Category: Uncategorized

Councilman: Paul Riddick.

I also see Racism raising its ugly head. In My Beloved City of Norfolk.

Councilman Riddick: It’s My  privilege, honor and pleasure  to commend you for your 30 years of service to the city of Norfolk in General,  and Ward 4 in particular.  You are known, and respected as a man of character and integrity, who stands up for his belief, and has no problems voicing your opinions, always, in support of some, and in opposition to  others.

You epitomize what it means to take a stand and make a mark. You have made your Exemplary contribution To the City of Norfolk, as councilman, businessman, father, grandfather friend and Confident of many, and foe of few.  

On behalf of Gethsemane Community Fellowship Baptist Church, Grandmothers,Mother and Women (GMW), WE Matter TOO organization; and the STOP THE VIOLENCE COALITION-under the leadership of Bilal Muhammad. We say thank again for 30 years of unselfish Service.

I also see Racism raising its ugly head. In My Beloved City of Norfolk.

To Norfolk City Council members, I went to the Bd of Edu. meeting last Tuesday in an observatory capacity, was highly disappointed. I left and watch virtual until about about 1:05am Wednesday morning.

I Decided to do some research on the City of Norfolk’s education system and Norfolk, “The city I Luv.†All the research concluded with the board of Ed: C+, and City of Norfolk: C+. We can and must do better for our children. Which raised the question:

Is Norfolk a safe place to live?

First, keep in mind that Virginia is one of the safest places in the country, ranked No. 7 in the Crime Index by USA.com. As with any major metropolitan area, there are areas of Norfolk considered more dangerous than others. Taking these areas into account, Norfolk itself is considered one of the more dangerous areas in Virginia.

What are the bad parts of Norfolk?

There are several neighborhoods, primarily in the southern part of Norfolk, that represent the greatest amount of crime. According to Roadsnacks.net, these include Roberts Village, Campostella, Grandy Village, Beacon Light and Coronado-Inglenook, all of which have some of the area’s highest unemployment, lowest median income, lowest population density and lowest home values.

GMW and WE MATTER TOO: Is making Southside Stem Academy, (located in Superward 7 and ward 4), Our 1st Project along with the parents in this school, and community.

Another Meeting: Last evening (3/22/22); I attended the City Council Meeting, which was one of the coolest Meeting I have ever attended. The councilmembers came across as condescending, arrogant and uncaring. It was almost like some of the time they were, â€Looking down their noses.â€

The Park-slope Community was present in great numbers, expressing their grievances against the gentrification that they can see, will be happening to them. Only Mamie Johnson made an unemotional response to those Constituents who poured out their hearts, then they voted as if their fellow citizens did not exist. Only Councilman Riddick votes against that particular proposal.

I love my City of Norfolk, But, I don’t like it right now. I see Racism raising its ugly head. In My Beloved City of Norfolk.

Norfolk became my city of choice when I moved here from NY 2003. I have no regrets…Let’s Turn a C+ Into an A.

INCLUDING: THE Good-Bad And Ugly, Just Like NY.

GMW of Norfolk: Here; I’m only speaking for myself;  â€œI try to never point-fingers or complain about a situation, unless I’m willing to help do something about it.â€

Based on the Education C+ rating by Niche.Com and the Norfolk City C+ rating by CrimeGrade.org; and some quotes by writer: Eric Mees.  The question becomes, Is Norfolk a safe place to live.

First, keep in mind that Virginia is one of the safest places in the country, ranked No. 7 in the Crime Index by USA.com. As with any major metropolitan area, there are areas of Norfolk considered more dangerous than others. Taking these areas into account, Norfolk itself is considered one of the more dangerous areas in Virginia.

CrimeGrade.org scores Norfolk a C+, ranking it in the 50th percentile for safety, meaning half the cities are more dangerous and the other half are less dangerous.

What are the bad parts of Norfolk?

There are several neighborhoods, primarily in the south part of Norfolk, that represent the greatest amount of crime. According to Roadsnacks.net, these include Roberts Village, Campostella, Grandy Village, Beacon Light and Coronado-Inglenook, all of which have some of the area’s highest unemployment, lowest median income, lowest population density and lowest home values.

What are the Pros and Cons of Living in Norfolk?

Pros

When considering “Is Norfolk a good place to live?†it’s good to know that there are many upsides to living in the Norfolk area. The cost of living is lower than the national average, as are housing costs in the area. The military and defense industry, as well as commercial shipping, help keep the local economy afloat even in the toughest times.

The area is also home to three public universities as well as a private one. Old Dominion University is a public research university, with approximately 20,000 under-grads and graduate students on campus. The school has eight colleges and offers more than 150 degree programs.  

Norfolk State University, a historically black university, has just over 5,000 under-grads and graduate students. It is one of the state’s most affordable schools.

Eastern Virginia Medical School has less than 1,000 students, and the campus includes the 555-bed Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, a level 1 trauma medical care facility, and a 212-bed children’s hospital.

Virginia Wesleyan University is a private, liberal arts college. The student body consists of about 1,500 mostly under-grads.

