Richmond Free Press September 28-30, 2023 edition

47 acres and a dream

Developer seeks to expand family’s legacy in Tappahannock with housing for seniors, workers

By Debora Timms

Business is in Shiree Monterio’s blood.

Her family has owned land and businesses in Virginia dating back to the late 1800s. Her greatgreat-grandfather was a blacksmith. Her great aunt-owned and operated a Greyhound bus station in the community — one of the first Black-owned stations in the state. Others owned restaurants, convenience stores and a storage facility.

Now a developer in her own right, Ms. Monterio is entrusted with the family prized possession: 47 acres of prime real estate in Tappahannock, the rural, coastal community about 45 miles southeast of Richmond where her great-great-grandfather, Thomas Croxton Harris, had was in enslaved. Along with her mother, she has plans to build an $80 million mixed-use development — including senior and workforce housing, retail and community space.

“My grandfather’s dream was to do something with the land,” she said. “We thought this would be a great way to launch into the direct development space by taking land that has been in the family since the late 1800s.”

It is a journey that has attracted supporters and detractors, and currently involves a battle with county officials to secure needed zoning changes to make the project possible.

When Ms. Monterio’s grandfather, Thomas Caldwell Harris died in 2008, his four children, including Ms. Monterio’s mother, June C. Monterio, inherited 47 acres of land.

Now Ms. Monterio wants to help realize her grandfather’s dream and “do something with our land,” she said.

“[My mother] took his vision and started building on it” with a desire to help Essex County residents,” she said.

“One of her goals was to bring back the vibrancy and the businesses to the community,” she said.

Ms. Monterio says she also has the same “entrepreneurial bug.” After earning a bachelor’s degree in finance from Howard University and a master’s in real estate development from Georgetown University, she worked in the affordable housing space for nearly 20 years. She worked for Fannie Mae, consulted on Section 8 policy and programming at Quadel and was a project manager with WinnCom-

Civil rights, labor unions back casino campaign

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

The current campaign to win Richmond voter support for $562 million casino, resort and entertainment complex has secured support from civil rights groups and a big thumbs up from the labor unions that will build it.

The state NAACP and the Richmond branch both issued statements of endorsement as did the Richmond Crusade for Voters in urging a positive vote on the referendum that is on the Nov. 7 election ballot.

The Richmond Branch NAACP led by James E. “JJ” Minor

Virginia State University students recently heard from media personalities and social justice activists about issues that disproportionately impact people of color.

Please see more photos on A2.

Photos courtesy of Shiree Monterio

Shiree Monterio wants to honor her family legacy by developing residential housing for senior citizens and workers on the 47 acres of land she inherited. The property is located in Essex County and Ms. Monterio will present her proposal to the county’s Board of Supervisors on Oct. 2. Ms. Monterio’s greataunt Virginia F. Harris’ restaurant and service station. Ms. Monterio’s grandparents, Thomas C. Harris and Irene Harris, stand in front of their family drive-in circa 1972.

Council: Sheltering the unsheltered during Ophelia did not work well

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Richmond is rated by the National Weather Service as a storm-ready community.

But when Tropical Storm Ophelia was about to hit, the city’s emergency selter seemed less than prepared to provide a refuge for people like Robert Harrison, 23, and Ron Thomas, 38, who are homeless.

Just hours before the storm arrived, City Hall was announced as the last refuge for those without a place to stay on Friday.

But when Mr. Harrison and Mr. Thomas arrived, they were among the people being turned away around 5:30 p.m. because there was no more room.

“I was told the shelter was at capacity, and I had to leave,” Mr. Thomas told a Free Press reporter. “I’ve never been to City Hall before. I wanted to bring some friends with me, but now I don’t know what we’re going to do.”

Reporters who went inside were not allowed to take photographs or stay. The shelter was set up in a former

Quincy Jones receives State Department’s first Peace Through Music Award

The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES

Quincy Jones, who once embarked on an international diplomatic tour with jazz great Dizzy Gillespie, will receive the U.S. Department of State’s inaugural Peace Through Music Award.

A ceremony honoring the 28-time Grammy winning producer, musician and arranger will be held Wednesday night and as part of the launch of the State Department’s new Global Music

Diplomacy Initiative.

The award recognizes American musicians, producers, professionals and beyond who have “played an invaluable role in cross-cultural exchanges and whose music work advances peace and mutual understanding globally,” according to a press release.

Mr. Jones will receive the award from Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Recording Academy

House Speaker McCarthy is back to square one as Senate pushes ahead to avert federal shutdown

The Associated Press WASHINGTON

As the Senate marches ahead with a bipartisan approach to prevent a government shutdown, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is back to square one — asking his hard-right Republicans to do what they have said they would never do: Approve their own temporary House measure to keep the government open.

The Republican speaker laid out his strategy Wednesday behind closed doors, urging his unruly Republican major-

ity to work together. He set up a test vote for Friday, one day before Saturday’s shutdown deadline, on a far-right bill. It would slash federal spending by 8% from many agencies and toughen border security but has been rejected by President Biden, Democrats and his own right-flank Republicans.

“I want to solve the problem,” Speaker McCarthy told reporters afterward at the Capitol.

But pressed on how he would pass a partisan Republican spending plan that even his own right flank doesn’t want,

Speaker McCarthy had few answers. He rejected outright the Senate’s bipartisan bill, which would fund the government to Nov. 17, adding $6 billion for Ukraine and $6 billion for U.S. disaster relief while talks continue. Instead, he insisted, as he often does, that he would never quit trying. Congress is at a crossroads days before a disruptive federal shutdown that would halt paychecks for millions of federal workers, leave 2 million active duty military

Please turn to A4

Ms. Monterio

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Rhonda Sneed provides food and water to people denied entry in a shelter at City Hall during Tropical Storm Ophelia on Sept. 22.

People’s tribunal on state prisons

scheduled for Oct. 7

Free Press staff report

Hundreds are expected to attend an Oct. 7 discussion about how Virginia treats incarcerated and detained men and women.

The People’s Tribunal on Virginia’s Prisons, Jails & Detention Centers from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Greater Richmond Convention Center will include testimonies about issues faced by the formerly incarcerated, family members of prisoners and others. The program is presented by the Virginia Prison Justice Network and the Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality.

The testimonies will be heard by several community judges, including Justice & Reformation co-founder Princess Blanding, Rob Poggenklass, former Legal Aid Justice Center attorney, and Rodney Hunter, pastor of Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church.

After the session, a report on how the incarcerated are treated will be published and presented to each candidate in the Virginia general election. Those candidates also will be asked to take a position on a proposal to create an independent body that would oversee all confinement facilities in Virginia.

The People’s Tribunal is a continuation of the Virginia Prison Justice rallies that have taken place the past six years.

For more information, text (804) 644-5834 or email DefendersFJE@hotmail.com.

Cityscape

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Concern is growing over the dwindling money in a family crisis fund that Richmond created to provide direct cash payments.

The money that the fund has provided has enabled people to stave off eviction or be rapidly re-housed is described as one of Richmond’s best tools for preventing despair among people strapped for cash.

The money can be used for covering rent deposits, repairing a car, buying a phone charger, or paying medical or overdue utility bills.

In the past year, HumanKind, a Presbyterian-affiliated nonprofit, has enabled 510 Richmond households to pay for such items using $1 million in American Rescue Plan funds the city initially put up, according to Angela Hart, the organization’s Capital Region program manager. The help varies but the assistance averaged $1,960 per household.

Now HumanKind is burning through the additional $1 million in general fund dollars that Mayor Levar M. Stoney and City Council provided as of July 1, she said.

In a report to City Council’s Education and Human Services Committee on Sept. 14, Ms. Hart noted that her organization provided $172,000 in August to about 90 families.

If that spending level continues, the fund will be exhausted by the December holidays, she told the committee. “I wanted to bring this to your attention before that happens,” she said.

The chair, 5th District Councilwoman Stephanie A. Lynch, said that is a concern and noted that in late July, the council urged the administration to add at least $700,000 in additional funding. The council also called for $2,500 cap on payments per household to be lifted.

Ms. Lynch, who led the fight to create the fund, called it “one of the greatest tools in our toolbox” to help families to cover arrears and unexpected bills and stave off eviction or find new housing.

Without direct cash assistance, families have little chance of finding or paying for a new unit they can afford, she said.

Currently, applicants for apartments must come with both the first month’s rent, the last month’s rent on the lease and a security deposit along with a utility deposit, she said. Plus, they must have income three times the rent, she noted.

“Good luck finding a place” with those barriers, Ms. Lynch said. “Direct cash assistance is critical.”

She indicated that she is working with the administration to avoid that prospect.

She added that she would advocate for including at least $2 million a year in general fund dollars to ensure the fund remains in existence in future years.

Free community testing for COVID-19 continues

The Richmond and Henrico County health districts are offering testing at the following locations:

• Thursday, Sept. 28, 1 to 5 p.m. - Henrico Arms Apartments, 1566 Edgelawn Circle.

• Friday, Sept. 29, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Southside Women, Infant and Children Office, 509 E. Southside Plaza.

• Wednesday, Oct. 4, 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. - Eastern Henrico Recreation Center, 1440 N. Laburnum Ave.

Call the Richmond and Henrico COVID-19 Hotline at (804) 205-3501 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday for more information on testing sites, or go online at vax.rchd.com.

The Virginia Department of Health also has a list of COVID-19 testing locations around the state at www.vdh.virginia.gov/ coronavirus/covid-19-testing/covid-19-testing-sites.

Want a COVID-19 vaccine or booster shot?

The Richmond and Henrico health districts are offering free vaccines for COVID-19 and more. Those interested can schedule an appointment online at vase.vdh.virginia.gov, vaccinate.virginia.gov or vax.rchd.com, or by calling (804) 2053501 or (877) VAX-IN-VA (1-877-829-4682). VaccineFinder.org and vaccines.gov also allow people to find nearby pharmacies and clinics that offer the COVID-19 vaccine and booster.

Those who are getting a booster shot should bring their vaccine card to confirm the date and type of vaccine received. RHHD also offers at-home vaccinations by calling (804) 2053501 to schedule appointments.

The Pfizer booster is approved for ages 12 and up, while the new Moderna booster is for ages 18 and older.

As with previous COVID-19 boosters, the new doses can only be received after an initial two vaccine shots, and those who qualify are instructed to wait at least two months after their second COVID-19 vaccine.

The Richmond and Henrico Health Districts also offer bivalent Pfizer and Moderna boosters to children between the ages of 5 and 11. Children in this age range will be eligible after at least two months since their last vaccine dose.

Compiled by George Copeland Jr.

Real talk

Virginia State University students recently heard from media personalities and social justice activists about issues that disproportionately impact people of color. At the same time, students gained insight on how to inspire positive change in their world. The free discussion, “Safe Spaces for Black Men,” at VSU on Sept. 22 also included a special focus on African-American men and mental health as part of several “HBCU Across America” forums as part of “Real Talk Drives Real Change” events taking place throughout the country. Presented by NewsOne, an Urban One/iONE Digital owned digital property, speakers included, from left, Dondré Whitfield, who starred in the OWN series “Queen Sugar,” Richard Gray, director of the Center for Community Organizing & Engagement, New York University; moderator, Mike Muse, a political commentator and host of SiriusXM’s “The Mike Muse Show”; Shane Ward, an artist and shoe designer; and Ellery Lundy, founder and president of the Broken Men Foundation in Richmond.

