by Donnell Johns Sr. They are gutting the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program (VMSDEP) come July 1st, 2024 if we don’t do anything about it. Virginians should also contact state officials urging them to maintain the program’s original intent. This program isn’t just a benefit—it’s a tribute to the sacrifices of our veterans and […]
Ayanna Davis, an African American woman known as “Phenomenally Autistic,” has recently illustrated her 30th children’s book. She is an award-winning artist and Autism Advocate. Via her books and other initiatives, Ayanna champions for Black Autistics to gain recognition, information, and access to resources to improve their well-being with being Autistic. At just seven years […]
by Jennifer Roberts It’s Sunday morning and I am enjoying my monthly “whoosah weekend.” I rested well (much better than I normally do) and missed the hotel’s complimentary breakfast. This hotel doesn’t offer room service, so I ordered breakfast from a local diner using Door Dash. I am not a frequent Door Dash user but over […]
by Graham Moomaw, Virginia Mercury Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed legislation Thursday that would have established a retail marijuana market in Virginia and raised the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour, torpedoing two top Democratic priorities from the 2024 General Assembly session. The moves came one day after Youngkin’s top priority — the proposal to […]
by Nathaniel Cline, Virginia Mercury George Mason and Virginia Commonwealth Universities have submitted their syllabi for courses about diversity, equity, inclusion and race to Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera for review at the request of Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a move that sparked frustration among some of the schools’ students and staff who said political influence […]
Sponsored by Friends of Lillie & Jessie As we mark the 20th Anniversary of the Creative And Performing Arts Center (CAPAC), we not only celebrate our legacy in the arts but also our unwavering commitment to providing underrepresented youth and adults with invaluable educational opportunities in theater and STEM. CAPAC, a dedicated nonprofit organization, has been […]
When Dr. Audrey Muhammad came up with the idea to create a holiday that specifically celebrates Black women in a way different from Mother’s Day, she turned to her daughter, Hasana, who was attending North Carolina A&T State University as a computer science major to help her develop a website. After graduating, Hasana continued to […]
by Graham Moomaw, Virginia Mercury A federal judge gave a greenlight Monday to a novel legal argument challenging Virginia’s longstanding felon disenfranchisement policy based on limits imposed on the state when the Civil War ended. The lawsuit is focused on the 1870 Virginia Readmission Act, a federal law that allowed the former Confederate state to […]
Mike Mayden, a former major-league baseball scout and now the Founder of A League of Our Own (ALOOO), the only Black-owned independent baseball league in the United States, is inviting Black-owned businesses to take advantage of available sponsorship opportunities. In September 2024, the 501(c)3 non-profit organization will schedule 30 games in 30 days and is looking […]
by Nasiyah Isra-Ul Hey everyone! My name is Nasiyah, and I’m a young edupreneur/social impact entrepreneur and budding philanthropist who was homeschooled my entire K12 education. Now, I’m looking to invest in the next future leader in the social impact sector who was schooled in an unconventional learning environment (homeschool, microschool, co-op, virtual school, or […]
