May Day 2017— RVA Schedule

Tomorrow, May 1st, is International Workers Day— happy May Day! Let's see what we've got on the schedule:

From 10:30am-8pm we've got May Day RVA: Creating Sanctuary for ALL/Santuario para Todos at Abner Clay Park (street parking only). Join ALL THE SAINTS THEATER COMPANY, ASH Antifa Seven Hills, Black Rose / Rosa Negra - RVA, No ACP, Democratic Socialists of America - Richmond, the Fight for 15, ICE Out of RVA, ProgressVA, Richmond Struggle, Southerners On New Ground, The Virginia Defender, and the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy for events all day, including an interfaith vigil, art and cultural showcases, and a solidarity march.

From 4-8pm, chow down at the May Day Cookout!

And finally, from 5:30-8:30pm, march or watch the MAY DAY PARADE! International Worker's Day Richmond! , a yearly staple. This one's especially fun for the kids (though the really little ones might benefit from ear protection, since it's often very loud!).

Let's get out there, show our numbers, and rededicate ourselves to the fight! Solidarity forever!

VCU Board of Visitors Protest Meeting: No Tuition Hikes

Today, April 23rd 2017, from 1-4pm, at VCU's Cabell Library (901 Park Avenue, Richmond VA), several groups (Our Revolution RVA, Richmond Struggle, and Young Greens at VCU) are holding a meeting to plan a protest of the May Board of Visitors meeting, in response to proposed tuition hikes at VCU.

The venue is wheelchair accessible with accessible bathrooms and single-occupancy bathrooms in the basement.

For more info and to RSVP, see this link. 

US-Cuba Friendshipment Caravan 2017 Stop in Richmond

Tomorrow, April 24th 2017, at 6:30pm, at the Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church (1720 Mechanicsville Turnpike, Richmond VA), the African Awareness Association is hosting a reception program for IFCO/Pastors for Peace and the 2017 US-Cuba Friendshipment Caravan.

The evening will feature: keynote speaker Gail Walker, executive director of IFCO/Pastors for Peace; an interview with Cuban professor Dr. Nestor Garcia Iturbe on US-Cuba relations; and Haki Kimaathi Muchoki of the African Awareness Association. Lee Robinson will facilitate.

Free. The venue is wheelchair accessible via a side-door and an inside chair-lift which requires assistance to operate. Street parking only.

Dance Party Fundraiser for Local Trump Inauguration Protester's Legal Fund

Tuesday, April 25th 2017, from 11pm-2am, at Ipanema Cafe (917 West Grace Street, Richmond VA), the newly-formed Scuffletown Anti-Repression Committee is holding a dance fundraiser to benefit the legal support fund for locals who were caught in a mass arrest in Washington DC while protesting Donald Trump's inauguration. They're facing up to ten years in prison, and need our support.

The fundraiser will feature tabling and local musician Sha Shakusky.

Free admission. The venue is wheelchair accessible via a ramp. Street parking only. 

For more info and to RSVP, see the link.

undocuALLY Training for K-12 Teachers

This workshop is intended for educators who work with grades K-12, but is open to all. There are only 5 spaces remaining. 

Saturday, April 22nd 2017, from 9:45am-12pm, at VCU's Oliver Hall (1015 West Main Street, Richmond VA), Richmond Teachers for Social Justice and PLUMAS (Political Latinxs for Movement in Action in Society) are co-hosting an undocyALLY training for K-12th grade educators. The purpose of the workshop is to help teachers learn about the policies and social realities impacting undocumented immigrant students and their families, as well as supports and resources which are available to them. 

Registration is free but limited to the first 25 who complete this form; only 5 spots remain. 

If you complete the form after this workshop is full, you'll have the first opportunity to sign up for the next training. Email richmondtsk@gmail.com for more info. 

The venue is wheelchair accessible via the Harrison Street entrance and has accessible bathrooms. Parking is available on the street and in two garages at 1101 West Cary Street and 801 West Main Street. Max charge of $10/day, accepts cash and cards. 

Providing Sanctuary: a Forum

Sunday, April 30th 2017, at 12:30pm, in the community room of the Richmond Friends Meeting (4500 Kensington Avenue, Richmond VA), Richmond's Quaker congregation is holding a focum which will focus on: a history of the sanctuary movement, specifically sanctuary provided by congregations and individuals; information about ICE detentions in the Richmond area in recent years and under the current administration; the Circles of Protection Sanctuary Network (VICPP); support and care for the vulnerable undocumented immigrants who have been detained or deported and their families; Power-of-Attorney clinics; and the legal aspects of providing sanctuary as a congregation or an individual.