City’s switch to VRS approved

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Richmond city employees could soon have the option of becoming members of the Virginia Retirement System.

Despite some lingering concerns, City Council cleared the way Monday for a major overhaul of City Hall’s pension offerings by unanimously approving a plan Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s administration proffered that would enable the city to join VRS.

VRS’ board still must agree, but the city administration appears confident of receiving approval.

In a statement, Mayor Stoney praised the council for approving “reform to the city’s retirement system. The city’s public servants deserve the best benefits. This is the right move for our city.”

Before the vote, Richmond was one of only seven localities to operate a retirement system separate from VRS.

Assuming VRS approval, the proposal calls for new city employees to be enrolled in the state system beginning Jan. 1, according to the administration’s plan. Current employees would have a year to decide

whether to remain with the Richmond Retirement System or switch to VRS.

RRS will continue to serve previous retirees and current members. Under the proposal, the city plans to sell $100 million in bonds to shore up the RRS so it can meet the standard of having 80 percent funding of its pension obligations.

Before the vote, the city’s chief administrative officer Lincoln Saunders and executives who report to him, urged council to approve the plan.

Council was told repeatedly that departments in the city have a harder time recruiting because many of the applicants now have their retirement with VRS and hesitate to take city positions to avoid having to give up VRS and join RRS.

Among other benefits, VRS provides annual cost of living increases in retirement payments while RRS has been unable to do so.

Employees who select VRS would face making a contribution, but the city plans to raise salaries to cover the cost of the contribution, Mr. Saunders said. He told the council that the move to

VRS also would benefit the city budget, and that sticking with RRS alone would require the city to spend an additional $5 million next year, while making the transition to VRS would save the city $4 million in the first year.

Separately, the council put a hold on another potential employee benefit – assistance with a home purchase.

The administration has proposed to expand an existing program that provides up to $25,000 in assistance to teachers, police officers and firefighters to all city employees. The plan called for $1.3 million in federal funds the city has received to be used for the program.

Sixth District Councilwoman Ellen F. Robertson won agreement to hold off approving the plan while the council considers whether to use the money for other purposes.

One potential use would be to steer the money to the city’s family crisis fund, according to 5th District Councilwoman Stephanie A. Lynch. The fund provides direct aid to pay off bills so that hardpressed families can stay in their homes, but is rapidly running out of money.

Council changes housing zoning policies

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Richmond is taking a swing at boosting the supply of housing in hopes of stabilizing the soaring costs that are making it hugely expensive to rent or own.

On Monday, City Council revamped two zoning policies to make that happen, capping a three-year effort to overhaul the policies.

First, the members of the governing body approved an ordinance to make it easier for people to build a small housing unit in their backyard or install one in a basement, attach one to their home or add one to a garage. Such dwellings, which can be rented or used to house parents or other family members, are also called accessory dwelling units, or ADUs.

Seeking to encourage such development, the council approved a measure that would end the need of homeowners to get special permission from the council to develop an ADU and instead allow any owner of a home the right to do it.

It has been commonplace in The Fan

where many former carriage houses and garages are now rental quarters, but uncommon in much of the city. The hope is that the change will lead more people to replace lawns with ADUs.

“It’s something I’ve been talking about for four years,” said 1st District Councilman Andreas D. Addison.

While Mr. Addison doesn’t think it will lead to a tiny home boom, he sees the legislation opening the door to more home building on existing sites.

Secondly, the council approved the overhaul of the 2020 ordinance governing short-term rentals in a bid to halt the practice of investors buying up homes and turning them into Airbnbs.

The new law strengthens the requirement that a home in a residential zoning district must be owner-occupied for a major part of the year and the principal residence of the person who is advertising a room or the house for rent. The requirement states that that regulation does not apply to short-term rentals built in business districts.

The ordinance also seeks to make it

Currently, more than 1,100 homes in the city are now mini-hotels, which absentee owners advertise for visitors who may stay a few days or a few weeks, paying on average $172 a night, according to a data tracking service.

Fewer than 100 are properly licensed under the short-term rental ordinance passed in 2020, the city has reported. With demand for houses still exceeding supply, this conversion into short-term rental space has helped distort the real estate market, the council was told by multiple speakers who urged passage.

Short term

harder for people engaged in the shortterm rental business to evade city licensing requirements. Third District Councilwoman Ann-Frances Lambert earlier this month acknowledged to the Planning Commission that she had not abided by licensing rules in offering a short-term rental.

Photos by Brian Palmer

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Tropical Storm Ophelia’s heavy rains, flooding and strong winds sweep through the city Sept. 23. A motorist navigates pouring rain along Meadow Street and Overbrook Road in Richmond.

HumanKind’s direct cash funds may soon dry up

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What would you like the power

Developer seeks to expand family’s legacy in Tappahannock

Continued from A1

panies before founding her own company, 7andM Development, LLC in 2017.

Armed with such education and knowledge, Ms. Monterio and her mother decided that a mixed-use development project that includes senior and workforce housing was one way to help restore the community. She and her mother unveiled an $80 million proposal, Essex Point at Mt. Clement, to the Essex County Economic Development Authority last October.

The 13-acre parcel they plan to develop is currently zoned for business, so they are seeking to have it rezoned from B1 to PUD in order to allow for a mixeduse development that includes senior and workforce housing. Providing housing for teachers, nurses and others who work in the community is something Ms. Monterio said is integral to their vision of the project.

“Workforce housing is important because only 30% of people who work in Essex County live there because there is not enough housing

Civil rights, labor unions back casino campaign

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III urged voters to back the project and stated that the endorsement “is consistent with the NAACP’s historic commitment to economic opportunity and advancement for people of color.”

Along with the state NAACP, the branch enthused over the prospects that the development would produce 1,300 permanent jobs and has set goals to have 40% inclusion of minority businesses and to have 60% of employees hired form the city.

The branch and state NAACP also noted the projections that the project would generate $30 million in annual tax revenue for the city, with the lion’s share, $19 million, to be devoted to support child care and early childhood education.

The Crusade, the oldest Black political group in the Richmond area, also urged voters to support the project proposed for development on a 100-acre site at Commerce Road and Walmsley Boulevard at Interstate 95’s Bells Road interchange in South Side.

On Tuesday, Charles Skelly, president of the Richmond Area Building and Construction Area Building and Construction Trades Council, led a contingent of labor union members in promoting the gusher of jobs that will be created to build the huge development.

Mr. Skelly announced at the casino’s campaign office in Shockoe Bottom that a project labor agreement (PLA) had been reached with the general contractor, Hourigan Construction, ensuring skilled workers on the project will be highly paid.

During the press conference, Mr. Skelly said plans are afoot for job fairs to recruit needed workers from Richmond.

If voters approve, he said that at least 1,700 carpenters, plumbers, electricians, ironworkers, laborers and other workers are likely to be employed in building the complex that is to include a casino, luxury hotel, 3,000-seat concert venue and a 55-acre public park.

With all the work going on in the Richmond area, Mr. Skelly said that potentially 300 to 600 people might need to be hired to work on the development if a majority of voters pass a referendum in the election on Tuesday, Nov. 7.

The casino’s Richmond Wins, Vote Yes campaign manager, Tierra Ward, said the PLA “would ensure fair wages and benefits, promote local hiring, include small, women and minority-owned businesses and create apprenticeship opportunities.”

The PLA is a pre-hire agreement that sets out the terms and conditions for the project that all subcontractors as well as the general Contractor must abide by.

“This project is good for the city for many reasons,” said Mr. Skelly, also the business agent for the electricians union, “and the most important reason to me” involves the jobs the project that will be created to build and operate the new space.”

Knight Williams, an apprentice in the carpenter’s union, said he was “excited about the opportunities this project” would create for himself and others who will take part.

On Monday night, City Council added its voice of support in passing a resolution calling for creation of a trust fund that would use new tax revenue from the casino to support child care and early childhood education.

If the casino is approved, the partners in the enterprise, Kentucky-based racing and gambling conglomerate Churchill Downs and Maryland-based Bmedia giant Urban One, to make an immediate contribution of $26.5 million to the city.

Of those funds, $14 million is to be spent to add day cares to the new T.B. Smith and Southside community centers, with another $4.5 million to be used to support day care operations.

In addition, the council plans to earmark $19 million of any new tax revenue the casino generates yearly to the trust fund to assist in expanding child care options for city residents.

The two companies have contributed a record $8 million to support the campaign, or four times what was spent in 2021 by casino advocates.

Even so, a scrappy opposition is still seeking a repeat of the 2021 vote in which a majority of Richmond voters rejected the casino proposal.

Paul Goldman, who heads the No Means No Casino campaign, called it “shameful” that labor unions and civil rights groups are so committed to a project that involves “fleecing workingclass people. You can’t get the benefits unless there are plenty of people whom these groups supposedly support who end up losing their money.”

On Tuesday, Dr. David Wright, pastor of the Community Church of God in Christ, joined the No Casino campaign. He declared that the “casino may be legal, but is immoral.” He said he was recruiting other ministers to stand in opposition.

available,” Ms. Monterio said. “There was also a big lack of places for seniors to age in place and to age with some resources and amenities around them.”

The need for housing and amenities in the town has been a recurring theme from supporters and opponents of the development project.

Among the supporters Ms. Monterio has attracted are residents and county officials such as Thomas Blackwell, commissioner of the revenue for Essex County. He said by phone that the supporting letter he wrote quoted part of the presentation Ms. Monterio and her mother made to him several months ago.

“They said this plan was to accomplish a goal of bringing commerce, culture, community and affordability. I liked that phrase that they used because it does touch on four very important areas, and especially the community part of it,” he added.

Rev. Cornelius Holmes is another supporter. He has lived in Tappahannock for the past six years as pastor of First Baptist Church, but said he has a longtime connection to the area growing up in neighboring King and Queen County.

“The county has a need for housing,” he said in a recent telephone call. “What makes this so unique is that this family has a history of not only living in the county, but having businesses in the county and

contributing to the welfare of the county.”

That land ownership is something Ms. Monterio says not every family has. It’s a reason she calls her family blessed and she says her grandfather believed those who are blessed should do good with that blessing. That is what she sees as the goal of Essex Point at Mt. Clement.

In announcing his Make Virginia Home Plan initiative last year, Gov. Glenn Youngkin noted that “access to attainable, affordable, and inclusive housing is not only a fundamental need but also a strategic component for the prosperity of our state.”

“During our efforts to attract and retain businesses to Virginia, the availability of workforce housing for their future employees was consistently raised by employers,” added Secretary of Commerce and Trade Caren Merrick. “It’s clear there is a strong connection between economic growth and needs for attainable housing options.”

Accessible and affordable housing in the state has long been an critical issue, but getting development projects off the ground is challenging, especially for developers of color who often lack access to the large amounts of capital financing required says Lauren Counts, the head of national programs with Capital Impact Partners (CIP), a community

development financial institution headquartered in Arlington. They provide loans and capacity building through a variety of training programs across a national market.

