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An End Of An Era

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This morning, over 130 years after it was installed, the Commonwealth of Virginia finally removed the statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee from Monument Avenue. RVA Mag’s John Donegan and Branden Wilson were on hand to see history being made.

Robert E. Lee, former commander of the Confederacy, awoke atop his bronze horse today to clamoring construction workers, whomping gasoline generators, and a lifting hook dangling over his head.

Since its placement in 1890, the statue of Lee has overlooked the city from the center of Richmond’s famed Monument Avenue traffic circle. Just before 9 am this morning, though, the statue was lowered onto a flatbed truck, after a construction worker who strapped harnesses around Lee and his horse cheered on the crowd from atop his cherry picker, and led the countdown: “Three, two, one!” The operation to remove the statue lasted maybe 50 minutes. 

“I think it’s long overdue,” said Charles Otey, 67, a hospital worker at Virginia Medical Center. “What I’m so proud of is the young black kids and young white kids who came together to make this happen.”

The removal of the Lee statue marked the end of an era of Confederate monuments in a city that is arguably infamous for them. Monument Avenue, the wide boulevard that housed the most notable of the controversial statues, was long a proud feature of the city, and an international tourist site. Defenders of the monument today continue to celebrate the statue, and attest that Lee was not just a native Virginian but a Civil War hero. The majority, though, see it as a monument glorifying slavery.

The emotions surrounding the removal today were the culmination of innumerable protests to remove the statues, driven by thousands of Americans who were ready to see them gone.

“From what I’ve seen, kids nowadays just want to smoke weed, make love and get money,” Otey said as the surrounding crowd cheered. “But I think the world has changed. It’s more diverse. So we don’t want or need something that celebrates slavery and oppression. Our kids have made this happen, because of George Floyd. I love this, man. I mean, just listen to this.”

Those in the crowd — hundreds clustered in pockets around a multi-block perimeter — let out jubilant shouts and occasional chants. After the statue was placed on the flatbed, the crew then began sawing it in half, along the general’s waistline, to ease the transportation process. 

The removal of Lee’s statue, one of the largest and most recognizable Confederate statues in the country, was expected to draw a large crowd. And though the removal didn’t begin until 8 am, some viewers showed up as early as 3:00 this morning. 

D.C. resident Tim Smith arrived at the avenue around 3:20 am. Throughout the course of the day, he penciled in a collage depicting scenes from Richmond’s history, from its burning by fleeing Confederate troops to iconic images from last year’s protests. He’s been chronicling events like this since 2017. He’s unsure what he’ll do with the latest piece once he’s finished.

“It’s a great day,” Smith said. “I’m from Gettysburg, PA, so it’s cathartic to see this.”

At 8:09 a.m., police opened a single gate into the viewing area. People politely rushed through the gate, some jogging with camera equipment or signs. Others sat back and photographed the rush. Richmond resident Chris Damon, who co-founded the local nonprofit Good Day RVA, filmed the event on a Super 8mm Camera. 

“I’ve been filming the protests since the pandemic era on my Super 8, and I feel like today is ‘Monumentally Important,’” Damon joked. “This is probably one of the most photographed spaces in the state, if not the country.” 

Damon said he’s filmed three cartridges — about 10 minutes of footage — since he began attending local protests in May 2020. 

“I was trying to bounce between being conscious of who I am as a white man, in filming, but also feel it’s necessary to capture something as well… vignettes of our city and our people,” Damon said. “It’s also beautiful to see how this space has been reclaimed.” 

Onlookers gathered behind the perimeter fence line to watch the removal. Many came to see the work of the past year through, and bid farewell to a statue that long stood as a symbol of racial injustice. Within the core of the crowd, speakers shared their reflections on the day. 

“When this statue was erected in the earlier part of the last century, right after Birth of a Nation, it instilled fear and asserted white supremacy — the supremacy of the white man — in every aspect of white culture,” said Muhammad, a Church Hill resident. “Today we’re still suffering from mass incarceration and segregation by redlining in our schools and neighborhoods.”

The two-ton statue was transported to the Virginia’s Goochland Women’s Correctional Center for temporary storage, until officials decide what to do with it, according to Dena Potter, a spokesperson for the state’s Department of General Services. Potter added that Governor Ralph Northam’s office would seek public input on the statue’s future. 

Northam ordered for the statue to be removed in June 2020, after the killing of black Americans such as George Floyd and Richmond resident Marcus-David Peters by police, which triggered nationwide protests over police brutality and racism.

“Virginia’s largest monument to the Confederate insurrection will come down this week,” Northam said in a statement Monday. “This is an important step in showing who we are and what we value as a commonwealth.”

The removal of the statue was impeded for over a year by lawsuits filed by a group of residents with property along Monument Ave, along with William Gregory, a descendant of signatories to a deed that promised the state’s protection.