Norfolk is also home to many performing arts complexes and hosts annual festivals and parades, mostly in Town Point Park. Revitalization efforts in downtown have brought a number of music clubs to the area, many in lower Granby Street. The Chrysler Museum of Art is considered to be the finest museum in the state, with a significant glass collection. The city’s naval presence is celebrated at Nauticus, which is also home to the battleship U.S.S. Wisconsin, which served in WWII, Korea, and the Gulf Wars. And, The Harrison Opera House, official home of the Virginia Opera in the Neon District of Downtown Norfolk.

Cons

The most significant con for the region centers around the higher crime rate than many of the neighboring communities. NeighborhoodScout.com rates a person’s chance of becoming the victim of a violent crime as 1 in 151, significantly higher than Virginia as a whole, which they rate at 1 in 482.

Public schools are not as highly rated as others in Virginia. Larchmont Elementary School, for example, is the top-rated public elementary in Norfolk, earning a B+ and a Virginia-wide ranking of 309th on Niche.com.

Turning Those C+ to A’s, GMW (Grandmother, mothers and women)of Norfolk, is our responsibility. We have the tools: Our Dollars and Vote, Our Power: Our God and Love.

GMW and We Matter, has join forced with the Stop The Violence coalition, in combine efforts of stopping the violence, and improving Norfolk’s  C+ rating. 

GMW and WE MATTER 2: Is adopting Southside Stem Academy, supporting parents with children in the beautiful underutilized school.  For reasons listed by, Public Schools Review. Southside Stem Academy: Bd of Ed-Rep. Rodney Jordon: Superward 7: and Christine Smith, Ward 4. City Council Superward:7: Rep. Danica J. Royster, and Paul R. Riddick, City Council ward 4.

Norfolk GMW Of Color In Particular; And All GMW in General.

GMW (grandmothers, mothers and women), of Norfolk; I attended a stop the violence rally on Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Stop and Go Liberty St. Berkeley community.

Norfolk‘s GMW, we have to do better. The magnitude of violence in some parts of our city, that most of us seems numb too, has  to become a problem for each of us. Some of the deplorable conditions that are allowed to exist, and summarize in schools in the same communities is a crime against our children in particular and communities.

Last evening I attended a meeting at the Kroc Center with  Stop The Stop Violence Coalition. We are planning a Youth Forum: April 9, 2022 from 2:00pm to 5:00pm at the Kroc Center. We are giving our youth, up to age 20, an opportunity to tell us how they feel, about their issues,†Our issues, keep us adults, up at nite, (some taking Prescription drugs, unprescribed drugs and alcohol), trying to cope with the problems of our everyday today.

We must acknowledge the fact that, †So, many of our young people end up in foster care, many of them they aging out, never connecting with family again, or loving Environment that would be conducive to providing opportunity for the nurturing, all of us needs to become well-adjusted adults.

The buck stops with us: GMW, God placed our sons and daughters in our wombs for a reason, He provided us the nurturing tools to co-create life with him. Those awesome tools came with an awesome responsibility, which God entrusted us with. So, it incumbent upon those of us, who has a better grasp of those tools, To be responsible for sharing, teaching and showing those of us less endowed, how to properly use those tools, to do a better job with our children. which is why we have so many babies having babies, without the tools to raise them.

I recently read in the Va. Pilot, that half of the Norfolk City Council council wants, and half opposes plans for the Norfolk Boxing Center to be use as a casino, while waiting for the actual casino to be built; even before finding a replacement location. Fortunately it’s encouraging to know that several council members feel a replacement for the center should be found before they start trying to use it for a casino. Norfolk, we need to start putting the needs of our children first, they are our future.

Displacing the residence of Youngtown Terrace as soon as possible, To revitalize St. Paul as a Mix- income community; with a guaranteed right for those residents to return, who wish to, sounds good on paper; we must make sure it’s a reality. Our Children needs  communities that’s conducive to their development. When we live better, “we feel and can do better.†Elective Urban Communities, makes life better for everyone. So Norfolk let’s go for it.

Young’s Terrace elementary school is becoming the incubator for the cradle to prison pipeline. It was brought to our attention at the Saturday rally, that second graders Moore and Tango and their love relationships than math and reading. In this community pro-choice is not A problem because it’s feeding into the prison pipeline. Generating new inventory. We’ve been giving lip-service to the prison-pipeline, “since forever,â€But it’s still in business. Only The village can fix the village.

We are asking all organizations that can contribute to stopping the violence coalition to join us. Our next organizational meeting is at the Kroc Center,March 14,@ 6:pm. Only the village can fix the village. We will provide the resources, the platform and alternative solution to the problems our children and communities are facing. So each child and their parents will leave this forum, “with the resources in their hands, along with access to information for further assistance when needed. 

GMW of color in particular, our children are hurting: Committing suicide, resorting to violence behavior, gun violence included, suspension from school; To Spotlight the magnitude their behavior, “A five-year old was arrested in Florida yesterday, for injuring a teacher with a desk. (Somebody dropped the ball with that baby). What happened to our children is our responsibility, Whether we acknowledge it or not, it exists, and it’s our problem. Women of Norfolk, we have to fix this problem. We have to start with our daughters, And rally our men, around our sons.

Grandmothers mothers and women, (GMW) We have the tools at our disposal to make a difference in our children’s lives and the communities we live in. We serve a God that can do all things except fail.

The 2022 elections are upon us, And we are no longer going to be a cheap date. It’s time we start getting compensated our vote and dollars.

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