She said the organization noticed in 2018 that many of their loans for affordable housing weren’t going to developers who live in those communities.

“We know as an industry, people of color and women in particular are underrepresented,” Ms. Counts said in a Zoom interview. “They’re less than 3% of the overall population of real estate developers.”

CIP developed the Equitable Development Initiative which they launched in Detroit. In 2019, it was expanded to the D.C. region and Ms. Monterio was among the 30 individuals in its first cohort for a 16-week intensive training program.

She said CIP was happy to support Ms. Monterio with predevelopment funding.

“She is a developer with experience in large project affordable housing as a consultant and to be able to develop land she owns to address housing issues in the region — it’s very rare.” Ms. Counts said.

The latest step in getting approval for the project was a public meeting before the Essex County Planning Commission that took place Sept. 5.

While the majority of those who spoke, including Rev. Holmes, did so in favor of the

development, those against it cited issues with traffic, utilities and the impact it may have on both existing and future industry in the area. The suggestion made of swapping the family’s land for another parcel drew some responses from supporters who felt the comments were disrespectful and dismissive of a family whose legacy is well-known and highly regarded.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the commission voted to recommend the proposal be denied citing concerns over exceptions that would be required, such as allowing the 15-acre minimum to be waived.

Speaking by phone about the result, Ms. Monterio said she was “shocked and very disappointed” by the decision.

But this denial is not the end of the line, she said.

Ms. Monterio will present her proposal to the Essex County of Board of Supervisors on Monday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m. in the Essex High School auditorium in Tappahannock.

She remains hopeful because the board makes decisions independently so they do not have to follow the planning commission’s recommendation.

In the meantime, she is urging people to write or call the board of supervisors to make their voices heard.

“We’re not going away,” Ms. Monterio said. “This is our land and we are going to continue to fight.”

Council: Sheltering the unsheltered during Ophelia

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restaurant space on the Broad Street side of the building. People could be seen sitting in chairs at tables. Food was brought from the City Jail. No cots or sleeping bags were visible.

The space also was limited. Initially, the city said there was space for 30 people.

Traci Deshazor, the deputy chief administrative officer for human services, said ultimately 40 single men and single women were served. Adults with children were turned away.

She said she was proud of the work done for those who did get in. She did not speak about any efforts to help those who could not in a storm that dropped three inches of rain from Friday through early Sunday.

At the council’s Public Safety Committee meeting Tuesday, both homeless advocates and members of the council were critical of what appeared to them to be a slapdash, last-minute effort to provide some shelter for a few people, with others being left in the lurch.

A video post that Rhonda Sneed, co-

founder and leader of the homeless services group Blessing Warriors RVA, filmed at least 10 people trying to shelter on the porch of Richmond’s Main Library as rain poured down.

“Once again we were behind the eight ball, being reactive instead of proactive,” said Blessing Warriors volunteer Bridgette Whitaker, who was at City Hall on Monday evening.

“We could have done better,” said Nancy Wilson, another volunteer with the group. “This is supposed to be a city of compassion. I didn’t see that.”

Eighth District Councilwoman Reva M. Trammell, who chairs Public Safety, said that City Hall is not the place to set up a shelter as it lacks the basics, including medical services and a place to prepare meals.

“We have been here not once, not twice, not three times, four times or five times. This is the seventh time,” said 5th District Councilwoman Stephanie A. Lynch. “We have all been in a predicament where we are facing a very serious weather event that could cause harm to the unhoused, very medically vulnerable people.” As was the case before, “we did not have

a plan for it.”

Third District Councilwoman AnnFrances Lambert and Council Vice President Kristen Nye, 4th District, also expressed dismay at the inability of the city to be ready even though officials knew the storm was coming days before it hit.

Ms. Lambert wondered why there wasn’t a plan in place already instead of city officials scrambling at the last minute. Ms. Lynch and Ms. Nye both argued that the city should have a shelter set up and ready ahead of the storm. “We’d rather get it stood up and then shut it down if the storm doesn’t hit, than throw something together at the last minute,” Ms. Nye said. “That is not a good solution.”

Stephen Willoughby, city director of emergency communications, preparedness and response, could offer little explanation. He said a plan is being created and would be presented to the council. He said he is helping to write the criteria that would trigger the opening of an emergency shelter during a huge weather event, high heat or freezing cold. He did not offer a specific date when the plan would be ready.

Quincy Jones receives Peace Through Music Award

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CEO Harvey Mason Jjr. at a ceremony boasting an eclectic lineup of American and international talent across generations and genres.

In 1956, Mr. Jones served as the music director and trumpeter for Mr. Gillespie and his band on the first U.S. State Department jazz tour of Southern Europe, the Middle East and South Asia. The tour was part of a Cold War program to spotlight American music and culture and counteract similar efforts by the Soviet Union.

Mr. Jones went on to become one of the biggest influences on music, producing the top-selling album of all time, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and “We Are the World,” and receiving Oscar nominations for the score and original song from “The Color Purple.”

The Global Music Diplomacy Initiative launch includes three key announcements: a partnership between the State Department and the Recording Academy for the

American Music Mentorship Program to bring artists to the U.S. for career development opportunities (the first kicks off in Fall 2024); music-focused efforts to promote an English-language learning curriculum abroad and the FulbrightKennedy Center Visiting Scholar Award in Arts and Science.

“You’re going to see a long-standing partnership between the Academy and the State Department,” Mr. Mason said in an interview. He called music the ideal tool for diplomacy.

“I just believe music has a special and unique way of bringing people’s awareness to the forefront. And it’s almost darn near magic. It’s like, we call it ‘the miracle of music.’ It has the ability to have people who may or may not even like each other, stand next to each other, and nod their head, clap their hands and sing,” he said.

“Or it has people who might come from different countries or have different beliefs, different religions — all total polar

opposite views of the way the world works — but they love their favorite artists, and they all love it just the same as the other man or woman.”

The State Department has long instituted music-based diplomacy initiatives, from President Roosevelt founding the Office of Inter-American Affairs (OIAA) in 1940 to Bruce Springsteen performing for 300,000 fans in East Berlin in 1988, the year before the wall fell, to the 2010s “Next Level,” an effort to build a global community through hip-hop.

“I’ve always had a deep love for music in part because it has the potential to connect cultures and tell the American story around the world,” Mr. Blinken told the AP.

“By launching this effort, we hope to expose a new generation of global audiences to what previous generations have found so compelling: Our people and culture. We have no more powerful tools in our diplomatic toolkit, and I look forward to seeing — and listening to — the results of this initiative.”

House Speaker McCarthy is back to square one as Senate pushes ahead to avert federal shutdown

Continued from A1

troops and reservists to work without pay, close down many federal offices, and leave Americans who rely on the government in ways large and small in the lurch.

President Biden in California at a meeting of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology said Wednesday he didn’t think a federal shutdown was inevitable.

“I don’t think anything is inevitable when it comes to politics,” President Biden said.

But when asked what could be done to avoid it, the president said: “If I knew that I would have done it already.”

As the Senate pushes ahead in bipartisan fashion, Speaker McCarthy is demanding President Biden meet to discuss border security measures. But the beleaguered speaker has little leverage left with the White House without the power of his House majority behind him and after he walked away from

the debt deal he and President Biden reached earlier this year that is now law.

On the other side of the Capitol, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer opened the chamber warning of the right-wing extremes that “seem to exult in shutting down government.”

The Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell was in rare agreement with the Democratic leader, urging his House colleagues to consider the Senate’s stopgap approach and move off the shutdown strategy.

“We can take the standard approach and fund the government for six weeks at the current rate of operations or we can shut the government down in exchange for zero meaningful progress on policy,” Sen. McConnell said.

Sen. McConnell said he, too, would like to do something about the “Democrats’ reckless spending” and boost border security. But he said, “these important discussions cannot progress” if the functions of government “end up being taken hostage.”

When Sen. McConnell mentioned a vote against the bill would mean voting against pay for border patrol agents and others, it sparked a response from President Biden on social media.

“You know, I agree with Mitch here. Why the House Republicans would want to defund Border Patrol is beyond me,” President Biden wrote.

With the Senate expected to spend the rest of this week working to pass its bill over the objections of Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and others on the right flank who want to halt aid to Ukraine and push for steeper spending cuts, all action in Congress is crushing toward a last minute deadline.

The federal government would begin to shut down if funding is not secured by Sunday, Oct. 1, the start of the new fiscal year.

A new economic assessment from Goldman Sachs estimated a federal shutdown would subtract 0.2 percentage points from fourth quarter GDP growth each week it continues, according to a report issued Wednesday.

History of the 2nd Street Festival in Jackson Ward, Richmond, Virginia

Thousands of smiling faces, musical sounds and delicious food will unite at the 35th anniversary of the 2nd Street Festival on October 7-8, 2023, in the Historic Jackson Ward neighborhood.

How did the festival get started? In early 1989, Richmond Renaissance approached Nina Abady, who was the director of Downtown Presents, about producing a gala event for the premiere of the video “2 Street.” The video, which was a cooperative effort by Richmond Renaissance, the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia, and the Valentine Museum, was scheduled for completion in the fall of 1989. This effort coincided with the City’s commitment to revitalize Second Street and Jackson Ward. Nina agreed to assist with the gala, invitation-only event, as long as it was coupled with a community celebration that was free and open to all. In mid-October 1989, big tents went up in the 500 block of North Second Street in front of the Hippodrome.

Today, the 2nd Street Festival celebrates 35 years with three stages of entertainment encompassing six city blocks from Broad Street to Jackson Street over two days. The stages were named to honor people and places connected to the festival and community. The Waverly R. Crawley Main Stage, named in remembrance of the late Mr. Crawley who was affectionately known as “The Mayor of Second Street.” The Joe Kennedy, Jr. stage is named in honor of Joe Kennedy, Jr. a classically trained violinist, educator, and active member of

the Richmond Jazz Society. The Eggleston Hotel Community Stage overlooks the location of the former Eggleston Hotel and Deli located at the corner of 2nd and Leigh Streets.

More than 35,000 people visit historic Jackson Ward to reminisce about the days when 2nd Street was the heart and soul of the African American community and known along the east coast as the “Harlem of the South” during the 1920’s to 1940’s. It was the only area in the city where black performers could entertain and obtain lodging. Worldrenowned greats including the likes of Duke Ellington, Lena Horne, Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, James Brown and many more performed at the Hippodrome Theater and other establishments along “the Deuce.”

The 2nd Street Festival has played host to many national and local recording artists including Morris Day & The Time, Average White Band, Ohio Players, Chuck Brown, DJ Grandmaster Flash, Larry Bland & the Volunteer Choir, Plunky and Oneness, James “Saxsmo” Gates, Maggie Ingram & The Ingramettes, Debo Dabney, Mighty Joshua, Virginia State University Gospel Chorale, VCU Black Awakening Choir, and many more.

The festival is always held the first full weekend in October which causes the weather and attire to vary from hot days to cool fall temperatures. In 2015 and 2022, due to the Governor’s call for a state of emergency for two different hurricanes, the festivals were both cancelled; but, both headliners, Con Funk Shun and DJ Grandmaster Flash, still performed a free concert inside The Hippodrome.

