L
EGACY Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow.
WEDNESDAYS • Oct. 12, 2016
‘
INSIDE Disturbing news affecting veterans - 3 Grant to target violence in Richmond - 4 Nat Turner, the Va. rebel, revisited - 8 Black Lives Matter, a stress test - 11 & 14
Richmond & Hampton Roads
LEGACYNEWSPAPER.COM • FREE
RVA unveils plan for Lumpkin’s Jail memorial site Read more on pg. 2
The LEGACY
2 • Oct. 12, 2016
News
“Hidden no more”: RVA memorializes ‘painful’ history
The Slave Trail Commission shined bright this week with a ceremony highlighting the Lumpkin’s Slave Jail Development and commemoration of Gabriel’s Rebellion. Slave Trail Commission chair Del. Delores McQuinn led the program that consisted of a tribute to the life of Gabriel Prosser and a tree dedication ceremony. Those in attendance included Rep. Bobby Scott, Governor Terry McAuliffe, former Governor Bob McDonnell, Mayor Dwight Jones, Del. Jennifer McClellan, Del. Lamont Bagby, Councilwoman Cynthia Newbill, Richmond Council President Michelle Mosby and a host of other elected officials. McDonnell, who was instrumental in getting funding secured during his time as governor, shared how important he felt the project was during his governorship. Pointing out that everyone should live by the golden rule, he stated that the jail site definetly held a meaningful presence. “This ground is a testament of man's capacity for evil, but today we celebrate transformation of hope and turning this into something positive,” McDonnell said. Gov. McAuliffe continued the effort for the slave trail and during a trip down civil rights memory lane he said “we will never give up the fight” for equality. He also mentioned a statue of Abraham
Lincoln possibly placed at the future museum sight. Lumpkin’s Jail was a slave-trading complex located in Shockoe Bottom and operated from the 1830s until the end of the Civil War. It was eventually leased to a Baptist minister who founded the Colver Institute, a school for emancipated blacks, and used the former jail building to hold classes. This school evolved into Virginia Union University. Virginia Union’s acting president, Dr. Joseph Johnson, was also in attendance and reflected on how “timing is everything.” Johnson told the story of how evil turned to good. Upon Lumpkin's death, he left the land that housed so many slaves and tore apart families to his formerly enslaved widow. “For that one moment in his life, [Lumpkin] did the right thing,” Johnson said referencing the land he left to his wife that educated emancipated slaves. While no time has been determined for the completion of the museum it was decided that SmithGroupJJR, the same architecture, enginerring and planning firm that construcgted the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. will complete the construction and development for the Lumpkin’s Slave Jail museum site.
IT’S FUN FALL
Festival Time!
Fall, family and fun times are worth celebrating. At JenCare, we want to honor and celebrate you and those you care about, too.
Visit JOINJENCARE.COM or call (757) 264-4845 to find an event near you.
www.LEGACYnewspaper.com
Oct. 12, 2016 • 3
Virginia veterans’ claims go unprocessed for years after employee keeps documents STAFF
If you are a veteran who filed a claim with the Virginia Department of Veterans Services (“DVS”) from late 2011 to mid 2015, the DVS is asking that you reach out either via www.ebenefits.va.gov or by visiting one of DVS’s 26 benefits offices in Virginia to check on the status of your claim or benefit. This comes as DVS announced that a “large number of documents”, including veterans’ claims, were recently discovered in a storage unit belonging to a former DVS employee who worked at the agency’s veterans benefits office at Richmond’s McGuire VA Medical Center (VAMC). Tina Parlett-Calhoun, director of communications with Virginia DVS, noted that DVS officials retrieved and secured the documents at the agency’s Richmond headquarters, and are now reviewing them to ensure that all affected veterans can be notified and assisted. Because agency documents were comingled with the unnamed former employee’s personal papers and
possessions, the exact number of claims records affected is not yet known, but all appear to be dated between 2011 and mid-2015. They see to be exclusively from the DVS benefits office at McGuire VAMC. “We are in the process of reviewing documents and determining the status of all claims as quickly as we are able,” said John Newby, commissioner, Virginia DVS. “We are committed to providing additional information to impacted veterans and to the public as we determine the full scope of the situation and how many veterans may be affected.” The former employee worked at DVS from January 2012 until Aug. 25, 2015 when he was fired. The Virginia Attorney General has notified the Virginia State Police and requested it begin a criminal investigation. The DVS sought to draw a line between this crime and the scandals that have plagued the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and McGuire VA Medical Center. Among the problems, published investigative reports over
the last few years indicate that VA supervisors instructed employees to falsify patient wait times at Veterans Affairs’ medical facilities in at least seven states, including Virginia. Some veterans’s health deteriorated leading to death as they waiting for extremely long appointment times to get care. “DVS employees are provided space at the McGuire VA Medical Center to assist veterans, but neither the VA nor its McGuire VA Medical Center are involved in this incident,” noted Parlett-Calhoun. “Specifically, no VA personnel were involved with the collection or retention of the discovered documents.” Virginia Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs John Harvey and Commissioner Newby said they identified the need to move from a paper-based system to an electronic claims filing system at the beginning of the administration. All DVS benefits offices converted to an electronic system by June 2015 making Virginia was the first state to fully automate its veterans’ claims filing process.
