The Impact of an Executive Order, Pollen Season, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Cheers RVA!
Today will be sunny and a windy, with a high of 62 and a low of 41 in the evening. The weekend ahead is expected to be mild, with highs around 70 on Saturday and 60 on Sunday.
the juice:
The Richmond School Board and superintendent of Richmond Public Schools Jason Kamras conveyed in a direct message to the RPS family assurances that nothing would change as a result of an executive order to dismantle the US Department of Education.
The board and superintendent wrote:
Before going any further, we want to reassure you that nothing will change at RPS tomorrow because of this executive order. No teachers will lose their jobs; no critical programs will end. This is because — despite much of the rhetoric being shared recently — over 90 percent of education funding in the United States, and nearly 100 percent of the decisions about what is taught in our schools, comes from states and localities, not the federal government.
The message explained the main roles of the Department of Education: to distribute money for programs like Title I and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; enforcing civil rights laws in schools; administering the federal college loan program, and collecting and sharing data on public education.
While the Department of Education is responsible for distributing funds, Congress sets the levels of funding.
Read the full message here.
the pulp:
A man was found dead from an apparent gunshot wound on East Brookland Park Boulevard early Thursday morning, via Samuel Parker at the RTD. Just two hours earlier, a victim was found uninjured in a vehicle that had sustained apparent gunfire along the same road a few blocks east.
Richmond has been ranked the 8th most difficult city for people with allergies, via WRIC. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation ranks cities by three factors: tree, grass, and weed pollen scores; over the counter allergy medicine use; and availability of certified allergists and immunologists.
the dive:
R. Anthony Harris from RVA Mag dives into the story behind Sister Rosetta Tharpe: a singer, songwriter and guitarist who is considered the “Godmother of Rock n Roll.”
Tharpe was one of the first recording stars of gospel music, and one of the early gospel musicians whose music appealed to rhythm and blues and rock and roll audiences.
Harris writes:
In the 1940s, Tharpe lived in Richmond, a period that saw her continuing to push the boundaries of gospel and popular music. She bought a house here, forming a community of musicians and creating the Rosettes, a backing group of young singers. She played to integrated audiences, breaking barriers before it was fashionable—or safe—to do so.
Despite this, Richmond has never fully claimed her. There are no statues, no street names, no city-sanctioned honors. Local Noah Scalin did get a mural up HERE but her presence in local history has been more of a footnote than a headline, a fact that the folks at Shockoe Records seek to change.
Read the full article here.
the vibe:
Have a melodious day RVA!
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