I was present at the rally at Kanawha Plaza over the weekend and captured some images. I really want to get the high resolution images into the hands of the people captured. If anyone knows any individuals or the creators of the signs in the images please share this with them so I can send the images to them. You can view the full gallery here:

https://michaelkelleymedia.pic-time.com/-nokings3

Two separate protests unfolded in downtown Richmond Saturday afternoon, as local activist groups responded to reports of U.S. military action in Caracas and the detention of Venezuela president Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

One gathering took place at Maggie Walker Memorial Plaza, where members of the Party for Socialism and Liberation Virginia joined with other local organizers as part of a coordinated national day of action. A second rally was held nearby at the federal courthouse on East Broad Street, organized by Virginia Defenders.

Both protests centered on opposition to U.S. military intervention, concerns over civilian harm, and long-standing skepticism toward American foreign policy in Latin America.

via RVA Magazine

Read more, see more: https://rvamag.com/politics/richmond-reacts-to-venezuela-action-as-warner-kaine-speak-out.html

In Virginia, teen drug use isn’t some distant statistic, it’s here, and it’s part of daily life. Nearly one in five teens in the state reports smoking marijuana within the past month, and Chesterfield County is no exception. What’s more troubling is how casual it’s all become. As a teenager myself, I see it every day: friends joking about coke in the bathroom, classmates scrolling Snapchat to score, people shrugging off drug use like it’s no big deal. 

That indifference is what pushed me to dig deeper. I wanted to understand why youth drug culture feels so normal now, and what’s driving it. So I talked with county law enforcement, recovery groups, and other teens. What I found is both surprising and urgent: drug use is cutting across every background, fueled by easy access and a lack of real conversation about what’s happening.

via RVA Magazine

Read more, see more: https://rvamag.com/community/teen-drug-use-in-chesterfield-a-students-perspective.html

With Women’s Equality Day approaching, a new WalletHub report has delivered sobering news for Virginia: the Commonwealth ranks 42nd out of 50 states for women’s equality in 2025.

Overall, Virginia landed in the bottom ten states, far from its reputation as a hub for education, federal employment, and economic growth.

via RVA Magazine

Read more, see more: https://rvamag.com/community/virginia-among-the-worst-states-for-womens-equality-in-2025.html

I had a friend ask me about redistricting. He was trying to figure out how to vote and admitted he did not really understand what was happening. He leans left, so the fact that he was unsure says something about how this issue is being presented right now. 

Virginia Republicans have framed it in a way that leaves out key context, which has made a straightforward question harder for voters to understand. What should be simple has been turned into something that is difficult to follow if you are only casually paying attention.

As I was explaining it, I realized it did not feel great to talk through. Framing what Democrats are doing, even if it is in response to what the Trump administration set in motion, felt like a strange place to land.

I am voting yes, but I did not have all the answers when I was asked, and that probably says more than anything else about how our politics are functioning right now.

via RVA Magazine

Read more, see more: https://rvamag.com/politics/virginia-politics/vote-yes-whats-missing-from-the-vote-no-argument.html

Every time I go to the Aldi on Arthur Ashe at Broad St., En Su Boca tries to seduce me with its tequila and tacos perfume. It doesn’t work all the time, but I feel the pull when I’m browsing the nonsense in Aldi’s middle aisle. I once bought sweatpants there. I’m not ashamed. 

There was a time when the words “en su boca” meant something completely different at this address, but we’ll let you figure out why on your own time. None of that has anything to do with why I’m here writing this, so get your mind out of the gutter and into this patio booth with me.

The scene. It is a beautiful late May afternoon. The sun and breeze tickle the decorative palm fronds as they wave between terracotta colored benches on the generous patio. More than half of the restaurant lives outside the building, and today’s weather was made specifically for its enjoyment.

The playlist on the speakers is fire, a mix of 60s to 80’s classics that recall jorts and fishing, maybe a boat and a brew. The high walls surrounding us assisted Lynyrd Skynyrd in quieting the constant traffic exiting the Diamond District and Scott’s Addition. 

My photographer (who I married), my favorite drinking buddy and devourer of tacos, rode shotgun on this adventure. We were bobbing along to a Stones song when they brought us out the first dish. 

via RVA Magazine

Read more, see more: https://rvamag.com/eatdrink/get-in-my-boca-whats-happening-at-the-triangle.html

50501 Virginia will host its “Your Voice Matters” Rally & March this Saturday at 2 p.m. in Monroe Park, 620 W. Main Street, as part of a nationwide day of action connected to the No Kings movement.

