The case of Omari Al-Qadaffi, a housing rights activist hit with multiple charges stemming from a July 2020 anti-eviction protest, is now resolved.
The Virginia Defender
Established in 2005 as The Richmond Defender, The Virginia Defender is a free community newspaper, published quarterly for the Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality. Print distribution is currently 12,000 and statewide. The online publication launched in Summer 2020.
NEW BLACK-OWNED BOOKSTORE OPENS IN SHOCKOE SLIP
A new Black-owned, woman-owned bookstore called The Book Bar will open in Richmond’s Shockoe Slip on Feb. 5.
SOUTHWOOD APARTMENTS UNDER SCRUTINY
The management of Southwood Apartments, a 1,296-unit complex in Richmond’s southside and the center of the city’s largest Latino/a neighborhood, is facing investigation. City inspectors have labeled two units uninhabitable.
Red Onion prisoner dies; Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office contacted by DOC
A prisoner at Red Onion State Prison has died after being found unresponsive in his cell.
THE TRIPLE WHAMMY: PANDEMIC, POVERTY & PUBLIC POLICY
The COVID-19 pandemic has shed new light on Richmond’s housing crisis even as it has exacerbated it. Despite both the continuing spread of the virus and the persistence of housing issues, temporary protections meant to alleviate the pandemic’s effects are coming to an end. When they do, the consequences will not be evenly distributed.
Russia, Ukraine & the U.S. – The background they’re not telling you
In the winter of 2022, the news is dominated by growing tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Will Russia invade? How close is the region to war? How would the U.S. be involved? Editor Phil Wilayto on the background of the the crisis.
MALCOLM X’S PRISON CELL NOW THE FIRST OF 1,000 ‘FREEDOM LIBRARIES’
The prison cell where Malcolm X was confined back in the 1940s has been transformed into the first of 1,000 projected “Freedom Libraries,” thanks to the vision and hard work of another former-prisoner-turned-activist, Reginald Dwayne Betts.
The Virginia Defender 