virginia

Commission for Historical Statues in the United States Capitol to Approve Barbara Rose Johns Statue

/ Bonnie Newman Davis


The Commission will meet this month to approve the statue of Barbara Rose Johns for the U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall Collection

The Barbara Rose Johns maquette as shown from the sides. Photo credit: Julie Langan/DHR.

RICHMOND – The Commission for Historical Statues in the United States Capitol (the Commission) will hold its twelfth public meeting on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. The meeting, which begins at 1:30 p.m., will be in the Reynolds Leadership Center on the 2nd Floor of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, located on 428 N. Arthur Ashe Boulevard in Richmond.

At this meeting the Commission will review photographs of the completed bronze statue created by sculptor Steven Weitzman depicting the 20th-century civil rights leader Barbara Rose Johns, as well as receive an update regarding the statue’s production. After the statue has been given the final approval from the Commission, the Joint Committee on the Library, and the Architect of the Capitol, it will be installed in the United States Capitol as one of Virginia’s two contributions to the Statuary Hall Collection.

Production of the full-size Johns statue began after the Commission and the Joint Committee on the Library approved the maquette in 2023. The Johns statue will replace the statue of Robert E. Lee that was removed in December 2020. To recommend a replacement statue, the Commission had reviewed a list of names of historical figures submitted by Virginia citizens before selecting Johns from five finalists. The Joint Committee on the Library approved the Commission’s request to erect a statue of Johns in the U.S. Capitol in 2021.

The meeting agenda, as well as instructions for how to participate virtually and to register for public comment, are available on the Commission’s webpage. Though the meeting agenda includes time for verbal public comment, written comment is also welcomed and can be submitted to USCapitolCommission@dhr.virginia.gov.

For more information about Barbara Rose Johns, please visit this link.

The Department of Historic Resources, the Commonwealth’s state historic preservation office, provides administrative support to the Commission. Questions concerning the Commission, its purpose, and the upcoming meeting should be directed to the department.

A PRESCRIPTION FOR CHANGE

/ Bonnie Newman Davis

How Black voices shaped healthcare in Virginia

Visitors discuss the contributions of Blacks in the medical professions recently at the Black
History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia. Photos by Bonnie Newman Davis.

A landmark exhibition that chronicles Virginia’s Black hospitals, medical educators, physicians, pharmacists and professional organizations opened Sept. 18, 2024 at the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia in Richmond, Virginia.

“A Prescription for Change: How Black Voices Shaped Healthcare in Virginia,” was created and curated by Elvatrice Parker Belsches, B.A., B.S. Pharm, M.A., and features powerful vintage photographs, with accompanying text, of 1919 graduates of the Dixie Hospital Training School for Nurses at Hampton Institute (now Hampton University). Also part of the exhibit is a 1915 group photograph that includes members of the Tri-State Dental Society Conference and founding members of Chi Eta Phi Sorority, a national nursing organization, which had a chapter in Richmond.

The exhibition also showcases rare photos of hospitals created by Black professionals and individuals in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Of notable significance are rare artifacts such as the scales and weights used by Dr. David A. Ferguson, D.D.S., the founding father of the National Dental Association and two dental instruments that reportedly belonged to Dr. Peter B. Ramsey, who began practicing dentistry in the 1880s. There are medical instruments and cabinets from The Claytor Clinic in Roanoke, Virginia. This clinic is believed to be the first multi-specialty clinic in Southwest Virginia that was founded and staffed by Black medical practitioners when it opened in 1948.

Elvatrice Belsches, middle, points to highlights of the exhibit, “A Prescription for Change: How Black Voices Shaped Healthcare in Virginia,” that currently is on view through March 15, 2025 at the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia in Richmond, Va. Ms. Belsches, a public historian, is the exhibit’s creator and curator.)