Over the years many people and organizations helped shape the festival with contributions from the Richmond Jazz Society, Metropolitan Business League, Black History Museum, Valentine Museum, Historic Jackson Ward Association and many others.

Today, while the history of 2nd Street and Historic Jackson Ward is the same, the festival and the community is being discovered by a diverse and vibrant group of individuals, families and business owners looking to continue the evolution of “the Deuce;” and Venture Richmond is proud to be a part of its history.

The 2nd Street Festival is produced by Venture Richmond Events, LLC. For more information on the festival, please visit VentureRichmond.com.

OCT. 7-8 • FREE ADMISSION

THREE STAGES OF GREAT MUSIC, ARTS, FOOD AND FUN!

STAGE SCHEDULE 2023

Saturday, October 7

WAVERLY R. CRAWLEY MAIN STAGE

1st and Marshall Streets

11:30 – 12:30pm

1:00 – 2:00pm

2:30 – 3:30pm

4:00 – 5:10pm

5:45 – 7:00pm

Aubrey Smalls Quartet

DJ Drake and MC Choco

Rodney “The Soul Singer” Stith

J Baxter & the S.A.U.C.E.

Average White Band

JOE KENNEDY JR. JAZZ STAGE

Clay and 3rd Streets

12:00 – 1:15pm

1:45 – 2:45pm

3:15 – 4:15pm

COUNTERPOINT featuring Wayne “Big Patt” Patterson

Debra Dean and the Key West

Ensemble

Jason Jenkins Group

4:45 – 6:00pm The Marvin Taylor Experience

EGGLESTON HOTEL COMMUNITY STAGE

2nd and Leigh Streets

11:35 – 12:00pm

Welcome – Historic Jackson Ward Association – Janis Allen

Lift Every Voice and Sing – Milani

Hopkins

Renaissance Roll Call – Gary Flowers

12:20 – 12:50pm Sports Backer’s Fitness Warriors

1:20 – 2:20pm Blendmasters Own DJ Hammer

2:50 – 3:50pm The Line Dance Prince – Carlos Vieira

4:10 – 4:30pm Richmond Urban Dance

Festival Weekend

Ceremonial Kick-Off Parade

Sunday, October 8

WAVERLY R. CRAWLEY MAIN STAGE

1st and Marshall Streets

1:00 – 1:30pm

Michelle Lightfoot & Friends 2:00 – 2:30pm Virginia Union University Choir

– 4:00pm Legacy Band

– 6:00pm I Would Die 4 U; A Musical Tribute to PRINCE

JOE KENNEDY JR. JAZZ STAGE

Clay and 3rd Streets

1:00 – 2:10pm

2:45 – 4:00pm

4:45 – 6:00pm

Drummer, Billy Williams, Jr.

Carl Lester-El Quartet featuring Corey El

Nathan Mitchell

EGGLESTON HOTEL COMMUNITY STAGE

2nd and Leigh Streets

– 1:40pm

of Faith Ministry

– 5:00pm The Johnny Lee Long Band

The festival opens honoring the benevolent, religious, financial, fraternal/sororal and civic organizations that played a vital role in the history of the Jackson Ward neighborhood. The short parade starts at 11:15am on Saturday at 2nd and Broad Street and moves three blocks northward to the Eggleston Community Stage.

Official Festival Poster Artist, Jowarnise

The 2023 official poster was commissioned to Jowarnise. A visual artist and designer based in Richmond, she explores the human condition related to race, social class, and culture through her art. Best known for her naturalistic portraits of women in eloquent poses, she often focuses on the female African American experience. Posters and tshirts for sale at the Venture Richmond tent on 2nd Street at the festival.

Radio One “2nd Street MIX” Weekend

Radio One’s “2nd Street MIX” weekend will get you ready for the festival by bringing you mixes from the hottest DJs in the city! Tune into 99.3/105.7 KISS FM on Saturday, October 7 from 4:00pm-midnight and Sunday, October 8 from noon-7:00pm. Hear mixes from DJ King Tutt, DJ Drake, and DJ Lonnie B playing all your favorite 2nd Street Festival hits! FREE Walking Tours, guided by Gary Flowers Venture Richmond Events will provide FREE guided walking tours led by Gary Flowers. Tour groups meet on the sidewalk at the Maggie Walker National Historic Site, 2nd & E. Leigh Street, and leave at 2:00pm on Saturday and at 2:00pm on Sunday. 60-minute free tours.

Kidz Zone

The Children’s Museum and Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia are producing the much-loved Kidz Zone! Some of the fun activities planned include a community art project, historical quilting, storytelling with guest readers, bag hat creations as well as a physical activity area with a variety of yard games. Balloons By Extreme will be on site for some balloon twisting fun too! The Kidz Zone is located in the parking lot between Clay and Leigh Street off of 2nd Street.

PRODUCED BY

For up-to-date information, venturerichmond.com #2ndStreetRVA #2ndStreet35

Four teachers but no students

Four Richmond Public Schools teachers have been assigned to teach in empty classrooms at the Richmond Technical Center, the school system has confirmed.

At a time when dozens of substitutes are filling teacher vacancies in other schools, the situation at the Technical Center evidences an educational experiment gone awry.

During the 2022 budget session, the School Board approved $1.5 million to pay for up to 20 academic teachers to be assigned to the Technical Center for the first time, despite a lack of enthusiasm from Superintendent Jason Kamras and his administration.

The purpose: To allow a portion of the students who are bused from home high schools to the North Side career and vocational training site to stay on campus rather than having to take the long bus trip back to regular classes after completing their Technical Center program.

As the Free Press reported that year, only a handful of students were ever assigned to classes, leaving most of the teachers with little to do. That was a disappointment for Jonathan Young, the 4th District School Board member who had pushed the idea.

RPS claimed last fall in the Free Press report on the relatively empty classrooms that more students would take academic courses during the second semester, but the Free Press has been told no change actually occurred.

Mr. Young hoped then that this school year would be different. Instead, fewer academic teachers were assigned to the center’s campus, and no students were assigned to their classes, according to RPS spokeswoman Tamika Massie.

She did not respond to a Free Press request for an explanation as to why the four teachers have no students. It is not clear whether students taking center programs, themselves, were interested in taking regular courses at the center.

Mr. Young called it “disheartening for the School Board to invest precious resources and then to learn no effort was made to carry out the program.”

He said he believes that counselors at high schools either were not informed or did not provide students with sufficient information and direction about the opportunity to take regular classes at the Technical Center.

“There is a recurring complaint about information sharing,” he said. “In my view, this situation has resulted from students not being adequately told about it.”

The result, he said, is that the administration appears to be doing too little “to honor the spirit of the policy that the School Board adopted in its budget.”

Meanwhile, in Superintendent Kamras’ recent newsletter in which he always shares upbeat messages, his “Teach With Love at RPS” initiative announces that the system is hiring all year long.

“So if you know of a great teacher who might like to join the RPS team, please tell them to apply now. We’re offering bonuses of up to $12,000!”

We’ll be watching to see how many teachers RPS lures with such an attractive offer. And we’ll be even more interested in learning how many students fill their classrooms.

There’s something about Richmond

For the past several weeks, film lovers have had their choice of movies to watch while enjoying a day or evening in the city. From the Afrikana Independent Film Festival Sept. 14-17, this week’s 12th Annual Richmond International Film Festival, and the upcoming Sitelines BLM Action Film Festival, Richmond is awash in a range of festivals and themes designed to make you think, offer diversity and provide opportunities for filmmakers to have their work seen and celebrated.

While such a variety of culture and talent is gratifying and certainly stunts complaints about there being nothing to do in Richmond, we can’t help but wonder why so many film festivals tend to sprout at the same time. We also wonder whether having multiple film festivals in a concentrated timeframe dilutes the attendance and attention each festival receives.

Here’s a thought. What would happen if some of these festivals were to be combined, and possibly lead to a more cohesive and impactful experience for the filmmakers, industry professionals and audiences?

Just a thought.

Class warfare always has existed

The United Auto Workers and the Big Three automobile manufacturers – Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis haven’t been able to agree on worker compensation, and no wonder. The UAW leader, Shawn Fein, is fiercely committed that workers should be better compensated and should recoup some of the concessions they made to manufacturers when the automobile industry was in trouble in 2009.

On the other side, the CEOs of the big three are touting their “generous” offer to the union, claiming they’d be bankrupt if they met union demands, and using terms such as “class warfare” to describe the current stalemate.

CNBC anchor Jim Cramer was among the first to mention class warfare when the UAW offered a set of reasonable demands. He fails to understand that when CEOs make hundreds of times more than the average worker, there is some kind of warfare.

Predatory capitalists extract surplus value from workers and direct it to shareholders and themselves. Thus, Ford GM Mary Barras earns more than $30 million a year, 362 times the average worker’s earnings.

Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares earns more than $24.8 million, 365 times the average worker.

And Ford’s James Farley earns $21 million, 281 times as much as the average worker.

Mary Barras defended her high salary by indicating that her pay is “performance-based.” She would not have performance were it not for worker productivity, but there is a gap between worker pay and productivity.

Predatory capitalists are capturing the benefits of both worker productivity and worker concessions, resulting in record profits among auto manufacturers. President Joe Biden was spot on when he said that record profits should mean record contracts. In other words, pay the people whose labor contributed to the record profits.

While the Big Three CEOs saw their compensation rise by at least 40% in the last four years, they’d deny similar pay increases to their workers. Indeed, the average auto worker earns $28 an hour, just a dollar, or less than 4%, more than last year.

Those hired before 2007 earn $33 an hour, but those employed after 2007 make only $17 an hour, the two-tier compensation the UAW is fighting to eliminate. How fair is it that two workers,

Dismantling

As a sitting vice president, it remains to be seen if Kamala Harris will eventually follow the political pathway of Joe Biden and ultimately ascend to the highest office in the nation. Vice President Harris, who graduated from Howard University in 1986, already has made history by becoming the first vice president to have graduated from a historically Black college or university. Her historic election was a proud and inspirational moment not only for the Howard University community, but for the entire HBCU family.

The HBCU legacy of shaping and educating future Black entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers, public servants, teachers, architects and engineers continues to be fulfilled despite the challenges resulting from limited funding and resources. The struggles facing all HBCUs are no secret, but they are deep-seated, and the root causes behind them are complex.

Despite being underinvested institutions with small endowments, tight budgets and higher percentages of students depending on Pell Grants, historically Black colleges and universities serve a critical mission. HBCUs always have had to do more with less, but this should not be the case for the HBCUs federally designated as land-grant schools.

Land-grant institutions are universities or colleges that benefited from the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890—proposed when Sen. Justin Morrill of Vermont served in the

standing side by side, have such a pay differential, one earning about half of what the other is making? That’s called worker exploitation.

The UAW agreed to it under challenging circumstances, and those circumstances don’t exist anymore. By the way, the lowerpaid workers also get fewer health and pension benefits, and the union proposal is partly about equalizing some of these benefits. The quest for fairness is something that CNBC’s Jim Cramer describes as “frightening.”

