Welcome to The Power and Presence of Black Women Journalists event! Join us on Wed, Feb 26, 2025 at 6:00 PM for an evening celebrating the incredible contributions of Black women in journalism who are highlighted in Bonnie Newman Davis’ award-winning book, “Truth Tellers: The Power and Presence of Black Women Journalists Since 1960.” The event will take place at 1401 N Laburnum Ave., where, in addition to Bonnie Newman Davis, we will hear from inspiring speakers such as Diane Walker, former NBC12 news anchor and 12 On Your Side investigative reporter, and engage in meaningful discussions, and network with like-minded individuals. This session will be moderated by community activist and environmental justice advocate Monica Esparza. Don’t miss this opportunity to be empowered and inspired by the stories and experiences of Black women journalists. For details, email bonnienewmandavis@gmail.com . Please register here. See you there!
In 2026, the United States will host a series of vibrant celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the drafting and adoption of the Declaration of Independence. The eve of the Declaration presents an excellent opportunity to reflect more fully on how the thirteen British colonies moved from opposing to supporting independence.
This program will examine how Thomas Jefferson was chosen to draft the Declaration, from whence he obtained his inspiration, what the document said, and how it was used at the time. Historians in this program will uncover how enslaved African Americans came to understand and use the document, and perhaps most importantly, how it has been understood over the intervening centuries and how it has been used to promote democracy here and abroad. UVA’s 2025 Summer Jefferson Symposium will assemble knowledge experts to discuss these vital topics with alumni, parents, and friends.
The 2024-25 Jepson Leadership Forum at the University of Richmond invites scholars and experts to discuss how division and polarization affect American democracy. The forum will explore how and why divisions have manifested historically and currently in the United States, focusing on their impact on justice, education, politics, culture, technology, and class.
Are division and the struggle to find common ground making Americans stronger or tearing them apart? A search for answers to this and other questions will be addressed
March 4 • 7 p.m. • Queally Center for Admission and Career Services Class, Status, and Party: Polarization Dynamics and Our Fragile Democratic Experiment Peter Bearman Founding director of the interdisciplinary institute Incite at Columbia University and Jonathan R. Cole Professor of Social Science at Columbia University REGISTER for this presentation..
Back for 2025, Getting Word’s Black Family History Lab is a two-day program highlighting the interconnectedness of Black family legacies in the spirit of Ubuntu, an African philosophy meaning, “I am because we are.”
On Friday, February 21, join us for our Black Family History Lab Symposium at the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center. The symposium will explore the interwoven ties that bind together local and familial African American histories in Central Virginia and beyond. Engage in enriching panels, interactive workshops, and connect with others to foster a deeper sense of community, connection, and care.
For the full Symposium schedule and free registration, please visit this link.
On Saturday, February 22, come out for our Black Family History Lab Expo at the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, where the richness of history meets the power of community! This event brings together a diverse mix of community-based organizations and local specialists to build a comprehensive network of support, inspiration, and resources tailored to help you safeguard your family’s legacy for the next generation.
Finally, the culminating event of the Black Family History Lab, the Jubilee Celebration, will take place at the Carver Recreation Center, featuring music, dance, and poetry performances by local organizations and artists that honor our heritage through their chosen medium.
Be sure to also check out our Facebook event page for other information and updates.
Local Black women business owners are not just participants in the business world —they are leaders, innovators, and changemakers!
Erin StanleyJanique WashingtonKeona Knight
RICHMOND, Va., Feb. 7, 2025 – Richmond is buzzing with entrepreneurial spirit, and leading the charge are dynamic Black women entrepreneurs who are reshaping the business landscape.
In a groundbreaking initiative, five phenomenal Richmond-area women have graduated from the largest cohort yet of Goldman Sachs’ program, “One Million Black Women: Black in Business.” Launched in February 2022, this program offers a free, tailored business education program in partnership with NYU Stern School of Business to empower sole proprietors to overcome challenges and thrive. In a recent survey of Black in Business graduates, 65% of alumni reported increasing revenues, 90% believe the program gave them tools to innovate, and 94% of Black in Business alumni are optimistic about future growth.