Under current practice, DVS noted, all claims are now tracked electronically and manually by senior managers to ensure that no documents are misplaced or lost and that all claims are filed in a timely manner. “I am deeply concerned about the veterans whose records have been mishandled, and I have directed my team to use all available resources to identify these men and women and ensure that they receive the benefits and care that they are due,” said Harvey. “At the beginning of this administration, we identified a vulnerability in the Commonwealth’s claims process, and we began implementing a solution to this serious deficiency,” he continued. “Regrettably, our fears were justified, and the danger we were working so hard to address was already a reality. We stand ready to assist any and all veterans impacted, and we are determined to prevent any similar mishandling of information from happening in the future.”
Registration deadline Del. Jennifer L. McClellan (D-Richmond), chairwoman of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Commission, is encouraging all Virginians to register and exercise their right to vote in the upcoming General Election on Nov. 8. “All elections, whether local, state, or federal, are fundamental to the governance of our democracy and the liberties afforded all citizens and are protected by our Constitution,” she noted. “The right to vote is precious and should not be considered frivolously.” According to the SBE, the deadline to register to vote, or update an existing registration, for the Nov. 8 election is Oct. 17.
The LEGACY
4 • Oct. 12, 2016
VCU receives nearly $6 million grant to advance youth violence prevention strategies in Richmond The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently awarded Virginia Commonwealth University a nearly $6 million research grant to promote healthy communities and reduce violence rates in Richmond. The grant resulted from a strong collaboration between community partners and the university. The university will work closely with members of the Richmond community and local organizations to carry out objectives detailed in the five-year grant. “We will be working with city residents and community partners to improve our capacity to overcome issues that affect the health of
youth," said co-principal investigator Saba Masho, M.D., DrPh, professor of family medicine at VCU School of Medicine. Masho will partner on the grant with co-principal investigator Terri Sullivan, Ph.D., professor of psychology at VCU College of Humanities and Sciences. The project continues the work of the Clark-Hill Institute for Positive Youth Development at VCU, which is one of five national centers of excellence for youth violence prevention funded by the CDC. Clark-Hill’s mission is to empower youth, schools and families to promote the healthy, safe and
otherwise positive development of youth from early adolescence through emerging adulthood. The current project builds upon more than 15 years of CDC funding. In 2014, the rate of homicide among young people in Richmond was nearly four times the national average. Activities funded through the grant will seek to reduce incidences of violence in the city by evaluating the impact of evidencebased violence intervention approaches. University researchers and community partners will work with residents of three neighborhoods in North, East and South Richmond to identify pre-existing programs in each community and build on the strengths of those programs. “We are informed by community needs and strengths at every juncture,” said Sullivan. “We will rely on community members to help us understand how we can build on existing protective factors. At the end of the five years, we may
PROTECT OUR LEGACY After the economy crashed, Barack Obama stood with us. We’ve created over 15 million new jobs since 2010, expanded health care to 20 million Americans, and defended our right to vote. Barack Obama accomplished a lot, but more needs to be done so we can keep moving forward. The Republicans have fought Barack Obama since Day One and have promised to destroy his legacy and move our country backwards. We’ve all fought too hard to let that happen. The next president will either build on Barack Obama’s legacy or tear it apart. On November 8th, vote for Democrats so we can keep this country moving forward.
www.IWillVote.com
TAKE A STAND
VOTE DEMOCRATIC N O V E M B E R 8 TH PAID FOR BY THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE DEMOCRATS.ORG NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATES’S COMMITTEE
have communities with differences in programs and prevention efforts based on each community's current needs.” The project will include continuous assessment of outcomes through community surveys and various forms of surveillance data. If proven effective, the intervention strategies developed during the five-year grant may advance the science and practice of youth violence prevention. Findings may also inform youth violence prevention strategies in communities beyond Richmond. “There are so many factors that can cause youth to engage in violence and these behaviors affect the health of entire communities,” said Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones. “It is imperative that we successfully identify and address the risk factors for violence and provide young people with viable options for the future. Our continued work with VCU is a tremendous opportunity that we welcome and that can have farreaching benefits.”
Oct. 12, 2016 • 5
www.LEGACYnewspaper.com
Top four Richmond mayoral candidates,11 city council candidates now endorse a Shockoe Bottom Memorial Park A local civil rights group, Defenders’ Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project, sees hope in the fact that the four leading candidates for the office of Richmond mayor have now endorsed the Community Proposal for a Shockoe Bottom Memorial Park. Jon Baliles, Jack Berry, Joe Morrissey and Levar Stoney are the mayoral candidates. In addition, 11 candidates for Richmond City Council have endorsed the concept of a nine-acre memorial park that would include the African Burial Ground, the Lumpkin’s Jail site and two blocks east of the CSX railroad tracks. Those council candidates include Charlie Diradour, Kimberly Gray and Rebecca K.W. Keel (2nd District); Dorian Daniels (3rd District); Jeff Thomas and Johnny Walker (4th District); Parker Agelasto, Montigue Magruder and Garrett L. Sawyer (5th District); Donald Moss (6th District); Josh Williams (7th District); and Leon
Benjamin (9th District). “What this means is that when Mayor Dwight Jones leaves office in January we will have a new mayor supportive of the Shockoe Bottom Memorial Park proposal as well as very likely more support on City Council,” said Ana Edwards, who chairs the Defenders’ Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project. “This is why we are viewing the present mayor’s plan for a memorial at Lumpkin’s Jail as just the first stage in the larger memorial.” On the national level, the Green Party ticket of Jill Stein for president and Ajamu Baraka for vice president has declared its support. In an email sent Oct. 9 to the Defenders, Baraka wrote: “We fully support the community proposal that represents the best plan to preserve and protect this historic district.” Baraka had previously expressed his personal support for the proposal Oct. 4 at a press conference at the African Burial Ground.