What is frightening is the increasing poverty in our nation. It’s frightening that predatory capitalists are getting away with extreme exploitation. It is frightening that CEOs make so much compared to labor and find nothing wrong with this. And it is empowering to see UAW President Shawn Fein fight fearlessly for workers in the face of CEOs who whine about a bankruptcy that won’t happen unless they figure out how to cut a deal with labor.

If they disagree, the consequences can be dire. If the 150,000 workers in the UAW all strike simultaneously, the union has enough in the strike fund to keep them out for three months. Meanwhile, the auto industry may lose over $5 billion, and a strike may push the economy toward a recession.

Auto workers aren’t the only

‘separate but equal’

House of Representatives, the Morrill Land Grant College Act of 1862 set aside federal lands— wrongfully taken from Indigenous nations—to create agricultural and mechanical schools exclusively for white students.

With the passing of the Agricultural College Act of 1890 (the Second Morrill Act), 19 HBCU land-grant institutions were established to provide a

similar education system for Black students, primarily in the South. This Reconstruction Era legislation aimed to provide a “just and equitable” allocation of funds between the 1862 and 1890 universities. Unfortunately, the reality of racial discrimination will always undermine any law recognizing that people of all backgrounds don’t start in the same place in society.

By taking advantage of ambiguous legislative language, the states created a loophole to use when providing greater appropriations to white land-grant institutions. The funding disparity and shortchanging of HBCUs are obvious to many philanthropic groups, resulting in millions of dollars being donated to HBCUs. But states should never be let off the hook. The Biden administration is taking note of the more than $12 billion disparity between HBCUs and white institutions. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack sent a letter to 16 state governors calculating how their respective state land-grant HBCU institution was underfunded from 1987 to 2020.

For example, North Carolina A&T State University has a $2 billion funding disparity compared with North Carolina State University, an original 1862 land -grant institution. Likewise, Prairie View A&M University in Texas and Southern University and A&M in Louisiana have $1.1 billion in underfunding compared to the 1862 land-grant institutions in their states. The letters were sent to the governors of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.

The question remains: What will be the long-term response by each state? The dismantling of segregation laws in the 1960s did not mean states fully ended discrimination when funding HBCUs. The legal doctrine of “separate but equal” was always a sham that never provided equal protection, accommodations or facilities for all people.

The current disparity in financial support shows HBCUs often are seen as an after-thought, and in other cases, a continuation of the “separate but equal” mindset where states’ rights perpetuated a racial culture where governors and state lawmakers were emboldened to do whatever they wanted to do against people of color.

The Biden administration appears willing to dismantle the long-term effects of “separate but equal.” Having a U.S. vice president who is an HBCU grad should be a constant reminder that HBCU students are well worth the investment.

The writer is the founder of the faith-based organization, TRB: The Reconciled Body.

The Free Press welcomes letters

The Richmond Free Press respects the opinions of its readers. We want to hear from you. We invite you to write the editor. All letters will be considered for publication. Concise, typewritten letters related to public matters are preferred. Also include your telephone number(s). Letters should be addressed to: Letters to the Editor, Richmond Free Press, P.O. Box 27709, 422 East Franklin Street, Richmond, VA 23261, or faxed to: (804) 643-7519 or e-mail: letters@richmondfreepress.com.

ones at risk. Those who supply auto manufacturers with parts will probably have to lay off workers if auto manufacturing slows. There may be fewer automobiles available, and the fourth quarter is often a time when car sales go up. Fewer cars also may mean inflationary increases in automobile prices. If all auto workers go out at the same time, it will be catastrophic for the economy. Even if fractions go out, as 12,000 did on Friday, Sept. 15, it will disrupt the economy.

The auto strike encourages other workers to stand up for themselves. Kaiser employees will strike by the end of this month if they can’t agree with management about the terms and conditions of work.

Others are considering strikes, and labor unrest is at an all-time high. Workers want to be paid fairly. That’s not class warfare, that’s survival.

The writer is an economist, author, and educator in Washington, D.C.

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Regina H. Boone reginaboone@richmondfreepress.com James Haskins, Rudolph Powell and Clinton A. Strane Vice President – Administration Tracey L. Oliver traceyoliver@richmondfreepress.com

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David W. Marshall

Julianne Malveaux

Virginia NAACP endorses Richmond Grand project Voter registration drives

The NAACP Virginia State Conference (Virginia NAACP) is joining the Richmond Branch NAACP in endorsing the Richmond Grand project in the city of Richmond and encouraging Richmond residents to vote “yes” for the casino referendum on Nov. 7.

“We applaud efforts that provide increased opportunity for Black ownership and advancement. We are especially excited that this project is being led by the Richmond Grand project, a trusted NAACP community partner that will put Virginia on the map as being home to the only Black-owned casino in the nation, and that is something that should make us all proud,” said President Robert N. Barnette Jr.

In addition to $30 million in annual tax revenue, Richmond Grand has committed to $16 million in charitable contributions to support Richmond priorities like education, workforce development and affordable housing.

Richmond Grand will be an important tourism magnet, drawing 225,000 visitors annually to Richmond. Visitors outside the city will generate at least two-thirds of Richmond Grand’s revenue.

Richmond Grand will create 1,300 good paying union careers that average $55,000 in compensation with benefits like health care and retirement and a 60% local hiring objective, giving Richmonders the first shot at these

good jobs.

The Virginia NAACP supports programs and projects that provide diverse investment opportunities and wealth building.

The project also includes a 40% minority business enterprise goal to ensure Richmond’s small, women and minority-owned businesses participate in the construction and operations contracts for Richmond Grand.

Chartered in 1935, the NAACP Virginia State Conference (Virginia NAACP) is the Commonwealth’s oldest and largest nonpartisan civil rights organization. The Virginia NAACP advocates, agitates and litigates for civil rights due to Black Virginians.

Free

Members of the Richmond Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority are doing their part to help area residents register to vote in the upcoming General Assembly elections on Tuesday, Nov. 7.

During the Second Street Festival on Saturday, Oct. 7, and Sunday, Oct. 8, the sorority will operate a registration drive from noon to 3 p.m. at the Urban Hang Suite, 304 E. Broad St.

The sorority also will operate a registration drive from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, at the Farmers’ Market at Second Baptist Church, 3300 Broad Rock Blvd.

The organization also will offer voter registration at two nonprofit medical offices on Thursday, Oct. 12. From 8:30 to 11a.m., members will be at the Capital Area Health Network’s medical office, 719 N. 25th St., and from 3 to 5 p.m. the sorority will operate a registration drive at the Health Brigade Medical Clinic, 1010 N. Thompson St.

Please address any questions or bids to:

Candice D. Reid, City Clerk City of Richmond 900 East Broad Street, Suite 200 Richmond, Virginia 23219 (804) 646-7955

The City of Richmond announces the following project(s): Request for Proposals: 240002657 for Customer Information System Replacement

Project.

For all information pertaining to this RFP conference call, please logon to the Richmond website (www.RVA.GOV).

Proposal Due Date: October 25, 2023, Time: 11:00 A.M.

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

Data Analysis Manager – Capital One Services, LLC in Richmond, VA; Mult pos avail: Manage quant & qualt analysis & dvlpmnt of complex data structures to generate bus insights & spprt strategy. To apply, visit https://capitalone.wd1. myworkdayjobs.com/Capital_One and search “Data Analysis Manager”

Cellular Immunotherapies & Transplant Physician, Richmond, VA. Attend in inpatient Bone Marrow Transplant Unit. See patients in outpatient clinic for consults, posttransplant care & long-term survivorship. Mail resume to J. Fleming, VCU Health System Authority, 830 E. Main St., Suite 200, Richmond, VA 23219.

Thank you for your interest in applying for opportunities with The City of Richmond.

To see what opportunities are available, please refer to our website at www.richmondgov.com. EOE M/F/D/V

Ronald Acuna’s impressive homers, steals MVP-worthy

By Fred Jeter

Combining power plus speed like few others, Ronald Acuna Jr. has joined one of baseball’s most prestigious fraternities — “The 40-40 Club.”

On Sept. 22, the Atlanta Braves leadoff hitting right fielder became just the fifth in history to accumulate at least 40 homers and 40 stolen bases in a season.

TJ’s

The 25-year-old Venezuelan began this week with 40 homers and a major league leading 68 stolen bases. That was with a full week of regular season games left.

Others in the select “40-40 Club” are:

• Jose Canseco, 42 homers, 40 steals,

1988, Oakland

• Barry Bonds, 42 homers, 40 steals,

1996 San Francisco

• Alex Rodriguez, 42 homers, 46 steals,

win streak

1998, Seattle • Alfonso Soriano, 46 homers, 41 steals, 2006, Washington Acuna, who signed with Atlanta for $100,000 as an international free agent in 2014, also is the only player to have at least 30 homers and 60 swipes in a season.

Ronald Acuna

In 2019, he flirted with the “40-40 Club,” posting 41 homers and 37 steals for the Braves.

keeps flying by opponents

Vikings v. Justices Friday at Hovey Field

By Fred Jeter

With Rashaud Cherry’s steady hands on the steering wheel, Thomas Jefferson High School has its GPS set on “all the way to the top.”

The Vikings have taken off so fast you wonder if they’ve left patches of burned rubber along Richmond’s West End roadways.

“TJ has kind of been the shine of the city in recent years … now we’d like to take it to a state level,” said Vikings first-year Coach Eric Hunter.

So far TJ has blitzed Meadowbrook 34-7, Amelia 54-12 and Greensville 64-0.

The Vikings have dominated the statistics as they have the scoreboards, accumulating 1,158 yards of equally balanced total offense (638 rushing, 520 passing).

Up next will be a 7 p.m. kickoff Friday night against John Marshall at Virginia Union University’s Hovey Field.

TJ plays in Class of 3 (up from 2) in the Virginia High School’s six-tiered enrollment classification. The Vikings reached the State Class 2 semifinals in 2019.

The toughest game on this regular season schedule might be when TJ travels to Short Pump on Oct. 6 to face Class 5 powerhouse Mills Godwin.

Barring a rash of injuries, TJ will likely be the favorite in every other game prior to the playoffs.

There are stars aplenty on the TJ roster, starting with the quicksilver Cherry at quarterback. At 5-foot-9 and just 155 pounds, the junior is dual threat QB capable of playing numerous positions, as he did last year.

The

Philadelphia

“I consider myself an athlete first,” he said, adding that he compensates for lack of size with “heart and mentality.”

That athleticism so far has led to 510 aerial yards with six touchdowns, no interceptions, and no sacks. He also has run for 53 yards and two more TDs.

Cherry shares the spotlight with a quiver full of offensive weapons.

TJ has played football since the early 1900s and few Vikings have had a more productive night to their credit than senior wideout/ defensive back Torel Clark.

Against Greensville, Clark scored four TDs – two on punt returns, another of a fumble return and one on a reception.

“Our goals are to win the state championship and to have more college coaches come to our games to look at all our players,” Clark said.

Carmell McCloud, already with two TD receptions, also ranks with the stingiest defensive backs. He has one interception and has yet to give up a reception in his area.

