June 12 Newsletter: Waving the flag
Weather: We've got a shot at 100 as the mini-heat wave continues.
On this date in 1967, the Supreme Court issues a unanimous ruling in Loving v. Virginia, allowing interracial marriage.
Today's newsletter sponsor is L.O.C.A.L. Adventures: On June 19 we are hosting a Juneteenth Sunrise Meditation Paddle on the James River—a community fundraiser featuring guided meditation, paddleboarding, and reflection as we honor freedom, community, and the approaching summer solstice.
What’s in a flag? Richmond’s has a lot to unpack
In 1991, City Council received a $12,000 donation from an anonymous donor for design work in connection with a new city flag.
The figure on the flag is a faceless boatman paddling a batteau boat.
At one point, one quarter of the entire crop of tobacco from Virginia and North Carolina traveled down the James to Richmond on these boats. Learn more here in Part 1 of our series.
Richmond's Flag, Part 2: Honoring the legacy of Black boatmen
In the time of the boatmen facilitating trade along the James River and later the canal system, as many as 98% were people of color.
One researcher found that this unsupervised travel, going up and down the river while stopping in different places, created a literal waterway to freedom, with lists of freedmen registered as boatmen found in contiguous counties along the James. Read more here, and watch for Part 3 in Monday's newsletter.
City Council to take up three big code refresh questions: duplexes, churches and household numbers
When the City Council meets next week for its first public work session on Richmond’s proposed rezoning, three issues will top its agenda: how many housing units can be on a single lot, how places of worship should be zoned and how many unrelated people can make up a household.
- Mayor Danny Avula’s administration is trying to take the temperature of the officials who will be voting on it in the future to determine which plans are politically viable and which are not.
- Avula cautioned, though, that while increasing supply can help plateau costs, they're unlikely to drop due to rising costs.
As the rezoning moves more into the City Council’s court and a final proposal takes shape, Avula acknowledged that the plans will remain controversial given the wide range of views among the city’s roughly 241,000 residents. Read more here.
CATCH UP: The Richmonder's past coverage of code refresh
Up for debate: Major national event arrives in Richmond this weekend
Starting Sunday, thousands of students will descend on Richmond to compete in one of the world's largest academic competitions.
Two local participants told Haidyn Brockelman that speech programs have changed their lives.
“We always have these mental constructs of what we can and can’t do, but you don’t really know what you’re capable of until you’ve pushed yourself past that,” one said. Read more here.
Where to watch the World Cup in Richmond
Unfortunately for Richmonders, the closest soccer action to us is in Philadelphia and Atlanta. The U.S. plays its first game of the tournament tonight at 9 p.m.
In addition, plenty of bars and restaurants will be airing the games, many with food and drink specials. See a list here.
'Momma Beth' Marschak is remembered as one of Richmond's original activists
Richmond has lost another pioneering icon in the LGBTQ+ community. Romayne “Beth” Marschak died last week at the age of 75.
Her younger sister said Marschak's house caught on fire, and she died from smoke inhalation.
Those who knew her paid tribute to Marschak as somebody who “cared deeply about the human rights for all people.” Read more here.
Today's sponsor:
L.O.C.A.L. Adventures is a Richmond-based nonprofit helping youth develop confidence, curiosity, and connection through mindfulness, outdoor adventure, creativity, and time in nature.
Through partnerships with schools and community organizations, L.O.C.A.L. Adventures has helped over 750 underserved youth develop resiliency through yoga, paddling, hiking, art, and nature-based programs.
In other news
- Squirrels owner to EDA: Diamond District roadwork cannot obstruct CarMax Park entrance (Richmond BizSense)
- Lou DiBella said the city told him that planned roadwork will close the entrance for four months this winner, infringing on his ability to hold events at the stadium.
- Chesterfield debuts free park with splash pad and heron slide (Axios)
- The Park is part of the county's effort to make River City Sportsplex more usable outside of sporting events.
- Roanoke Valley and Richmond metro have become magnets for people moving out of Fairfax County (Cardinal News)
- Migration data released by the IRS shows an uptick in the number of people moving out of Fairfax County and into the Richmond metro.
The editor's desk
This weekend brings two milestone birthdays, for our summer reporting fellow Ned Oliver and Axios Richmond's Karri Peifer. May all your Flag Day dreams come true.
Michael Phillips, founding editor
mphillips@richmonder.org
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