Panelists will include Dr. Linda Rabben, author of books including "Give Refuge to the Stranger: the Past, Present and Future of Sanctuary"; Jennifer L. West, an immigration lawyer; and Lana Heath de Martinez, the Welcoming All Coordinator with the Virginia Interfaith Center. 

Park on Commonwealth Avenue. Light refreshments provided. Free and open to the public. For more information, contact Sally Gudas at seatide1@gmail.com or (804) 399-8342.

Get Out: a Panel on the Horror of Racism

Today, April 18th 2017, from 1:15-3pm, at the Depot (814 West Broad Street, Richmond VA), there will be a panel discussion on horror, representation, race, and think pieces inspired by the recent hit horror film Get Out (2017, directed by Jordan Peele). Panelists include the VCU professors Tressie McMillan Cottom, Brandi Summers, Chioke I'Anson, Cara Benedetto.

Free, open to the public. 

Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) Richmond General Meeting

Sunday, April 30th 2017, from 4-6pm, at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Richmond (1000 Blanton Avenue, Richmond VA), the racial justice group SURJ Richmond is holding their monthly general meeting. 

As always, an orientation on what SURJ is and what it stands for will be held from 4-5pm, followed by the regular meeting from 5-6pm. 

The venue is wheelchair accessible. To request childcare, email childcare.surj.rva@gmail.com with the age(s) of the children. 

Precinct Town Hall Meetings with Police Chief Durham

Richmond Chief of Police Alfred Durham will be holding a series of precinct town halls, to present on crime trends and allow residents to raise concerns. All of the town halls will take place from 6-8pm. It's good to keep an eye on these things. 

Second Precinct, Tuesday April 18th 2017— Southside Community Services Center (4100 Hull Street Road, Richmond VA) 

Fourth Precinct, Wednesday April 19th 2017— Richmond Police Academy (1201 West Graham Road, Richmond VA) 

Third Precinct, Tuesday April 25 2017— Grove Avenue Baptist Church (8701 Ridge Road, Richmond VA) 

First Precinct, April 27th 2017— St. John's Church (2401 East Broad Street, Richmond VA)

See Church Hill People's News for more info.

Seven Hills Autonomous Queers (SHAQ) Open Interest Meeting

Tomorrow, Wednesday April 19th 2017, from 8-11pm, at the Comm Room (3110 West Leigh Street, Richmond VA), there will be an open interest meeting for the Seven Hills Autonomous Queers, a new left queer collective. From the event description: 

"Seven Hills Autonomous Queers is a newly formed collective of queer and trans rebels, looking to grow and expand. We stand opposed to the constant onslaught of capital, the state, and the extralegal fascist forces who seek to destroy us and our communities. We are working to build strong, resilient infrastructure for queer safety and resistance against the authoritarian future we face. Won't you join us?"

For more info and to RSVP, see this link. 

"Agents of Change— Listening to Richmond's Youth" Panel Event

Thursday, April 20th 2017, from 7-9pm, at Binford Middle School (1701 Floyd Avenue, Richmond VA), there will be a community forum for youth to address political topics relevant to themselves and their communities. From the event description: 

"The forum seeks to provide a space in which Richmond’s youngest citizens may express their views about decisions and actions that affect them. There will be eight short “lightning talks” by Richmond youth (from Sabot at Stony Point, Cameron Gallagher Foundation, Milk River Arts, Art 180, Side by Side, and Henrico HS) addressed to the panel of Richmond’s public officials (to include Senator Jennifer McClellan, Delegate Jeff Bourne, and Deputy Secretary of Education Holly Coy). Richmond’s youngest citizens will address a variety of topics that touch their own lives, including education, art, race, special needs, mental health, refugees, and the LGBTQ community. The adult panel will listen to these talks and will have time to respond. Children and youth in the audience will be invited to address the speakers and the panel in a brief question and answer session."

Free, open to the public. 

For more information and to RSVP, see this link. 

RRFP End of the Abortion Access Bowl-a-Thon Season Party

Friday, April 21st 2017, from 7:30-11:59pm, at Gallery5 (200 West Marshall Street, Richmond VA), the Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project (RRFP), Virginia's all-volunteer private abortion fund, is holding a party to celebrate the end of their annual fundraising season, the National Abortion Access Bowl-a-thon. The evening will feature Wii bowling, games, dancing, food, and awards. 

