In October 2023, nearly seven years after the deadly Unite the Right white supremacist rally, the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville, Virginia, was melted down. Since then, two more major Confederate monuments have been removed: the...
A few weeks ago, the Richmond Times Dispatch reported that the Haxall Hydro Power Plant is slated to transform into a new pickleball court and food-and-beverage concept. Yet, what's the fate of the RVA Street Art Festival and the art that is already there? Over the years, the plant has been a vibrant venue for this festival, but its success...
It’s over. Again. Richmond beat back the ghouls of predatory greed and political prostitution. After a battle, all seems eerily quiet. The quiet unsettles if not followed by the housekeeping of the battlefield - damage reports need filing, and new plans need unveiling. As we’re priming the land for rebirth, let us stop in reflection for a...
Voting No Casino & Reclaiming a Radical Vision of Solidarity & Economic Freedom Amidst a Divisive Casino Campaign Over the weekend, I learned that one of the owners of the proposed casino who is also one of the most powerful Black women in America, Cathy Hughes (founder of Urban One), and Gary Flowers decided to call me, and some other...
This piece is one in a series of opinion pieces by Jon Baliles about the proposed Richmond Grand Resort and Casino. You can read his other pieces HERE. The casino advocates made a big deal about their labor peace agreement that was reached with the Washington, D.C.-based hospitality union Unite Here 25 as well as with construction and trade...
This piece is one in a series of opinion pieces by Jon Baliles about the proposed Richmond Grand Resort and Casino. You can read his other pieces HERE. The Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial Board and reporters sat down this week with the casino opponents who said the casino advocates “are using what amounts to sleight of hand to woo voters”...
There has been a lot of boasting from the casino advocates about their partnership with Kentucky-based Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI). The rebranded Richmond Grand casino developer Urban One is a radio and TV conglomerate that has said they are partnering with CDI because of their huge capitalization and experience with casinos. But let’s take a...
RVA 5x5 Deep Dive’s by Jon Balilies are in-depth looks at topics of import in our city and our region to provide a better understanding of the sometimes complex issues we all face and what possible solutions and/or discussions are needed to address them. They say the past is prologue and that if you don't learn from history, you are doomed to...
Oh no! The RTD has caught wind of what is really happening in the city, now everyone knows what's up. City Hall been caught with their pants down, but let’s be real, it's not the fault of our city's green entrepreneurs. It’s the head-scratcher of a legal framework, or rather lack thereof, that’s brought us to this bonanza in Richmond. So what...
I have been obligated to write this article since 1985. In that regard, the article mentions Senator Tim Kaine, Congresswoman Jen McClellan, State Senator Louise Lucas, Mayor Stoney, City Council President Mike Jones, Alfred Liggins and others by name. This is pure chance. I didn’t know any of them in 1985. Back then, I doubt any of them gave...
