ida Mitchell. “She loved the Maymont area, she loved people, she fed people, she helped people with school, she helped people with life.”
Cheatham was born Feb. 3, 1920, in Doswell, the second-oldest of a dozen siblings. She later moved to Richmond as a teenager for work, taking up various roles over the years such as housekeeping, house management and catering.
After her retirement, Cheatham remained deeply involved in the community. She was the last surviving member of the Maymont Garden Club, whose beautification efforts still enhance the neighborhood’s greenery.
“A lot of what you see in especially the lower part of Maymont was really due to my grandmother and other ladies,” Mitchell said.
Cheatham also was a familiar, cherished figure for many in the community, with her dog, Oprah, freely roaming throughout the neighborhood. In 2023, she was recognized with an honorary street renaming at 1800 S. Meadow St.
One of Cheatham’s personal sayings reflected her life and outlook: “Drink from the sky and eat from the earth and depend on your holy creator, whoever you believe that may be.” According to Mitchell, this motto was reflected in her diet, as Cheatham drank water every day and ate green vegetables with each meal.
Cheatham was preceded in death by her daughter, Elizabeth H. Mitchell, and grandchildren Sheryl Mitchell-Thomas and Cary Mitchell. She is survived by her children, Carla CheathamDebrough and Carl Mason Spencer; three sisters-in-law; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins; and many grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren, along with other relatives.
A viewing will be held at Joseph Jenkins Jr. Funeral Home at 2011 Grayland Ave. on Friday, Feb. 28, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. A funeral will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, March 1, at Jerusalem Baptist Church on 16210 Short Cut Road in Doswell.
Legal Notices/Employment Opportunities
15th day of April, 2025 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
DIVORCE
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER ROSA MENDEZ, Plaintiff v. JOSE HERNANDEZ SARAVIA, Defendant. Case No.: CL25000448-00 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 is a nonresident of the Commonwealth of Virginia appear here on or before the 4th day of April, 2025 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 AJIA RILEY, Plaintiff v. CAMERON MACLIN, Defendant. Case No.: CL25000514-00 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,
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER SCARLET HOLT, Plaintiff v. JOSEPH HOLT, Defendant. Case No.: CL25000575-00 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 15th day of April, 2025 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 YAJAIRA MENDEZ CAMPOS, Plaintiff v. DERREK WILLIAMS, Defendant. Case No.: CL25000343-00 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 27th day of March, 2025 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: HANOVER COUNTY P.O. BOX 39, 7530 COUNTY COMPLEX ROAD, HANOVER, VA 23069 Commonwealth of Virginia, in re LESLIE ELIZABETH WEATHERLESS-KERR v. STEWART KEVEN KERR Case No. CL24-3191 ORDER OF PUBLICATION
The object of this suit is to: obtain a divorce on the grounds of living separate and apart for one year. It is ORDERED that STEWART KEVEN KERR appear at the above-named court and protect his/her interests on or before March 19, 2025 at 9:00 a.m.
CUSTODY
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF CHESTERFIELD LINDSAY VICTORIA KIRKLAND, JAMEZ WESLEY KIRKLAND, Petitioners V DONOVAN LAMONT GINGER, II Case No.: CA24-56 January 31, 2025 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a Final Order of Adoption of Jaxon William Kirkland by Lindsay Victoria Kirkland and Jamez Wesley Kirkland. An affidavit having been filed that diligence has been used by the Petitioners without effect to ascertain the location of Donovan Lamont Ginger II. it is ORDERED that Donovan Lamont Ginger II appear before this Court on the 23rd day of May, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. at the Historic 1917 Courthouse located at 10011 Iron Bridge Road, Chesterfield, Virginia and protect his interest herein. A Copy Teste: Amanda L. Pohl Clerk of Circuit Court Anne L. Roddy, Esuire BARNES & DIEHL Boulders VI, Suite 200 7401 Beaufont Springs Drive Richmond, VA 23225 804-796-1000
VIRGINIA: IN THE JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS DISTRICT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND Commonwealth of Virginia, in re RYLNN CHICHESTER, a juvenile RDSS, Plaintiff v JENNIFER DONLY, Defendant File No. JJ103219-05-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION
The object of this suit is to: Terminate the residual parental rights (“TPR”) of the Jennifer Donly (Mother) of Rylnn Chichester, child DOB 09/05/2023. “TPR” means all rights and responsibilities remaining with parent after transfer of legal custody or guardianship of the person, including but not limited to rights of: visitation; adoption consent; determination of religious affiliation; and responsibility for support.
It is ORDERED that the defendant Jennifer Donly (Mother) to appear at the above-named Court and protect his/her interest on or before May 27, 2025, at 9:00 A.M., COURTROOM #2.
VIRGINIA: IN THE JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS DISTRICT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND Commonwealth of Virginia, in re BRIANNA DANDRIDGE, a juvenile RDSS, Plaintiff v. ASHLEY RUSSELL, Defendant File No. JJ103600-05-00
ORDER OF PUBLICATION
The object of this suit is to: Terminate the residual parental rights (“TPR”) of the Ashley Russell (Mother) of Brianna Dandridge, child DOB 01/24/2013 “TPR” means all rights and responsibilities remaining with parent after transfer of legal custody or guardianship of the person, including but not limited to rights of: visitation; adoption consent; determination of religious
affiliation; and responsibility for support.
It is ORDERED that the defendant Ashley Russell (Mother) to appear at the above-named Court and protect his/her interest on or before May 6, 2025, at 2:20 P.M., COURTROOM #2.
VIRGINIA: IN THE JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS DISTRICT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND Commonwealth of Virginia, in re ZAYVIANA MCCOY, a juvenile RDSS, Plaintiff v. ASHLEY RUSSELL & UNKNOWN FATHER, Defendant File No. JJ103601-06-00 File No. JJ103601-05-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to: Terminate the residual parental rights (“TPR”) of the Ashley Russell (Mother) & Unknown Father (Father) of Zayviana McCoy, child DOB 01/04/2024 . “TPR” means all rights and responsibilities remaining with parent after transfer of legal custody or guardianship of the person, including but not limited to rights of: visitation; adoption consent; determination of religious affiliation; and responsibility for support. It is ORDERED that the defendant Ashley Russell (Mother) & Unknown Father to appear at the above-named Court and protect his/her interest on or before May 6, 2025, at 2:20 A.M., COURTROOM #2. ABC LICENSE Nomad Deli & Catering Company LLC. Trading as: Nomad Deli & Catering Company 207 W Brookland Park Blvd Richmond, Virginia 23222 The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL AUTHORITY (ABC) for a Retail Restaurant or Caterer ApplicationRestaurant, Wine, Beer,
NOTICE
Chris Jasper
Willard Douglas
Ida Cheatham