New willow lawn coming 2012

If you would like to view this timeline more extensively, click on the link below:
The History of Willow Lawn | View timeline

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By Lesli White

HENRICO, Va. –Most of the shops gates are down, no longer open for business. While some shops have moved to outside areas of the mall, others have left for good.

The Shops at Willow Lawn, originally known as Willow Lawn Shopping Center, has been around for more than five decades. Since opening in the 1950s, it has undergone several renovations. While transformation is not something new for the shopping plaza, transforming from an enclosed facility to an open air center is.

Janelle Stevenson, media spokesperson for Willow Lawn, agreed to an interview but later, couldn’t be reached. According to the Willow Lawn website, the vision for the property is an “open air lifestyle center with amenities including new retail store fronts, inviting sidewalks, central parking and landscaping surrounding outdoor seating and a community gathering space.”

The mall, located between West Broad Street and Willow Lawn Drive, began renovations several months ago. The date for the project’s completion is set for 2012. Many Richmond residents believe the change could not have come at a better time.

Candace Parrish, 23, doesn’t think Willow Lawn turning into an open air center is a big change from its current structure.

“If you think about it, Willow Lawn is basically already open,” said Parrish. “Several businesses seem to be generating business well, mixed in with some instances where shops don’t seem to be doing anything. It’s like a mall with extreme contrast.”

 But Parrish believes that the change will improve the businesses that were inside of the mall.

“The stores inside of the mall weren’t doing well,” she said. “Victoria Secret was one of them. Changing to an entirely outside will mall will give the stores inside the mall more shine. I think it will be a good thing.”

 LaQuisha Davis, 18, has lived in Richmond all her life and shopped at Willow Lawn countless times. She describes her experiences at the mall as “awkward.”

“You don’t really have that many customers, but you always have employees that are looking forward to people coming into the store to actually buy stuff,” said Davis. “It’s just awkward when you don’t buy anything and people are just window shopping.”

Davis notices a middle-aged crowd whenever she shops at Willow Lawn.  She thinks the mall needs a better variety of stores to attract the younger generation.

“I only go to a few stores like Old Navy and Rack Room shoes,” said Davis. “It’s an ok mall. It just needs more stores like Wet Seal, Forever 21 and DTLR.”

When Davis heard about Willow Lawn’s plan to turn into an open air center, she saw promise.  She believes the transformation could pull in more shoppers who are young and on the bus line.

“I hope they expand,” said Davis. “[The mall] is on the bus line and not everyone has a vehicle to drive there. It’ll bring more business, more customers, more people, and ultimately make the mall more social.”

Some stores have already moved outside like Old Navy and Cocoanut Jewelry. Chic-fil-A will move outside of the mall mid May. Willow Lawn’s blueprint encouraged a lot of new tenants to come to Willow Lawn, like Kent Swarts.

“We had been looking to expand and open up a different location somewhere in this area,” said Swarts. “We want to be in nice shopping plazas and we need lots of parking so we can keep it convenient for the clients.”

Kent Swarts, franchise owner and co-owner of two of the three new Massage Envy Spa locations in Richmond, saw a lot of potential in moving to a location like Willow Lawn. The shop’s profile matched a lot of Willow Lawn’s characteristics.

“The theory behind Massage Envy is a place that people could go where it would be very affordable, because not everyone can do it,” said Swarts. “And where it is convenient, so in an open shopping area where people are used to going to shop for their everyday needs.”

Once the stores in the inside portion of the mall started jumping on the transformation bandwagon, the spa was more comfortable with the move.

“We went from selling a newer empty plaza with a half empty mall to the great tenants like Cocoanut Jewelry, and Red Nails, and GNC, which are now our neighbors move out here,” said Swarts. “That said to us that they’re really serious and focused on doing that, we want to be apart of that.”

Swarts explained that it wasn’t just the open mall concept, but Willow Lawn’s transformational goals and actions that encouraged the move.

 “The Shops at Willow Lawn has been around, many people know, for years and years and years, and has gone through lots of transformation,” said Swarts. “But the landlord showed us that they were very committed to once again making the Shops at Willow Lawn a place to go where people wanted to go and feel safe.”

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 Late 1950s model of Willow Lawn's front entrance structure. 

Courtesy of Vintage Richmond

One of several marquees outside of the Shops at Willow Lawn, 

advertising the stores inside the mall. 

Picture of what the open-air lifestyle will look like after complerion

Courtesy of Willow Lawn 

Old Navy, a veteran store inside of the mall, 

moved outside several months ago. 

                       People sit on the patio of Panera, a popular sandwich shop 
                                                  and restauraunt at Willow Lawn. 

