While running for Mayor in 2024, candidate Avula’s top priority in the “Thriving neighborhoods and affordable housing” section of his platform stated: As Mayor, he will: Fight displacement of long-term residents and expand the supply of deeply affordable housing for...
A wave of protests is set to sweep across Virginia this weekend, with back-to-back demonstrations planned in Richmond as part of a national response to the Trump administration’s escalating use of federal power—from immigration enforcement to military spectacle. Ed. note: Read our recent editorial on the subject: The Point of No Return Friday:...
“Violence can destroy power; it is utterly incapable of creating it.” — Hannah Ardent America is in crisis. A crisis of democracy. A crisis of leadership. A crisis of identity. The point of no return is being reached. It's fair to say what's happening in Los Angeles is unprecedented. The sense of normalcy that’s shaped our lives is being replaced...
In 2013, a two-day event transformed a neglected stretch of Norfolk, Virginia, into a pop-up arts district. It wasn’t a city plan—it was a vision. Volunteers opened temporary galleries in boarded-up storefronts. Food trucks rolled in. Sidewalks were painted with makeshift crosswalks. Musicians played under murals that hadn’t been there the day...
Disclaimer: The following is a letter to the editor. It represents their personal views on this issue. RVA Magazine is committed to providing a platform for community voices on important local matters. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of RVA Magazine, its staff, or affiliates. Written by Heaven-Leigh Kennedy, The...
One Richmond-area student’s fight reveals how Virginia’s 2020 reforms often died on arrival. When Lyn Jones transferred to Matoaca High School, just south of Richmond, she noticed something odd. Every girls’ restroom was outfitted with a metal dispenser—mounted to the wall, labeled clearly, promising free menstrual products. But every one of them...
While Richmond slept, House Republicans passed what Donald Trump is proudly calling “the big beautiful bill”—a sweeping package that slashes health care access for millions of Americans while delivering generous tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy. For Richmonders who rely on Medicaid, SNAP, Planned Parenthood, or the ACA marketplace, this bill isn’t...
Disclaimer: The following is a letter to the editor. It represents their personal views on this issue. RVA Magazine is committed to providing a platform for community voices on important local matters. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of RVA Magazine, its staff, or affiliates. Written and image by Ian C. Hess In a political...
The United States' relationship with diversity, equity, and inclusion is not anomalous but rather as American as discrimination itself. Since Donald Trump’s second term began in 2025, DEI has become a premier political target of his administration—matching past eras in principle and exceeding them in aggression. However, Trump is not the first to...
The water crisis on January 6th immediately and obviously grabbed everyone’s attention because it left city residents without safe water for six days and came on suddenly; people were scrambling for water long before the city even notified the public that afternoon. The city’s Finance department has had challenges for years, but lately, it better...