Leading the rushing attack is DaShawn Stovall with 303 yards and four TDs on only 41 carries. Known as “D’Nice,” he averages 7.4 yards per carry.

“We want to leave a legacy, both as a team and individually,” he said of the current edition.

TJ is no one-season wonder. The Vikings have been a consistent playoff qualifier under a series of different coaches (Chad Hornik, P.J. Adams and Harrison).

Harris was the offensive coordinator last season under Josef Harrison. TJ started last season 7-0 and finished 8-4. An injury to do-it-all All-State sensation Aziah Johnson (now at Michigan State)

Can’t beat it

Along with his homers and steals, Acuna opened the final week of the 2023 slate with a .338 average, 101 runs batted in, and 143 runs scored. Acuna, the 2018 National League Rookie of Year and fourtime all-star, is a leading candidate for NL Most Valuable Player. His best competition may come from Los Angeles’ Mookie Betts, who bats leadoff and plays mostly right field for the Dodgers.

hampered the team down the stretch.

“We’re picking up this year where we left off a year ago,” Harris said.

“We had great spring and summer, and we pride ourselves in being a very physical team … and I think other coaches will tell you the same thing.”

Eagles‘tush push’ is becoming the NFL’s most unstoppable play

By Rob Maaddi The Associated Press TAMPA, Fla.

The most unstoppable play in the NFL was on full display under the bright lights Monday night.

When the Philadelphia Eagles need a yard, they often resort to the “tush push. ”

Quarterback Jalen Hurts lines up under center with two or three players behind him. He takes the snap, the offensive line surges forward and Hurts gets a big push from behind.

It almost always works. Even when it doesn’t, the Eagles do it again.

Hurts was stopped short of the end zone on third down from the 1 in the third quarter of a 25-11 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night. So Philadelphia went for it on fourth down. Tight end Dallas

Goedert, running back D’Andre Swift and wide receiver A.J. Brown provided the push from behind and Hurts crossed the goal line for a touchdown that made it 20-3.

In the fourth quarter, the Eagles did it successfully for the fourth time against the Buccaneers to extend a drive that chewed up the final 9:22. Philadelphia had tremendous success with the “tush push” last year on the way to reaching the Super Bowl, going 37 for 41. Opponents hate it because they can’t beat it. Enough complaints by other coaches led to discussion about potentially banning the play, but the NFL’s competition committee didn’t come up with a rule to be put to a vote that would prohibit it.

The Eagles can do it as often as they wish this season. The play has been legal in the NFL since 2005 when the league removed the language in the rule book that prohibited pushing offensive players. But no team has taken advantage of it quite like the Eagles under Coach Nick Sirianni and Hurts.

It helps having a quarterback who can squat 600 pounds and a dominant offensive line that features All-Pro center Jason Kelce, Pro Bowl left guard Landon Dickerson and All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson.

“Obviously it’s a play that we’ve had a lot

of success with over the last few years and it’s just a physical play,” Goedert said. “Jalen does a good job finding the weak spot of the zone. They were trying to jump over the pile today but I was ready for that in the back. If we need a yard, we’re gonna get a yard with our O-line. ... Jalen is gonna fight for it.”

On the sneak that resulted in a TD, Goedert put his arm around Hurts and tried to lift him in.

“I was yanking him for sure,” Goedert said. “They say you can’t pull, but I was behind him.”

The Buccaneers tried a different strategy by having defensive linemen leap over the offensive line to try to stop Hurts. “We’ve seen it with linebackers, but their nose tackle was trying to jump over, too,” Goedert said. “It’s one of those things where once they get their feet off the ground, it’s better for us, so if they jump, we’re going to get that (forward) movement for sure. It’s a risky play for them. I think they need to get (Steelers Hall of Famer) Troy Polamalu to time it up perfectly. That’s the only shot they got.”

Dickerson summed up the key to success.

“Execute your assignment,” he said.

In a copycat league, other teams have tried it. The Colts, Jaguars and Bears failed their attempts in Week 1. Nobody matches Philadelphia’s success rate and frequency.

“Not everyone has Jason Kelce, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens. Not everybody has Jordan Mailata. Not everybody has Lane Johnson on the other side. Not everybody has that type of quarterback,” Coach Sirianni said last week. “We noticed that last year when people were making maybe some big deals about it. There are a lot that are unsuccessful. ... But there is clearly a talent to it that our guys have, because it’s not as — maybe it’s automatic right now for the Philadelphia Eagles — but it’s not automatic around the NFL.

“I get that some people are complaining about it, but stop it. Stop the play. It’s not as automatic as people think as we’re seeing across the NFL. Our players make it work, right? Frankly, us as

coaches aren’t doing anything. We’re calling the play and the players are going out there and making it work. Now, we did a lot of studies on everything in the offseason to help ourselves be even better at it, but it’s about those guys up front. It’s about Jalen. I think we would be pretty successful without the push, but we’re just pushing them sometimes to give that extra thump.”

The Eagles even tried to fake a “tush push” in the third quarter, perhaps to give defenses some-

thing else to consider. Hurts started to drop back, but he stumbled and was tackled for a loss.

“I don’t think it’s stoppable two plays in a row. I think we had one or two here and there,” Buccaneers Coach Todd Bowles said. “That’s a lot of weight on both sides. It’s a great play that they got. They crafted it. The offensive line coach does a great job. They have a big athletic quarterback and you got push behind so it’s going to be tough. But we knew that going in.”

James Haskins/Richmond Free Press

The TJ Vikings have dominated the scoreboard with 1,158 yards of total offense (638 rushing, 520 passing). Up next will be a 7 p.m. kickoff Friday night against John Marshall at Virginia Union University’s Hovey Field. Members of the team include, top from left, Carmell McCloud, Isaiah King, Torel Clark and Timarion Venable; front from left, Rashaud Cherry and DaShawn Stovall.

Jalen Hurts

The Associated Press

With help from his offensive line, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts scores a touchdown Monday night against the home team Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Stories by Fred Jeter

Downpour fails to dampen Trojans’ 33-0 victory over Livingstone

Williams plus Williams has added up to four victories and zero defeats for Virginia State University football.

Romelo and Jimmyll Williams aren’t siblings but do share a common talent – getting the Trojans into the end zone.

In VSU’s Ophelia-soaked 33-0 win over visiting Livingstone, quarterback Romelo Williams kept his right hand dry enough to pass 119 yards and a touchdown to Tylique Ray.

The elusive signal caller was never sacked and suffered no interceptions.

He also ran 72 yards with a TD on 15 totes.

Running back Jimmyll (that’s with two “m’s” and two “ll’s”) kept his balance over a slick artificial turf to rush for 105 yards and a TD on 19 tries.

Rain is a pain for Panthers

On a night when players needed windshield wipers on their face masks, Virginia Union University veered off course and eventually went under.

It was a game only an umbrella salesman could love, but it counted: Fayetteville State 10, VUU 7, foiling the host team’s annual Willard Bailey Classic.

After averaging 33 points per game in its first three starts, Tropical Storm Ophelia and a determined Broncos defense kept the home team off the dripping scoreboard all second half.

“Now is the time to go back to the drawing board and work on some things, but I’m proud of our guys,” said Coach Alvin Parker, who did not use the atrocious weather as an excuse.

“Fayetteville came up here and beat us and I tip my cap to coach (Richard Hayes), his staff and players.”

Now 3-1, Panthers Coach Parker can

only pray for fair skies Saturday when his squad resumes CIAA play at St. Augustine’s in Raleigh, N.C. VUU routed the Falcons, 69-0, last season at Hovey Field.

The Falcons are 0-4 but showed grit in a 10-7 loss this past week at Bowie State.

Minus All-American Jada Byers, sidelined with an injury, the Panthers attack stalled, especially via the air routes. Quarterback Christian Reid was just 3-for-6 passing for 20 yards but did manage a 9-yard TD strike to Kaleb Carver in the early going.

Behind a rain or shine, always ready to rumble offensive line, backup Curtis Allen navigated between the raindrops for 155 yards on 30 carries, but the sophomore from Prince George made a costly error that turned the game in the visitors’ favor.

With 4:20 left, the pile-driving, 215pound Allen lost a fumble at the VUU

38. After doing next to nothing all night, the Broncos offense went on a nine-play, 28-yard drive that resulted in a 27-yard Jacob Meneses field goal with just six seconds to go.

VUU outgained the Broncos, 184 yards to 92, and had 12 first downs to the North Carolinians six, but the wet loss still stands.

All of the Panthers’ goals are still on the table, but now the margin of error becomes slimmer.

Facing two road games (at St. Augustine’s and at Elizabeth City), VUU is wishing for blue skies and a healthy Jada Byers, whose return remains an in-house secret. He’s missed the last two and a half games following a strong opener (149 yards, three TDs) against Morehouse.

Strangely, VUU is 12-3 over the past two seasons with all three losses at the friendly confines of Hovey Field.

Feeling the momentum, Coach Henry Frazier III’s squad will be favored to improve to 5-0 this Saturday at Shaw in Raleigh, N.C. VSU defeated Shaw, 28-24, last year in Ettrick.

Florida native Romelo Williams is a graduate transfer from Central Connecticut. R. Williams beat out incumbent Jordan Davis in the preseason to become first on the depth chart.

J. Williams, No. 26, a freshman from Durham, N.C., moved into a starting role following a most unfortunate, season-ending leg injury to Upton Bailey.

The speedster came to Ettrick with glowing credentials.

At Durham’s Hillside High, Williams rushed for more than 2,000 yards last season helping his team to a 13-1 mark and the state semifinals.

He was also an outstanding baseball player at Hillside, a formerly segregated school which opened in 1887 under the name of James Witted High.

VSU dominated the visiting Blue Bears in all categories. The Trojans had an advantage of 23-9 on first downs and 441 yards (including 298 rushing) to 132 in total offense.

Among the many defensive standouts was 6-foot-4, 278-pound redshirt freshman Cameron Davis from J.R. Tucker High. The burly down lineman had five tackles.

Unable to cope with the wet weather, Livingstone was 4-for24 in the air and averaged just 2.5 yards per rushing try.

This is the best start for the Trojans since 2017 when they started 10-0 and won their last CIAA title under Coach Reggie Barlow. Coach Frazier succeeded Barlow last season.

Trojans big man Bruno super sizes offense

All capital letters and an exclamation point are needed to describe Virginia State University’s offensive left tackle.

Bruno Onwuazor is not just big; he’s BIG!

The sophomore stands 6-foot-10, weighs 329 pounds, wears size 18 shoes, has hands the size of dinner plates and fills up an entire doorway passing through.

Asked about buying clothes, he said “I just get the biggest stuff they have.”

There’s talent to go with those imposing physical dimensions.

Onwuazor was named CIAA Offensive Lineman of the Week after helping the Trojans defeat St. Augustine’s, 55-12, Sept. 26 in Raleigh, N.C.

Coach Henry Frazier III’s team rolled up 24 first downs and 390 yards total offense, 198 of it as the result of crunching ground game.

“Bruno has begun to show the aggression on the running game that we’ve been looking for – lots of pancakes (blocks),” Coach Frazier said.