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For more information on the history of Willow Lawn, visit this site: 
http://the-shops-at-willow-lawn.co.tv/

For more information about Willow Lawn's developmental changes, visit:
www.willowlawn.com
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See my video below for Q & A with Kent Swarts, franchise owner and co-owner of two of the three Massage Envy Spa locations in Richmond.

Natural hair reveals a relaxer resistance in the black community

By Lesli White

When Justin Bieber touched best new artist Esperanza Spaulding’s afro during an interview it created huge media buzz. The day after Spaulding won the award, people seemed less focused on the award and more focused on the hair. While the moment brought attention to one of the major don’ts of black hair, it also cast a light on the growing natural hair phenomenon.

The trend of natural hair in the black community has been in waves. However, in a world seemingly dominated by the permanent hair, there appears to be a growing resistance to relaxed hair in the black female community. Courtney Echols, a VCU graduate who works with natural hair noticed the shift. She says the movement was like a “word of mouth” then a “chain reaction.”

“People started asking me why my hair was so shiny, straight and bouncy,” said Echols. “A lot of times, when people see your hair straight, they already assume you have a perm. When they found out I didn’t have one, they wanted to know who was doing my hair.”

            Echols’s hair tools consist of shampoo, condition, blow dryer, protection oil, and a flat iron. She explains that the straightening process is only difficult when you’re not used to it. She also said that once you learn the technique, you get the best results.

“You end up applying the same processes to natural hair that you did to relaxed hair,” said Echols. “A lot of times you don't even realize it.”

Echols said that as time progressed, more stylists became versed in doing natural hair. Once they figured how to work with it, they started suggesting customers go natural.

“A lot of people started noticing their hair was doing better in its natural state,” said Echols.

A bad permanent wave at 9-years-old left Echols fearful of perms altogether.  She started experimenting with natural hair in the seventh grade. Once she learned how to straighten her own hair, she no longer wanted perms. By letting the perm grow out of her hair, she was able to start over. Echols, 23, practices a regimen that was common in the black community until permanent relaxers became less expensive and more convenient.

Jeanette Powell-Rudo knows firsthand the damaging effects of perms and relaxers. Powell-Rudo operates “Jeanette Enterprises” located at 6315 Jahnke road. She has worked with natural hair for over 30 years. Her focus is braiding, twisting, extensions, loc styling and repair she doesn’t use chemicals because of the damage they cause.

“I never liked the idea of perms,” said Powell Rudo. “Knowing that someone is applying chemicals to the hair and scalp to alter its natural state was a little much for me.”

Powell-Rudo explains there are strong ingredients in both lye and no-lye relaxers including phosphoric acid, ammonium hydroxide, and sodium hydroxide, a chemical also found in drain cleaners. Relaxers can also have harmful side effects including chemical burns, irritation, red scalp, receding hairline, hair loss and breakage.

“Think about it,” said Powell-Rudo. “Why do beauticians need to use gloves to put something on your scalp? The chemicals enter your shaft and break protein bonds inside causing curly hair to go limp.”

She explains that there are fewer drawbacks when it comes to natural hair. Water and other products, used for natural hair upkeep, like oil and moisturizing lotion, don’t alter your hair chemically; they contribute to the health of hair.

Powell-Rudo has also noticed a growing shift towards natural hair in the black community, but acknowledges how women have been wearing natural hair proudly for centuries.

“Women have been wearing their hair in natural states forever,” said Powell-Rudo. “Even though women wore wigs back in the day they had natural hair below. When I was growing up we had our hair pressed, in plaits, braids, twists and more. I think natural hair is rooted in one’s culture and heritage along with representing ones pride.”

Donna Echols, the mother of Courtney Echols, was in her early 20s during the civil rights and “black is beautiful” movement in the 1960s. She explains that natural hair was political then.

“There’s always been a natural desire for many to go from kinky to straight hair,” said Echols. “But we went through a phase where we felt we didn’t have to emulate European Americans anymore.”

During that period, she explains the afro was not only worn by African Americans, but also by people of other races.

“Wearing hair naturally was liberating for people who didn’t necessarily connect with the country’s White, European, or Arian standards,” said Echols

She explains that the afro was revolutionary; In the 1960s, it represented defiance.

“We started thinking ‘I don’t have to be like you in order to be accepted’,” said Echols. “It was a movement against conformity.”

While she acknowledges the afro was a political statement, she also expresses how for many, it was a fad. Once people saw the afro was a popular hairstyle, many hopped on the radical bandwagon. When Echols wore her afro in the 1960s, her hair was relaxed. Today, she wears her hair free of chemicals. The afro means something different for her now than it did then.

“When I wore an afro back then, it was more of a fashion statement than a state of being,” said Echols. “When I decided to wear the afro again in 1989, it was a state of being. I realized it was okay for my hair to be kinky.”

