by Kerry Daugherty
For years Virginia Beach had struggled with April’s annual “Beach College Weekend” which drew thousands of kids from historically black colleges and universities to the Beach. Unfortunately, the event also drew local dirtbags and gangs. As a result, the weekend became a crime convention and instead of making money, businesses locked up.
Along came Pharrell Williams.
Determined to rescue his hometown, Pharrell worked with city officials to turn the problem weekend into a festival. In 2019 SITW was a roaring success. In fact, there were fewer weekend crimes than usual, despite tens of thousands of festival goers.
I was there on Saturday night and even though my musical tastes are more Luke Bryan than Pusha T, I loved it. Portsmouth’s Missy Elliott put on a show and Pharrell and Timbaland were terrific. On Sunday morning I rode my bike back to the festival for Pharrell’s beach worship service and inspired gospel music.
It’s been a catastrophe ever since. First the covid lockdowns stupidly put an end to outdoor concerts (thank you Ralph Northam, worst governor ever) and then the shooting death of Donovon Lynch – Pharrell’s cousin – by a police officer, led to a bitter battle between the superstar and the city.
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