Sex Offender Helpline The helpline provides support to communities on issues related to accessing sex offender registration information; responsible use of information; sexual abuse prevention resources; and accessing crime victim support services. The tips program provides the public an opportunity to report registrants who are failing to comply with registration requirements. Tips can also be provided at www.parentsformeganslaw.org. This program is not intended to be used to report police emergencies.
C.L. Belle’s
E Z Car Rental 3101 W. Broad Street
(804) 358-3406
SUMMER SPECIAL
ALL Cars
Small - Medium -
29
$
Large
95
a day
Unlimited Miles
Free Pickup in Richmond Area
NO CREDIT CARD NEEDED
www.ezcarrentalsrva.com
6 • Oct. 12, 2016
Op/Ed & Letters
The LEGACY
A Trump win could tear this nation apart BILL FLETCHER, JR. Alright, team, we are getting close to the finish line: Election Day, Nov. 8. We have witnessed two debates between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, and while I would argue that Clinton won, Trump made enough arguments to reinforce some level of confidence among his supporters. After having a comfortable lead over her Republican opponent, current poll numbers suggest that Clinton’s lead has almost vanished in key states; reasons why the race has tightened are still up for debate. There are four presidential candidates on the ballot: Hillary Clinton (Democrat), Donald Trump (Republican), Gary Johnson (Libertarian Party) and Dr. Jill Stein (Green Party). The reality is that the presidential choice comes down to either Clinton or Trump. Johnson has about an 8 percent showing in the polls and Stein about 3 percent. What voters have to decide is not only where will they come down, but also the importance of other races that will be decided The LEGACY NEWSPAPER Vol. 2 No. 41 Mailing Address 409 E. Main Street 4 Office Address 105 1/2 E. Clay St. Richmond, VA 23219 Call 804-644-1550 Online www.legacynewspaper.com
Nov. 8. Thus, my first plea is that everyone votes. Each vote, as we saw in Florida in 2000 and Ohio in 2004, can be potentially critical. A second issue is that races, in addition to the presidential race, are critical. The United States Senate, as of this moment, is a toss-up between the Republicans and Democrats. We could find ourselves with a small Republican majority, a small Democratic The LEGACY welcomes all signed letters and all respectful opinions. Letter writers and columnists opinions are their own and endorsements of their views by The LEGACY should be inferred. The LEGACY assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. Annual Subscription Rates Virginia - $50 U.S. states - $75 Outside U.S.- $100 The Virginia Legacy © 2016
majority, or a literal tie. So, even if you find yourself dissatisfied with the presidential choices, there are other races that will make a real-world difference. The third issue, however, is one that hit me, yet again, in watching the debate. Trump and his supporters are dangerous. It is frightening that a presidential candidate can continue to deliver outright lies and has not been run out of town on a rail. But it is actually more than that. Leading the birther movement against Obama, threatening to put Muslims under surveillance, proposing a wall along the border with Mexico and an escalation of deportations, allegedly, as a means of cutting crime, tells us that Trump understands nothing about the experiences of those of us of color. Worse, he is quite unprepared, in the face of the history of the U.S., to play with matches in a field of unstable dynamite. Trump isn’t stupid; he knows precisely what he is doing and he knows how he is motivating racists and xenophobes to come out of the closet. Yet, he keeps doing it. So, it really comes down to this: No matter who is elected, people
of conscience will need to put and keep pressure on the next administration. At the same time, don’t deceive yourself. Ultraright-wing forces will play on Trump’s victory in order to push us further over the edge into a racial dystopia. Black America went through a racial dystopia after the defeat of Reconstruction and found itself in the hell of Jim Crow. Asian America went through the persecution of the Chinese and Japanese, the annexation of Hawaii, and a genocidal war against the Filipinos. Latino America went through the seizure of the northern third of Mexico and the later seizure of Puerto Rico, along with the constant demonization of their people and their heritage. Native Americans have faced constant efforts aimed at the violation of their sovereignty, and, indeed, their extermination. We do not need a president who takes us anywhere close to that world again. Fletcher is a talk show host, writer and activist. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and at www. billfletcherjr.com.
www.LEGACYnewspaper.com
Oct. 12, 2016 • 7
P.T. Hoffsteader, Esq.
