Biden Black Voter Launch Events; Virginia District Quickly Re-Renames Schools After Slavery Defenders; Service for Gregory Beckwith Sr.
➳ There are 14 days until the June 18, 2024 primary. Early voting 🏃🏼♂️ has begun!
➳ There are 24 days until Network NOVA Women’s Summit on June 28, 2024.
➳ There are 90 days until the annual Bobby Scott Labor Day Cookout on Sept. 2.
➳ There are 152 days until Election Day November 5, 2024.
Virginia School District Moves Fast to Re-Rename Elementary School and HS After Advocates of Slavery
The Northern Virginia Daily: The names of three Confederate generals have been restored to two schools on the southern end of Shenandoah County.
Late last week, the signs on the outside of Mountain View High School were replaced with Stonewall Jackson High School. The name of Honey Run Elementary School was replaced with Ashby-Lee Elementary School.
The schools were originally named Stonewall Jackson High School and Ashby-Lee Elementary School, but were changed to Mountain View and Honey Run in 2020 during the nationwide social justice movement after George Floyd, a Black man, was killed by police officers. READ ENTIRE: The Northern Virginia Daily, Confederate names restored to Shenandoah County schools
Virginia: Are Biden, Trump Tied? Biden-Harris Launch Events Focus on the Base: Black Voters
ARE BLACK VOTERS ENERGIZED? There were several Biden-Harris presidential campaign events over the weekend focused on Black voters. The launch events included a fish-fry in Suffolk and two Democratic gatherings in Hampton Roads in Norfolk and Newport News. The events featured elected officials and party operatives but not many grassroots voters that might appear at an event such as a campaign rally. Regardless, the first weekend launch event in Norfolk enjoyed impressive attendance.
Polls have indicated a lack of enthusiasm across many groups going in to the 2024 presidential election in 153 days. This enthusiasm problem is evidenced in polls not just with Black voters but with the electorate in general. But for Democrats, a drop in voter participation for Black voters could be the difference between victory and defeat.
RELATED: 🚩 In Tight Presidential Race, Voters Are Broadly Critical of Both Biden and Trump, Pew Research Center
Focus groups in battleground states are indicating a lack of enthusiasm among the number one voting blocks for the Democratic Party: Black women and Black men. The question of whether Biden can inspire the same winning coalition that delivered White House victory to him in 2020 won’t be answered for 152 days but there are signs of trouble. Despite the fact that Biden defeated Donald Trump by 8 million votes in 2020, young voters and Black voters are indicating a lack of support in focus groups and polling.
A rapid change in where voters get their information from has been listed as a factor as legacy journalism struggles against a wave of other sources of information — and misinformation.
RELATED: Biden’s Black voter troubles are setting off alarm bells, Politico (May 30, 2024)
A main concern in the always-ready-to-panic inside the beltway consultant crowd is that communication of policy wins for Black voters by the Biden Administration is not being aggressively messaged. At the Norfolk launch event on June 1, a wordy flyer was handed out:
Photos: Services for Gregory Maurice Beckwith Sr.
All photos by Paulette Shipman-Singleton
RICHMOND, VA — Friends and family gathered yesterday to celebrate the life of Gregory Beckwith who passed away suddenly on May 24, 2024.
Obit: Gregory Maurice Beckwith Sr., of Midlothian, Virginia, departed this life unexpectedly on May 24, 2024. A native of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, Greg was preceded in death by his parents, Allan and Sylvia Ramsey and his brother, Brian E. Beckwith.
Born on March 14, 1964, Greg came to Richmond to play point guard for the University of Richmond in 1982. A true point guard, Greg was the floor general who led the Spiders to become the first "Giant Killers," beating Auburn University to advance in the 1984 NCAA tournament. Greg ended his basketball career with two NCAA and two NIT tournament appearances, and as the Spiders' career leader in assists and steals. He was the third recipient of the Kevin Eastman Award in 1984, honoring a player who demonstrates extraordinary leadership and dedication in addition to outstanding play. A rare honor, the award has only been given four times in the program's history.
Upon graduating with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Economics in 1986, Greg served as a graduate assistant coach at Virginia Tech until 1987, when he returned to University of Richmond as a graduate assistant coach. Greg earned a Masters of Sports Management from UR in 1989. Affectionately known as "Beck," Greg remained a beloved member of the University of Richmond community, serving for 21 years as a television and radio analyst for the Spiders' Basketball broadcast with his good friend, Bob Black. Greg was inducted into the University of Richmond Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003 for his individual accomplishments, and in 2006 as part of the 1988 Men's Basketball Team of Distinction, which was the first UR team to be nationally ranked in the top 20. In 2014, Greg was inducted into the Fayette County Sports Hall of Fame in Pennsylvania.
Greg continued coaching boys and girls teams in the James River Blaze AAU program. After graduation, Greg entered the sporting goods and apparel industry, working at AJD Cap Company and Sports Specialties before beginning a 23 year career at adidas. Upon retiring from adidas, he joined S&S Activewear in 2022.
Greg is survived by his college sweetheart and beloved wife of 31 years, Julie D. McClellan, adored children of whom he was incredibly proud, D'Auria Bryant, Brittany D. Beckwith, and Gregory M. "BJ" Beckwith Jr., and countless relatives.
June 5: Services for Lois McClellan
Services for Lois McClellan, the mother of Virginia’s historic Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan are Wednesday 🌹 A Catholic Funeral Mass will be held for Lois Dedeaux McClellan tomorrow, Wednesday, June 5 at 1:00 pm at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Petersburg, Virginia.
A graveside service will take place at Sunset Memorial Park in Chester followed by a Repass, starting at 4:00 pm, at the President's House on the campus of Virginia State University. There will be a viewing on Tuesday, June 4 from 6:00-8:00 pm at Wilkinson Funeral Home in Petersburg, Virginia.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in the name of Lois D. McClellan to the Delta Community Service Foundation, Post Office Box 853, Petersburg, Virginia 23805.
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