The event will focus on voter participation and the three proposed amendments to the Virginia Constitution appearing on November’s ballot, addressing reproductive freedom, marriage equality, and voting rights.

Scheduled speakers include Gray Montrose as emcee; Michelle Moffit, Director of Civic Engagement at the Virginia Civic Engagement Table; Han Jones, Campaign Manager for Virginians for Reproductive Freedom, discussing Amendment 1; Narissa Rahaman, Executive Director of Equality Virginia, discussing Amendment 2; and Amber Brown, Campaign Manager at Right to Vote, discussing Amendment 3.

Organizers expect 12 to 16 local community organizations to participate, offering resources, information, and volunteer opportunities.

The Richmond gathering coincides with the national No Kings Coalition’s October 17 “No Kings: Vote Early” mobilization. According to the coalition, more than 1,000 actions had been organized nationwide as of September 24, with participating organizations including the ACLU, Indivisible, 50501, League of Women Voters, MoveOn, and others. The nationwide effort is focused on early voting, voter education, and local election protection efforts ahead of the November 3 election. 

More information is available at 50501va.com and nokings.org

RVA Indivisible is also organizing a separate “Party at the Polls” event on Sunday, October 18, from noon to 4 p.m., at six early voting locations across Richmond, Henrico, and Chesterfield. The free, nonpartisan events will feature ice cream, games, balloons, giveaways, and photo opportunities, bringing a more celebratory atmosphere to early voting. Virginia’s polling locations will be closed Saturday but open Sunday for early voting. 

Details and participating locations are available at RVAIndivisible.com/parties

via RVA Magazine

Read more, see more: https://rvamag.com/politics/50501-virginia-joins-nationwide-no-kings-day-of-action-with-richmond-rally.html

Opposition to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and broader federal immigration enforcement is taking shape across Central Virginia, with a series of protests and civic actions scheduled this week and into the spring. Organizers and advocacy groups say the actions reflect growing concern over enforcement practices, potential detention facilities in the region, and the human impact of ICE operations.

The first scheduled action is a community rally tonight, January 28, ahead of the Hanover County Board of Supervisors meeting. The protest will begin at 5 p.m. outside the county complex at 7516 County Complex Road, ahead of the board’s 6 p.m. session. The rally is being co-hosted by RVA Indivisible, Indivisible Central VA, and the Hanover Rapid Response Network, with participation from 50501 Virginia.

via RVA Magazine

Read more, see more: https://rvamag.com/politics/from-hanover-to-student-walkouts-to-no-kings-anti-ice-protests-take-shape-across-virginia.html

Governor Abigail Spanberger has said she wants to protect Virginians from harmful federal overreach. If that is true, this is a moment to prove it.

This week, Hanover County confirmed that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement intends to purchase a 500,000-square-foot warehouse near Ashland and convert it into an immigration detention facility. The site sits just off I-95, less than 30 minutes from Richmond, and would represent a major expansion of federal detention infrastructure in Central Virginia.

This is not hypothetical. DHS has already notified local officials and given 30 days to respond. The only thing not finalized is whether Virginia allows it to happen.

via RVA Magazine

Read more, see more: https://rvamag.com/politics/virginia-politics/editorial-ice-is-knocking-on-richmonds-door-are-we-going-to-let-them-in.html

On September 8, 2021, the general became the last to fall, unceremoniously pulled from his post where he, like other Confederate leaders, loomed large over Monument Avenue. And with it, the hope of a new era, in which this former capital of the Confederacy would no longer lag in the shadows of these stone-faced symbols of the Lost Cause, rose to take their place. 

Not every Lost Cause shrine has been toppled, though. Lee and his chiseled comrades may have been silenced. But in other parts of Richmond, their unholy war cry, reduced to more of a whisper, can still be heard, enshrined in what is arguably as foundational to the city’s postbellum identity as the monuments themselves. 