The legacy of trailblazers such as Maggie L. Walker and MBL continues to inspire new generations of entrepreneurs.
Meet the trailblazers who are December 2024 graduates of the “One Million Black Women: Black in the Business” program:
· Keonna Knight, the inspiring CEO and courage coach of Heal with Keonna;
· Erin Stanley, the compassionate psychotherapist and founder of Honey Bee Therapy;
· Janique Washington, the innovative cranial prosthetics specialist at The Chic Studio.
These women describe their experience with the “Black in Business” program as “phenomenal,” “transformative,” and “life-changing.” Keonna Knight likened it to a hands-on business school, emphasizing the practical, actionable insights she gained. Joli Aslan shared how the program fueled her confidence to dream bigger, while Shirley Crawford is already revamping her business with newfound passion and fire.
The program not only equipped the women with a one-year action plan, but also connected them to a vibrant network of like-minded entrepreneurs, a crucial support system for solo entrepreneurs. As Janique Washington noted, this sense of belonging is invaluable.
“I was honestly blown away,” Aslan said, noting she sees her developed confidence to dream bigger dreams as a payoff already.
But it wasn’t only good feelings that participants left with. They each also developed a one-year action plan over the 12-week course and already began the first steps in implementing it.
Crawford has begun changing her website and creating new programs.
“It [the program] has helped me to really think about my business from scratch and revamp my focus,” she said. “I’m feeling super passionate and so on fire.”
Stanley’s focus has been on time management – something she says the program taught her is paramount if she wants to expand her impact and her income. However, she gained something else – a wide network of women from different backgrounds and fields to connect with.
This was a bonus important to all five women because, as Washington added, being a solo entrepreneur can be lonely.
“Just having people available gives you a sense of belonging, and that’s something that I didn’t have before,” she said.
When asked what encouragement they have for other Black women with entrepreneurial dreams, the resounding answer of the group was, “Go for it!”
“There are lots of opportunities available and out there,” Stanley said. “So use your voices because they matter.”
Image of the forthcoming Obama Presidential Center scheduled to open in 2026 in Chicago.Bonnie Newman Davis, Dr. Chrystal Moten, Vinara Mosby and Erin Stanley.
What an honor for my BND Institute of Media and Culture Inc. to be a Community Partner with VCU Libraries last evening where Dr. Crystal M. Moten spoke about the forthcoming Obama Presidential Center! Dr. Moten, the Center’s Curator of Collection and Exhibitions, walked us through the facility set to open next year. “Building a Home for Change: The Obama Presidential Center,” was last night’s theme. Dr. Moten explained how the center is rooted in a larger, complex discussion about democracy, and the historical predecessors who made President and Mrs. Obama’s stories possible. She also shared the center’s storytelling goals as they relate to the events, policies, challenges and accomplishments of the Obama Presidency. Other aspects of the center, to be housed on the windy city’s south side, will include a basketball court/athletic facility, a community fruit and veggie garden, and a BRANCH OF THE CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY!! How cool is that? We had a lovely time and I thank Dr. Irene M.H. Herold, Sue Robinson, Dr. Carmen Foster, Antonia Vassar and the super staff at VCU Libraries for making this event so special for me, several of my dear friends and for my daughter, Erin Stanley, who earned her master’s degree in social work from the University of Chicago. I told Dr. Moten that Michelle Obama and Valerie Jarrett probably were instrumental in making sure that students such as my Erin were able to further their education at UofC. I can’t wait to attend next year’s Obama Presidential Center opening!! Go online and read more about this monumental project that will honor America’s first Black president!
Reclaiming my time to reflect and serve during Black History Month. Michele Norris and Melody Barnes provided nuggets of wisdom—and hope— Thursday night at Charlottesville’s Paramount Theater. We learned more about Norris’ book, “Our Hidden Conversations: What Americans Really Think About Race and Identity.” I also received updates about VCU’s East Marshall Street Well Project yesterday at Richmond’s Black History Museum. This horrific history involving stolen Black bodies that were callously discarded in a well after being used for medical research has no redeeming qualities aside from a team of descendants and young researchers of color who continue to work and unravel the truth. Boosting Black Authors and supporting Black women’s philanthropic efforts also top my to-do list this month. Praying for the losses and thankful for the sacrifices—Asheville, NOLA, L.A., Reagan International, Philly, Richmond and Henry L. Marsh. It’s a lot, but better than succumbing to the travesty that uninformed voters gave us in November 2024.
