The month of April is "Black Women's History Month!" The Virginia Black Lifestyle Magazine is excited to highlight incredible Black women throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia! Meet Dr. Murphy: Dr. Shelley Viola Murphy, known as “familytreegirl,” is a dedicated genealogist with over three decades of experience. Born in Michigan and now residing in central Virginia, she specializes in genealogy workshops nationwide, emphasizing her “SO WHAT” approach and problem-solving techniques, including timeline use. Murphy serves on the boards of the Library of Virginia, Albemarle Charlottesville, an ..read more

The month of April is "Black Women's History Month!" The Virginia Black Lifestyle Magazine is excited to highlight incredible Black women throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia! Meet Sandra: I'm a single mom of four who has faced a lot of challenges in life. One day, back in August 2016, I was watching the game when Kaepernick decided to sit on the bench. That moment sparked something deep inside me - a desire to make a positive impact on my community. So, I turned to social media and started speaking out on my pro-black Instagram page. And that's when fate stepped in. I caught the attenti ..read more

Amazon’s hourly employees can attend VSU through the Company’s prepaid Career Choice program.   VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY, VIRGINIA—August 24, 2023—Virginia State University has announced that it has partnered with Amazon’s Career Choice program, which allows employees to further their education and advance their careers. The program offers prepaid tuition and reimbursement for books and fees to hourly employees at Amazon who wish to pursue coursework at VSU. “With an Amazon fulfillment center less than 10 miles from campus, the decision to partner with them was easy so those employees ..read more

Black August originated in California in the 1970's in an effort to raise awareness to injustices in the prison system - which still exist today. Black August is known historically to also amplify the plight of political prisoners and freedom fighters who have been incarcerated for their activism and efforts to challenge systemic racism and oppression. Activists and organizations use this month to raise awareness about these individuals and advocate for their release. It was founded within the Black community and has evolved over time to commemorate the month of August as a time to honor a ..read more

CAPE CHARLES, Va. – (August 2023) – The Cape Charles Rosenwald School Restoration Initiative (CCRSRI) has received a $1 million grant from the Industrial Revitalization Fund through Virginia Housing and Community Development to complete phase II for the rehabilitation and adaptive reuse for a new community center. The project is expected to have an economic impact on Northampton County of more than $26 million over the next 10 years and create more than 30 jobs. The grant award comes four years after the CCRSRI board of directors purchased the property and began to raise awareness and fund ..read more

Black Women's Equal Pay Day is observed on July 27th. Black women typically earned around 63 to 68 cents for every dollar earned by white men. This disparity is due to a variety of factors, including occupational segregation, discrimination, generations of systemic racism, a lack of access to education and opportunities, and biases in the workplace. Do you know how many years have passed since the federal minimum wage was increased? Fourteen! It has been fourteen years since federal minimum wage was increased. There is no doubt that this directly impacts the pay gap for Black women. Add ..read more

Did you know that there were plans to establish a National Slavery Museum in Fredericksburg, Virginia? Nearly 20 years ago there were plans to create a National Slavery Museum to educate and remind the masses of the peculiar institution of slavery. If you've ever driven to the shops in Fredericksburg off of Carl D. Silver Parkway and wandered a mere five minutes off of the beaten path to Gordon W. Shelton Blvd., just beyond the new developments and apartments, you could catch a glimpse of the remains of the plans...the abandoned "Spirit of Freedom Garden." As legend has it, many celebrit ..read more

The Ampersand International Arts Festival was held in Williamsburg, Virginia from March 18th through March 24th. The Ampersand International Arts Festival is known to feature incredible author talks, live performances, film and special guests. This year did not disappoint, as the festival welcomed one of William & Mary's loyal son's back home to their tight knit community, Oscar Winner, Cord Jefferson! Mr. Cord Jefferson is popular for his feature writing and directorial debut for American Fiction, but he is far from being a new kid on the block. He is a celebrated award-winning writer ..read more

From Preservation Virginia: Applications for the 2024 class of Fellows are now extended through March 31st! Submit your application using the linked Google Form here. Preservation Virginia’s African American Fellowship (AAF) program supports individuals with an interest in preserving African American voices and history. Through support from the Mellon Foundation, this year’s cohort is expanding from three participants to five. Fellows will learn the process of preservation, make valuable connections in the industry and conduct research. African American historic sites are woeful ..read more

The way we consume news is constantly evolving. In our fast-paced, technology-driven world, attention spans seem to change by the day. This has led to the rise of bite-sized news: short, snappy headlines and social media posts that deliver the gist of a story in a quick and easy to read format. However, one may wonder, how does this abbreviated version of the news compare to traditional news articles, known for their in-depth analysis, full context, and detailed reporting? Bite-sized news is prioritizing grabbing attention. Scrolling through social media, a captivating headline or eye-cat ..read more