“On behalf of all the Black men who have suffered in Richmond, I’d like to thank Governor Northam for having the balls to bring this thing down,” Muhammad said. “He stayed the course.”

The Supreme Court of Virginia ruled last week to deny protections sought in the two lawsuits challenging the statue’s removal. The count was unanimous. 

“Democracy is inherently dynamic,” Justice S. Bernard Goodwyn opined in the ruling​​. “Values change and public policy changes, too. The Government of the Commonwealth is entitled to select the views that it supports and the values that it wants to express.”

“Every vestige of white supremacy has to be removed,” Muhammad said. “We can enter a new renaissance in Virginia, a new mainstream where Richmond is a real, consistent democracy.”

Over 160 Confederate symbols — more than a dozen in Richmond alone — were renamed or removed from public spaces in 2020, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. The Lee statue was the first of five Confederate monuments erected on the avenue. 

Against Lee’s wishes, the statue was erected in his honor, towards a legacy he wished abandoned: southern white citizenry which perceived themselves as paragons who simply fought for heritage, against an overwhelming northern force. Despite exhaustive “Lost Cause”-based efforts to revise its record, history has made clear that the cause of the Confederacy was dependent on slavery and subjugation. 

“Richmond is no longer the capital of the confederacy,” Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney said in a statement Monday. “We are a diverse, open, and welcoming city, and our symbols need to reflect this reality.” 

While many celebrated the day, others were quick to point out that systemic issues continue throughout the city. Many reckoned with the notion that the statue’s removal was nothing more than superficial change to satiate the masses. 

“I think it doesn’t mean much unless there’s a radical change to the structure of Richmond,” said one Monument Avenue resident, who preferred anonymity. “They should improve social services and the lives of marginalized folks who live around here. [Lee] is a symbol of white supremacy, [the statue] shouldn’t exist. But also look at all the people trying to protect it right now — [like the] cops who, on a daily basis, oppress the folks protesting to get this taken down.”

“We’ll see how this goes, but it feels to me like a play to make sure that folks are sated,” she added. “It’s a step, but if they don’t turn [the monument] into a community space, it doesn’t mean much.”

Whether out of pride, shame, or metallurgy, Lee’s statue continued staring straight ahead, even as he was strapped to a flatbed and split down the middle. 

Crews will return Thursday to remove plaques from the monument base and replace a time capsule containing Confederate memorabilia.

State officials said they will leave the 40-foot granite pedestal in place for now, adding that the city of Richmond and the Virginia Department of Fine Arts will work to “reimagine Monument Avenue,” according to a statement released earlier today by Governor Northam’s office. Last December, Northam earmarked $11 million for redesigning the avenue, with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts at the creative helm.

“For too long, Richmond’s Monument Avenue told an incomplete and inaccurate story of the city and Virginia’s past,” said Alex Nyerges, Director and CEO of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. “The funding to transform Monument Avenue will allow us to re-envision an inspirational, forward thinking, inclusive, and healing place for everyone who lives in and visits our city and state.”

As for the pedestal itself, some racial justice advocates don’t want it removed, seeing the graffiti-covered base as a symbol of the protest movement that emerged in the city, and proof that the public can instigate some change. A group of VCU students joked that they should erect a statue of Young Jeezy or, more seriously, Harriet Tubman. One woman mentioned the late Alex Trebek. Most offered names of Virginia natives. 

“They should build another monument, but make it one that is all inclusive and tells a story about everything and represents everybody,” Otey said. “It ain’t just about Black and white. I mean, look at Afghanistan and Mexico. Get a picture of everybody pointing up to the sky. Either way, all I want is peace and happiness.”

Photos by Branden Wilson

Virginia Universities Reckon With Confederate Symbols

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In the wake of last summer’s protests and the pulling down of Confederate monuments around the state, universities within the commonwealth are dealing with the remnants of the Confederacy and of systemic racism that remain on their campuses today.

Virginia universities in the former heart of the Confederacy are reckoning with their past as students, faculty and staff call for the removal of Confederate symbols.

Richmond housed the capital of the Confederacy from 1861 to 1865. Over 150 years later, remnants of the commonwealth’s Confederate history remain, including in academia.

At least 71 symbols of the Confederacy were removed from public spaces in Virginia last year, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. That includes multiple renamings of public schools. Only one symbol was removed prior to the murder of George Floyd. 

Gov. Ralph Northam sent a letter to school board chairs in the commonwealth last July, urging public officials to change names and mascots that memorialized Confederate leaders.

“When our public schools are named after individuals who advanced slavery and systemic racism, and we allow those names to remain on school property, we tacitly endorse their values as our own,” Northam stated. “This is no longer acceptable.”

Several months later, the University of Virginia in Charlottesville removed the name of Confederate soldier Henry Malcolm Withers from a law school building. 

