In the 137 years since Roanoke has been chartered as an independent city, all the 44 mayors have been male. Only a few women have served in the capacity of vice mayor. Those numbers mirror the reality...
Dear Family, Every year as a child, I would go to my church, Asbury United Methodist, with my grandparents for Watch Night Service, a tradition in the black community church to celebrate the Emancipation...
Whew! I cannot help but express my glee that 2020 is over. It was not a year for the faint of heart. A great deal of unrest came at us from all directions. Just when you calmed your emotions surrounding...
The holiday season is upon us and that stirs up memories of family gatherings around the table feasting on everyone’s favorites. The smell of turkey and gravy, mashed potatoes, ham, green beans, potato...
“Everyone needs a mentor or coach” says Ronald Marsh, an educator at Roanoke City’s Lucy Addison Middle School. One of his early mentors was a elementary teacher who helped shape his future endeavors. Ronald...
Dear Family, November, December and January are months full of celebrations across the globe, across religions and across cultures. We look forward to time with our loved ones near and far. It’s...
This year has been incredibly challenging for me and I imagine everyone in our country. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the core of many in an extremely negative way. Schools, businesses and social...
It is January 2003 and Salem native Christine Poarch is an attorney living in Texas. A 1999 graduate of South Texas College of Law, she is licensed in Texas, Virginia, the Fourth and Eleventh Circuit...
Before Kamala Harris, before Hillary Clinton, there was Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman elected to the U.S. Congress. Unbought and unbossed, she was a uniquely gifted politician who leveraged...
Originally printed November 2019 It’s November, which means it is election month, and with 2020 right around the corner, it is time to start talking about voting. And no, not just the presidential...
