American policing: A history of racism and white supremacy
Tagwa Shammet, Opinions Editor The year is 1770. The Colonies are near their breaking point with Great Britain. Intense policing by British soldiers has proven unbearable to colony citizens, especially those in Boston. British soldiers walk around with chips on their shoulders, entering any home they please simply because they wear the British flag. They […]
This is Derek Chauvin’s trial. Not George Floyd’s.
Tagwa Shammet, Opinions Editor Ten months. It has been 10 months since the murder of a fellow Black American. It has been 10 months since an officer put his knee on a Black man’s neck. It has been 10 months and still no justice. May 25, 2020 is a day that will be remembered forever. […]
Marcus-David Peters Circle’s fence blockades Black unity
Tagwa Shammet, Opinions Editor Marcus-David Peters Circle. To most Richmonders, this circle is a political hotspot. It is where protesters gathered this past summer during the Black Lives Matter rallies. To me, it is our unifying hub. I remember when I got back to Richmond in July, the first place I went to was Marcus-David […]
We need to talk about the farmer protests in India
Ishaan Nandwani, Contributing Writer I am the proud child of immigrant parents from the Indian state of Punjab. My mother was born and raised in Amritsar, the cultural and commercial center of Punjabi culture. Back home, my relatives work as educators, construction workers and farmers, with the latter serving as the backbone of our state’s […]
Groups visit Richmond for Lobby Day, MLK Jr. Day ahead of U.S. inauguration
Katharine DeRosa, News Editor Anna Chen, Contributing Writer While protesters strapped with guns and tactical gear were outnumbered by reporters Monday morning at the Virginia State Capitol, Richmonders on the other side of town at Marcus-David Peters Circle played basketball, danced and barbecued to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. A year ago, Lobby Day […]
Civil Right Movements Aren’t Aesthetics
Daria Burnley, Contributing Writer Even amid a pandemic, a civil rights movement and our own country committing war crimes and voter suppression against its civilians, some tirelessly motivated individuals will not give up the clout chase. Since the reinvigoration of the Black Lives Matter movement in March, social media feeds have been dominated by calls […]
Basketball hoops bring joy to Marcus-David Peters Circle
Noah Fleischman, Sports Editor Where there once was grass, now lies dirt caused by basketballs bouncing on the earth. Three hoops, all at different heights, sit where the dirt meets the grass to form a makeshift court adjacent to the Robert E. Lee statue on Monument Avenue. The tallest hoop’s backboard is covered in different […]
Opinion | RPD, do you feel proud?
Tagwa Shammet, Opinions Editor This is a letter to the Richmond Police Department. I am not here to attack you. I am not here to question you. I am simply here to understand. Do you really think what you are doing to protesters is right? I find it difficult to believe that you see these […]
Police pull out of ‘Conversations at the Monument’ appearance
Eduardo Acevedo, News Editor Richmond residents, local elected officials and community organizers gathered on the medians around Marcus-David Peters Circle on Saturday afternoon to discuss citywide issues, including public safety and criminal justice, mental health and healthcare, housing, and education. Four canopies, or “conversation stations,” were pitched on the east side median near the traffic […]
Student demonstrators, local activists demand defunding, abolishing VCU Police
Eduardo Acevedo, News Editor A VCU student organization is demanding the university defund and abolish its police department, joining the Richmond facet of a nationwide movement seeking change in law enforcement and justice for those killed by police. Student organization VCU Student Power held a protest outside Cabell Library on Wednesday to honor Marcus-David Peters. […]