Semany Gashaw

Maya’s gift to Richmond: Music therapy for people with developmental disabilities

As she gets off BART, Chloe Lipton makes her way to one of her favorite destinations: Maya’s Music Therapy Fund. Her new caretaker, Kayla Jenkins, worries that they might be going in the wrong direction. But Lipton knows exactly where she’s going—after all it’s been 25 years. Lipton, Maya’s most loyal client, has cerebral palsy, a disability resulting from damage to the brain, which manifests itself in muscular incoordination and speech disturbances. For the past 27 years, Maya’s has provided music therapy…

Richmond community members petition for more salad bars in schools

Affordable and sustainable food is a priority for Laneisha Whitfield, the director of the Richmond Food Policy Council, and her young campaigners. So on February 17, the Richmond Food Policy Council created an online and door-to-door petition to address the issue of getting more nutritious food for students.

Uche Uwahemu: Fighting an uphill battle for Mayor of Richmond

Up against Tom Butt and Nat Bates, two local politicians with a combined experience of 55 years, Uwahemu stands out as an outsider to Richmond’s politics. This is both a curse and a blessing. He presents Richmond a fresh candidate for mayor, yet has the challenge of facing two local stalwarts with widespread name recognition.

Bernie Sanders to visit Richmond, rally progressives

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) will headline a Richmond campaign event Oct. 16 to rally the city’s progressive base ahead of the Nov. 4 election. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Richmond Memorial Auditorium, 403 Civic Center Plaza, and is free to the public. Sanders, 73, is seen as a potential candidate for the 2016 presidential election, and is a longtime champion of progressive causes in Congress. “I am very excited to be welcoming Senator Sanders to Richmond,”…

Richmond youth question mayoral and council candidates in debate

The RYSE Youth Center, Invest in Youth Coalition, and the League of Women Voters hosted a two-hour debate Thursday at Richmond’s City Council chambers, with youth age 24 and younger and audience members presenting Richmond’s 13 mayoral and city council candidates with a range of questions.

The teens behind the Uche Uwahemu campaign

Uche Uwahemu, a newcomer to Richmond politics, has built a grassroots campaign that relies on youth campaign workers and small donations from friends and fellow Nigerian émigrés to counter the name recognition of Tom Butt and Nat Bates.