Obamacare is “the craziest thing...!” That wasn’t Donald Trump speaking. Or Paul Ryan. Or any other Republican. It was former President Bill Clinton stumping for Hillary in Michigan. And expanding Medicaid as part of the Affordable Care Act is even crazier! That’s why you need to attend this month’s Federal Policy Dinner, and learn how the Affordable Care Act, Obamacare, has worsened Medicaid’s problems. Enrollment and spending are much higher than expected, and has added significantly to Medicaid's unsustainable spending trajectory. Worse, it creates a large federal government bias towards nondisabled, working-age adults at the expense of traditional Medicaid enrollees.That’s the result of the Mercatus Center’s research, conducted by Senior Research Fellow Brian Blase. Previously, Dr. Blase was with the Senate Republican Policy committee where he served as a health care policy analyst, and before that worked as senior professional staffer for the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. He received his Ph.D. in economics from George Mason University in 2013, with his dissertation on Medicaid. Michael Thompson ***** The attack on Obamacare is problematic. While the president’s
Affordable Care Act is clearly flawed, it expanded health insurance for more than 20 million people. It isn’t the desired single payer care, but it provides opportunity and takes the first step in expanding the social contract since the Roosevelt years. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) can be used as a foundation to expand health insurance coverage and, in my mind, get us closer to the ultimate goal of a single-payer system. But legislators rejected the single-payer plan that the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Ma) proposed for decades. The Affordable Care Act is a compromise. We need to move forward in improving the ACA, not backward in repealing it. Trump and Republicans would restrict access to health care instead of expanding it. African Americans, especially, need to look at what Trump has promised. He has promised discrimination. He has described our lives as hell. He has been a bully and a documented discriminator. He has been too much. He should be enough to repel us. Paul Ryan has called Trump a racist, but he is willing to dance with the devil because it serves his purposes. What about you? As we count down to the November 8 election, people are coming forward to say they are either undecided, conflicted, or would rather vote for a third party candidate, because they can’t tolerate Clinton Trump. The bottom line is that either Clinton or Trump will win the Presidency. Really. Those Republicans who support Trump are openly supporting evil. They will dance with the devil to their detriment.
Julianne Malveaux
Republicans own this Donald Trump’s shockingly offensive comments about women, which he made when he was nearly 60 years old, are the latest addition to a resumé filled with disparaging taunts against communities of color, insults directed at women, and appeals to the right-wing fringe. What’s almost as shocking as Trump’s comments is the fact that Grand Old Party leaders like Reince Priebus, Paul Ryan, and Mitch McConnell are still standing by him. In the parallel universe they live in, a good performance by Trump tonight would make up for his lifetime of offensive behavior. It won’t. There is no fixing the damage Trump has already wrought. The Republicans, like Sen. John McCain, Sen. Kelly Ayotte, Rep. Barbara Comstock, Rep. Cresent Hardy and Rep. Mike Coffman, who finally came to the realization that Trump might not have the character to be commander-in-chief are hardly political profiles in courage – not even close. As the AP reported, “with a month until Election Day, and early voting already underway in several states, the truest answer to why Republicans are dropping Trump now — and why they’re dropping him over this — is likely political.” They all stood by as Trump mocked disabled people, attacked a Gold Star family, and repeatedly took stances that only serve to divide our country. A 90-minute debate simply can’t erase decades of divisive and offensive rhetoric and decisionmaking. Steve Schmidt, John
McCain’s presidential campaign’s top strategist said very succinctly today that “what this exposes is much deeper and goes to the Republican Party as an institution. This candidacy – the magnitude of its disgrace to the country is almost impossible, I think, to articulate… Over the course of the last year – these [Republicans] candidates who have repeatedly put their party ahead of their country, are denying what is so obviously clear to anybody who’s watching about his complete and total manifest unfitness for this office.” We completely agree. In case you needed a reminder, here is the shameful rundown on the person Republican leaders, including many of their most vulnerable incumbents like Sen. Marco Rubio, believe is fit to be president, control the nuclear launch codes, and represent America on the world stage. To be sure, Trump said all of these things long before his repugnant comments on Friday: DNC statement
War on women? Hillary Clinton is running for president as an “advocate of women and girls,” but the hypocritical way she treats women in her personal quest for power could only be described as waging a war on women. If Hillary intends to build her campaign around an appeal to women, her campaign is built on quicksand. Hillary is a life-time abuser of women and her advocacy on women issues rings hollow. Roger Stone
8 • Oct. 12, 2016
Faith & Religion
The LEGACY
Nat Turner: A rebel and a man of faith ADELLE BANKS RNS - The story of Nat Turner, the slave and preacher who led a failed 1831 rebellion, is surrounded by mystery and speculation as to his motives and the role that faith played in the uprising. Nate Parker, the controversial director, star and writer of “The Birth of a Nation,” a movie about Turner released Oct. 7, noted that his version is “based on a true story” rather than a historic retelling. “The Confessions of Nat Turner,” the pamphlet that circulated widely after his execution, is both questioned for its accuracy and used
as a way to understand the motives of the man who rebelled against slavery. William Styron’s 1967 novel by the same name won a Pulitzer Prize but was harshly criticized by black writers. Right: “Horrid Massacre in Virginia” during Nat Turner’s Rebellion, 1831 What is known is that Turner led a rebellion in Southampton County, Va., on Aug. 21, 1831, with dozens of slaves joining him in killing at least 55 whites over a two-day period. In the aftermath, an estimated 200 blacks, some free and some enslaved, were executed.
Here are six other aspects of Turner’s life and legacy that have been discussed by scholars: 1. He learned to read and write at an early age. In his confessions to a Virginia lawyer who interviewed Turner before his execution, the rebellion leader was quoted about his ability: “I acquired it with the most perfect ease, so much so, that I have no recollection whatever of learning the alphabet.” “By and large, it was very rare for enslaved people to be able to read,” said James Dator, an assistant professor of history at Goucher College in Maryland. He said Turner’s account of his reading ability appears to describe it “as something that just kind of happened to him, that was divined by God.”