The exhibition is divided into eight sections:

*The Early Years

*Education

*Physicians, Optometrists and Chiropractors

*Dentists

*Pharmacy

*Nurses, Midwifery and Doulas

*The Black Hospital Movement

*Organizations

Included in the exhibit are works by 14 artists, exploring physical, emotional, psychological, and historical aspects of healthcare disparities faced by Black patients. Participating artists include P. Muzi Branch, S. Ross Browne, Unicia Buster, Kyle Epps, A. Yhayha Hargrove, Barbara Hobson, William E. Johnson, Jowarnise, David Marion, Amiri Richardson Keys, Jay Sharp, Jeff Taylor, Sir James Thornhill, Dennis Winston, and Vashti Woods. Each artist brings a unique perspective to this critical dialogue, creating a multifaceted narrative that challenges viewers to confront uncomfortable truths and envision a more equitable future in healthcare.

Where: The Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, 122 W. Leigh St., Richmond, Virginia 23219. The exhibit continues through March 15, 2025.

Meet the exhibit creator, curator and historian

BND Institute founder Bonnie Newman Davis is a 2024 YWCA Richmond Outstanding Women Award recipient!

/ Bonnie Newman Davis

Marketing & Media – Bonnie Newman Davis has worked as a journalist for more than 40 years, receiving numerous awards for her work. In addition to her most recent role as managing editor for the Richmond Free Press, she has trained hundreds of journalism students at several universities in Virginia and North Carolina. Bonnie is the author of “Truth Tellers: The Power and Presence of Black Women Journalists Since 1960”, sharing the stories of 24 Black women whose journalism careers spanned the last 40 years of the 20th century.

Bonnie’s Bio

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 1, 2024
YWCA Richmond Celebrates 44 years of Women’s Leadership, Announces 2024 Class of Outstanding Women Awards Honorees

RICHMOND, VA – As the Richmond Region continues to recover from the impacts of the Covid pandemic, the ability to successfully lead an organization through adversity has become a highly sought after trait. Yet women, especially women of color, would contend that they have been operating and leading through adversity for years in the both the public and private sector, navigating their way through a system that may not recognize them for their many contributions, and, most importantly, their ability as leaders. For over 40 years, YWCA Richmond has recognized accomplished women leaders in our community that one July 2023, LinkedIn article described as ‘modeling resilience, empowering their teams to embrace change, learning from failures and persisting in the face of adversity.’ Today, YWCA Richmond announces the women who have been selected as the 44th Outstanding Women Awards honorees in eight different categories.

