virginia
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An 1890 Land Deed Halts Removal of Robert E. Lee Statue in Virginia
Over the last five years, a prolonged effort has ensued to remove Confederate statues from public spaces. These efforts have only intensified in recent weeks as protests have spread nationwide over the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of police. But in Virginia, efforts to remove a monument to Confederate Gen.…
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Gov. Ralph Northam Signs Bills to Potentially Remove Confederate Monuments and to Protect the LGBTQ Community
Gov. Ralph Northam really flexed his progressive muscles when he signed two measures Saturday—one empowering local governing bodies in Virginia to remove confederate monuments, and another granting comprehensive protections for the state’s LGBTQ community. According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Virginia is home to 110 Confederate monuments, making it the state with the second-most racism-enshrining statues…
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With Lack of Consistent COVID-19 Messaging From Trump Administration, Lax Responses and Misinformation May Increase Health Risks
Since the coronavirus broke out in the U.S., Donald Trump has offered mixed messages on the severity of the virus, America’s readiness to combat it, and what the administration plans to do to help millions of Americans access healthcare and resources as the pandemic spreads. Just today, Trump said he hoped to have businesses back…
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Virginia Becomes the Latest State to Ban Hair Discrimination: 'It Is Not What We Stand For'
File this under the exceedingly slim folder labeled “Good News in 2020″: Virginia has become the first Southern state to ban hair discrimination, a law that disproportionately impacts black people and their ability to wear their hair as they please. As CNN reports, the Commonwealth is now the fourth state in the country to pass…
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Best Gift Ever: Charlottesville to Celebrate End of Slavery Instead of Thomas Jefferson's Birthday
For the first time since World War II, guess who won’t be getting a birthday party in Charlottesville, Va.? If you guessed Thomas Jefferson—the same guy who once wrote “all men are created equal,” yet somehow owned over 600 of our ancestors—you’d be correct. The Washington Post reports that despite Jefferson’s name being on everything…
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1st Grade Teacher Brings Black Excellence to the Classroom by Dressing Up as Historical Figures During Black History Month
LaToya McGriff is here to make a difference. While educators throughout the country have spent their February schooling students on the importance of historical black figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, the first-grade teacher from Suffolk, Va., has gone the extra mile of ensuring that her students have the opportunity to meet…
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White Amateur Historian Says He Stole Slave Auction Block Plaque Because It Didn't Do Enough to Honor Descendants of Slavery
When a plaque disappeared off a sidewalk in Charlottesville, Va., earlier this month, it raised alarm bells. The sign, though small, was significant: It marked the site of an auction block where enslaved Africans were sold. As The Washington Post reports, some assumed it was done to protest a proposed state law that would allow…
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Thankfully, Gun Rights Rally Ends Peacefully in Virginia
There were many fears going into Monday’s gun rights rally in Virginia. For starters, it isn’t exactly the best look for a rally featuring the MAGA crowd to be held on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Granted, Lobby Day in Virginia has traditionally been held on MLK Day in Virginia but, you know, still. Add…
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It’s MLK Day Everywhere but Virginia. They’re Doing a Gun Rally Complete With Neo-Nazis Instead
This Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It’s a day of remembrance when we honor one of the most renowned civil rights leaders in U.S. history. A man who certainly stood for peace, but, most of all, equality and justice. A man who is often made out to be synonymous with non-violent protest. In…