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A Paid Day Off (For Everyone!) To Vote

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Would a paid day off make it easier to vote? State employees have this benefit on Election Day — but if you work for a private company, it’s not so easy. Day Off, Go Vote is starting a movement to level the field. 

“The run-of-the-mill CEO doesn’t care what David and Channing at Day Off, Go Vote have to say, but if we can get the attention of their employees — the people they respect, have made statements of support for, and who they want to participate in elections — they’ll be able to hold these leaders accountable,” said Channing Spencer at the D.C.-based initiative Day Off, Go Vote. 

Started by Richmond native Channing Spencer and partner David Bery, the “Day Off, Go Vote” initiative aims to work with businesses, giving employees paid time off to exercise their constitutional right to vote. 

“Asking for the day off to vote is not something that you should be scared of, or threatened by,” said Bery. “A lot of these large corporations keep getting wealthier and wealthier; they can sacrifice one day for their employees to have, specifically, a paid day off to go vote.” 

The organization recognizes barriers to voting for low-income communities. Without paid time off, many voters are unable to make it to the polls and cast their ballot — and overall voter turnout suffers because of it. 

“We believe that a day off to vote is a big part of it,” Spencer said. “Especially for marginalized communities, who have to choose between a paycheck and a vote, or picking up their children from childcare and voting.” 

PHOTO: Day Off, Go Vote

Claire Gastañaga, Executive Director at the ACLU of Virginia, said that up until the last legislative session, Virginia was the second-hardest state in the nation to vote in.

“We had established all kinds of barriers that are now starting to be broken down,” Gastañaga said, “by establishing a holiday for voting, setting up same-day registration, by 2022 changing voter ID requirements, and changing the absentee voting requirements.” 

Due to these restrictions, some voters are more privileged than others, and therefore more able to cast their vote, Gastañaga said. 

Day Off, Go Vote aims to work with businesses instead of pushing legislative policies to aid voters. They chose this model because they feel the government has already failed citizens in creating accessibility to polls. 

“There are bills across the country — that haven’t gone anywhere — that would propose a federal day off,” said Spencer. “We believe that change in this country happens very incrementally. Look at healthcare: it happens in pieces, not all at once. People’s most accessible points of change are those who are literally handing them a paycheck, and it’s unfortunate that big corporations are handing paychecks to our legislators.” 

If they can initiate a movement for a paid holiday on Election Day, the organizers believe a domino effect will unfold as companies see their peers allowing employees to go to the polls. 

As the coronavirus pandemic still lingers on, Spencer said that Day Off, Go Vote is more important than ever. 

PHOTO: Day Off, Go Vote

“The new big factor is that there’s literally a pandemic happening,” he said. “If people have to go to work, we’re going to see crowds in the ‘before and after work’ hours. In an environment where polling locations are closing by the thousands every year, this is unacceptable when there’s a deadly disease going around.”

“As of November, Election Day will be a state holiday,” Gastañaga said. “Every state employee, and I hope local employees, will have a paid day off. Among other things, I’m hoping it will expand the number of volunteers at polling locations, too.” 

This is why Day Off, Go Vote was founded. Although Election Day will be a state holiday in Virginia, it’s not enough for every voter. 

Whether businesses are small and local or large and national, the organizers hope they’ll allow their employees a day to cast a vote (or, at the very least, a few hours and some extra wiggle room). Day Off, Go Vote hopes increasing voter turnout will bring positive change not only in the Commonwealth, but across the nation.

The 2020 Election will take place on November 3. To support the movement and help inform businesses about Day Off, Go Vote, follow the organization on Instagram and Twitter. Most importantly, register to vote or update your registration before Tuesday, October 13, and cast your ballot this November. 

If you’re planning to vote absentee, you can register here. Your vote needs to be received 7 days before election day to count, so you’ll need to mail it by October 27. 

Top Image via Day Off, Go Vote

Carrying The Banner

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With the flag they dropped from the Robert E. Lee bridge last month, the Richmond branch of Sunrise Movement calls attention to the links between environmental activism and racial justice. 

On June 19, a banner was dropped from the Robert E. Lee bridge that read “Defund The Police” in large, red letters. The phrase, encompassing a circular emblem on a navy blue background, mimicked the Virginia State Flag. Its text read “Virginia – Sic Semper Tyrannis,” but instead of the flowery vines which embroider the state crest, the names of victims of police brutality circled its center. 

In this adaptation of the state’s flag, the usual white Roman character in a blue robe (known as Virtus) is replaced by an ambiguous Black protester standing on a fallen statue. This image, both powerful and controversial, evokes a poignant emotional response.

But who was behind this mysterious banner drop, and what is their message? 

The installation was created by none other than Sunrise Movement Richmond, the local chapter of a nationwide environmental organization that has spent years coupling climate activism with the fight for racial equality. In light of recent events, the increasingly-prevalent topic of racial equality has sparked a conversation about race relations in the environmental world. It’s a conversation the Sunrise Movement has had since the very beginning.

Fionnuala Fisk is a leading voice for the Sunrise Movement’s Richmond chapter. Fisk provided insight into the meaning behind the banner drop, what it aimed to accomplish, and what The Sunrise Movement is doing in Richmond and across the nation.

“Sunrise Richmond is one of the keystone hubs in the state,” Fisk said. “[It’s] a youth-led, nonviolent direct action movement around The Green New Deal. It includes the environmental piece, but also the economic and racial justice piece… We would like a transition away from fossil fuels, and we would like vulnerable communities to be supported as we deal with the enormous crisis coming our way that is climate change.”

Sunrise Richmond is dedicated to justice for people and the planet, and racial equality is a topic on everyone’s mind these days.

PHOTO: Sunrise Richmond on Twitter

While the imagery of their Defund The Police banner is clear at first glance, its symbolism is dense. The deeply-layered subtext is first noticed through the crest’s center, which features a Black Lives Matter protester in place of Virginia’s Virtus. 

“The protester is an androgynous, ambiguously-gendered person. That was intentional, because we want them to represent anybody,” Fisk said. The protester stands atop a fallen statue, like the many Confederate monuments being removed (sometimes forcibly by protesters) throughout Richmond.

“They have a Black power fist, and they’re carrying a camera. One of the big symbols in this particular movement has been cameras speaking louder,” Fisk said. Public documentation has become a symbol in the fight, and the weapon of choice for nonviolent protesters. “Cameras have been really important in capturing the truth.”

