Sidney Poitier’s Buck and the Preacher

By Dominique Brown ’17 Released in 1972, in the wake of major advances in the African-American freedom struggle, Buck and The Preacher is considered the first African-American western film. It tells the forgotten story of free black pioneer families, recently released from slavery, who settle in the American West. By adapting the western genre to tell this story, a genre particularly associated with white male … Continue reading Sidney Poitier’s Buck and the Preacher

LIZZIE ARMITSTEAD

Lizzie Armitstead September 13-28, 2015 Tears streamed down Lizzie Armitstead’s cheeks as she crossed the finish line and won gold in the UCI Road World Championships on September 26, 2015. At only 26 years old, hers was a meteoric rise, and it culminated in Richmond. Though Armitstead took time to enjoy the city — dining at the Daily Kitchen and Bar and socializing at the … Continue reading LIZZIE ARMITSTEAD

Abolition as an Interracial Fight in Richmond, Virginia

By Sharon Lim, ’16 Solomon Northrup’s and Charles Dickens’ visit to Richmond, and subsequent personal testimonies shed insight into the institution of slavery, through the very different eyes of a freeborn African American  and  an acclaimed British author.  Their vastly different social standing affected how they documented their experiences with slavery, and on what they chose to focus. Northrup’s testimony about slavery is based on … Continue reading Abolition as an Interracial Fight in Richmond, Virginia

“5 Minutes in Richmond, VA:” The 2015 UCI Races and Exclusionary Representations of RVA

By Damian Hondares, ’17            “Today could be a huge day for Richmond,” the Richmond Times-Dispatch predicted in September 2011. “Mayor Dwight C. Jones is overseas in Copenhagen, Denmark, awaiting an announcement of the winning bid for the 2015 World Road Cycling Championships.” Hours later, it was official: Richmond would host the championships, “cycling’s pinnacle event.” Three hundred million eyes would be on Richmond, from … Continue reading “5 Minutes in Richmond, VA:” The 2015 UCI Races and Exclusionary Representations of RVA

A President in the Pew in Richmond: The Forces behind the Culmination of a National Identity

By Kenneth Anderson, ’17        On Sunday morning, April 2, 1865, regular services were in progress at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on Grace Street in Richmond, Virginia. The Rev. Dr. Charles Minnigerode was in the midst of delivering his sermon as parishioners prepared  for the distribution of the Eucharist. The church, located across from the Virginia capitol was the place of worship and social center for … Continue reading A President in the Pew in Richmond: The Forces behind the Culmination of a National Identity