As Sunshine Week wrapped up, Richmond picked up a distinction that’s less celebration and more indictment. The city was named a 2026 recipient of the “City of Darkness” Award, part of The Foilies, an annual project from the Electronic Frontier Foundation and MuckRock...
Sixty-five years ago, a group of brave young Black Richmonders walked into a department store, sat down at a lunch counter, and refused to leave. That’s what they did. That’s what got them arrested. They just sat in a segregated space where their presence alone was considered a crime. That moment—the Richmond 34 sit-in at Thalhimers—was...
In December, we wrote an article for the Richmonder with five issues we would be talking about in 2025, and one of those issues was that community outreach would be critical with a new Mayor in office. We were hopeful that Mayor Avula would establish “real and regular outreach to the community and its neighborhoods. It could come in...
Following the nationwide protests on February 5th, which saw demonstrations in all 50 states, the Virginia chapter of 50501 has announced another major rally set for Monday, February 17th, at 2 PM in Capitol Square. This Presidents Day Protest aims to push back against what organizers describe as “fascism and...
The residents of Bacon Retirement Community, a low income retirement community in Church Hill have spent months without hot water, inadequate heating during the coldest months of the year, and a lack of response from property management. Jasmine Howell, whose father, Leonard Howell, is a resident, recently spoke to us about the ongoing...
One evening in Richmond’s East End, a 42-year-old father of two overdosed on fentanyl in his car while his children waited inside their apartment. A neighbor, recognizing the signs, administered Narcan before paramedics arrived. He survived, but the overdose was his third in a year. He had tried to quit opioids before, cycling through...
In 2020, a teacher in Richmond could afford a home on their salary. Today, that same teacher would need to nearly double their income just to keep up with soaring housing prices. The cost of living in Richmond isn’t creeping up—it’s skyrocketing, and for many residents, homeownership is now a distant dream. According to the...
Richmond’s journey into participatory budgeting has reached an impressive milestone. Following up on our earlier coverage, where we explored how residents could influence the allocation of $3 million, the Richmond People’s Budget initiative has completed its first idea collection cycle—and the results are worth celebrating. A Record-Breaking...
The start of every New Year often comes with people making resolutions to do more exercise, choose better eating habits, and make changes to improve one’s life. One of the newer traditions in recent years has been Dry January, which started in England but has spread worldwide and challenges people to spend the first 31 days of the year alcohol...
Mayor Danny Avula is at a defining moment. The same for the 2004 Elected Mayor law. Here’s why. Then a win-win-win. The 16-year era of the race-baiting politics of former Mayors Dwight Jones and Levar Stoney needs to come to an end. They and their cronies have used race to enrich too many, for far too long, with contracts they don’t deserve,...