The camera-wielding protester on the banner could be interpreted, perhaps, as a direct reference to the events which kickstarted the resurgence of Black Lives Matter: the death of George Floyd. Floyd’s death in Minneapolis altered the course of history overnight, the video shot by a bystander resulting in one of the largest civil protests in human history. Fisk went on to explain the deeper elements of Sunrise Richmond’s flag. 

“There’s an old joke that was historically associated with the phrase ‘Sic Semper Tyrannis’ — which means ‘thus always to tyrants’ — but the joke said that it actually meant ‘Get your foot off my neck.’” 

The joke in Virginia dates back to the Civil War. These words bring to mind the killing of George Floyd, and the Black Lives Matter movement gives new meaning to the flag itself. The Tyrant, played by officer Derek Chauvin, has prevailed with his knee upon Floyd’s neck. It signifies a moment in time when the Tyrant has won at the expense of the oppressed, and the virtue of Virtus is snuffed out by the brutality of the Tyrant. 

PHOTO: Sunrise Richmond

“The flowers around the rim were exchanged for broken chains and handcuffs,” Fisk said. “The names in the circle were a mix of victims of lynching, as well as victims of police brutality throughout Virginia’s history.” 

The image on Sunrise Richmond’s flag empowers the role of the protester. “We wanted to flip the narrative about protesters right now. There’s been a lot of bad messaging [from] certain groups about protesters being thugs, being violent, being rioters, et cetera,” Fisk said. Sunrise positioned the protester as the central figure, portraying them as the hero, just as Lady Virtus is depicted on the Virginia State Flag: poised, elegant, powerful. 

“[The figure] reminds people that these protesters are forcing America to live up to its ideals,” Fisk said. “These are the people fighting for equality, fighting for life and liberty. These are our national heroes.” 

We can see the effects and implications of structural racism in nearly every facet of American society — and environmentalism is no exception. The Sunrise Movement bridges that gap, noting how climate issues could hurt some communities more than others. 

“Whenever there are big transitions in society, it’s always marginalized groups that are screwed,” Fisk said, noting that minority groups could disproportionately feel the hardships of economic and environmental shifts. With less wealth and resources, these communities will naturally have a more difficult time adapting to major changes. “The most marginalized communities right now are the most important to listen to, and they’re the ones that can benefit most from a re-imagination.” 

Fisk emphasized the Sunrise Movement’s involvement with The Green New Deal, and discussed their part in the Green New Deal Virginia Coalition.

The Green New Deal is a resolution put forward in both the House and Senate, which lays out a broad vision to combat climate change. As a modern variation of the 1930s New Deal, it seeks to monumentally change U.S. environmental practices. “It is an attempt to go beyond that [New Deal],” Fisk said. “Broadly, it is a transition from fossil fuels to green fuel in the next ten years. It’s a social, vast reimagining of services that the government provides, and it’s also about transitioning from fossil fuels to a carbon-neutral economy.” 

As climate issues intersect with the fight for racial justice in America, an increasingly-prevalent term has entered the country’s vernacular: environmental racism. 

“The effects of climate change and environmental degradation are not felt by all people equally,” said Fisk, offering the example that “a lot of our waste goes to poorer countries.”

PHOTO: Sunrise Richmond

Right here in Virginia and the United States, marginalized, lower-income communities are at higher risk of being negatively impacted — or even destroyed — by the relentless reliance on fossil fuels. 

“Pipelines do not go through the wealthy communities. They go through the historically-Black and native communities,” Fisk said. “Those with less political power are more vulnerable to the detrimental results of vast environmental degradation.” 

To Fisk, making justice for these communities a fundamental goal of the environmental movement is a key step in moving the movement in a progressive direction.

“Environmentalism, in the past, has had a long history of being a very white movement. And it can’t be,” said Fisk. “Sunrise is not this white monolith that [other] organizations are.”

Sunrise Movement envisions a greater picture to encompass climate justice for all people, and the Lee Bridge banner drop sought to connect these dots locally. By using the fallen Confederate statue in place of the Tyrant, Sunrise utilizes a symbol that speaks heavily, and specifically, to Richmond. Its iconography is near and dear to Richmonders’ hearts, familiar to the political climate of this moment in history. 

Richmond is a moderately-small city, with a population of around 232,000. While the city may seem small on a national scale, Fisk noted that Richmond has a lot of skin in the game during the fight for racial equality. Few places are as relevant when it comes to Confederate monuments, oppressive iconography, and the public glorification of racists, rebels, tyrants, genociders, and slave traders. 

Fisk reminds us that Richmond is not only a keystone hub for Sunrise Movement’s operations but also a hub in America’s fight for justice, especially right now. 

“Richmond is a living symbol for the rest of the country,” Fisk said. “Every time the BBC writes an article on protests about Confederate statues, they [reference] the Lee Monument. We wanted to draw attention to the importance of Richmond, and Virginia, as national symbols.” 

We’re experiencing a time in history when the news is dominated by Black Lives Matter protests and a global pandemic. The Sunrise Movement encourages us to think about environmentalism right now, too, not forgetting the looming threat of climate crisis which continues inching closer. They urge us to remember, once again, that racial equality is not an island. 

The banner only lasted a few short hours on the Robert E. Lee bridge before it was removed and confiscated by Richmond Police. But thanks to a few photos, illuminating statements from Fisk, and the ongoing work of The Sunrise Movement in our city, the effects and impact of the banner — and those who dropped it — will be felt for quite some time. 

Top Photo via Sunrise Movement Richmond

Back the Blue Rally in Fredericksburg Nicknamed “The Second Charlottesville”

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When Back the Blue protesters marched through Fredericksburg, their counterprotest brought threats, hate, and fear to Black Lives Matter protesters. We spoke with local BLM organizers to hear their stories after the event. 

Since Black Lives Matter protests have begun all around the world, opposing pro-police groups have been at odds wherever they take place. Recently, these groups collided in the City of Fredericksburg. 

Peaceful Black Lives Matter protests had been occurring in Fredericksburg in June. On several occasions, police began turning violent, causing injuries to BLM protesters. This caused much backlash from the community, resulting in the mayor of Fredericksburg apologizing for the way protestors had been treated. However, the events also sparked an outcry from people supporting the pro-police “Blue Lives Matter” movement, and a group of counter-protesters from that movement decided to march in their own rally. 

On Sunday, June 28, a group of counter protesters marched through the City of Fredericksburg to the city’s police station. Naming their event the Back the Blue rally, they marched in support of local police force and “blue lives.” This rally was intended to oppose the Black Lives Matter marches, which protest the injustice and mistreatment of Black lives and systemic oppression by police forces across America. 