The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg approved the renaming of Trinkle and Maury halls. Trinkle Hall was named for former Virginia Gov. Elbert Lee Trinkle who signed Jim Crow legislation, according to the college’s board. Maury Hall was named for Matthew Fontaine Maury, who resigned his post as a U.S. Navy commander to join the Confederacy and helped it acquire ships.

The Virginia Military Institute in Lexington paid over $200,000 to remove a statue of Stonewall Jackson and relocate it to the Virginia Museum of the Civil War and New Market Battlefield State Historical Park.

Freeman Hall at the University of Richmond was recently renamed Mitchell-Freeman Hall. Photo courtesy of the University of Richmond.

University of Richmond

Anthony Lawrence, an accounting major at the University of Richmond, is president of the Richmond College Student Government Association. He established a space for multicultural students in the student commons his freshman year and is currently working to remove Confederate symbols on campus.

The university has two campus buildings named for men associated with slavery and segregation. 

Ryland Hall is named for slave owner Robert Ryland, the first president of Richmond College, the University of Richmond’s predecessor. Ryland also served as a pastor to the first African Baptist church in Richmond, according to the university. He called slavery a “divine right” and routinely enslaved and loaned slaves to others during his time as president, according to university researchers.

Mitchell-Freeman Hall was first named for Douglas Southall Freeman, who graduated from the university and served on the board of trustees. The university updated the name of Mitchell-Freeman Hall on Feb. 24 to honor former Richmond Planet Editor John Mitchell Jr. who was Black. Freeman was a journalist who advocated for segregation through “the Virginia Way” which suggests the elite have a duty to guide others, according to UR researchers. 

“If they want to have the historical impact that they say they do, there can be more, much more, done than a name on a building to tell the historical story,” Lawrence said.

Lawrence suggested plaques that explain the buildings’ history to inform students without honoring Confederate leaders. The university also could require a course to teach about the history of the university and associated officials. There is currently no explanation for the building names on campus, Lawrence said.

“There’s nothing that’s really stopping them from changing the name except for their own, I guess, stubbornness,” Lawrence said.

The Black Lives Matter movement helped people examine the names and roles of campus buildings, Lawrence said.

“It can come to a head now because of the wonderful activism that we’ve seen in these past couple of years,” Lawrence said. “This past summer has really been an example of what can happen when we see change.” 

Students formed The Black Student Coalition in March to advocate for the wellbeing of Black students.

“Now it’s impossible for the administration; it’s impossible for the board of trustees to silence us because we’re so strong, and because we have this coalition, and because we have each other,” Lawrence said.

Six percent of Richmond students identify as Black, according to the university. This makes Lawrence a minority student leader on campus.

“It’s exhausting but the work is rewarding in a way that I don’t think I ever would have known,” Lawrence said. 

Demonstrators pulled down the Richmond Howitzers Monument at Virginia Commonwealth University (June 2020). The university was in the process of auditing Confederate symbols on its two campuses and has since begun removal and renaming of those symbols. Photo by Andrew Ringle, The Commonwealth Times.

Virginia Commonwealth University

The board of visitors at Richmond-based Virginia Commonwealth University voted in September to remove Confederate symbols from campus. The decision came after more than three years of review. 

More than a dozen dedicated spaces, memorials and plaques will be removed from both campuses, according to the university. The decision includes de-commemorating buildings with Confederate affiliation, such as the Jefferson Davis Memorial Chapel. Davis was the president of the Confederacy. 

“The committee’s analysis revealed a more complete story of the meaning behind these memorials and commemorations that we can neither ignore nor celebrate and that impede our mission to serve all,” stated VCU President Michael Rao. 

Washington & Lee

Washington & Lee University in Lexington is named for former U.S. President George Washington and Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. Lee was president of the college for five years and the name was changed to Washington & Lee upon his death in 1870. Lee is buried on the campus. 

Students walked out of the university in late March to support dropping Lee’s name, according to WVTF. The board of trustees began soliciting input in July 2020 on the university’s name and Confederate symbols. The board will issue a final decision on the name in June, according to a statement by Rector Mike McAlevey.

Some professors also favor changing W&L’s name, including Mohamed Kamara, an associate professor of French and Africana studies. Kamara has been teaching at W&L since 2001 and was a founding member of the Africana Studies Program.

Kamara was drawn to the university because of the physical environment and academic freedom the administration offered him. 

“I am here because I love Washington & Lee, so that same love that I had for it when I first came here, I still have it,” Kamara said.

Kamara supports the student protests because of the effectiveness of protests in American history. He said the American Revolution was a protest of sorts where American colonists resorted to violence against Great Britain. 

“Most of what has been achieved in terms of positive development have been done through protests,” Kamara said.

Demonstrators pulled down the Richmond Howitzers Monument at Virginia Commonwealth University (June 2020). Photo by Andrew Ringle, The Commonwealth Times.

Changing the name of the university would harm no one, Kamara said. It would save Black students the trauma of dealing with the institution of slavery when they come across the university’s name.

“It brings that memory that is not pleasant at all,” Kamara said.