2. He thought the world as he knew it was about to end. “He believed that Jesus is coming back, like right away,” said Karl Lampley, author of “A Theological Account of Nat Turner: Christianity, Violence and Theology.” “So he believed that he needed to fight on Christ’s side for this new age. And so he sort of believed in a new age of freedom for black slaves.” Lampley differed with Thomas Gray, the white interviewer/author of “The Confessions of Nat Turner,” who declared the rebel could be a “complete fanatic.” The Santa Clara University lecturer instead views Turner as a man motivated by
apocalyptic theology. “There’s a sense in which the revolt is inevitable,” Lampley said. “You have to kill your master. They’re not going to change their mind.” In the confessions to the lawyer, Turner spoke of having visions of “white spirits and black spirits engaged in battle” and seeing a solar eclipse as the sign that “I should arise and prepare myself, and slay my enemies with their own weapons.” Lampley said Turner integrated his visions with his belief in the Trinity. “Regardless of how strange his visions might have been, he did have some sense of belief in God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit,” he said. “He did have some sense in which they told him to revolt.” 3. He baptized a white man. In “The Confessions,” Turner is quoted recounting his baptism of a white man named Etheldred T. Brantley: “(W)hen the white people would not let us be baptised by the church, we went down into the water together, in the sight of many who reviled us, and were baptised by the Spirit — After this I rejoiced greatly, and gave thanks to God.” Lampley considers this cross-racial baptism to be a sign of the sincerity of Turner’s faith. “He actually baptizes this guy and there’s no animosity,” he said. “It’s simply an exchange, a religious exchange.”
(continued on page 9)
www.LEGACYnewspaper.com
Oct. 12, 2016 • 9
(from page 8) 4. He is linked to black spirituals. Turner has been connected to the spiritual “Steal Away” and has been credited as its composer, said Eileen Guenther, author of “In Their Own Words: Slave Life and the Power of Spirituals.” No other single individual has been given credit for composing a spiritual, she said. “Steal Away” includes the repeated phrase “I ain’t got long to stay here,” which Guenther said reflects the tradition of spirituals to have one meaning to slaveholders and another to slaves. “That’s a perfect code song because it can mean one thing to the white listeners, who would therefore not be alarmed because they thought it was religious — go to heaven and meet Jesus,” she said. “And mean something entirely different to the people who knew why they were singing it.” 5. His Bible was preserved. Turner’s well-worn, coverless spiritual guide is
his deep faith that allowed him to do what he did,” said Rex Ellis, the museum’s associate director for curatorial affairs. The exhibit also contains a brick from the Whitehead plantation where Turner killed Margaret Whitehead during his rebellion.
Wood engraving illustrating Benjamin Phipps’ capture of Nat Turner (1800-1831) on Oct. 30, 1831. on display in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. “It was
6. His rebellion led to strictures against black Christianity. Lampley said laws were enacted in Virginia after the rebellion that prevented blacks from gathering or having their own preachers. “There had to be whites present at any time there was any kind of gathering,” he said. Dator, a scholar of slavery and slave resistance, said those kinds of strictures occurred throughout the South after Turner’s actions. “After his revolt, it’s not surprising that the white planter class really cracks down on any sort of autonomous black Christianity,” he said, “and sort of drives any semblance of black preachers in the South underground or under the firm control of white masters.”
10 • Oct. 12, 2016
The LEGACY
Black Lives Matter co-founder, Grisham talks equality efforts in Va. LAUREN BERG Alicia Garza, co-founder of Black Lives Matter, speaks during “Rooting Out Injustice: Poverty, Race and the Role of Legal Aid” in Charlottesville, last week. With nearly every seat filled in the Paramount Theater, “Rooting Out Injustice: Poverty, Race and the Role of Legal Aid” brought a diverse cast of speakers, including the co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, to talk about the hardships faced by black Americans and the need for equality. Best-selling author and Albemarle County resident John Grisham emceed the talk and spoke about his experiences as a young lawyer, just starting out, and representing people who couldn’t always pay, including people of color and immigrants. Praising Central Virginia Legal Aid, Grisham said the organization helps people who often cannot help themselves. “I always had trouble saying no to people, but when I had to, legal aid was there,” Grisham said. “Legal aid is there for the little people — for those without a voice.” Douglas told the audience about efforts after the Civil War to make sure black citizens had equal access to public education and that the rules of law and evidence apply to all people alike. Unfortunately, she said, the country is still not seeing the equality those early activists hoped for, but today’s social movements are trying to change that. “Black Lives Matter is taking up the mantle of their forbearers,” Douglas said. Alicia Garza, co-founder of Black Lives Matter, also spoke and started by clearing the air about what the movement actually wants and its origins. “This did not happen by somebody waking up one day and thinking, ‘Let’s just add water and start a social movement,’” Garza said. “It’s about the violence against black bodies in America.”