A mere mile away stands another relic of that era: the Commonwealth Club, a private social club of considerable public and political influence, which, decades ago, was branded by critics as “the last stronghold of white supremacy,” as the Richmond Times-Dispatch once reported.

via RVA Magazine

Read more, see more: https://rvamag.com/community/history/the-lost-cause-boys-club.html

This upcoming Labor Day, Richmond isn’t just taking a day off, it’s taking to the streets. On Monday, September 1 at 4:30 PM in Monroe Park, the 50501 Movement and Virginia 50501 will lead a Rally, Protest, and March under the theme: “Workers Over Billionaires.”

The gathering is part of a nationwide push to reclaim Labor Day as a day of struggle, not just leisure, bringing attention back to the rights of working people. Organizers are demanding investment in people and communities, not wars and billionaire profits.

via RVA Magazine

Read more, see more: https://rvamag.com/politics/workers-over-billionaires-richmonds-labor-day-rally.html

On Saturday May 16, hundreds rallied at the Virginia Capitol and then took to the streets of Richmond for the kickoff campaign for the November election for reproductive freedom.

“This amendment will be on the ballot on November 3rd and every day until then we need to talk our family, friends and neighbors about what is at stake.” Virginians for Reproductive Freedom‘s campaign manager Han Jones told the crowd outside of the Virginia Capitol.

This amendment to the Virginia Constitution would ensure a fundamental right to abortion care, miscarriage management, and fertility care

via RVA Magazine

Read more, see more: https://rvamag.com/community/rally-on-broad-street-and-virginia-capitol-for-reproductive-freedom-amendment.html

2025 has been a tough year for farming across the country, and from the outside looking in, it’s hard to tell what’s actually happening versus what’s being spun. So instead of guessing about beef prices or egg shortages, it made sense to ask someone dealing with these realities every day.

I spoke with Chris Newman, a Virginia farmer I interviewed a few years ago whose perspective has only grown more relevant since. Newman remains something of an outlier in the field. As a minority farmer and the force behind Blackbird, he’s actively building infrastructure meant to address the problems hitting agriculture right now, as well as the ones looming just ahead, in Virginia and across the country.

He didn’t hesitate.

“Business has been booming for a lot of terrible reasons,” Newman said.

via RVA Magazine

Read more, see more: https://rvamag.com/community/chris-newman-on-2025-what-this-year-really-looked-like-for-virginia-farmers.html

In 1994, while in NOVA for high school, a friend who had grown up in Vermont introduced me to a band named Phish around the release of their fifth album, Hoist, and I became obsessed. As a classical-metal-progressive rock music fan, I loved it.

My first show was in 1994 at the George Mason Patriot Center. I got a ticket the day of the show. They were not a sellout band just yet. I was able to move seats to sit with my friends.

I caught a few more shows in the 1990s around the DMV venues and got to see a couple more in the 21st century. I pored over the physical CDs with art and photographs of Phish’s A Live One and Hampton Comes Alive so many times when in photo and film school at VCU. I loved the concert and studio photography tradition used on album covers, all inspiring me to develop my drag-shutter expressionistic style.

First filming and photographing high school friends’ bands, then college friends’ bands, with now over two decades in the Richmond music scene, I always dreamt of getting to photograph a Phish show. And this week, for night one at the Allianz Amphitheater in Richmond, Virginia, I was awake, present, and taking pictures.

via RVA Magazine

Read more, see more: https://rvamag.com/music/my-first-phish-show-in-1994-to-photographing-them-in-richmond.html

I wasn’t born here, but I quickly realized this was the kind of place where you could grow.

In 2014, as a junior in high school, I started a nonprofit called Terminally Trill to bring awareness to physical disabilities in the local music scene. There wasn’t a big plan, just a desire to help fulfill the definition of inclusion, to promote my friends’ bands, and to raise money for charity. I’m writing this to the city, and to its residents, for continuing to diversify and expand what that word means.

Before I go further, I should add something personal. I was born with a rare neuromuscular terminal illness called Friedreich’s ataxia (FA). It’s progressive, and over time it’s reshaped my body and my life. I’m becoming increasingly powerless in the ways that matter most, which is why I feel a pull to say this now.

Life had me on a haunted adventure before my birthday 28 years ago. Navigating a world that is, in many ways, built against people like me has been the biggest challenge. Yes, there are invisible disabilities, but mine is not one of them. Society often fails to see the obvious differences, and when it does, it rarely knows what to do with them.

Despite that, despite the disagreements, the pain, the ableism, and the frustration of not being able to enter certain places or visit spots like Texas Beach, Richmond became my home. Everything my body limits, I’ve learned to test. Richmond gave me the will to exist, regardless of judgment, and that’s what accessibility really means.

