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Salon De Résistance | Art Against Power

Join us for Salon de Résistance on April 30 at Black Iris for an unfiltered conversation about the role of art and culture during times of political upheaval with three of Richmond's leading artists. This is a free event open to the public. Event...

Cannabis Justice Moves Forward in Virginia After Years of Debate

Virginia’s effort to revisit outdated cannabis convictions is moving forward again, though in a revised form that shifts how people access relief. Governor Abigail Spanberger’s amendments to SB 62 / HB 26 replace the bill’s original automatic resentencing framework...

A New Stadium, an Old Feeling, and Opening Night

There are seats that stretch the wall in left field next to the foul pole fifty feet from the opposing team’s bullpen. I was sitting four bar chairs down from the pole waiting for my friend to arrive so we could get a dog and a burger before there were any lines. I’d...

Virginia Lawmakers Clash Over $1.6B Data Center Tax Breaks

State lawmakers will soon return to the Capitol after ending the General Assembly session without a budget, in part due to some debate whether to continue current tax breaks for data centers. The Democratic-led Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee put forth a...

Love Thy Neighbor

There was a new guy that moved across the street from me, a new neighbor, and every time he saw me on the front porch puffing away, he asked to bum a smoke. It got so incessant that I had begun smoking in the backyard instead, not wishing to part with any of my...

The Richmond Animation Festival Doubles Down This Year

For the 4th Richmond Animation Festival, the program expands to two nights of screenings.  First, on Saturday, April 25th, the Shorts program curated by Jordan Bruner and Zack Williams will screen at Studio Two Three, and the feature screening of Julian Glander’s...

Writer’s Block | Two Poems by Cameron Ritter

Writer’s Block is RVA Magazine’s series highlighting contemporary writers working in Richmond and across the Commonwealth. Each week, we feature original poems, short stories, or essays. Just real voices writing right now. This week, we’re featuring two poems by...

The Era of Straight-Up Greed (Or, Can I Live?)

I stopped for gas the other day, it’s $4.19 a gallon. You swipe your card, you move on. That’s just the baseline price of existing now in Richmond. Inside, I grabbed a couple things without thinking. A two-pack of Reese’s and an iced tea. The kind of purchase made a...

The Highs and Lows of Virginia’s Latest Marijuana Legislation

Last Wednesday, the Virginia General Assembly kicked off its 2024 session, now under the fresh leadership of a Democratic majority in both chambers and one of the first things we want to mention is new bill, HB 698, introduced by Del. Paul Krizek (D) and backed by Sen. Adam Ebbin (D), aimed at legalizing marijuana sales. This move is a big deal,...

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NYE Noise Demo Outside of Richmond Jail

A few hours before midnight, about two dozen protesters held a noise demonstration outside of the Richmond City Justice Center where the city’s jail is located. This annual event in Richmond happens every December 31st, going back a few years. The focus of the event is for the demonstrators to provide the people held inside the jail the...

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NYE Noise Demo Outside of Richmond Jail by Goad Gatsby 2024

Reviving Virginia’s Historic Black Cemeteries After Decades of Neglect

Hidden beneath the foliage at East End Cemetery are gravestones split in half, sunken into the earth and grave markers divorced from the bodies they honor. The Richmond cemetery is littered with fallen trees and debris. East End is not the only cemetery to find this fate. Historically Black and African American cemeteries across Virginia have...

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Reviving Virginia’s historic Black cemeteries after decades of neglect 2023 by Kofi Mframa

Huge Pressure on Small Politicians with Eyes on Virginia Elections

Have you ever this before, “this is the most important election in your life.” Perhaps this has been declared during a Presidential election, maybe in a Governor race, but almost certainly will you never hear someone claim that for state legislator race. Virginia has a unique election calendar, with state elections on odd years instead of...

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Huge Pressure on Small Politicians with Eyes on Virginia Elections

Color at Odds: Contrast In the Lines with Dathan Kane

2:45 PMJackson Ward85F Partly CloudyPlaylist: Butter on Spotify Soul Rotation was a galvanizing experience for my return to form in the creative hemisphere. A heartfelt experience, matched by an equally warm reception. I’ll admit since then there have been some restless nights. My headspace craved to plot out the next steps of this saga, and...

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Dathan Kane by Mike Avey 2023

The Eye in the Sky: Debating Surveillance in Richmond

A recent report by VPM brings attention to police surveillance in Richmond. The world imagined by George Orwell in 1984 has become less fictional as technology advances. For residents of Richmond, Virginia, the reality of increased surveillance grows as the city moves towards implementing a Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC). The debate over the...

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RPD surveillance network 2023

Listen Up! The 2023 Richmond Podcaster List

Not everyone knows this but Richmond, Virginia is home to a thriving podcast community and this article seeks to celebrate some of the most notable and interesting podcasters in the area. This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the podcasts produced in Richmond, and the list will continue to evolve as new podcasts emerge. If you are a...

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Richmond podcasts

Vintage Shop Closes Amid Sexual Assault Allegations

This is a developing story.  Fan-based vintage shop Yesterday’s Heroes closed abruptly this week, following allegations on social media from multiple women that the shop owner, Drew Spruill, sexually assaulted them and others. Initially, a sign on the door informed visitors that the shop, located at South Addison Street, was “closed for...

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