vol. 282 / It's Your MayorExploring and celebrating the place we all love to call home.
VOL. 282 / It's Your Mayor
We’re proud to welcome this week’s guest editor, your mayor, Danny Avula!
Born in Hyderabad, India, Danny immigrated to the United States with his parents in 1979. A father of five, he and his wife, Mary Kay, have called Richmond’s East End home for more than 20 years. Mary Kay is a teacher with Richmond Public Schools.
Mayor Danny holds degrees from the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Johns Hopkins. He was named one of Richmond’s Top Docs every year from 2013 to 2022, Richmond Times-Dispatch Person of the Year in 2019, and Style Weekly’s Richmonder of the Year in 2020. And in case you didn’t know, he even won Dancing with the Richmond Stars in 2017.
He took office as the 81st Mayor of Richmond on January 1, 2025. Before his election, he served as Virginia’s Commissioner of Social Services, and prior to that, led the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts. During that time, he worked to expand access to care for the city’s most vulnerable residents, elevate the voices of those with lived experience, address the root causes of health outcomes, especially poverty and race, and highlight the connection between housing and health.
Today, in addition to serving as mayor, Danny continues his work as a pediatrician and hospitalist at Chippenham Hospital.
Take it away, Mayor Danny ...
Mutuality
One of the most powerful lessons I’ve learned is that we’re profoundly shaped by the people we live in community with. When my wife and I moved to Church Hill more than 20 years ago, relationships with our neighbors weren’t just enjoyable; they were transformative. I came to understand poverty, educational barriers, and housing instability not from a policy brief, but from friendship. But I also learned so much about generosity, resilience, and the way a community shows up for each other in the face of adversity. The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. once wrote, “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” The decades we’ve spent in true community with neighbors who became dear friends have absolutely affirmed that sentiment, and have changed how I show up as a father, neighbor, leader, and human.
This week, I’d encourage you to lean into that same spirit of mutuality. Invite a neighbor you don’t know well to coffee. Volunteer at a local school. Show up for a community meeting not just to share your voice, but to listen to someone else’s story. The more we are willing to step into someone else’s shoes, the more capacity we have to show up for one another, and the stronger we all become.
Richmond’s history is painful and powerful, and one of the most meaningful ways to connect with our city is to experience its stories in the places where they unfolded. Confronting the truth about our past, including slavery, racism, and the struggle for Black empowerment, is essential to understanding who we are today and where we will go in the future. To do this, start your journey along the Richmond Slave Trail, following the route enslaved people were forced to take from the river into Shockoe. Along the way, stop at Lumpkin’s Jail, known as the Devil’s Half Acre, and pause at the Shockoe Bottom African Burial Ground to pay respects. This walk is at the heart of the future Shockoe Project, which will honor and transform this space through education, art, and storytelling.
One thing I love most about Richmond is that when we see something that’s not working, we roll up our sleeves and do something about it. I’m inspired by the ways I see our community live this out every day: organizing meals for the unhoused, welcoming immigrant families to our city, community efforts to clean up the streets, etc.
This week, I’m asking all of us to bring that spirit to our own neighborhoods. A hallmark of this administration is creating ways for our city to serve together. I passionately believe that serving together teaches us about the critical issues facing our neighbors and helps us see perspectives beyond our own. It’s relationship-building and change-making at its best! Our next Days of Service event is coming up September 18–20, and I’d love to see you out there! We have opportunities to plant trees, build a house, clean up a park, or install a pollinator garden!
Mayor Danny paddles to Sharp’s Island in downtown Richmond for a wide-ranging conversation about listening, leadership, and the future of Richmond.
Hey, Richmond: The Newsletter
Mayor Danny recently launched a new city-wide newsletter, and every issue begins with a friendly welcome: “It’s your Mayor, Danny!” Recent editions have spotlighted the Parks and Recreation Department — did you know Richmond is the only locality in our region that maintains public pools, and that our summer camps were completely full by April 1? He’s also shared an early look at the redesign of City Hall’s first floor, resources for paying utility bills, and his vision for building a culture of service across our city. And as always, the newsletter includes plenty of photos and even a touch of poetry. Make sure to sign up so you don’t miss the latest.