Bonnie Newman Davis shares her journey since publishing her award-winning book two years ago
Welcome to The Power and Presence of Black Women Journalists event! Join us on Wed, Feb 26, 2025 at 6:00 PM for an evening celebrating the incredible contributions of Black women in journalism who are highlighted in Bonnie Newman Davis’ award-winning book, “Truth Tellers: The Power and Presence of Black Women Journalists Since 1960.”The event will take place at 1401 N Laburnum Ave, where we will hear from inspiring speakers, engage in meaningful discussions, and network with like-minded individuals. Don’t miss this opportunity to be empowered and inspired by the stories and experiences of Black women journalists. For details, email bonnienewmandavis@gmail.com . See you there! Please register on EventBrite!
The East Marshall Street Well Project works to address some of the exploitative medical practices perpetrated by Virginia Commonwealth University on Richmond’s Black communities since the 1800s. Representatives from the community and VCU will contextualize this history and discuss efforts to create oral history and memorialization projects that work toward reparative justice. Please join us during Black History Month to reflect upon important local Black history in the making.
Lucinda McDermott performs in her one-woman play “O’Keeffe Jan. 25-26, 2025 at Richmond Triangle Players theater. Ticket information and time is here.
Reviews of Lucinda’s stage portrayal of Georgia O’Keeffe:
“McDermott’s one-woman play gets to the very heart of one of the enduring questions surrounding the art and life of Georgia O’Keeffe: how much credit does Alfred Stieglitz deserve for the critical and commercial success of his foremost protégé? It is a question that McDermott has O’Keeffe pose from beyond the grave, with all the insight and wit of a woman brought truly to life, both as an artist and as a captivating personality.” -Ariel Plotek, Curator of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
Georgia O’Keeffe has summoned an audience to help answer the question, “Was it me or was it Stieglitz?” We journey with O’Keeffe from 1915 when she tears up her work to date, and starts over in black and white to discover her own style. She revisits key moments in her life to reveal hidden truths, but the shadow of manager and husband Alfred Stieglitz looms heavy over her. Was it his nude photographs of her that enticed the art world to her, or was it her own excellence of craft? Would she have been noticed if he hadn’t exhibited her? Georgia rejects claims by the male dominated art world about what drives her art, but when a Stieglitz affair gets too intense, and a very public commission collapses, her world falls apart. Georgia rallies, determined to survive and paint again, but some difficult decisions must be made. In the end, the truth that lies deep in Georgia’s heart is revealed— and it’s as devastating as it is honest. O’Keeffe! is a revealing critically acclaimed drama about the beloved and complex American icon.
*Newly Revised Script and production* Written and performed by Lucinda McDermott. Directed by Jan Powell with soundscape by Jon Piro.
“Powerful, funny, emotional, dramatic and very high quality. . .The audience was riveted to every word from beginning to end and gave Ms. McDermott a well-earned standing ovation! . . .Ms. McDermott established a connection with audience members right from the beginning and kept them in the palm of her hand for the entire show. . . . The emotional and the ultimately uplifting performance left a lasting impression on our community! . . .Ms. McDermott arrived early for load in and rehearsal and her set up was very smooth. Minimal set & props enhanced the actor’s storytelling without distracting from her work. She was very specific about her technical requirements, but also flexible to work with. I would encourage any venue to book this performance!”
-Elizabeth Bracey, Managing Director, Franklin Performing Arts Center
Concert/Performance Description
“O’Keeffe!” is designed to be presented in a variety of settings ranging from state-of-the-art theatres to galleries or other open spaces. Preference is for a professional sound system with stage lighting, however, we can be flexible in most circumstances. Please contact artist for specifics.
BND Institute of Media & Culture 