Black people still feel the aftereffects of slavery even though it ended in the U.S. over 156 years ago, Kamara said. 

“For those of us who are members of the Black race, we will back Washington for what he did for the university and Robert E. Lee for whatever he did for the university,” Kamara said. “But at the same time, we cannot ignore that component of the history that subjugated people like us.” 

Washington and Lee were both slave owners, though Lee’s name is often the one brought up during renaming discussions, Kamara said. 

“I believe that issue is going to come up,” Kamara said. “There was a time when nobody talked about removing Lee’s name.”

Kamara is fine with removing only Lee’s name, but he believes changing the whole name is an opportunity for the university to take an extra step.

“It may make sense, as a sign of goodwill, as a sign of good faith to be ahead of our times,” Kamara said.

Written by Katharine DeRosa, Capital News Service. Top Photo: Ryland Hall at the University of Richmond is named for slave owner and former Richmond College president Robert Ryland. Photo courtesy of the University of Richmond.

A Vehicle For Difficult Conversations

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In response to the killing of George Floyd and the ensuing protests, artist Arthur Brill launched the Ashland Peace Project — which is not just a work of art, but a series of conversations intended to meet people where they’re at.

Last summer, the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis spurred protests over police brutality and racial inequality in every corner of the country. Even the little town of Ashland, VA, with just less than 8,000 residents, was affected. 

As people nationwide grappled with the question, “What can I do?,” Ashland artist Arthur Brill found his answer in what he knows best: art. 

Almost a year later, on March 27, Arthur Brill officially unveiled the Ashland Peace Project sculpture at South Taylor Street Park in Ashland – a 40-inch tall wooden peace sign painted in two skin-tone and covered with messages from residents. Mounted atop its base, the sculpture stands about seven feet from the ground to its highest point. It is one part of Brill’s project; he has also committed to host 35 one-hour long workshops with guest panelists to discuss challenging issues about peace and unity in America through June 2021. 

“I think that’s what this peace project can do; it creates the vehicle for people to have what can be difficult conversations,” said Scott Garka, president of CultureWorks, an organization that promotes arts and culture in the Richmond and Tri-Cities region. “But I think great things can come out of it in terms of enriching the community in a new way, and helping us find a path forward.”

As Black Lives Matter demonstrations reached the small town in May 2020, Brill got curious. He decided to ask some questions online: Why are the people of Ashland taking part in the protests? Is it to support the national movement or to protest against the local police department? The following week, Brill was invited to another protest in front of town hall in support of George Floyd. This time, the artist wanted to take the conversations he had online into the real world. He decided to set up a table where he could invite people to join discussions about issues with the Ashland police.

“So as a focal point for that, I wanted to have something – a piece of art,” he said. That’s when the peace sign came into action.

The hand sign itself seems to have been made specifically for this project – but it wasn’t. The 40 inches tall sculpture had been sitting in Brill’s studio, Behind the Curtain, since 2014, after it had been gifted from a friend. Yet, almost overnight, Brill turned it into a symbol of hope and unity for the town and beyond. 

Only 24 hours before the protest, Brill decided to paint the hand into two different skin colors. The artist stayed up all night painting. The next morning, he started writing messages on it. A couple of hours later, the sign was at Ashland town hall and residents started adding their own messages to the piece; without knowing it, the Ashland Peace Project was born. 

Since then, Brill has brought the hand to several rallies and protests, including some to change the names of Hanover County’s Lee-Davis High School and Stonewall Jackson Middle School – which were both successfully changed in October 2020. 

The peace sign is covered in messages: “May all the beings in the world be happy and free.” “Make it real, no more empty promises!” “Pray for the future of our children!” On the back of the hand, a long list of names of Black people killed by the police is painted, under the heading, “Say their names.” 

“When I start reading the messages that are actually on the sculpture or when I start writing names from that list on there … something kind of transcendental happens, and I really feel the weight of the entire thing,” Brill said. “In the end, like I said, all I can do is what I can do – and this is what I can do. There’s a lot of cards on the table, and if it helps a little bit rather than hurts… then, that’s a good thing.”

Brill knew that for his project to have a meaningful impact on the community, he needed the support of the town. 

In July 2020, Ashland’s town council voted to fund a new arts and culture incentive program to support local art businesses. Brill and two other winning artists were awarded $4,000 for the Ashland Peace Project. The program was built to be a three-way win, explained Joshua Farrar, Ashland town manager. Its goal is to support local artists, as well as meeting the town’s strategic goals, and being beneficial to the community. 

This is how the Ashland Peace Project went from a symbolic statue to a series of 35 one-hour-long workshops hosted by Brill and panelists.

“It was really easy for me to justify that that would be a win for the community, regardless of how the conversations went,” Farrar said. “Having that conversation is a value in and of itself. So that’s where I saw the value, was making sure that Ashland wasn’t just being the sleepy little bucolic town – that we were having those hard conversations.”