After a Facebook event was created, things began to get scary. Eddie Banks, a Fredericksburg native, served as an organizer for a BLM march called Leaders for Peace. Banks discusses the town’s events, and how they received hate comments after a Fox News discussion with right-wing provocateur Tucker Carlson. 

“Tucker Carlson posted a clip of a 911 call that is currently under investigation, which is why people can’t really talk about it. After that was posted, we started receiving a lot of hate comments,” Banks explained. “It was about a week before [the protest] that we started hearing ‘second Charlottesville’ being used as terminology for what was going to happen for Sunday’s [BLM protest]. A lot of people ended up not coming out, and went into hiding.”

The term “second Charlottesville” refers to the brutal and violent right-wing protests known as Unite The Right, which occurred in Charlottesville in 2017 and resulted in a member of a hate group fatally injuring a peaceful protester with his car. Banks explains that protesters of the BLM movement did not come out because of the fear of being identified on social media, and the potential of right-wing extremists targeting them.

“We’re in full covering in case they were identified, because we were aware that we would be targeted. There have been some secret groups doxxing people who have been protesting,” Banks said. “Showing their names, addresses, photos of people who are just standing up for their first amendment rights.” 

PHOTO: Back the Blue Rally in Fredericksburg, via Fredericksburg Police Department on Facebook

“The Back the Blue protests got a lot more attention than I think they would have, because of the Tucker Carlson piece that was extremely falsified,” said Ryan Brown, who has led Fredericksburg protests alongside Banks.  “[The piece] absolutely was what brought unwanted national attention from right wing organizations to Fredericksburg. I know there were death threats, not only [directed] at protesters but to the Mayor as well. There were right wing Facebook group [posts] with captions, saying things like ‘extra points for hitting the red head’ and other violent remarks. People were also getting extremely violent text messages from unknown numbers.”

Comments in Fredericksburg’s Back the Blue rally event page, along with other Fredericksburg-related pages on Facebook, were widely against BLM protesters. A few comments we came across are listed below:

“Too bad they can’t shoot them. It would clear the streets quickly” 

“it will not stop until AMERICANS shoot the terrorists.” 

“Shoot first and don’t give a shit about their answer
Clearly we need to take our country back
Trump Train 2020”

“These two need to be found and have their asses beat”

“Sooner or later people are going to stop catering to this bullshit and will start mowing people down. (I’m not people). But mark my words. It’s gonna happen.”

“I say go for it guys, make a stand I mean you would certainly get some news coverage. If Fox talks about the town for about 5 minutes then im sure if people actively chased these people out of town you may end up getting 10 minutes lol. It seems like this entire thing is a powder magazine just waiting for the match. Start it in Fredericksburg haha, put the town on the map!” 

It’s clear why local response to BLM protests made organizers uncomfortable. Like Banks noted, many BLM protesters stayed home during the rally due to fears of being targeted by Back the Blue supporters. Brown also noted a few major differences between the way local Fredericksburg police handled Black Lives Matter protests and the way they dealt with the Back the Blue rally. 

“On May 31, when the original Black Lives Matter and George Floyd protests were happening here, we got tear gassed and shot at with paintball rounds… out of nowhere, after no provocation, violence, nothing,” Brown said. “For this Back the Blue march, there were weeks of death threats in groups organizing the marches. The mayor had to flee the city in fear for her life. We had [BLM] protesters being named on those pages that had to flee town, and we were told the FBI was investigating right-wing activity in the town.” 

PHOTO: Back the Blue Rally in Fredericksburg, via Fredericksburg Police Department on Facebook

“There’s all this craziness going down, and [Back the Blue protesters] being met with hugs and stickers and ‘good jobs.’ They were met at the police station with no problem whatsoever,” Brown continued. “It was very strange, and surreal that there were legitimate, dangerous concerns leading up to this march. The way they were treated, compared to the way Black Lives Matter protesters were treated — when they were completely peaceful — is something that I think stuck out, and was very visceral for a lot of people.” 

The Back the Blue rally was escorted through downtown Fredericksburg by one hundred bikers carrying sidearms. If these protesters heard gunfire, they were instructed to get on the ground and allow the bikers to protect them. 

“The rally in and of itself didn’t bother me, personally, as much as what seemed like an anarchist biker group filling the city. [It was] led by this guy named Mad Mike,” Brown said. “In his opening remark to the crowd, he said they’re there for protection, and that they won’t hesitate to use violent force if necessary. It was bringing a lot of unnecessary aggression to the situation.” 

Brown and Banks explained that the protests they’ve organized were meant to enforce messages that everyone should be treated equally — and that no life should be treated better than another.

“I march because I want there to be justice for the people that were unconstitutionally arrested. I also march for accountability. For me, it’s frightening as a citizen of Fredericksburg,” Brown said. “I don’t think I’ll ever feel safe in a city that feels it can outright harm its citizens, for little to no reason. For nothing to come from it, that would make me feel forever unsafe here.” 

Banks agreed. “Oppression that the police are able to carry is not okay,” she said. “The police brutality is not okay. The fact that I can say over a hundred names [of police brutality victims], and still not have said all the names, is not okay.”

“We are fighting a war against a system that has always been accepted in America, and it’s no longer accepted because people are tired of being treated like this,” said Banks. “All we’re asking is for equal education, equal job opportunities, equal lifestyle choices. Looking at [people of color’s] upbringing, we are taught to fear the police… and that if you encounter a person who is of white skin, to not become confrontational, because you don’t know if they have a gun. You don’t know if they’re going to say it was self-defense, and it varies because you are a person of color.”

Still organizing with Leaders for Peace, Banks and Brown are continuing to organize peaceful protests demanding justice for the victims of police brutality. Just a few days after the Back the Blue rally, they marched the same route through Fredericksburg. But recently, Fredericksburg City Council leaders have begun enforcing permits for protests, which take up to 48 hours to grant and could make organization harder. Banks described the frustration she feels about BLM protests, and tensions overflowing on both sides. 

“I don’t know how much more peaceful people we can be while still following the law and making sure that everyone is safe… because when we were peaceful, we were still met with aggression and hate,” she said. “We are here to lead a peaceful movement in order to gain equality for all. Not just the Black community, not just the LGBTQIA+ community, the lower [income] white community — everybody deserves an equal slice. We’re not going to have that as long as the systems that we have are still in power.”