  • Business – Maria Tedesco: Maria was named President of Atlantic Union Bank (AUB) in 2018, and, in 2022, she took on the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO). She is the Bank’s first female president and COO in its over 120-year history. Maria has received numerous accolades and has served as a mentor to other women throughout her career. Most recently, she was named Virginia’s Leading Women in 2021, and in 2022, she was named the winner of the RVA Power Women. Maria founded the Women’s Inclusion Network (WIN) Employee Resource Group in 2020, actively supporting hundreds since its inception. WIN’s mission is to foster a culture ofinclusivity, visibility and empowerment in which all women can achieve their professional goals.
  • Education – Sandra Gioia Treadway: Sandy recently retired as the Librarian of Virginia following 45 years with the agency. Under Sandy’s leadership, the Library has become a trusted and essential resource to a large and complex constituency of elected leaders, public librarians, authors and researchers alike. Sandy’s career has focused on increasing access to the Library’s vast collections and highlighting the contributions of the often overlooked in our history, particularly the experiences of Virginia women. She has served on the Virginia Women’s Monument Commission and is the co-editor of Virginia Women: Their Lives and Times.
  • Human Relations & Faith in Action – Amy Strite: Amy is the current Executive Director at Senior Connections and has served as CEO of Voices for Virginia’s Children and Family Lifeline. A licensed clinical social worker, Amy’s work in service to Richmond’s underresourced communities and deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion spans 34 years. Amy has served on numerous boards and commissions, including Smart Beginnings RVA, the NAMES Project of Central Virginia, and Richmond Memorial Health Foundation.YWCA Richmond is a 134-year-strong nonprofit organization committed to empowering women, children and their families to live their best lives. YWCA strengthens our community through early childhood education programming, free emergency and ongoing services for survivors of violence, violence prevention education and leadership opportunities for women. If you or a loved one has experienced domestic, intimate partner violence or sexual violence, you may call the Greater Richmond Regional Hotline at 804-612-6126.
  • Health & Science – Amy Popovich: Amy is the Nurse Manager of the Richmond/Henrico Health District (RHHD) and serves as a go-to public health leader in the Richmond Region, ensuring the efforts of RHHD are equity-driven. She has spent her career inspiring public and private partners to join with RHHD in developing innovative solutions to our Region’s issues while driving community engagement and education in Richmond and Henrico’s most vulnerable populations.
  • Law & Government – Lori Hanky Haas: In 2007, Lori’s daughter was shot and survived what was at the time, America’s deadliest mass shooting at Virginia Tech. In the almost 17 years following the tragedy, Lori served as the State Director of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and its sister organization, the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence which provided evidence- based research on gun violence efforts nationally, working to drive discussions around gun control legislation at the state level. After a merger, Lori currently serves as Advocacy Manager at the Center for Gun Violence Solutions at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. She has also served on the Virginia State Crime Commission following appointments by two Virginia governors.
  • Marketing & Media – Bonnie Newman Davis: Bonnie has worked as a journalist for more than 40 years, receiving numerous awards for her work. In addition to her current role as managing editor for the Richmond Free Press, she has trained hundreds of journalism students at several universities in Virginia and North Carolina. Bonnie recently published “Truth Tellers: The Power and Presence of Black Women Journalists Since 1960”, sharing the stories of 24 Black women whose journalism careers spanned the last 40 years of the 20th century.
  • Nonprofit Management – Kelly King Horne: Kelly has been the Executive Director of Homeward, the coordinating and planning agency for the Richmond Region’s collaborative networks of homeless service providers for the last 15 years. She is recognized as a national leader in the homeless services sector. Under her leadership, Homeward was one of the first in the country to adopt the Housing First model of resource coordination, now the gold standard in homeless services.
  • Volunteerism – Eucharia Jackson: “Ukay” is a community leader, advocate, and professional who is devoted to tackling social issues ranging from education, the arts, diversity, and women’s empowerment. She has left a lasting impact within her community by utilizing the extraordinary skills gained through her 20+ years of experience in Sales and Marketing with Eli Lilly and Company. She is a gubernatorial appointee on the Board of Trustees for the Science Museum of Virginia and on the Citizens’ Advisory Council on Furnishing and Interpreting the Executive Mansion. Ukay also serves on the Board of Directors for the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Foundation, the Advisory Board of VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, and various other organizations. She previously served on boards for the Collegiate School and the AmericanYWCA Richmond is a 134-year-strong nonprofit organization committed to empowering women, children and their families to live their best lives. YWCA strengthens our community through early childhood education programming, free emergency and ongoing services for survivors of violence, violence prevention education and leadership opportunities for women. If you or a loved one has experienced domestic, intimate partner violence or sexual violence, you may call the Greater Richmond Regional Hotline at 804-612-6126.

Heart Association of Richmond. She is an advocate committed to many worthy causes within her Richmond community.

CEO of YWCA Richmond, Rupa Murthy is honored to celebrate this year’s class of leaders. She believes our region can “Join YWCA Richmond as we stand together in recognition of the incredible strength and wisdom that women bring to leadership as we work to unlock the full potential of our societies. The leadership these eight women exemplify goes far beyond the matter of parity; they are catalysts for progress, innovation, and positive change.”

The honorees were ormally recognized at the Outstanding Women Awards Luncheon, at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, at the Greater Richmond Convention Center and is presented by Dominion Energy and Altria.

For more information about the events, contact YWCA Richmond at owa@ywcarichmond.org. For more information about YWCA Richmond and our mission to empower women and eliminate racism, visit http://www.ywcarichmond.org.