The sculpture originally started with just the hand. But the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6 prompted Brill to expand the statue to allow more space to write on. After the insurrection, Brill added a column as a base for the sign to emulate one of the columns in front of the Capitol. 

The sculpture has an original crack that seems to split the piece in two. Again, Brill decided to use the original features of the sculpture to highlight his message and painted the crack in a bright red. After adding the base to the statue, the artist decided to continue that crack all the way down through the column to represent the foundational issues of this country. The crack becomes smaller as it goes up and finally disappears as the fingers pointing upward in a peace sign begin. 

“His sculpture started with the hand. But people wanted to keep adding to it, they wanted more places to write, so he had to find a way to make it bigger. And that’s powerful to me,” Garka said. “The theme of unity is tremendous. It takes a lot of work to make unity happen. But if … more and more people in the town are getting behind that idea – as evidently they are because they want to put their words on there – then that gives me some hope that we can, one day, find that.” 

For the next couple of months, Brill will keep hosting workshops and will keep bringing the sculpture to local events to continue to fill the sign with messages. This weekend, you can find the statue in Carytown for Chalk Up The Town. The event runs from Friday, May 14 to Sunday, May 16; the Ashland Peace Project statue will visit on Saturday the 15th.

In the future, Brill said, he hopes to take his sculpture across the state, and then later to the many other Ashlands in America. 

While there are already many signs on the statue, one particularly grabbed Brill’s attention. At one of the rallies to change the names of the schools, a young girl came up to the artist and asked him to write something on there. 

“What would you want me to write?” he said he asked her. “And she said, ‘Don’t be mean to Black people.’”

All photos via Ashland Peace Project

The Future Is Equal: A Call For Action & Advocacy

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On International Women’s Day, Rachel Scott Everett and Altimese Nichole point out the importance of acting to create the racial and gender equity we need more of in the world — a movement in which Girls For A Change are at the forefront.

What does leadership look like in our country? What does it look like in our community?

Local nonprofit Girls For A Change knows, and they want what their name states: change. A change in perception. A change in the narrative. A change in who can be a leader. 

Angela Patton, CEO of Girls For A Change, created the youth development organization with the aim of “preparing Black girls for the world and the world for Black girls.”

Why Black girls? 

A recent article in The New York Times reported that Black girls are arguably the most at-risk student group in the United States. Studies found that their actions and appearance are viewed more suspiciously than their white peers. As a result, their behaviors are judged more harshly and they are often subjected to disproportionate discipline.

“There are not many spaces where Black girls are free to express their individuality and develop their gifts and talents,” states Samantha McCoy, CEO of MissionKey Communications, LLC. “Organizations like Girls For A Change provide this opportunity.”

McCoy is one of three Black female entrepreneurs investing in Girls For A Change through multiple scholarship opportunities initiated by Altimese Curry, Founder of The Ezer Agency, a communications agency helping businesses, entrepreneurs and small business owners amplify their voice.

After experiencing the financial challenges of higher education after graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University, Curry made the decision to help other young Black girls like herself. Last summer, she worked with Patton to launch the scholarships at Girls For A Change, which are part of the organization’s Girl Ambassador Program (GAP). GAP is designed to equip Black girls and other girls of color in high school with the tools and skills needed to help them secure professional careers.

“Girls for a Change is a safe haven for young Black girls and their dreams,” says Curry. “It’s a foundation that nurtures the ideas and hearts of one of America’s most vulnerable… young Black girls. It also gives them the confidence to live boldly in the face of adversity while honoring the feelings they have in the process.”

Angela Patton, CEO of Girls For A Change, speaks to girls during a special session at Common House (2020). Photo by Jay Paul, courtesy of Girls For A Change.

Candice Nicole, CEO of Candice Nicole Public Relations, agrees. As another Black business owner supporting Girls For A Change, she believes that “every organization can be intentional about partnering with those working to develop, encourage, and mentor women in leadership.”

In addition to Girls For A Change, McCoy mentions platforms like Her Agenda, Walker’s Legacy, Black Career Women’s Network, and ColorComm as just a few examples of entities who have made it their mission to identify and develop high-achieving Black women.

“As girls of color, moving through the world and most spaces is a very different experience for us in comparison to others,” says Mia Brabham, author of Note to Self, who is also investing in Girls For A Change. 

“We are constantly wondering if we’re being judged for the color of our skin, we have to try harder to get further, and we juggle microaggressions [unintentional discrimination] and other obstacles – whether financially, mentally, and even physically – along the way.”

Brabham adds that Girls For A Change is helpful because it gives Black girls the opportunity to be in a space where they can learn to love themselves and be themselves. 

“That’s special and very important because we know that when a girl has confidence, she can go anywhere and do anything.”

Yet Black women alone helping Black girls can only go so far. 