Speaking about the current turmoil of social change, Andrea Douglas, executive director of the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, took the audience through the past and current disenfranchisement of African-Americans in parts of Virginia. Garza said Black Lives Matter really started after the shooting death of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin in Florida. For Garza, that incident felt personal and sparked outrage. “I have a brother. He’s 27 years old, he’s tall, he’s brilliant and he has a huge afro, but he still lives, works and loves in a place that is not unlike Sanford, Florida,” Garza said. “He is still seen as a target and criminalized, even though he has never hurt a fly.” “And yet, the stories about people like the Martin family are not isolated incidents,” she said. “They are the result of culture and a set of laws that allows for some lives to be valued and others not to be valued.” Garza also spoke about eliminating the concept of white supremacy and how systemic racism affects the lives of people of color in everything from the legal system to the education system. “Dismantling white supremacy
is not an attack on white people,” Garza said. “In fact, it’s a benefit. It’s a burden and it’s a disadvantage. It’s a skewed look at how the world functions. We are not fighting for black supremacy; we are fighting for the right of all of us to live with dignity.” “We have to be courageous enough to face what whiteness means and what the impact is on our everyday lives,” she said. “For white people who want to help, the first and best thing you can do is to face what whiteness means. We cannot win justice on our own — we cannot continue to be the inspiration for justice without the full participation of everyone in our society.” Acknowledging the vice presidential debate happening down the road in Farmville, Garza also told the audience to make a difference with their vote. To cast a vote, she said, means to have a say in things. “You have a choice,” Garza said. “You can vote for fear, anger and
anxiety or you can vote for hope. You can vote for a different kind of vision where all people get the dignity they deserve. That is a power you have in your hand.” “It’s important that you make a clear statement that hate is not in the interest of this country.” Closing out her talk about Black Lives Matter and the need for change, Garza reiterated the point of the movement. “Black Lives Matter aims to end state-sanctioned violence once and for all,” Garza said. “We are fighting for the sanctity and dignity of all of us, and not just for black men. We are fighting for black women, black queer people, black trans people, immigrants and the disabled community. Those people need to be at the forefront of any social movement — many of them are not the ‘perfect victims.’” “This movement is not about making people feel comfortable.” © DP
www.LEGACYnewspaper.com
Oct. 12, 2016 • 11
UVa study finds 10 percent of Va. schoolchildren are chronically absent MORIAH BALINGIT WASHINGTON — A University of Virginia study found that about one in 10 Virginia schoolchildren missed 18 or more days of school in the 2014-15 school year, offering the first statewide look at a problem that research has shown can derail a child’s education. The study’s report aims to shine a light on the issue of chronic absenteeism across Virginia. Luke C. Miller, a research assistant professor who co-wrote the report, said he hopes it inspires more research into why students miss class and how to address it. Educators have long focused on attendance issues, aware that students who miss class can quickly fall behind and have a difficult time catching up. Schools were previously more focused on overall attendance rates, which can mask the fact that some students are consistently missing class. There has been a renewed focus on addressing chronic absenteeism since the U.S. Education Department recently began tracking the number of students who miss three or more weeks of school. The first figures, released in June, offered a sobering assessment: 6.5 million schoolchildren missed 15 or more days of school during the 201314 school year. The new federal education law also encourages states to track chronic absenteeism in their schools. While the UVa report did not examine race or poverty rates among chronically absent students, national data has found that chronic absenteeism is more acute among African-American, Native-American, Pacific-Islander and Latino students, as well as students with learning disabilities. National studies have found poor, urban districts tend to have high rates of chronic
Luke C. Miller absenteeism, with as much as half of all students considered chronically absent. Research has linked chronic absenteeism to a bevy of negative outcomes, showing what many would intuit: Students who miss lots of class are more likely to drop out or be held back. “The importance of daily school attendance to students’ success is borne out by the research,” the authors of the report wrote. “Being absent from school predicts lower test scores, increased likelihood of being retained in grade and increased risky behaviors.” The UVa researchers found that chronically absent students had lower pass rates on state exams than peers who showed up at school more consistently. Miller said that finding was expected. But he was surprised to find that the effects of chronic absenteeism appeared to linger: Students who were chronically absent one year but attended school more consistently the next still had lower pass rates than peers who were never chronically absent. “You see the kids that were chronically absent in prior years underperform students who weren’t,”
Miller said. Miller said Virginia, where about 10 percent of students missed 18 or more days of school during the 201415 academic year, has a rate in line with the national average. About 13 percent of U.S. students missed 15 or more days of school during the 2013-14 school year. But the rates of absenteeism in Virginia vary widely from district to district and among grade levels. The report found one in six highschoolers were chronically absent during the 2014-15 school year. It also zeroed in on three school districts in Virginia — Petersburg, Richmond and Norfolk — that have far more absences than the state average. But the state saw a decline of about 2 percentage points in the number of
students who were chronically absent between 2004 and 2015. Miller said he hopes his report serves as a starting point for discussions about chronic absenteeism for policymakers and educators formulating strategies to address the issue. He said the research has found that low-cost initiatives — such as educating parents on the compounding effects of missing school — have shown to be effective. “We’re hoping to continue to work with the Virginia Department of Education to continue to develop our understanding in Virginia and to share with other divisions and schools successful strategies that we believe have yielded positive results,” Miller said. © DP
Jack Berry supports
small, women-owned, and minority-owned businesses in Richmond.
jackberryformayor.com
Paid for by Jack Berry For Mayor
Jack strongly believes in opening doors to minority businesses, giving us a chance to grow and has demonstrated this belief by offering minority companies opportunities to do business with Venture Richmond. He has committed many years on the board of the Metropolitan Business League, and was the first non-minority director. I believe, because of Jack’s comprehensive fiscal practices and background, he will build a successful and sustainable organization which makes him best qualified to be the mayor of Richmond.
