Opinion

Opinion: Gun violence in Newtown, Richmond

There is an African Proverb that I am fond of quoting.  It says: “The experience of one generation becomes the history of the next, and the history of several generations becomes the traditions of a people.” On December 14, 2012 like many Americans and peoples from around the world, I found myself once again extremely grieved by the horrible reality that gun violence IS in many of our American, particularly urban communities.  We here in Richmond experience and understand that…

Dr. Maya Rockeymoore: When Breaking Up is Hard to Do, The Link Between Sugary Drinks and African American Health Disparities

I will never forget the time when I visited my parent’s church on “Diabetes Sunday,” a program of the American Diabetes Association to raise awareness about the disease within the African-American community. A brochure in the church bulletin highlighted the dangers and prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the African-American community and how obesity is a causal factor. After the service, we made our way to the fellowship hall to celebrate Black History Month. As we began to chow down…

Jovanka Beckles: Vote “Yes” on Measure N to create mentally and physically healthy children

The campaign signs read, “More sports + less sodas = healthy kids.” A tax on sugar sweetened beverages is designed to raise money to provide opportunities for our young people to participate in healthy organized sports. It promises to yield benefits that are priceless to our community, including an increase in both the mental and physical health of our youth. A beneficial byproduct of this improved mental and physical well-being is a decrease in crime, as children are busy and…