“But what you need to know about Bruno is that he’s not just big – he’s very athletic.”

About the only thing that is not super-sized about Onwuazor is his surprisingly svelte waistline.

Coach Frazier, a former Bowie State coach, steered Onwuazor first to the University of Maryland in 2021 before luring him to Ettrick last year.

It’s a compelling story that starts in Nigeria.

Born and raised on the African continent, Onwuazor moved with his family to Maryland in 2016.

“I’d never heard of football until I got here,” he recalled.

Under Coach Brian Brooks at Charles Herbert Flowers High in Springdale, Md., he sparkled in basketball (averaging 10 points, 13 rebounds as a senior), but never put on a helmet or shoulder pads.

That earned him a hoops scholarship to Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas, but he never suited up for the two-year school.

“That’s when I decided to change focus,” said Onwuazor of switching to the gridiron.

Coach Frazier at the time was Director of

Leadership and Character Development at the University of Maryland.

Onwuazor made the Terrapins roster but was redshirted and never took the field.

Enter Coach Frazier, again, with help of his long-time friend, Brooks, at Flowers High.

By 2022, Coach Frazier had become the VSU

coach and awarded Onwuazor a full scholarship and orange and blue jersey No. 74.

Last season, at age 21, he played his first football game, getting into seven contests with the Trojans.

“With the experience, I’m way better this year,” he said. “I feel like I have a big upside.

Now I’m trying to impose my will.”

As intimidating as his appearance may be, and as rugged as he is between the lines, the computer science major is softspoken and modest.

He seems like the kind of person who’d walk a block out of his way to avoid the possibility of stepping on an ant with those size 18’s.

“I’m mostly a shut-in,” he said. “I pretty much stick to myself playing video games – a lot of Atari.”

Onwuazor, while admitting his 6-foot-10 listing is “with my cleats on,” may be the nation’s tallest player.

The tallest in NCAA or NFL history was 7-foot Richard Sligh, a defensive lineman for the Oakland Raiders in the late 1960s. Sligh reached the NFL out of North Carolina Central, then a CIAA affiliate.

The NFL’s tallest current player is 6-foot10 Dan Skipper, an offensive lineman for Detroit.

Onwuazor’s goal is not just to rank among the CIAA’s largest players but to ascend to All-CIAA status and help the Trojans claim a title.

That would make the biggest news of all in Ettrick.

u

There is some disheartening news in the VSU camp. Running back Upton Bailey, who rushed for 214 yards in the opener at Norfolk State, is lost for the season with a leg injury.

The offense will try and compensate with a tag team of backs, including freshman Jimmyll Williams, who had 75 yards on six carries at St. Augustine’s.

Jimmyll Williams Romelo Williams

James Haskins/Richmond Free Press

Virginia Union running back Curtis Allen runs the ball in the rainstorm Saturday against challengers from Fayetteville State.

Darius A. Johnson says the heart of who he is as a person can be traced to his parents, Jerome J. Johnson and Roslyn A. Johnson, and his sister, Leslie N. Johnson.

“They created a model for me to follow and a standard for me to aspire to,” he wrote in an email. “They also inspired the love I have for my extended family and the responsibility I feel to uplift our community.”

A decade ago Mr. Johnson, vice president and treasurer for Dominion Energy, found a way to uplift and give back to the community through the Medical College of Virginia Foundation.

“One of my former clients, Gail Johnson, invited me to be considered for the board,” he explained. “Given my respect for her and passion for supporting health equity in and around the city of Richmond, I decided to get involved.”

This spring, Mr. Johnson accepted a two-year term as board chair. The MCV Foundation was founded in 1949 to support the MCV Campus, which is now known as Virginia Commonwealth University Health. The foundation manages more than $900 million in assets and operating funds which provide scholarships,professorships, research funding and program resources for the work performed at VCU Health through its seven academic and health care entities.

One of the ways it has done this is by working to raise funds for the Florence Neal Cooper Smith Professorship, which supports research to find a cure for sickle cell disease. Statistics show that one in 500 African- Americans are living with the disease, while about one in 12 have inherited the sickle cell trait.

On Sept. 16, the MCV Foundation was the beneficiary of the inaugural Florence Neal Cooper Smith 5K to support the Florence Neal Cooper

Personality: Darius A. Johnson

Smith Professorship at VCU.

The inaugural event was sponsored and hosted by the Richmond FACTS Committee (Finding a Cure Together 4 Sickle Cell).

“[The event] raised nearly $14,000 for the professorship we hold named in honor of Ms. Smith, who has dedicated her life to building awareness about sickle cell disease.”

Mr. Johnson said, noting that the MCV Foundation has worked to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding since 2014.

It also is accepting, stewarding and dispersing more than $70 million that will help to implement the Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials Award Program, a national program created to transform the clinical research landscape with the goal of increasing diversity in clinical trials.

The MCV Foundation continually works to raise awareness of the direct impact that donations from the community can have by sharing the work VCU Health does in research, education and patient care. Its semiannual publication, NEXT, is distributed to local nonprofits, business leaders, lawmakers and friends of campus, as well as being available through its website and social media platforms.

“I have found inspiration in the stories of people who have been personally impacted in a profoundly positive way through the services and service providers at VCU Health,” Mr. Johnson said of his work with the MCV Foundation over the past decade. “I find meaning in connecting my efforts and dedication to those stories.”

Meet a servant leader

who advocates and supports healthy outcomes for all patients and this week’s Personality, Darius A. Johnson: Volunteer position: Board chair, MCV Foundation.

Occupation: Vice president and treasurer, Dominion Energy.

Month and place of birth: October in Richmond.

Where I live now: Richmond.

Education: Bachelor’s in psychology, University of Virginia, MBA, University of Richmond.

Family: Wife Monique and daughter Phoebe. Medical College of Virginia Foundation is: An independent 501(c)(3) organization that manages more than $900 million in assets to ensure that VCU Health remains at the forefront of excellence and innovation in patient care, education and research. Through our

2,000 funds, we provide scholarships, professorships, research funding and program resources to support the lifesaving work occurring at VCU Health every day.

Through fundraising, stewardship and communications, the MCV Foundation serves as a resource and partner for seven academic and health care entities at VCU Health including VCU College of Health Professions, VCU School of Dentistry, VCU School of Medicine, VCU School of Nursing, VCU School of Pharmacy, VCU Massey Cancer Center, VCU Medical Center and its affiliated hospitals and clinics.

No. 1 goal as board chair: To ensure the foundation is a good steward of the resources raised for the MCV Campus and to have the right people in place to be able to do that in a responsible manner. VCU Health touches many people right here in Richmond, but also globally, and we have a tremendous duty, on behalf of those who contribute, to instill and maintain confidence in the organization to ultimately support healthy outcomes for all patients.

No. 1 challenge facing MCV Foundation: Increasing awareness of the incredible, world-renowned research, education and patient care that is happening and available right here in Richmond for all who need it, and how through giving to the MCV Foundation in support of VCU Health, community members can make an impact on exactly what they are passionate about in health care, research or

education.

Racial equity and MCV Foundation: As the top safety net hospital in Virginia, VCU Health works to ensure that everyone, regardless of circumstances, has access to the best care. The MCV Foundation exists to support that mission, which benefits people across the region and nation, regardless of racial, ethnic, socioeconomic and other factors. MCV and its historical relationship with Black Richmond: The MCV Foundation has worked since 2014 to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding for the Florence Neal Cooper Smith Professorship, which supports aggressive, cuttingedge research to find a cure for sickle cell disease. One in 500 African-Americans is living with sickle cell disease. Sickle cell trait, the healthy carrier state for the disease, occurs in about one in 12 African- Americans.

How MCV Foundation helps eradicate the history of health disparities that remain in Richmond: Virginia Commonwealth University announced in November 2022 that it is partnering with the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation and working alongside the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)

Amgen and Gilead Sciences to lead the implementation of the Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials Award Program, a national program created to transform the clinical research landscape with the goal of increasing diversity in clinical trials.

Ways to be involved with MCV Foundation: Learn more about the Florence Neal Cooper Smith Professorship,

and hear from Dr. Wally Smith at www.mcvfoundation.org/ sicklecell , or give directly online to support the professorship at www.mcvfoundation. org/supportsicklecell

You can also find the MCV Foundation’s recently published special issue of NEXT magazine, which features many ways in which VCU Health is addressing health equity in Richmond and improving access to care: www. mcvfoundation.org/NEXT

How I start the day: Yoga and prayer.

The three words that best describe me: Family-oriented, loyal, thankful.

If I had 10 extra minutes in the day, I would: Work out.

If I hosted a dream dinner party I would invite: My grandfather, Willie L. Alexander, (in his younger days) so I could get to know him as a young man.

Best late-night snack: Popcorn.

The music I listen to most is: Hip-hop.

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

A quote that inspires me: “Calm seas never made a good sailor.”

At the top of my “to-do” list: Achieve all of my goals.

The best thing my parents ever taught me: Humility, respect and kindness.

The person who influenced me the most: Mom, dad and sister. It’s a tie!

Book that influenced me the most: “Manchild in the Promised Land” by Claude Brown because it’s a “coming of age” story that I read while coming of age.

What I’m reading now: “Operation Firefly” by Lianne Young.

Next goal: Become a college basketball referee.

Lights and cameras

The 8th Afrikana Film Festival recently presented the premier of its first film production “Ninki Nanka” on Sept. 16. The film was written by revel denkyem, directed by LeRon Lee, and produced in partnership with Oakwood Arts and VPM. Left, the festival’s founder, Enjoli Moon, greets former Afrikana board member Josh Epperson, who now is the festival’s creative adviser. Actors in “Ninki Nanka” include Noelle Ramsay, Tiffany Jana and Jon Cope. Jaida Cureton was the film’s hair and makeup artist. Neci Hill and Paris Boynes were among the production’s crew members.

Photos by Julianne Tripp

Black voices and stories celebrated during Richmond’s recent Afrikana film festival

By Debora Timms

During the The 8th Annual Afrikana Film Festival Sept. 14-17 in Richmond, stories of Black and Brown people were told through a global lens with more than 50 films, several workshops, panel discussions and dining events.

Weeks after the festival ended, its founder Enjoli Moon shared her thoughts about this year’s event and her vision for its future.

RFP: What was the inspiration and motivation behind starting the Afrikana Independent Film Festival?

Ms. Moon: The initial inspiration came from what I call a divine download. I received a really clear vision for a film festival. While I initially thought it strange since I don’t have a background in film, I quickly saw the value of having a space dedicated to Black diasporic storytelling here, in the birthplace of the Black American experience, especially at a time when the city was in deep transition and establishing itself as an arts and culture city. In 2013, there was a real tide shifting in how Richmond looked and felt, and what it represented. But what we didn’t see at the time was a lot of reflections of Black Richmond, which represented more than half of our population. Afrikana allowed an opportunity for me, as a Richmond girl born and raised, to put a drop in that bucket and help balance the scales on some level.

RFP: Now in its eighth year, how has the festival grown and evolved since its inception?