Top Photo: Back the Blue Rally in Fredericksburg, via Fredericksburg Police Department on Facebook

Past and Future: A Q&A With Richmond Mayor Candidate Justin Griffin

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Richmond business attorney and activist Justin Griffin is running for mayor of Richmond. RVA Mag spoke to him about his goals and policies ahead of November’s election.

Justin Griffin is a small business attorney who originally hails from Nashville, but has fallen in love with Richmond in the years since he moved here. He owns his own law firm, but he first drew public attention with nocoliseum.com, a website he created in objection to Mayor Levar Stoney’s high-profile plan to revitalize the Richmond Coliseum and the surrounding Navy Hill area. After months of actively campaigning against the plan formulated by the mayor and a coalition of private businesses led by Dominion Energy CEO Tom Farrell, Griffin and other activists obtained a victory when City Council voted against the plan in January.

A month later, Griffin announced that he was exploring a run for mayor of Richmond, and officially threw his hat in the ring on April 6. While he claims not to be a politician, and that he doesn’t want a career in politics, he is passionate about improving Richmond schools, putting more funding into city services, and creating a government that is responsive, helpful, and cares about its citizens. We sat down with Griffin to learn more about his ideas and policies ahead of the election.

RVA Mag: How did you start practicing law? What drew you to being a business attorney?

Justin Griffin: My undergraduate degree is in accounting. In accounting, there’s a huge aspect of “what is legal compliance,” with a very specific law set, like tax laws. You take people’s practices and apply them to those laws, audit them, and make sure they’re complying with the law. As I was getting into that, I realized there’s a much larger world of law out there, and I felt that I would much rather help businesses holistically instead of being pigeonholed into just doing the accounting side of things. 

That’s what drew me to law school, and what brought me here to the University of Richmond. What particularly drew me to working with small businesses [was my] first summer internship with the Virginia Department of Business Assistance. [All summer, I talked to] small business owners, asking them what they needed, what we could do to help them — whether it be funding, laws, or whatever else. [Almost] every one of their answers was “Regulatory compliance,” and “What can you do to help me comply with regulations?” 

Small business owners wear 20 different hats. You have to worry about payroll, marketing, making sure the machines are working, etc. They all said, “Legal stuff is very important, but it doesn’t necessarily make me money, and it’s so far down the list that it doesn’t get worked on. So what can you do?”

That’s when I realized these big corporations and companies all have millions of dollars, that they pay attorneys six-figures-plus to sit around and answer all of their questions. It’s the little guys — the small business owners — that don’t have that equivalent. So that’s what I decided to do. I wanted to help them. I opened my own practice so I could treat them the way they should be treated, and to be more like a partner than a lawyer. 

RVA Mag: As a business attorney, how do you feel about the stores on Broad Street and throughout Richmond closing their doors and boarding up because of protests, looting, and even Covid-19? Do you worry about them? 

JG: I do. I very much worry about them, because I talk to them every day. Those are who my clients are; I’ve worked with over 500 businesses across Virginia. Many of them are right here in the Richmond region and Richmond City. Over the last three-plus months, it’s been a fight for them with constant worries and questions. With small businesses, there’s not usually huge reserves, so they’re just getting through every day. 

I started my own practice, so I’m a small business owner myself. When you’re a small business owner, you put your whole life into doing this… it’s your livelihood, it’s your family’s livelihood. It’s really tough when you can’t open your doors, because you work hard to not only provide for your family, but to also provide for your employees’ families. For them, it wasn’t their fault. I walk up and down Broad Street — my office is downtown — and seeing the boarded-up windows is heartbreaking, because for these people, it’s their lives. Especially on Broad Street. Many of them are black-owned businesses, so it really hurts. I think we’re in a tough spot right now [when they can’t] open, and many of them might not reopen. We’ve got to address that. 

Going forward as someone running for mayor, I think it’s going to be important that we have somebody who is knowledgeable about business and economics and helping our small businesses get back on their feet.

Photo via Justin Griffin/Facebook

RVA Mag: Why did you decide to run for mayor? What was the final straw that really made you say, “This is what I have to do”? 

JG: As you probably know, I was heavily involved in opposing the Navy Hill plan. That was the final straw for me to speak up and do something. As a small business attorney, I deal with the city government a lot. I deal with the county governments [across the state], too, trying to get licenses, permits, zoning, and that kind of thing. I see on a daily basis how our city government is failing small business owners, which in turn fails our people, because small businesses hire people from the community. They pay taxes, which get funneled into the general fund, which can then be poured into our people; whether it be for schools or supporting neighborhoods.

If you have a thriving small business community, it creates what I like to call an “anti-fragile” economy. You have people who really care about the community, are plugged into the community, and come from the community doing that. Seeing the frustrations and dealing with the city all the time — and as a resident as well — one of the things I always bring up is that it took me six months to get a trash can. 

Basic services are always frustrating as a city resident, and for me those are frustrating, but the thing that really drives me and bothers me the most is our school system. With only a 70 percent graduation rate, dropping from 80 percent four years ago, it is something that has always driven me to get involved. Then when Navy Hill came, it was just another example of misplaced priorities. Being a numbers guy — with the accounting degree and business background — looking at the projections and seeing how ridiculous and unrealistic they were, I couldn’t just sit on the sideline and watch our city walk into another big shiny disaster. It was time for us to refocus our priorities on schools and neighborhoods, instead of chasing another get-rich-quick scheme.

That fight was the final straw for me. I went through that process… 18 months of constant analysis, providing information to the city council and speaking at meetings, fighting to get that thing prevented. It seemed that there would be no change in the status quo. That’s what ultimately drew me to throw my hat into the ring, because if I care, I want to see our priorities reshaped and the mismanagement taken care of.  

RVA Mag: The Navy Hill proposal has become a bit of a past memory for Richmonders, as much larger events have overshadowed it lately. However, that area still remains an issue. How do you think you can move forward with it, and create an effective and fair solution for the area? 

JG: I think whenever we’re doing anything in the city… we should always ask the question, “What is our goal with this project?” In Richmond, whenever we do things, we don’t really have a plan. It’s just, “Alright! We’re going to do this!” 

We should define our goals, and then decide if it’s the most efficient way of accomplishing them. Finally, if the answer is yes, we have to consider if it will take away from things that are higher priorities, if it will be neutral, or if it will actually help those priorities. For Navy Hill particularly, I think the procedure [for these projects] should be to put it out there. Ask everyone for their ideas. I have a particular idea that I would like to see there, but that’s just one. Maybe somebody else could come up with something better. Maybe one of these developers has a plan that’s great for the area, great for the city, and benefits our people. 