For the systemic change that needs to be made, it must extend beyond them. All women, especially Black women and women of color, need advocacy. And it must come from the very leaders they’re aspiring to become.

In the United States, Black History Month is celebrated in February and Women’s History Month in March, which may leave you wondering, what happens the rest of the year? Activist artist group Guerrilla Girls has a response: “Discrimination.” 

Statistics back up the statement. According to Catalyst, a global nonprofit working to accelerate women in leadership, the U.S. currently ranks behind Africa, Europe, and Latin America in the percentage of women in senior management. Male CEOs outnumber their female counterparts nearly 13 to 1. Women also face barriers advancing to their first management roles with race deepening the disparity. In 2019, white women held almost a third of all management positions, while women of color held much smaller shares: Latinas (4.3 percent), Black women (4.0 percent), Asian women (2.5 percent).

Nehemiah Jordan and Eva Jones try on their Girls For A Change face shields, created by Richmond artist Hamilton Glass, at the GFAC End of Summer Garden Party (August 2020). Photo courtesy of Girls For A Change.

How do we make a change? 

We decided to reach out to current leaders in our community for insight. Last year, Virginia Business released the inaugural edition of the Virginia 500: The 2020 Power List. The comprehensive guide includes the top 500 business leaders holding the most power and influence in the commonwealth. Unsurprisingly, the list is comprised of mostly white men. 

As a precursor to the list, the media company makes the following statement on their website: 

“Virginia Business is purposefully conscious of the need to highlight the achievements of women and ethnically diverse communities in all our listings. Still, despite the increasing diversity of Virginia’s business community, leadership and power tends to stay a step behind the changing demographics of the commonwealth. The C-suite unfortunately lags somewhat in the diversity of top leadership positions. The good news is that Virginia Business will be here to continue to document such changes.”

But here’s the thing: change cannot be documented unless actual change is made.

Again, how do we make a change? 

For this story, we attempted to connect with many of the Virginia 500 leaders based in Richmond, requesting their thoughts on women in leadership, specifically Black women and women of color. We received only eight responses, and from those responses, two individuals took the opportunity to share their thoughts. 

Michael Bor, CEO of CarLotz, was one of them. 

“Diversity is critical at all levels of an organization for so many reasons,” states Bor, who co-founded the high growth start-up. 

“We have found that having a more diverse workforce helps us to ensure our critical decisions are not blinded, or adversely guided by, subconscious biases that are not representative of the broader population. Our ability to solicit diverse perspectives on key issues ensures that the outcome is the right one for our stakeholders, teams, guests, clients, and investors.”

Bor also believes that diversity at the senior leadership level sends an important message, not just to the internal team, but to the outside world. It visibly shows that opportunities exist for everyone at their organization – regardless of gender, race, or other factors like sexual orientation and physical ability.

“This ensures that we are able to recruit and retain the best talent in the market and show them a clear path to leadership, which helps us accomplish our mission.”

Bor gets it. Not only is diversity in leadership the right thing to do – it’s good for business. He should know: for the third consecutive year, CarLotz made The Inc. 5000, the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s most successful private companies. 

Girl Ambassadors learning digital skills at Richmond coworking space 804 RVA (2018). Photo courtesy of Girls For A Change.

Paige Clay, Senior Partner with asset management firm Mercer, was the other local leader willing to share her insight.

“We need to continually focus on creating a diverse workforce with a culture of inclusivity and belonging,” states Clay. “To realize our full commitment to diversity and inclusion, we need to amplify our focus on gender, race, and ethnicity. Our commitment at Mercer is to create a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities in which we operate, always consistent with recruiting, retaining, and promoting the best qualified talent.”

According to Mercer’s research, only 15-20 percent of the S&P 500 companies have included Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) metrics in their executive incentive plans. Mercer believes those strategically working to develop an inclusive and equitable workforce for women, particularly women of color, must hardwire their organization. The company has published an article addressing the “Say/Do” gap, which outlines critical steps companies can take to transform words into meaningful actions. As stated in the article, “Companies have the power to make this time different. We must use it.”

Specifically, leaders of companies have the power to make a change. 

People like Bor and Clay are showing that true leadership means proactively speaking out, advocating for diverse leaders, and putting in the effort to ensure it becomes a reality.

Last summer, we witnessed a national reckoning against systemic racism after the killing of George Floyd and the resurgence of Black Lives Matter. While the protests instigated long overdue conversations on racial injustice in this country, they also revealed that we’ve only begun to earnestly address topics like implicit bias, discrimination, and inequity. 

Companies across the country began taking a hard look at their organizational structures, including here in Richmond, former Capital of the Confederacy. Many released statements declaring support for BLM, as well as a commitment to creating a more racially diverse workforce. But many companies have not followed through, or worse, have remained silent. 

It’s in that silence that we’re coming to terms with what many have always known: that racism is a defining characteristic of America. 

So too, is sexism. 

