The Winter 2022 edition of The Virginia Defender was published on February 3rd, 2022. For a full PDF of the issue, click here.
Winter 2022 Issue
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.
WINTER 2022: DEFENDERS IN THE NEWS
As part of our work, members of the Defenders have been published or quoted in news outlets. This is a list of where you can find that coverage. This issue’s segment includes the Richmond Free Press, Newsweek, and IRB News.
OMARI’S CASE RESOLVED; NO TIME
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.
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.
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