That should be why we do anything — to benefit the people of Richmond, and make Richmond the best we can. Put it out there as an unrestricted request for proposal. Say, “Hey, we have this plot of land. What can you do with it?” Whether it’s one parcel or all of them, [with] an arena or no arena, bring it! 

My idea for Navy Hill is that [I’d like to create] a recreation park, similar to Williamsburg, so we can tell the stories.. There’s a lot of stories in Richmond that are never told, like Shockoe Bottom and the slave trade. It’s ignored by our elected officials. In Navy Hill in particular, you can tell two stories: one is the true story of what it was like to be an urban slave, because there’s a misconception that the only slaves were on plantations, and that’s not true. In Navy Hill and Jackson Ward, there [were many] black Richmonders who were successful despite being treated as second-class citizens by their government. [Another] story: how an interstate and an arena was dropped right in the middle of that neighborhood to break it up. I’d love to see the history told there, but that’s just my idea. 

RVA Mag: On the note of slavery, Monument Ave has been controversial for Richmonders for many years now, and has come to the forefront right now with Black Lives Matter and police brutality protests. How do you personally feel about the monuments themselves? What do you think should be done with them? What do you think would be the best use for the green spaces? 

JG: For years, I’ve had a very particular plan for Monument Ave. There’s no denying now that as it stands, Monument Ave glorifies Confederate generals. That should not stay. My idea is to make the entire street an open-air museum and build a timeline. In the green space — those big, beautiful medians — start at the beginning with stone plaques in the ground. Not necessarily signs sticking up, but in the ground so you can walk, look down, and read about what was going on [in that] year. 

It goes back to making Richmond a place that tells stories; particularly stories that aren’t often told, but should be. You could start before Europeans came, focusing on the tribes in the Richmond area, like Chief Powhatan. As you walk and come across prominent people from the area, you could see a life-size statue in the median with the inscription on the ground… There’s a lot of people who are important. For example, James Armistead Lafayette, who was a slave in the Richmond area during the Revolutionary War, served as a spy, and gave intelligence to the Colonial Army. He ultimately earned his freedom. You could go through time. The first black mayor of Richmond, Henry Marsh, would be there. John Mitchell, Jr. should be there. At the end, two new large monuments: one to Oliver Hill for his role in Brown vs. Board of Education, and then a final monument to Douglas Wilder. 

Focusing on these stories changes the entire street from glorifying Confederate generals to telling our story as a people. [Richmond grew from] the capital of the Confederacy, who fought to keep people enslaved, to electing the grandson of a slave as the first black governor in the country. To me, that’s a story that’s educational — a story that’s inspirational. [It can] show that no matter how bad things seem, no matter how stacked the deck seems, no matter how racist we seem as a people, things can change. They can change in a short period of time. We’ve made a lot of progress with keeping the march forward down Monument Ave. We continue to grow as a people, and we continue to learn from these stories, until we ultimately get to where we want to be. 

Stonewall Jackson monument comes down. Photo by Courtney Edwards

RVA Mag: You seem to have a big passion for history. 

JG: I do! That’s something I love about Richmond. It has all kinds of history, a history of all peoples. When you’re a city, you have to steer into the things that nobody else has. You carve out a niche, just like in business.. We should be the center of learning black history in America. We have Revolutionary War history, Civil War history, the Jim Crow era, Oliver Hill fighting against the segregation of schools — there’s so much there. 

You have [the history], and you also have a river that has the only Class 4 rapids in an urban area in the country, that we don’t take full advantage of. There’s some other unique things in Richmond from a business perspective I think we could carve out a niche for. We have a thriving creative arts community. The Brandcenter at VCU is the top post-grad marketing program in the country. We have The Martin Agency here, [who does] the Geico commercials. With history, there are stories to be told that should be told, but doing those things can also bring in a lot of tax revenue we can pour back into our people and neighborhoods —  to help uplift people and right some of the wrongs in our system. 

RVA Mag: Speaking of Richmond’s communities; compared to my own hometown of Norfolk, it seems that Richmond’s COVID-19 numbers are a lot higher. However, the community and people of Richmond have pulled together and helped their neighbors with everything from testing to toilet paper. How do you see Richmond moving past this and creating a healthier future? 

JG: That’s one of the things I really love about Richmond. The people who live here are amazing. They’re always willing to reach out a hand and help other people when they’re down. If you want to get plugged in doing generally anything here, there’s an organization or group of people that have an initiative to help in any way. Coming together as a people is how I think we’re going to get through this. Richmonders love to support small businesses, so [as we] continue to reopen in a safe and gradual manner — we’re going to have to come together as a community. The people of Richmond will have to step up, because right now, the city government isn’t stepping up. That’s evident of everything in Richmond. 

What I’ve said as I’ve been running is that I love Richmond, I love the people, and that’s why I chose to live here. But our city government does not match how great our people are. It’s failing us in generally every way. [Here’s how] I picture Richmond… if you’ve ever seen athletes training, they’ll sometimes run with a parachute on their back to build up the muscles to make them faster. Richmond is like one of those athletes; our people are doing amazing things and putting Richmond on the map while there’s a parachute on our back. But we’re still beating other cities somehow. If we took that parachute off, there’s so much potential here that we could keep running, at a much faster pace, forward. I think that’s how we’re going to get through this. Hopefully after this next election, we’ll be able to start reshaping our city government to match our people. 

RVA Mag: RPS Graduation rates are disproportionate, and have been almost dwarfed by surrounding towns. How do you think you can work with RPS to boost these numbers?

JG: I think that has to be the absolute top priority of the next mayor. When you have a graduation rate of only 70 percent, that’s a crisis. That means 30 percent of our young people are not graduating high school, and in our modern society, they have virtually no chance of thriving. When you look at our school system, it’s 86 percent people of color… So when we talk about Black Lives Matter — if they matter, then we have to fix our schools. 

My number one priority will be working with the school system, and working with the superintendent to get whatever they need to help our kids thrive. I have several ideas for that: I think we need to focus on things like Literacy First. There’s many people in Richmond who still struggle to read and write, and that’s completely unacceptable. Especially in the modern age, when you have an entire world of knowledge at your fingertips. If you have strong reading skills and comprehension skills, you can figure anything and everything out — for example, I built my own campaign website because I was able to figure it out. If we can put that into our people, they can have a better chance of thriving in our modern economy. 

RVA Mag: Another Richmond Public Schools question for you — de facto segregation does exist in RPS, and while there have been attempts to diversify or integrate schools, many of them have faced backlash. Do you have any plans to not only create a diverse school district, but one that is fair, in which all schools, regardless of student body, can receive the funding they need?