If the 2016 election taught us anything, it’s that an incompetent, chauvinistic white man with no political qualifications can still come out on top over a vastly more qualified woman with decades of relevant leadership experience. Complicating matters is that a majority of white women helped make it happen.

Microsoft instructor Carol works with Girl Ambassador participants Jayla Banks and Eva Jones on their Microsoft certifications (2019). Photo courtesy of Girls For A Change.

In 2017, the rise of the #MeToo Movement brought awareness to the rampant sexual harassment taking place in our society – everywhere from Hollywood and Corporate America to our communities and our homes. It also shed a light on the blatant pay gap between men and women in the workforce. For Black women and women of color, the disparity is even greater, as they experience both gender and racial discrimination.

Time and time again, history has shown us a consistent narrative that’s hard to ignore: a devaluation of women. 

What’s more troubling is that the devaluation is not just perpetuated by men. Many women choose to ignore, or don’t believe, that gender inequality exists. In some cases, they have relegated themselves, whether consciously or subconsciously, to second-class citizenship. This mindset may not be through any fault of their own, but rather, a byproduct of conditioning over years of living in a patriarchal society. 

The term “patriarchy” is often associated with radical feminism, but its prevalence is actually quite mainstream, particularly in the United States. The definition is straightforward: “a social system in which men hold primary power and predominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege, and control of property.” (Wikipedia)

A quick glance at the distribution of political power and wealth in our country, as well as right here in Virginia, shows it disproportionately favors men, specifically rich white men. While the current federal government reflects more diversity than years past, in general, the U.S. is woefully behind with women in leadership.

Like race, there is an inherent bias with gender. 

But while racism tends to arise outside the inner circle of Black people and people of color, sexism can occur, and often does, among a woman’s own community, colleagues – even friends and family. 

The devaluation of women has become so normalized, it doesn’t even seem to phase most people that the U.S. remains one of just 28 countries worldwide that does not recognize women as equal under the law (World Economic Forum). This is a shameful truth that should anger, sadden, and humiliate all Americans – women and men alike. 

Girl Ambassador participants take part in the Creative Industry Tour in New York City, learning about the wide range of jobs in design (Summer 2018). Photo courtesy of Girls For A Change.

Again, how do we make a change? 

We reached out to additional community leaders to get their thoughts. Despite including men, all responses we received were from women or nonbinary people.

“You simply cannot instigate meaningful, measurable change if there’s zero quantitative accountability. That’s not how business works,” says Dr. Tiffany Jana, Founder & CEO of TMI Consulting, Inc. and author of multiple books, most recently, Subtle Acts of Exclusion: How to Understand, Identify, and Stop Microaggressions.

“Folks need to let go of the polarizing political connotations and recognize that if your commitment to women in leadership and gender pay equity is sincere, then you must set quantitative goals.”

Jana suggests that companies decide on a specific percentage to increase women’s leadership opportunities, then set a designated date. The date provides an initial destination to work towards diligently and intentionally, while also holding the company accountable to its goals.

“Likewise, if your company lacks gender pay equity, decide how much less women are worth than men for the same job – and adjust accordingly. Do you see how ridiculous that sounds? Well, that’s exactly what every company that pays women, transgender, and nonbinary people (of color) less than their male (white) counterparts in similar positions is communicating. It’s measurable, so fix it. Failure to correct these inequities by 2021 reads as intentional because restitution is not rocket science – it’s will.”

Kati Hornung is Co-Founder and Director of VoteEqualityUS (formerly VAratifyERA), a nonpartisan grassroots effort promoting equality for all Americans. Last year, Virginia became the 38th and final state needed to ratify the 28th Amendment (Equal Rights). It’s the closest the United States has ever been to joining the 168 countries that already include gender equality in their constitutions.

“Women’s leadership is important because women’s voices must be present in decision making,” states Hornung. “Social science has proven diverse viewpoints make for better decisions, and it is important for inclusion to be the norm and not the exception.”

Liza Mickens, Co-Founder and Director of Interns of VoteEqualityUS, says that the recent rise of women in politics has been incredibly inspiring to her generation and women of color.

“This level of representation has been nearly a decade in the making since women first got the right to vote, and there is still more to accomplish,” says Mickens. “To this day, my great, great-grandmother, Maggie Walker, has been the only African American woman to make it on a statewide ballot in Virginia. This year, Virginia has the opportunity to make U.S. history by electing the first Black female Governor.”

Girl Ambassador participants learn how the team at Fashion Snoops uses data to predict design trends during the Creative Industry Tour in New York City (Summer 2018). Photo courtesy of Girls For A Change.

And with the recent election of Kamala Harris, our nation has its first female, first Black, and first Asian-American, vice president. 

“That being said, this is not the time to rest,” says Diane Beirne, Executive Director of The Woman’s Club. “There is so much more work to be done promoting women to leadership positions – especially among Black women and women of color.” In May 2021, Marlene Jones will become the first Black president of the club, which is designed to enhance the cultural and intellectual lives of its members.