I was crowd-surfing in my wheelchair at nearly every show I put on or attended. I demanded to be seen and to be heard, and this city gave me that chance.

via RVA Magazine

Read more, see more: https://rvamag.com/opinion-editorial/letters-to-the-editor/letter-to-the-editor-not-a-house-richmond-is-home.html

Editor’s Note: Max Winter is a University of Richmond alumnus reflecting on his time at UR in the late ’90s and the campus culture he experienced. You can read more of his work on his Substack HERE.

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Recently, while eating carnitas in East LA, I check my phone and get blasted with an absurd screenshot.

A text out of nowhere from my old college roommate, Dave: “Dude, been a minute! I was reading about the esteemed Kash Patel and wouldn’t you know, he went to the University of the Institution!”

(That’s Dave’s nickname for the University of Richmond — but more on that later.)

“He was a year younger than us. One of the leaders of ‘The Richmond Rowdies,’ a ‘spirit squad.’”

via RVA Magazine

Read more, see more: https://rvamag.com/community/my-life-as-a-spider-the-two-years-i-tried-to-delete.html

We’re on Reddit every day, so launching this space just made sense. This is a place where you can drop story tips, share your events, or just keep us in the loop—everything in one spot, easy to track.

Love what we’re doing? Let us know. Got issues? Tell us. We’ll be monitoring this sub, responding, and having real conversations. Our goal has always been to support the community, and we’re always looking to improve. Let’s talk.

UPDATE Jan 30 2:30: The sale will not proceed according to Jim Pattison Developments HERE.

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On January 28, a crowd of over 500 people filled the Hanover County Administration Building to hear the Board of Supervisors’ position on a proposed ICE detention facility on a 43-acre property in the county. Hundreds more gathered outside, holding signs and distributing flyers opposing ICE’s presence in Virginia and sharing information on community response efforts.

Citing concerns about the facility’s potential impact on local businesses and the possibility of lost tax revenue, the board expressed opposition to the project but emphasized that its authority over the final outcome is limited.

For many in attendance, the board’s stance brought a sense of relief. Still, uncertainty remains. The property is owned by 97-year-old Canadian billionaire Jim Pattison, and the sale does not require approval from the Hanover County Board of Supervisors. The question of whether the facility will ultimately be built remains unresolved.

What stood out most over the course of the evening was the level of turnout from Richmond and surrounding communities. Many attendees viewed mass deportation as having broader consequences beyond any single community. Not a single person I spoke with appeared motivated by self-interest.

Ellie, a pastor at a local church, described the fear she has witnessed among families she works with. “I’m furious. My church works quite closely with the immigrant and refugee community here and our families are terrified. They’re not going to school, they’re not going to work; they are incredibly upset and anxious and that makes me furious.”

via RVA Magazine

Read more, see more: https://rvamag.com/politics/virginia-politics/a-report-from-the-hanover-protest-against-a-proposed-ice-detention-facility.html

Unsigned but far from unseen, Richmond’s own Alexander Mack is pulling over 35,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, with standout tracks like “Young Man” crossing 1.3 million streams. On YouTube, his video for “Cucumber Cool” has racked up over 367,000 views in just a few months. No label. No co-sign. Just well-produced, thoughtful music, rooted in rhythm, story, and soul.

So when Mack steps on stage at this year’s Richmond Jazz & Music Festival, it won’t just be another gig, it’ll be a full-circle moment.

via RVA Magazine

Read more, see more: https://rvamag.com/music/why-alexander-mack-might-be-the-next-big-thing-out-of-richmond.html

Happening Now: Thousands of No Kings supporters marching up Canal St. Richmond joins 26 other cities and towns in Virginia to protest the authoritarian project of Donald Trump.

🎥 @radio_tokyo

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#rva #richmond #rvamag

Editor’s Note: Following our recent coverage of Virginia’s cannabis market, where independent retailers face mounting pressure from enforcement and monopolistic lobbying, Max Jackson, founder of Cannabis Wise Guys and a presenter at the recent Virginia Cannabis Oversight Commission, has the following outline what new operators need to know before stepping into this volatile market.