Ms. Moon: One of the biggest pivots that we made was becoming a multi-day festival. When we started in 2013-14, we were a film series that hosted one short film, once a month, at an art gallery in the city. Because of the warm reception and desire for stories outside the mainstream, we were able to expand into the multi-day festival in 2016. Since then, it’s been interesting to watch the foundational pillars of the festival form, allowing us

to be consistent, but also giving us the space we need to expand our programming and stretch a bit. One of those examples can be seen in our Taste of Liberation Dinner, which we established in 2021. RFP: What were some of the highlights of this year’s festival?

Ms. Moon: This year’s festival was beautiful! We continued to stretch and expand our programming and bring something fresh to the city that we hope they loved. To continue the conversation on the Liberation Dinner, we hosted our third iteration with our celebrity chef-in-residence, BJ Dennis out of the Gullah Geechee region of South Carolina. Tarriona “Tank” Ball of Tank and the Bangas also joined us in conversation around their PBS docuseries “Rituals” and blessed us with a musical performance.

We also hosted a special focus on the connections between South Africa and the U.S. South through our “Sawubona: A Tale of Two Souths” programming, hosted in collaboration with the

About Afrikana and Enjoli Moon

Afrikana is dedicated to using high-quality, well-crafted stories to elevate Black culture.

Through Black creative expression, we are building a community rooted in lasting connections across the diaspora.

Enjoli Moon founded Afrikana in 2014. She is the assistant curator of Film and Public Programs at the Institute for Contemporary Art and co-creator of The JXN Project. She strives to curate high vibration spaces that center Blackness and the fullness of our experience, globally and here in Richmond, according to Afrikana’s website.

ICA at VCU.

Afrikana also stepped into new and exciting territory this year as we presented the world premiere our first Afrikana Films production, “Ninki Nanka,” a short film that was birthed through our inaugural script-to-screen filmmaker residency hosted earlier this year. (The film is described as exploring a teen’s attempt to escape a challenging home situation and encountering an otherworldly being.) The writer and resident, revel denkyhem, was selected through a screenwriters competition for BIPOC filmmakers we hosted last year. We partnered with the Viz Arts Center to host the residency and Oakwood Arts and VPM partnered on the film’s production. The film was directed by award-winning filmmaker, LeRon Lee.

And of course, we stayed true to our roots by taking over the RVA Arts District once again and hosting a myriad of films at different partner art galleries throughout the city.

RFP: Why is an independent film festival such as Afrikana important to Richmond and globally?

Ms. Moon: I think one of the reasons is because we represent the state’s only Black-owned and focused film festival. In an area that is home to the Black American story, having a place where our voices and our energy are authentically embraced is extremely important. We’re in a time now where lots of spaces are expanding and creating initiatives to ensure that more diverse voices are represented, which I think is important and a necessary evolution. But I also think that there is something to be said about having FUBU (for us by us) spaces — spaces that are designed for us and by us (in a city built for us) where all are welcome. Afrikana hopes to represent that for Richmond, and in the global festival landscape as well.

RFP: What are your plans for next year’s festival?

Ms. Moon: Stay tuned!

Bringing people together one conversation at a time

By Debora Timms

StoryCorps’ One Small Step, a national effort pairing strangers with opposing political views to get to know each other through conversation, will record conversations at the Library of Virginia Oct. 2-6. The program seeks individuals in the Metro Richmond area who would like to participate in the conversations.

Launched in 2021, One Small Step brings

strangers together for a 50-minute conversation about their lives, not a political debate. Each conversation is moderated by a trained facilitator and, if participants agree, their conversation will be archived at the Library of Congress.

One Small Step is based on contact theory, or the idea that meaningful interactions between people with opposing views can promote tolerance and acceptance and reduce political polarization. To date, more than 4,100 people in 40

states across the country have participated.

Recent research suggests that those who have taken part in a One Small Step conversation may feel more empathetic toward those on the other side of the partisan divide and that even just awareness of the program may make people more hopeful that civil communication is possible.

“In the coming years, our hope is that One Small Step will convince each of us to listen

Richmond area events celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

Free Press staff report Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 each year to acknowledge the history and contributions of individuals with roots in Spain, Mexico, Central America, South America and the Spanishspeaking nations of the Caribbean. Richmond and surrounding communities will recognize Hispanic Heritage Month during the First Responders Cultural Festival Community Cup soccer tournament in Chesterfield County on Sept. 30. The free event is a partnership between the City of Richmond, Virginia State Police and Chesterfield and Henrico counties. In

addition to the soccer tournament, there will be a children’s play zone, multicultural market, food trucks, first responders’ vehicles, entertainment and information booths.

The family-oriented event is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the River City Sportsplex, 13030 Genito Road. Gates open at 9 a.m.

Also on Saturday, Sept. 30, the Science Museum of Virginia and Radio Poder 1380 AM will present the second annual ¡Virginia Fiesta! from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The event will be a day-long celebration of science and culture that will highlight the contributions of the Hispanic

community in Virginia. It will include a community fair, live demonstrations, workshops, food trucks and vendors and cultural performances.

During ¡Virginia Fiesta!, Science Museum admission is $10 per person. Event activities in the Rotunda do not require admission. Science Museum members and children two and younger, as well as active duty military, retired military, veterans and teachers with ID receive free admission. Discounted tickets are available through the Museums for All program. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.smv.org/explore/things-to-do/ virginia-fiesta.

to people with whom we disagree and to have the courage to see the humanity in others,” says Dave Isay, StoryCorps’ founder and president.

Currently, Richmond is one of three One Small Step Anchor Communities along with Fresno, Calif., and Wichita, Kan. Richmond area individuals interested in applying to be matched for a conversation at the Library of Virginia may sign up at onesmallstep.storycorps. org/library-of-virginia.

Richard Samuel “Major” Reynolds III, corporate leader, civil rights advocate and philanthropist, dies

Free Press staff report

Richard Samuel “Major” Reynolds III lived his life by an axiom of British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill, who said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Mr. Reynold died Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, at age 89.

Mr. Reynolds was born Aug. 8, 1934, in New York to Richard Samuel Reynolds Jr., chairman and president of Reynolds Metals Company, and Virginia Sargeant Reynolds. His nickname of “Major” came from his great-grandfather, Major Abram David Reynolds. His grandparents were Richard Samuel Reynolds, founder of Reynolds Metals and owner of Robertshaw Controls, and Julia Louise Reynolds. Mr. Reynolds also was predeceased by his brother, former Virginia Lt. Governor, Julian Sargeant Reynolds, who died in 1971.

Mr. Reynolds was formerly vice president and a director of Robertshaw Controls, where he was responsible for mergers and acquisitions. He later became managing director of the Reynolds Trusts. In addition, he was president of the Richard S. Reynolds Foundation and along with his cousins, Randolph N. Reynolds, Glenn Reynolds Martin and Dorothy Reynolds Brotherton, worked to provide more than $66 million in grants for arts, education, environment, health and basic human needs. Mr. Reynolds also served as president of the Missionary Emer-

Pernell

gency Fund created by Major A.D. Reynolds.

For decades, Mr. Reynolds was an outspoken advocate for the Civil Rights Movement and efforts to support diversity in employment, education, and in those who showed promise as candidates for local, state and federal office.

He served as co-chair of the Capitol Square Civil Rights Memorial Fund Raising Committee. In support of that project, he and his cousins voted to make the lead gift to the memorial with funds from the Richard S. Reynolds Foundation. Unveiled on July 21, 2008, by former Gov. Tim Kaine, the memorial was described by Architectural Digest as the second most beautiful civil rights monument in America. In recognition of his dedication, he was awarded the William P. Robinson Medal by the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus.

For some 53 years, Mr. Reynolds served on numerous boards, including the State Board for Community Colleges, in the General

Calhoun Taylor Jr. remembered

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Sports was a big element of education for Pernell Calhoun Taylor Jr.

For more than 30 years, he was involved in athletics at Richmond’s John F. Kennedy High School, which has since been merged into Armstrong High School.

Along with teaching physical education, he also coached basketball and track and field and later moved up to director of athletics at the school.

His role in teaching students about the importance of teamwork and achievement is being remembered following his death at age 82 on Monday, Aug. 28, 2023.

Family and friends celebrated Mr. Taylor’s life Wednesday, Sept. 6, at Scott’s Funeral Home Chapel in North Side.

Mr. Taylor was born in Newport News and grew up in Richmond. His career in education came after graduating from Maggie L. Walker High School and earning his bachelor’s degree

at Virginia State College, now University.

After teaching art at Benjamin A. Graves Junior High, he later was part of the first faculty to open the new Kennedy High School that the city built on Cool Lane in the East End in 1968.

Mr. Taylor also was a longtime member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.

Survivors include Mr. Taylor’s wife of 55 years, Patricia Quarles Taylor; two sons, Previn Taylor and Peter Taylor; his brother, H. Nathaniel Taylor; and two granddaughters.

Mount Tabor Baptist Church

Assembly House of Delegates, and as a commissioner on the Virginia Port Authority. He served on the boards of JamestownYorktown Foundation, Jamestown-Yorktown Educational Trust, and the Medical College of Virginia Foundation.

Mr. Reynolds also sat on the boards of Virginia Union University, Woodberry Forest School, National Conference of Christians and Jews, Salvation Army, Boys Club of Richmond, the Virginia Advisory Committee U.S. Commission of Civil Rights, and the Board of Associates of the University of Richmond.

An ardent fundraiser, Mr. Reynolds served as chairman of campaigns for the Richmond Area United Givers Fund, United Negro College Fund, Jobs for Virginia Graduates, and the Richmond Area Mental Health Association.

He was honorary chairman of capital campaigns for J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College and Woodberry Forest School. In addition, he served on the capital campaign committee for FeedMore.

Mr. Reynolds attended St. Christopher’s School, graduated magna cum laude from Woodberry Forest School, and earned a bachelor’s degree in history, with honors, from Princeton University.

Mr. Reynolds was a member of the Commonwealth Club and The Country Club of Virginia, Cottage Club, Princeton, N.J., and the Knickerbocker Club in New York. He was a member and trustee of Second Presbyterian Church in Richmond.

He is survived by his wife, Pamela C. Reynolds; his son, Richard Samuel Reynolds IV; and his children, Martha Blair Reynolds, Richard Clark Reynolds, and Sarah Katherine Reynolds; daughter, Anne Brice Reynolds Robertson, and her children William Brice Robertson, Samuel Leigh Robertson, Katherine Grace Robertson, and Owen Reynolds Robertson; and daughter Katherine Reynolds Barsness and son-in-law George P. Barsness Sr., and their children George Paul Barsness Jr. and his wife Alden Denny Barsness, and Zachary Reynolds Barsness, and two great-granddaughters; Margaret Boyd Barsness and Louise Denny Barsness. He also is survived by nieces Virginia Reynolds Parker and Elizabeth Reynolds Daus, and nephews Julian Sargeant Reynolds Jr. and Richard Roland Reynolds.

A funeral service took place Tuesday, Sept. 26, at Second Presbyterian Church in Richmond.

Ruby D. Sharpe

SEPTEMBER 28, 2012

11 years ago today

Frank Sharpe Jr., Ann & Cathy Grandchildren & Great Grands

Mr. Reynolds

Mr. Taylor