Today, Echols goes back and forth between wearing her hair in a natural afro and wearing it pressed. She believes when people wear the afro, it has a unifying effect.

“There have been several occasions when a person has seen me wearing my afro and they’ve said ‘hello sister’,” said Echols. “There’s a certain connecting force within the African American community when you meet other people wearing their hair naturally.”

In the past few decades, many women have embraced afrocentrism or the idea of black importance by wearing their hair in locs, afros, and braids. Powell-Rudo believes there is a greater acceptance of natural hair in the work place and community now. In the past, many felt like they couldn’t move up the job ladder with natural hair but slowly, natural styles are socially embraced.

While natural hair can make a social or political statement or represent individuality, it isn’t for everyone.

 “A lot of women choose not to wear their hair naturally because of choice,” said Powell-Rudo. “Some don’t like the way it looks.”

Keeping up with hair care maintenance is another issue for a lot of people with natural hair. Echols explains that natural hair doesn’t stay straight when one sweats.

“You can't allow moisture to get close to your head,” said Echols. “You may have to take extra precautions.”

After VCU Graduate Courtney Echols took out the last of her friend’s locs, she styles her hair with pin curls hair. Pin curling is commonly done when natural hair is straightened to give it a curly but layered look.

VCU Graduate Courtney Echols stands with a group of friends who all wear their hair naturally.

The Different Faces of CelleE

By Lesli White

 For Courtney, life has shifted quite a bit in a few short months. After graduating last December, she's had to take on a load of new responsibilities: finding a job, working long hours, paying rent. But all of these responsibilities have given her a better understanding of the self. 

Want to learn more about Courtney? Watch the video below. 

Small Town Boy Meets Big City

By, Lesli White

RICHMOND, VA- At age seven, Christopher Westfall remembers stepping on his creaking ranch porch and looking at the far stretch of dairy farms and blowing green grass.

At 14, Westfall remembers his 30-mile round trip commute to the local town high school, a trek he would make for four years.At 18, Westfall remembers receiving his acceptance letter from VCU and, while excited, was unsure of the road ahead of him.

“One night, I’m in complete quiet. I can sit outside and literally hear the birds chirping and the frogs in the ponds,” said Westfall. “The next, I’m living in Cabaniss Hall on the MCV campus and its helicopters, ambulances, honking horns and city lights.”

For Westfall, VCU was a major transition from small town living. He was born in Alleghany County, Va but before he could even remember was traveling to Lewisburg, West Virginia, a town with a population of about 3500. He explained his first weeks at VCU being like a “double edged sword.”

“I like experiencing new things but it was the first time I had to adjust to such a different setting,” said Westfall.

One may wonder why a small-town kid would want to move to an urban setting. Westfall responds that he wanted change in an academic setting with a strong mass communications program. He is currently majoring in mass communications with a concentration in print journalism because he has always been interested in current events.

“When I was young, sometimes I would just get bored with cartoons and watch headline news,” said Westfall. “I’m just addicted to information.”

While the decision to attend VCU wasn’t hard, the year before was one of his roughest. The December before Westfall graduated from high school, his grandfather passed away. Westfall lived with his grandparents since kindergarten. While he didn’t understand the details of the divorce at the time, his grandparents made life easier.

“Grandpa was my super hero,” said Westfall. “He was a rock-slider and a cancer survivor. When he passed, it was like he had finally been beaten.”

While his grandfather’s death was tough, Westfall stayed focused and even found joy in between. For example, his appreciation for music erupted. Flipping through his playlist, you can find anything from Alternative to Indie, Classical Tchaikovsky to the Folkie Woodie Guthrie. 

“You always think you’re into music until you meet someone who is really into music,” said Westfall.

His interest in music led to more emotional attachments. While hanging out at Plan9, a 25-year-old record store in Carytown, Westfall met Samantha Merz, who would later become his girlfriend.

“One word to describe Chris would have to be dedicated,” said Merz. “Whether it's school, work, friends, family, or anything small or large, he puts his whole heart into it. To be honest, he's a little bit of my hero. I want to be like him when it comes to his unwavering dedication.”

Westfall loves his VCU professors. He says that he is optimistic about this semester because most of his journalism professors have real-world experience.

If he could look into a crystal ball and see his future, he would hope the ball would reveal a career with either BBC or National Geographic.

“BBC has a really high standard when it comes to news,” said Westfall. “When it comes to National Geographic, I’ve always been fascinated with animals, but I’ve also been fascinated by what it takes to photograph and put those pieces together. 

Are We Still Living the Dream?

