Urban League To Host 39th MLK Event on January 16NORFOLKThe Urban League of Hampton Roads will host the 39th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Community Leaders Awards on Monday, January 16, 2023, at 8 a.m. at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. The annual event honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and recognizes community leaders whose contributions exemplify service, and demonstrate the values modeled by Dr. King, “We are excited to once again gather together in person to celebrate this important tradition in Hampton Roads. It is incredibly important that we continue to recognize and celebrate those leaders who are relentless in their efforts to contribute to the betterment of our community,” said Gilbert Bland, President and CEO of the Urban League of Hampton Roads. The MLK 2023 Award Recipients are Congressman Robert Scott; Shawn Avery; State Sen. Louise Lucas; William Downey; Steve Lawson,; Rev. Joseph Green, Jr., and George Birdsong. Tickets are available online at https://ulhr.org/ Newport News’ Mayor-Elect Among 13 New Mayors Invited To White HouseNEWPORT NEWSMayor-elect Phillip D. Jones was in Washington, D.C. recently at the White House attending meetings with senior leadership of the Biden-Harris Administration. The purpose of the visit was to discuss working with the White House on key issues suchas the American Rescue Plan, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and other domestic priorities such as public safety and affordable housing for cities such as Newport News. Mayor-elect Jones was one of only 13 newly-elected mayors from across the country selected to attend. “I was honored and humbled to have received this invitation,” said Mayor-elect Jones on learning of his selection. “I am looking forward to meeting with White House senior leadership and learning how the Biden-Harris Administration can help support the work that is being done and needs to be done here in Newport News to improve the lives of our citizens.”Mayor-elect Jones, who will replace outgoing Mayor McKinley Price who served for 12 years, will be sworn in on Jan. 1, 2023. VAACC Funds Podcast To Highlight Stories Of Black NeighborhoodsVIRGINIA BEACHThe Virginia African American Cultural Center (VAACC) has recently given a subgrant of over $150k to local audio artists to highlight African American stories in Virginian Neighborhoods.VAACC approved the subgrant of $152,000 from its larger $1 million grant received from the Virginia Tourism Corporation. The subgrant partners Hannah Sobol and Virginia State Delegate Jackie Glass, the creators of the local audio podcasts “Heard Productions” and “Your Neighbor’s Hood”. Together they will create a series called, “Truth Be Told.”, an audio podcast series with the purpose of exploring the untold history of Black neighborhoods in the Commonwealth area. Over the next two years, their project will partner with historians to tell stories about the Commonwealth of Virginia, starting in Virginia Beach, and it will expand from there.When asked about the goals put in place f