Free for RRFP volunteers and fundraisers, $5-20 donation from members of the general public. All proceeds to the RRFP. The venue is wheelchair accessible. Street parking only. Unisex single-occupancy bathrooms. 

For more info and to RSVP, see this link. 

RVA Earth Day 2017

Saturday, April 22nd 2017. from 12-7pm, in Manchester around Plant Zero (7 East 3rd Street, Richmond VA), the RVA Earth Day 2017 festival will take place. The celebration will feature food, music, art, vendors, live music, and more. 

Net proceeds from the festival will go to FeedRVA, which administers a funding system which matches the dollars spent through SNAP (food stamps) at area farmer's markets, doubling their spending power. 

For more info and to RSVP, see this link. 

Craft Fair to Benefit the Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project

Saturday, April 8th 2017, from 10am-4pm, at the Rag and Bones Bicycle Co-Op (3110 West Leigh Street, Richmond VA), there will be a craft fair, at which all vendors will be donating a percentage of their proceeds to the Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project (RRFP). The RRFP is a private, all-volunteer abortion fund, serving people in Virginia who need abortion care but cannot afford it on their own. 

Free entry, open to the public. Street parking only. The venue has a unisex single-occupancy bathroom. 

For more info and to RSVP, see this link. 

As a sidenote: my fundraising team for this year's National Abortion Access Bowl-a-thon, the Caring Cryptid Corps, will have a table. We'll be selling: baked goods, embroidery, apparel, bath bombs, glitter bottles, pins, an unsettling piece of wall art, and more. 100% of our proceeds will go to the RRFP. 

Educators Only: Art 180 Workshop on Discipline, Justice, and Art

This event is open only to teachers and school counselors (pre-service and in-service) and other school faculty. 

Wednesday, April 12th 2017, from 2-5pm, at VCU's Cabell Library (901 Park Avenue, Richmond VA), VCU's School of Education, ART 180, and Performing Statistics are holding a workshop for educators on school discipline and the school-to-prison pipeline. From the event description: 

"The event brings youth from Richmond’s Juvenile Detention Center into dialogue with participants around the pressing issue of school discipline and the school-to-prison pipeline. Free curricula and other resources will be provided. The workshop has three acts. In Act One, youth, serving as docents, will provide guided tours through a gallery of art that they created to illumine their experiences with school discipline and the criminal justice system. Act Two consists of a dialogue with a panel of educators and counselors, as well as a school resource officer, a legal advocate, and a parent. In Act Three, art educators will introduce Performing Statistics’ digital curriculum that teachers can implement in their classrooms.

The event will conclude with a sharing of resources and next steps for addressing things such as classroom management, school discipline, alternatives to suspension and expulsion, and creating a positive school climate."

The event is free, but there are only 50 seats and you must register. Teachers, counselors, and other school staff only. If you have questions, contact Bill Muth at wrmuth@vcu.edu. 

To register and reserve your seat, see this link. 

T-Gurlz Rock RVA 2017

Tuesday, April 18th 2017, from 7-10pm, at Diversity Richmond (1407 Sherwood Avenue, Richmond VA), the Nationz Foundation is observing National Transgender HIV Testing Day with T-Gurlz Rock 2017, an event to celebrate the beauty and resiliency of the transgender community, promote HIV testing, and highlight local designers, entertainers, and hairstylists. There will be a fashion show, drag performances, live vocalists, and raffles.

Admission is a $10 donation to support the work of the foundation, or 10 cans of nonperishable food. Open to the public.

The venue is wheelchair accessible with single-stall unisex bathrooms, and free off the street parking. For more info and to RSVP, see this link. 

Honeybee Swarm Season PSA

Virginia is now in the midst of swarm season, when honeybee colonies swarm to form new hives. Swarms often look alarming if you haven't seen one before, but they're not dangerous, and if you encounter one, you can almost always call your local beekeeper's association to have it removed for free or a low cost (typically, you will only ever be charged if the keeper has to cut the swarm out of a building).

Honeybees swarm to make new colonies: when the mother hive gets too crowded, they raise a new queen, and then the old queen and about half of the worker bees leave to find a place to establish a new hive. Because the swarming bees don't have a home to protect, they are very docile in a swarm state: keep a respectful distance, but they are not aggressive.

A honeybee swarm will look like a ball or clump of bees, like this:

Photo credits: Josh Calo and Erik Darm of the Northern Virginia Beekeepers Association. Photos solicited with the assistance of the DC Beekeepers Alliance.