JG: When we look at our school system, I want to [create one where] it won’t matter which school you’re in, you’ll receive a quality education. You shouldn’t have to shuffle kids around town, beg to get kids into one certain elementary school, for your child to receive a quality education. That’s insane to me. If we need funding, that’s going to be my job.

As a numbers guy — as someone with an accounting degree — I am going to pore through every department budget, and we will root out all of the waste and every inefficiency. We need that money for our priorities, such as our children. Getting them the resources they need is what you can do as the mayor. Right now, we have a lot of waste… so [I want to] make sure we have programs in place, a first-rate curriculum, a school system that is invested in high expectations for our children so we can prepare them to succeed and build wealth. Whatever it takes. That’s what I’m willing to do. 

RVA Mag: The Richmond Police Department has faced criticism lately for their ongoing brutality and use of non-lethal crowd control weapons. The recent lawsuit from the ACLU has definitely amped this up, as has the vast media coverage. Would you do anything to change the RPD?

JG: Even before the murder of George Floyd, I was developing ideas for reforming the ways we do policing here in Richmond. As an attorney, I do legal business work, but also have lots of legal discussions. My wife works in the court systems, and she used to work as a public defender and a criminal defense attorney. Having conversations about the way policing is done in Richmond is something I’ve been doing for years, albeit not publicly, because I’ve never been a politician before. When you look at our policing, there is a lot of room for reform there.

The things people are asking for — like increased funding for mental health workers and social workers, and supplementing the incomes of our public defenders — are things I absolutely agree with. Right now, the city provides a supplement to the Commonwealth Attorney’s office for prosecutors, but not for public defenders. I think that needs to be fair. If we are talking about equity, then I feel both sides of the legal argument should have the same type of funding.

[Looking] at social workers, there was an article recently about when Mayor Stoney was first elected. He visited the social workers’ office in Richmond. They told him all of the problems they had, the funds they needed for different things. He told them, “No problem, I’ll take care of it.” Later the direct quote from them was, “Nothing happened, nothing changed.” We know where the problems are. We just need a mayor who is interested, and is willing to make the changes.

Specifically with the police, we’ve defunded all these departments like social work, and asked the police to fill in the gaps. Not everything needs an officer with a gun responding to it. If we manage our budget and put money into our priorities, like social work, then there’s less need for police response to these issues. 

There was a program called the Second Responders Program. It was cut, but it assigned social workers to each police precinct. When calls went out, they would respond with the officers to certain situations, like domestic violence calls. Their job would be to go in and work with the victims, get them plugged in to the resources they may need, look out for the best interests of the children, or to start counseling right there on the spot. That would allow social workers to do their best job — and it would allow police to do what they are designed and trained for; to prevent violent crime and to solve crimes. Let’s leave the police to do what they’re designed for and good at, and let’s fund these other programs that wrap around services to serve our people. 

Richmond police take aim at Robert E. Lee monument protesters. Photo by Domico Phillips.

RVA Mag: How do you feel about the way Stoney has handled the situation with the RPD?

JG: He’s handled it the way he’s handled every other problem we’ve had in this city. He’s approached it with no plan, and he’s failed because of it. It seems that every day, there’s a different agenda coming from the mayor’s office. Some days, he wants to crack down on the protesters, and some days he wants to pull the police back and do nothing. It doesn’t make any sense. That’s a recipe for bad things happening, like when the tear gas was shot at the peaceful protesters at the Lee monument in the beginning of June. You’re putting tired police officers out there with no plan and no direction, and creating a recipe for bad things to happen. I think he’s handled it poorly, but I think that’s kind of how he’s handled every problem we’ve had — whether it’s schools, paving roads, or even getting a trash can. Now the problems are much more serious, and Richmond’s paying dearly for it. 

RVA Mag: Finally, given the current political climate in the city, why should Richmonders elect a white man? 

JG: In this race, I’m the one who cares and the one who has a plan. The way I look at it, there is a division between the political class and the people of Richmond. For me — not being a politician, not being someone who’s ever run for office before — I’m just like everyone else in this city. [We’re] fed up with the misplaced priorities, the mismanagement, and the failures of our city government. Why should we elect more people from the political class? It’s just shuffling the same players around to different chairs, and expecting things to change. We need someone who is coming in from the outside, who is only interested in this because he wants to go in and manage the city, solve problems, and serve our people. 

It’s not about me. It’s not about a political career for me. I have a career. I have my own business, and I enjoy doing what I do. But when I see our city government failing its people in serious ways, I feel that I need to step up to do something. That’s what I’m going to pour my heart and soul into; helping our people, providing better services for our people, and providing better schools for our kids. That’s what I’m here for. To represent the people and their interests, instead of the political class. 

Top photo via Justin Griffin/Facebook. Marilyn Drew Necci and Caley Sturgill contributed to this article.

Jennifer Carroll Foy Wants to be Virginia’s First Female Governor

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Delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy has been working for change since childhood. Now in her run to become Virginia’s next Governor, she’s fighting for affordable healthcare, living wages, social equity, environmental issues, and more. 

Delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy knew she wanted to play a part in social change since high school. Now this candidate for Virginia Governor and chief sponsor of the Equal Rights Amendment is ramping up her campaign, despite the challenges this year has brought. Even in the middle of a pandemic, election season doesn’t wait for anything; and although the coronavirus has put a damper on just about everything in life, the run for electing the next Governor is on. 

As delegate for the state’s second district, which includes Prince William and Stafford County, Carroll Foy says she’s running for governor because Virginians can’t wait for change any longer — and describes what it’s like running her campaign during a global pandemic. 

“I keep hearing the same type of stories,” Carroll Foy explains. “A woman has to travel fourteen miles to take her daughter to the local McDonald’s so she can do her homework. They don’t have access to the internet. [Then] I went to Portsmouth, and I shook the hands of men and women who work 40 hours a week and bring home $14,000 a year. So while some people are doing well in Virginia, not everyone is having the same opportunity to reach the middle class and thrive.”

PHOTO: Virginia Democrats Swearing In, via Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy

Carroll Foy started her years in public service when she joined the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) in high school. After the Supreme Court’s landmark decision to allow women to attend Virginia Military Institute (VMI), she knew she had to attend. Carroll Foy became one of the first women of color to graduate from the state military school. She then pursued a Master’s degree, and later earned a law degree from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law (TJSL). She’s been serving her community ever since.