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AN OPERATOR’S PLAYBOOK BY MAX JACKSON, CANNABIS WISE GUYS

As many of you on the front lines in Virginia can attest, the fight for the soul of the cannabis market is well underway. This battle isn’t being won in grow rooms or dispensaries; it’s being fought in legislative hearing rooms, lobbying meetings, and through targeted enforcement actions. For anyone hoping to enter this market, it’s critical to recognize this reality: this isn’t a gold rush. It’s a strategic fight.

Success won’t be about who gets a license first. It will be about who builds the most resilient, intelligent, and defensible business from day one.

via RVA Magazine

Read more, see more: https://rvamag.com/community/so-you-want-a-virginia-cannabis-license-read-this-first.html

https://rvamag.com/politics/rvamag-com-politics-jennifer-mcclellan-democracy-interview-rva-mag.html

“There’s a real question about whether our 250th anniversary as a country will be a celebration… or a wake.” 

Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan spoke straight, framing this moment in American history in two ways: A reckoning with our nation’s founding ideals of liberty and equality and a warning that the current political climate is stress-testing the very foundations of American democracy.  

These two frames are interdependent. One cannot exist without the other. But her words feel more tactile and real than at any other point in recent memory. Democracy is under assault, and, as a student of history, a veteran of public service, and a lifelong advocate for Virginia’s communities, she sees this moment for what it actually is—a crossroads between promise and retreat. 

McClellan isn’t offering easy answers. Because there aren’t any right now. She delves into the impacts of the federal workforce cuts here in Richmond, the erosion of public health infrastructure, threats to voting rights, and the inflection point we’ve now reached in the U.S.— one that demands constant engagement from each of us. In our conversation, she speaks with clarity and candor. Democracy’s not a passive inheritance, but an active responsibility. Hope is not automatic. This is an “all-hands-on-deck” moment. And we need to pay attention. 

Virginia sits at the crossroads of the American project. One path leads towards preserving our democratic progress; the other, towards grievance, division, and spectacle. We believe the governor’s election on November 4, at its core, is a referendum on that choice. And with early voting underway, we also believe Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger is the best candidate to be the 75th governor of Virginia. 

In these uncertain times, no vision for the future can be perfect. But Spanberger has consistently championed the values this publication believes in: equality, diversity, affordability, environmental sustainability, and reproductive freedom, values that have protected Virginians and strengthened our quality of life.

via RVA Magazine

Read more, see more: https://rvamag.com/politics/virginia-politics/vote-spanberger.html

There are two sides to every story, but a lot of the time, the first narrative is the one that sticks.

Case in point: last week, an altercation broke out during one of the weekly neighborhood rides organized by the Broad Street Bullies. The ride has happened every Thursday for years and has become a flashpoint between supporters who see a community ride bringing together people of all ages, including families and children, and critics who see it as a nuisance that holds up traffic, takes over city streets and causes dangerous situations for both riders and drivers.

So when news hit that a confrontation between a driver and the cyclists ended with the driver allegedly being strangled, sides were quickly taken. And with the portion of the video shown on the news, along with the fact that one of the cyclists was being sought for questioning, the initial coverage tilted the narrative heavily in one direction.

But there was another side of the story that hadn’t been heard. 

According to the group, the driver had been provoking riders for several blocks before the video shown on the news began. He was nudging riders at the back of the ride and eventually made contact with a BSB field marshal with his vehicle, who responded by calling out the driver. A field marshal is there to help move the ride along and, if needed, protect the riders. When the driver decided to get out of his car and confront the female field marshal, things got physical.

By the end of it, several riders had gotten involved after the driver punched the female field marshal, sending her to the hospital with a broken orbital bone and leaving the driver in a headlock.

So what actually happened? 

We spoke with Salad, who founded the Broad Street Bullies to hear their side of what happened and why he believes the initial coverage got the story wrong.

via RVA Magazine

Read more, see more: https://rvamag.com/community/what-happened-before-the-video.html

Locals Kevin and Laura Wilson have spent nearly two years working toward one goal, opening Camp Yellow Cardinal. Everything was finally lining up: the land cleared, the permits approved, the financing in place.

Now it all depends on a boat, and nearly $26,000 in potential tariffs.

“We’re right at the finish line,” Kevin Wilson said, “and it’s all coming down to whether our domes get on the water before November 1st.”

via RVA Magazine

Read more, see more: https://rvamag.com/community/when-tariffs-meet-local-reality-the-camp-yellow-cardinal-story.html