L to r: Andrea Lyons, All About Presentations, Jack Berry for Mayor, Sharon D. Woolridge, Interim President the MBL
Sharon Dabney-Wooldridge, Interim President of the MBL
On Tuesday, November 8th, Elect Democrat John F “Jack” Berry For Mayor 804-938-5218 jackberryformayor.com
TEXT jackberry to 63974
Paid for by John F “Jack” Berry for Mayor
12 • Oct. 12, 2016
The LEGACY
Va. man’s Note 7 catches fire, recalls begin versions are no safer from fire risk than the originals. Samsung (SSNLF) recalled about 2.5 million of the devices worldwide last month, blaming faulty batteries for overheating the phones and causing them to ignite. Replacement phones were supposed to solve the issue, and users started trading in their old devices. TuanAnh Nguyen, a research analyst at Canalys, said the production halt would cost Samsung billions of dollars in lost sales over the next six to nine months. It should now abandon the product entirely, he said. “Samsung needs to quickly put an
FROM WIRE REPORTS A replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 caught fire on Oct. 9, the fourth known case in the United States in less than a week. Shawn Minter said his Note 7 smartphone caught fire on his nightstand at 5AM. That phone was a replacement he received after returning his recalled Note 7 at a store in Richmond, on Sept. 23. “My Galaxy Note 7 replacement phone just burst into flames while on the night stand,” Minter said in an email to The Verge. “It filled my bedroom with a smoke. The same as the Kentucky man. I woke up in complete panic.” His story, and the pictures, are similar to the others seen recently, including one that caught fire in Kentucky, one that caught fire on a Southwest Airlines flight, and a third that caught fire in the hands of a 13year old girl. Samsung has been aware that replacement phones were catching
fire at least since early this week, when one sent a Kentucky man to the hospital, yet it has not yet issued a recall of the replacement phones nor even said that customers should stop using them. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has said it is “moving expeditiously” to investigate the fires.
HAMPTON SHERIFF’S OFFICE (757) 926-2540
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES Full-Time Sheriff’s Deputies – Starting Salary: $36,095 Part-Time Courts Security Deputies: $18/Hr. (Must be DCJS Law Enforcement or Corrections Certified) Full-Time Control Center Operators Full-Time AND Part-Time RNs & LPNs Part-Time Dentist Part-Time Dental Assistant Part-Time Warehouse Clerk Part-Time CDL Bus Driver
Meanwhile, Samsung is putting the brakes on the beleaguered Galaxy Join us at one of our REQUIRED Applicant Orientation Sessions: Note 7. CITY HALL – HAMPTON “We are temporarily adjusting the 22 Lincoln St, 8th Floor (Council Chambers), Hampton, VA 23669 Galaxy Note7 production schedule in TUESDAYS – 1:30 p.m. THURSDAYS – 3:30 p.m. order to take further steps to ensure October 11, 2016 October 13, 2016 quality and safety matters,” said a *** October 18, 2016 --company spokesperson. October 25, 2015 October 27, 2016 Production of the phone has been *** Location: Ruppert Sargent Building temporarily suspended. 1 Franklin St, 1st Floor, Hampton, VA 23669 The development is the latest in a Please Plan To Arrive 15 Minutes Early! string of embarrassing setbacks for Do Not Bring Cell Phones, Weapons, Contraband Or Children To This Meeting! Samsung over the Note 7, one of its Equal Opportunity/V3 Certified Employer _______________________________________________________________________________________ flagship smartphones. It comes after cell phone carriers in the United RECRUITMENT EVENT States and Australia said they would Saturday, October 22, 2016 – 9:00 a.m. stop offering replacement Note 7s For more details, visit our website: http://sheriff.sbo.hampton.k12.va.us/ following concerns that the new
end to the Note 7 line so as not to get deeper into trouble with recalls and faulty devices which will tarnish its brand,” Nguyen said. Some phone carriers have already taken unilateral action. “Based on recent reports, we’re no longer exchanging new Note 7s at this time, pending further investigation of these reported incidents,” said an AT&T representative. T-Mobile said it would suspend sales of all Note 7s, including replacement models. Customers can exchange their Note 7s with any device T-Mobile carries.
www.LEGACYnewspaper.com
Oct. 12, 2016 • 13
Virginia Gov :State responding to flooded areas Gov. Terry McAuliffe said Sunday afternoon that Virginia is responding to flooding that occurred overnight due to heavy rains and winds from Hurricane Matthew. The Virginia Emergency Operations Center remains staffed as state, federal, and local agencies respond support local government needs. Six localities are affected – Hampton, Norfolk, Newport News, Virginia Beach, Middlesex County, and Portsmouth. The localities have declared emergencies and shelters are currently open in Portsmouth, Norfolk, and Hampton. If you need help, information or resources, call 211. Those with hearing impairments can call 711 to connect to the Virginia Relay.