“I have seen the historic inequalities — in our educational system, our healthcare system, our environment, our economy — up close and personal,” Carroll Foy said. “I’ve experienced many of them myself. So as a working mom of two two-year-olds, working two jobs while paying a second mortgage every month [in childcare costs], and struggling with student loan debt, I can identify and understand the everyday challenges that Virginia families face. I live with them, too.”

Since 2017, Carroll Foy has committed her time to service in the Virginia House of Delegates. Along with sponsoring the Equal Rights Amendment, she has fought to expand Medicaid to 400,000 Virginians while helping with the unemployment process. She’s worked to ensure small businesses are tended to, and that kids still have access to school lunches during COVID-19. But unlike other seasons, this election season has proved to be a challenge, and no candidate is untouched by the coronavirus crisis.

PHOTO: Jennifer Carroll Foy

“My challenges I’ve faced thus far, and in this election, have been the same challenges that my companions are facing. In 2020 and 2021, it’s a fact that we’re running during a pandemic, something that none of us have seen in our lifetimes,” she said. “Then we have the civil unrest and racial reckoning happening right now, and [I’m] trying to lead in that area; pass policies that address police reform and criminal justice reform, while also dismantling a lot of systems that need to be up-ended and rooted in equity. One of the things that VMI taught me was to never get distracted about what’s going on. I’ve been able to do that, because I am not running against anyone in this race for Governor — I’m running for the people of Virginia.” 

In her time as a public defender for the state of Virginia, Carroll Foy has fought for and accomplished many acts of service. She recalls one of her proudest achievements during her time as a delegate, and describes the hard fight it took to accomplish. 

“One of my proudest moments [was] passing the Equal Rights Amendment. I remember fishing the idea to other legislators, that we need to make women’s equality the number one issue in Virginia, and I was told no,” Carroll Foy said. “That was a dead issue that no one was talking about. Luckily, there are advocates like Eileen Davis, who helped galvanize the VA Ratify ERA, [an organization] which houses advocates throughout the Commonwealth and the country to energize voters on this issue, such as Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated. That became one of the top issues on voters’ minds going into the voting booth in 2019.”

PHOTO: Jennifer Carroll Foy

After bringing to light issues of equality for women, Carroll Foy wants to bring internet access to rural Southwest Virginia and help families get out of the lower class. She’s completely focused on her goal, and says she has always been ready to fight for Virginians and their families.

“I am honored to be in a position to change the face of leadership in Virginia,” Carroll Foy said. “I am also focused on ensuring I bring diverse, high paying jobs to every corner of the Commonwealth.”

She plans to fully fund the education system to prepare Virginia’s children with a world-class education. She also plans to expand infrastructure — such as broadband internet access — to every corner of the state to “finally end the digital divide.” 

“As Governor, I will be able to help lead those changes,” Carroll Foy said, “and set the direction for who we are as Virginians and what we stand for.”

Top Photo via Jennifer Carroll Foy

Urgent Progressive Change: Speaking With Richmond Mayoral Candidate Alexsis Rodgers

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RVA Magazine sits down with Alexsis Rodgers, a community activist and mayoral candidate for the City of Richmond, to learn more about her policies. 

On June 6, Alexsis Rodgers formally announced her candidacy for Richmond mayor. Rodgers, a VCU graduate, is currently the Virginia state director for Care in Action: the policy and advocacy home for two million women domestic workers. Rodgers is also the former president of the Virginia Young Democrats. Rodgers’ campaign is running on the slogan “Policies Not Apologies.”

Among the policies and reform she’s passionate about are voting rights, economic security, college affordability, and quality health care. Some of her accomplishments include playing a key role in achieving Medicaid expansion, and growing birth control access during her time at Planned Parenthood here in Richmond. 

We sat down with Rodgers to learn more about her policies ahead of the election. 

RVA Magazine: I’ve seen and read that you’ve been in leadership positions such as the president of Virginia Young Democrats, and now you’re the Virginia State Director for Care in Action. Why do you want to run for mayor? Why now?

Alexsis Rodgers: Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve seen more clearly than ever that the community wants urgent, progressive change. A lot of the demands that we’re hearing from the community are policy demands that they’ve been setting forward for years — whether that be police accountability, a civilian review board with authority to subpoena, or the Marcus Alert. What I’ve seen from our Mayor’s Office is a resistance to listen and be responsive to calls from the community, and this isn’t the first time we’ve seen this dismissal… When you look back at the Navy Hill fight, the Education Compact, and development projects all throughout the city, we’ve seen the Mayor center the interests of corporate elites and special interests more so than people. I think now more than ever, we need someone who’s in touch; who has worked with community activism leaders to fight for progressive change, but who also understands policy and its process. I think I’m that candidate. 

RVA Mag: What do you think is the best solution for the city’s ongoing problems with education, especially for students who are economically disadvantaged and/or from marginalized backgrounds?

AR: Number one: right now, in the middle of this public health crisis, we’re seeing the importance of education and the importance of child care. For too many of Richmond’s families, access to affordable child care, early childhood education, and the right to go to a good quality school has not been a reality. I think we have to start by centering the right values, and the right people, in the process. We’re never going to get the results we want when it comes to educational equity if we don’t start centering the folks that are the most impacted. If we don’t start by engaging and listening to our teachers, faculty, and support staff. If we’re not truly listening to parents. We haven’t seen any true community engagement through this Mayor’s Administration. That’s something we’re going to need to address if we want to fully fund RPS, if we want to get police out of our school systems, and make sure that schools are a safe place for our kids to learn and grow. 

RVA Mag: How do you feel about the issues that have come up in the past year or two regarding de facto segregation of school districts within the city?

AR: There’s a systemic issue when it comes to racial and educational inequity here in Richmond, and right now we’re having a very public conversation about monuments and what they mean to black and brown folks. But we’re not [paying] enough attention right now to the systemic issues of racial injustice and education inequity. I think it has to start by, again, making sure we’re centering the right folks in these conversations. We haven’t always done that. We can’t ignore do-gooders in our community that want to support because they have access to corporate funds for our schools. They’re great community partners who have been helping to support our teachers and staff, but we need to make sure that we’re always putting students first. We know that Navy Hill was not a project that was going to put working-class folks first, and we’ve got to stop putting those corporate elites first when it comes to our policymaking. 

RVA Mag: The process of figuring out what to do with the Richmond Coliseum and its surrounding area, Navy Hill, has been a huge issue in the city over the past few years. How do you think you can most effectively move this discussion forward, and find a solution for the area that works for all Richmonders? 