If you encounter a swarm, do not spray or disturb it— it won't hurt you or your pets, and it is extremely good for the environment because foraging bees help plants reproduce! Clear the area, and call a local beekeeper's organization to come and remove it (they'll take it away and put it in a prepared hive box).

The Richmond Beekeepers Association maintains a list of beekeepers who will collect swarms, and their contact information, here. They cover Richmond City, Charles City, Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, Hopewell, Louisa, Midlothian, New Kent, Petersburg, and Powhatan.

If you don't live in Richmond, there are 40 local beekeeping associations around the state, and the Virginia State Beekeepers Association maintains a list here. Contact your local organization to find out who to call about a swarm.

For help figuring out if that buzzing thing in your yard actually is a bee, check out this article about all the different bee and bee-like pollinators, from pollinator.com.

Demonstration in Support of Inauguration Protesters TONIGHT

Today, April 3rd 2017, from 6:30-7:30pm, at the Federal Court House (North 7th Street, Richmond VA), the newly-assembled Scuffletown Anti-Repression Committee is holding a demonstration titled: "Solidarity Against Repression! From DC to Standing Rock!" From the event description: 

"From April 1st to 7th, actions, informational events, film screenings, and benefits will all take place across so-called North America and beyond. The purpose of the week of action is simple: to come together and push back against a wave of repression that has been growing in the United States and accelerated by the coming to power of the Trump administration.

"Since Trump has come into office, we have seen over 200 people face felony charges in Washington DC after being kettled on J20, over 100 are threatened with charges in Sacramento for taking part in an antifascist demonstration there last June, and over 800 water protectors face charges from a grand jury convened at Standing Rock. Meanwhile, several states have also been trying to push through a set of laws which would further criminalize protest and make it easier for protesters to be fined, face greater charges, and in some cases, even be killed if they block roadways.

"This wave of repression cannot also be divorced from the deadly acts of terror being carried out by the far-Right. As Trump supporters attack counter-demonstrators in Huntington Beach while chanting the name of the fascist dictator ‘Pinochet,’ mosques, black churches, LGBTQI centers, and synagogues are attacked, burned, and shot at, and members of the Alt-Right murder people in the street.

"Now is the time to come together, discuss how we can support each other, and continue forward on the path ahead. Now is the time to make our friends across the country know that we have their backs. Now is the time to remember that in the face of everything, we as a movement support each other, we back each other up, and we all know that an injury to one of us, is an injury to all of us."

For more info and to RSVP, see this link. 

Save the Date: March for Science in Richmond, Virginia

A local March for Science is being planned for April 22nd, 2017, to coincide with the national event  in Washington DC. The event calls for environmentalists, people in scientific fields, educators, students, and activists to protest the anti-science agenda of the climate-denialist, environmentally-destructive Trump administration. 

For more info and to RSVP, see this link. 

Richmond Town Hall with Tom Perriello, Democratic Candidate for Governor

Monday, April 3rd 2017, from 6:30-7:30pm, at the Living and Learning Center (building #31) at Virginia Union University (1500 North Lombary Street, Richmond VA), Tom Perriello, a Democrat running for Virginia governor, is holding a town hall. He will be joined by Leah Greenberg. Hosted by Katherine Jordan and Beth Fuchs.

Free, open to the public. There is no means of pre-submitting questions that I can see. Lot parking available in front of and behind the building. 

For more info and to RSVP, see this link. 

Flying Brick Library Housewarming Party

VERY big news, everybody! 

The Flying Brick Library, a left institution in Richmond since the 1990s, is moving from their previous home, a private residence in Oregon Hill, to a public space at Gallery5. They will be sharing the space with the Richmond Independent Zine Library. The housewarming party for the Flying Brick Library will take place Thursday, April 6th 2017, from 7-10pm, at Gallery 5 (200 West Marshall Street, Richmond VA). The evening will feature performances by Jake Mayday and Andrew Alli. 

The Brick has hundreds of books and other media on a wide range of topics, including: class, labor, race, feminism, queer issues, immigration, anarchism, DIY, health, fiction, biography, art, film, religion, travel, psychology, communism, poetry, plays, environmentalism, animal rights, disability issues, economics, urban studies, education, race, and more. Best of all, they'll loan them to you for free. 

Free, open to the public. The venue is wheelchair accessible via a front ramp, and has unisex bathrooms on the first floor. For more info and to RSVP, see this link.