“When it comes to women of color,” says Jones, “we seek intentionally committed folks desiring to shift their mindsets and behaviors to treat us with equity and inclusion. We can handle the rest.”

The Honorable Viola O. Baskerville adds that while there’s been an increase in Black women and women of color serving as elected officials and in leadership roles, “there must be an ongoing commitment to make sure there are more women in the pipeline ready to assume such roles.” 

As a Virginia lawyer and politician who formerly served in the Virginia House of Delegates, Baskerville believes leadership roles must not only be normalized in the political arena, but in all facets of the workforce, including policy-making boards and corporate boards.

“Companies can ask women what would make a difference in their lives so that they can achieve leadership positions, and then those companies should act upon those responses. Words without action are meaningless.”

Exactly. Action is how we make change. Advocacy is how we ensure it lasts.

Just like the long overdue racial reckoning, the time has come for girls, women, and all people to truly be equal in this country. That means all people – regardless of gender, race, age, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, ability – as well as transgender and nonbinary people.

But the responsibility must not fall solely on girls and women. Everyone has a role to play in creating a more just and equitable world – especially men in leadership positions whose action and advocacy can have direct, immediate results. And that change can start now, right here in our community, by supporting girls in organizations like Girls For A Change.

“If you are an expert in a certain field or have a skill to share, we are always looking for professionals to provide workshops for the Girl Ambassador Program,” says CEO Angela Patton. 

“Start a scholarship of your own in partnership with Girls For A Change or donate to one that already exists. Donate to help a girl in the program get her dorm ready, or pay for books or supplies, gift cards to Lyft so she can get around, or food delivery services so she can eat. Think about those simple things that college students need. Removing some of the stress helps them take care of their wellness to ensure their basic needs are covered. Little things can make a big difference.” 

Girl Ambassadors Iyanna Hardin, Nadia Frasier, and Asani Ka-Re work on their presentations at a co-working space in Los Angeles (February 2020). Photo courtesy of Girls For A Change.

Ca’Miyah King is a participant in the Girl Ambassador Program and understands that organizations like Girls For A Change matter. “They make the difference. Children in communities need mentors like Sister Angela for that push to go forward in their journey to success.” 

In addition to mentorship, Girl Ambassador Jayla Banks says that perceptions towards women, and women in leadership, must change. 

“One way our society can promote gender equality is by giving a space for women and women of color to represent themselves, speak on their ideas, and remove the bias that women can’t lead,” she says.“We don’t see many women and women of color in leadership roles, so as young girls grow up, they automatically think that they’re not capable of being a leader. Having women in leadership roles today will enrich and prepare the upcoming generation.”

Iyanna Hardin is also a participant in the Girl Ambassador Program. Her parents, Malikah and Timothy Hardin, have seen firsthand how the experience has boosted her confidence.

“Because we live in a society where Black girls are devalued and mistreated,” says Iyanna’s mother, “I believe that programs like Girls For A Change help girls of color see their tremendous value and self worth… there is nothing they cannot accomplish.”

To someone who has never had to experience the complex challenges of gender and racial inequity, Iyanna has a request: empathy.

“Put yourself in the position of those who are facing these issues,” she says. “I didn’t ask to be here. I didn’t ask to be Black. But I love being who I am. I love being Black. I love my curly hair. I love everything about me… Imagine waking up into a life and you’re simply hated on because of your color. Put yourself in our position and recognize how much it hurts us… how much it affects us as a people in our society.”

All three girls spoke of the importance of representation – seeing women, especially Black women and women of color, on shows they watch, in magazines they read, in murals they pass, and yes, as leaders in our country and community.

“People don’t doubt what Black girls and women can do. It’s that they don’t want to accept it,” states Iyanna. “But look at what we’ve done. We have been the minds and the power behind great things. We are scientists, mathematicians, coders, entrepreneurs, doctors. We can do so much. And you’ve seen it.”

“But there are people who believe that if we’re in these positions, we’re looked at as inferior, or as competition. It does not have to be that way. We can be in this position, and you can be in your position, and we can win together.”

And that’s just it. The beauty of equality is that everyone wins. If we treat one another with dignity and respect, take action to create equitable opportunities, and always advocate for equality, then we won’t need a month or a day to celebrate our progress. 

With diversity in leadership, we’ll be living our progress every day. 

If interested in learning more about scholarship opportunities through Girls For A Change or supporting girls enrolled in the Girl Ambassador Program, contact Altimese Curry at [email protected].

Written by Rachel Scott Everett and Altimese Nichole. Top Photo: A mural celebrating Black girls in Jackson Ward in Richmond, Virginia, conceived by girls at Girls For A Change and executed in partnership with Richmond muralists Hamilton Glass and Austin “Auz” Miles. Photo by EVERGIB / Brian Gibson.

Special thanks to Ashley Ray for assisting with photography assets.