AR: I think the project was doomed from the start, because it seemed to me that the process was rigged. It started with corporate special interest, and the plan was created, but it was rolled out under the guidelines of “wanting community feedback and input” — when really, they knew what they wanted the plan to be. It was not real engagement and real incorporation of community feedback. As Mayor, my commitment is that I’m not going to start with those special interests in mind first. I want to put the people first, and make sure there is real input from Richmond residents — that their voices are actually heard as we’re developing the city. It’s really important that we’re able to build and grow Richmond — make sure we open up new revenues for the city, so we can fully fund our schools and address housing and healthcare issues. But if we don’t center the right values as we work to secure economic development, we’re never going to do right by Richmond residents. 

RVA Mag: What are your views on what should be done on Monument Ave? 

AR: I think it’s really clear that Richmonders want these monuments down. I told a story when I first launched my campaign about when I was at school at Hanover High School: at track practice while we were practicing, a truck pulled up with a huge confederate flag in the back and started circling the parking lot. My coach went out and told that driver to go home. He knew the message that truck was trying to send to our team, he knew it was wrong, and he went out and called for that person to go.

Right now, what we’re seeing over the last several years, folks have asked for these monuments to be removed. They’ve asked for them to be put in museums, but for them to be put out of our public spaces. For too long, the Mayor has said, “Well we can’t,” or “I’m not sure,” or “We need to have a process.” We had a commission that made recommendations that didn’t go anywhere, and it’s only when this very visible unrest is happening in our city that he’s coming around to the right decision. It shouldn’t require us to put our literal bodies on the line, out here protesting for our rights in the middle of a pandemic, to be heard by our elected officials. We should be able to be valued and seen whether we’re protesting, speaking at a city council meeting, or writing a letter to a City Council member or our Mayor. All of those tactics should be heard and valued. We shouldn’t have to put our lives on the line as part of it. I sit out there marching with everybody else, asking for justice, asking for policy solutions… but also to say these racist symbols should be out of our public spaces, and it’s past time for that to happen. 

Photo via Alexsis Rodgers/Facebook

RVA Mag: What would you like to see done with the street once they’re removed?

AR: When we’re talking about public spaces and putting up monuments to individuals, that should take real community input. That should also honor folks whose history has been forgotten or erased. You know, Richmond is a creative city. We have a lot of artists. We have a lot of historians and researchers. Given the authority and the resources, we can have some real community engagement around [questions like], “What should we name our streets that are formally named after confederate generals?” “What should we put in place of these historically confederate monuments?” I don’t think the city residents haven’t been given that agency. I would love to see us move in that direction — where we’re having thoughtful conversations about race, using this moment where folks are becoming politically aware to move the city forward, and what should be in these public spaces that honor the right values and right cause. 

RVA Mag: Richmond’s eviction numbers saw somewhat of a decline after the city’s high rate of evictions became national news a couple of years ago, but the city has a long way to go before we’re completely past this issue. How do you foresee the city moving forward in a manner that is helpful to those struggling financially, both where evictions are concerned and in the changing face of public housing in Richmond?

AR: For too many people, especially during this public health crisis, they’ve been juggling whether they can put their health at risk and go to work, or put their job and livelihood at risk by staying home. There have been a lot of great activists out there calling for canceling rent, calling for freezing evictions, and [they’ve been] met with a lot of silence from our elected leadership. That’s not okay. It, again, shows how out-of-touch and out-of-alignment the current administration is from the real needs of the community. There were [homeless] folks at the beginning of the pandemic who were sheltering in place at Camp Cathy, and the city came and removed those folks’ homes. Now, I appreciate any effort to help make sure these folks are in a safe and supportive environment — especially during a public health crisis, where they can maintain social distancing and good hygiene — but the city came in and cleared out those folks’ properties. It was just garbage in the streets. I think that shows a lack of understanding of both dignity and their agency as human beings, and that’s not something I want to see our city do ever again. 

When we talk about affordable housing and making sure that folks are able to make ends meet, there’s a lot of layers to that. There’s making sure people have access to a good job, there’s a lot of emphasis on having transit options that connect people to jobs and work, healthcare access to make sure that where you’re going to work, you’re safe, and childcare so you can go to work and not worry about your family. There are a lot of efforts, a lot of smart folks working on housing policies. But it always has to start with centering people’s dignity, and their humanity, the value that every person should be able to live safely, and giving respect to folks. Maybe they are renters, and there are candidates in the race that don’t think renters should have as much of a say when it comes to their government, and that’s not right. Regardless of where you live or who you are, I want to be your Mayor, and I want to represent you in our government. 

RVA Mag: You’ve had a longtime involvement with Virginia League For Planned Parenthood, so are you at all concerned that abortion will become a wedge issue in your campaign? 

AR: I have always been fighting for healthcare access. In this race, I’m going to be a vocal champion for abortion rights. For me, I know that people that are pregnant need access to the full range of reproductive healthcare services — and that means access to good maternal care, birth control. That means access to abortion. Not every person wants to be pregnant, and not every person is able to carry their pregnancy to term. It’s important to me that we continue to champion those rights for those in Richmond. I was really excited to help Planned Parenthood begin their efforts to expand and open up new health centers in Church Hill. That’s going to be huge for this community, which has been historically underserved when it comes to healthcare access. I think that Planned Parenthood and access to reproductive healthcare here in the city is really important, and is actually going to be a way that we unite the city around certain issues — and certainly around expanding access to healthcare. 

RVA Mag: Finally, regarding gentrification in Richmond, what is your stance on this issue? 

AR: When I moved to the city, I moved to an apartment right near Lamplighter on Addison. My next-door neighbor was an older black woman who had lived there for, you know, forever. In the last couple years, she passed away, and her son wanted to tend to the house. He was really struggling. He had grown up in that house, and he didn’t want to leave the house “speechless” and give it over to renters, because this is the community he grew up in. He also didn’t feel like he had the resources to properly take care of it. Long story short, that house was flipped and sold for half a million dollars, and younger, white folks moved into it. It was a picture right in my eyes, here in Randolph, that is a historically-black community. There are a lot of roots there for black folks, and over and over we’re seeing black residents getting pushed out because of gentrification here in the city. I think it’s important for us to look at how we can make sure that families — specifically black families — can build and maintain wealth in their families. We can proceed to support black ownership when it comes to homes, but also black businesses, and generally making sure that our community of color is made strong. As you probably know, Hull Street used to be basically the Black Wall Street, and making sure that we’re continuing to support communities of color is going to be really important for me.

Interview by Carley Welch; top photo via Alexsis Rodgers/Facebook