Most of the time, we fail to realize just how significant the events we are living have become. We grow complacent in echo-chambers of our own making and impose on ourselves a worldview which is filtered through our social networks and media preferences. From a certain perspective, we are all held hostage to this phenomenon. And in an age where we all live a political lifestyle, one where the failure of institutional civility has become the norm – rather than the exception – it is not hard to feel the palpable stress, anxiety, and loathing that comes with anything having to do with contemporary politics. Despite this, there have been times where that feeling of civility was restored, even for a short moment – last night’s rally with former President Barak Obama was just such a moment.

While Obama’s rally was a campaign event for Democratic hopeful Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, it was also an attempt by the former president to interject some civility back into the political discourse. Whatever our political preference or party might be, what we are experiencing right now as Americans goes far beyond politics and cuts to the very core of who we are as a country and the social fabric which ultimately binds us together. This is something all living former presidents have recently expressed – Republican or Democrat. If we can see beyond party or politics, that was the takeaway from Obama last night.

Nonetheless, the rally was still a platform for the Democratic Party of Virginia (DPVA) to showcase its upcoming roster of election hopefuls in addition to luminaries of the party like Gov. Terry McAuliffe, Congressman Donald McEachin, and Mayor Levar Stoney. Here are some of the best photos of the night, taken by RVA Mag Political Director, Landon Shroder and Field Photographer Brendan Wilson:

*Words by Landon Shroder