By Lesli White

RICHMOND, VA- It has been 85 years since Carter G. Woodson started “Negro History Week” which later evolved into Black History month. While BHM is recognized throughout the nation, few look beyond surface facts and figures that media outlets commonly emphasize each year. In an interview, VCU sophomore Na’Kera Richardson keeps it real about her outlook on black history

Q: When you hear the term “black history” what is the first thing that comes to mind and why? A: Slavery would definitely be one of them, along with all of the amazing things my people have accomplished over the years like inventions and even how we were able to overcome such a horrible thing as slavery and Jim Crow laws. I think these things come to my mind because of course the word history triggers things from the past making me think of slavery and many other things dealing with my ancestor’s past. 

Q: Who would you consider the most influential figure in black history? A: When it comes to influential figures and black history it would be extremely hard to pinpoint just one person because there are so many factors that make up our history. You have figures from slavery who started rebelling and running away, fighting for their freedom in different ways, from civil like court cases like Dred Scott, to physically fighting for their freedom like Nat Turner. You have the figures from the era after slavery like, of course, MLK and Rosa Parks. And also those black first like Jackie Robinson being the first black player in MLB and what about those that have made great advances not only in the black community, but for America, like Daniel Hale Williams who performed the first successful open heart surgery. Even today we have people in the black community making important strides in history every day. So, I think it would do black history as a whole injustice to pinpoint just one person as being the most influential because many people’s blood, sweat and tears went into what we call black history. Therefore I will not be able to name just one person as the most influential but in fact all hands played a part in making our history what amazing thing it is today. 

Q: Other than MLK, who is a black figure you respect or consider a hero and why? A: Personally my hero would hands down have to be Oprah Winfrey. She is one of the most amazing stories of rags to riches that I’ve ever seen or heard. She went from growing up dirt poor to being sexually abused as a child and becoming one of the most rich and powerful people in America. Her story is such an amazing one because she shows that no matter what you go through, you can always overcome no matter the circumstances. Not only is she my hero because of her incredible background story, but what she does today. She has charities all over using her money for something positive and to give back. I also have an incredible respect for her and call her a hero because she has created an empire being a communications student. She is one person that I definitely look up to. 

Q: Do you think racism is dying or do you think it’s as prevalent as it was several decades ago? A: Racism has come a long way to where it is punishable by law to publicly treat someone a different way because of their skin color. Today, you definitely can’t go around killing people and burning their property without being punished by law. But we still have a long way to go. I don’t believe it is as prevalent, but it definitely is here and will always be here as long as we have ignorant people passing down their ignorant beliefs to children with no intentions of dying. You can look at something as recent as President Obama’s presidential campaign and some of the racial slurs he was called and things people said and did. We can even take it back to the Jena 6 event in 2006. With stunning events such as these, you know racism is alive and kicking and will be for a long time. 

Q: Do you think we’re living out Martin Luther King’s “Dream” today? A: I absolutely do not believe that we are living out MLK’s dream today. He wanted us to walk hand in hand with our white brothers and sisters have equal opportunities and make better people of ourselves.  The black community where you lived in may have been well functioning, but as a whole we fall short. We are killing each other over simple things, having babies before we can even have a chance to grow up ourselves, dropping out of school before we can read, living in the run down projects with no dream or wish to escape, not ever wanting to do better but instead satisfied with what is put on your plate. We have come far but it is like somewhere in time 10 steps were taken backwards. At some point we lost aspiration and gave up on life to become the stereotypes people labeled us. 

Q: Do you think with the progress our country has made, it’s still relevant to have a black history month? A: It will always be relevant to have a black history month because I honestly do not believe that there will ever be a day where we will be looked upon as equals by the entire world; as far as we have come, we still place last in everything. And maybe somehow having our own month will help other races and cultures remember how far we have come and how much we have accomplished. Sometimes even our own race needs to be reminded. If the world won’t give us credit where it’s due we have to take it upon ourselves to celebrate our past and the people in it even if it is only one month. I remind myself of how rich my culture and history is every day.

Boys and Girls Club: 'A Positive Place'

    

Interested in learning about how the Boys and Girls Club impacted the lives of these five youth? Read their profiles in the Virginian-Pilot's Hampton Road's section:

http://hamptonroads.com/2008/11/boys-girls-club-positive-place

((Published November 14, 2008))

Keep your eyes on the road, not the cell phone!

As I tried to text my final words, the car came to a sudden halt. My body froze as I stared in disbelief through the cracked front window. I could not help but laugh. In less than 30 minutes of getting behind the wheel, I missed a stop sign, ran through a red light and rear-ended a car.

Want to read more? Check out the full story online in the Virginian-Pilot's Hampton Roads Section:
  
http://hamptonroads.com/2009/03/keep-your-eyes-road-not-cell-phone

((Published March 6, 2009))