Child trafficking at a glance Join Bon Secours Family Focus and the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Oct. 12, from 6 p.m. for a discussion about child trafficking. The free event is at Bon Secours Mary Immaculate Hospital Health Resource Center, 2 Bernardine Drive, in Newport News. Join the conversation and learn: •What is child trafficking? •Signs, symptoms and effects of child trafficking; •The four types of trafficking; •What puts children at risk for trafficking; •How to keep children safe from child trafficking; •Mentalities of a typical victim; •Psychology of a typical predator; •How social media makes juveniles vulnerable; and •What parents can do to help prevent the commercial exploitation of children. According to United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), trafficking is not a crime that happens just in other countries. The National Human Trafficking Resource Center indicates that human trafficking is a form of modern slavery that occurs in every state, including Virginia. Human trafficking affects every community in the United States across age, gender, ethnicity, and socio-economic backgrounds. To register, call 757-886-6511.
14 • Oct. 12, 2016
The LEGACY
What’s missing from the BLM movement? LIZ ADETIBA & JORDIE DAVIES The Oakland-based organizer and activist Alicia Garza (pictured), who is also the originator of the Black Lives Matter rallying cry and one of the founders of the Black Lives Matter Network, thinks blacks have a lot to talk about outside of police violence. In this interview, Garza discussed Black Youth Project (BYP) what she believed is missing from the movement, how it is portrayed in the media, and the various points of entry for activism–from politics to protest. BYP: What is the role of black feminism in the Black Lives Matter movement? The Black Lives Matter website highlights the role of black women, including yourself, in creating BLM, and so I would like to know how this informs BLM as a network? Garza: To me, the role of black feminism in the BLM Network…it’s one of our central principles. I wrote a piece in the feminist wire 2014, that was called “A Herstory of Black Lives Matter.” The original title was “Erasing the Black from Black Lives Matter.” What we were finding is that when Black Lives Matter was catching some kind of currency, people were substituting “black” for all kinds of stuff. What does it mean when you take “black” out, and insert something else? Is that a replication of colonialism? I think the thing that was really poignant to us was that this was our baby. It was fascinating to see how men, in particular, would shift the conversation. I think it was an opportunity for us, to clarify what the politics were behind that statement. What we talked about and rooted it in was that, as black women in this movement, our experiences have been varied. While we’re fighting for liberation, the role of black women, cis and trans, certainly was not valued. Patrisse [Cullors] and I have lots of stories about being in meetings, in a room full of men, even if there is other women in the room, the voices of women were not centralized, they weren’t even considered. This is historical. All of the great movements that we lift up, we lift up men. Even when people in the mainstream media talk about Black Lives Matter, they talk about it as trying to solve problem of the police killings of black men, and we never said that. So for me, I think the role
of black feminism in this network, and in Black Lives Matter as we conceptualized it, was about what I would call holistic liberation. We’re not here just fighting for Black men. We acknowledge for us to get free as black people, we can’t leave anybody behind and that has to be the innovation in terms of this generation’s movement. We have to learn from movements prior to us that, quite frankly, could not be sustained because of the question of the disenfranchisement of women, because of the question of patriarchy. So the role here is very much about complicating about how we understand liberation. BYP: How do you feel when the movement is painted as primarily organizing around black males? Garza: That’s bull! So, part of what I feel like we need to get better at is getting very precise about the ways state sanctioned violence impacts black communities. Black men, cis and trans, and black women, cis and trans, can have different experiences tied to the same thing under the same system. So black men are disproportionately killed by police. That’s true. But black men are not the only ones who experience state violence, it just means that that’s the specific manifestation about how state violence impacts black men. Black women are less likely to be killed by police, but more likely to be sexually assaulted or experience sexual violence at the hands of police,
as we saw in the case of Daniel Holtzclaw. And black women are differently criminalized than Black men. For black women, who are one of the fastest growing populations in prisons and jails, there’s specific angles: one angle is that black women are disproportionately survivors of intimate partner violence and domestic violence. Black women are more likely to heads of households because of the way the criminal justice system disappears people from our families and communities. When we look at the criminalization [of black women], it’s also often around economics. I think part of what we have to look at here, is that it is not a competition between black women and black men; it’s actually about how do we take care of each other? How do we lift each other up and fight on each other’s behaves as if it was our own lives? BYP: What do you think is missing from the current national and international conversation surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement? Garza: I think the thing that I’m sitting with a lot lately is that is is not just about police violence. It is about reshaping the economy, very much about reshaping our school system, our places of worship, a complete transformation about the way we do things. So I think that’s the missing piece. And I think inside of our movement there are still a lot of growing
edges. There’s a growing edge around disabilities. I don’t think we are as skilled at making sure that our family with various types of disabilities are central to the movement. The other piece that’s missing is a really fundamental understanding about what we’re up against. When I sit with elders, one thing they say is that they really underestimated the power of the state, and we didn’t actually understand the state as well as we thought we did. I think that is something that is still true for us, and it is something that will make or break this movement. I think our practice with how we deal with conflict could be much better. I think our focus on care and caring for each other has to go beyond the way we talk about it–it’s very individual. It’s always like “take a day off.” It always involves capitalism. Those individual responses don’t do anything to interrupt the logic of capitalism. It’s very much like survival of the fittest. What we need to do to interrupt the logic of capitalism is invest in collective care, as much as self care. And do a little bit of a deeper dive around healing trauma. There’s lots of conversations about, you know, people being triggered, and everything is violent and I think that that’s dangerous. I think that that’s dangerous because we’re not as depthful as we could be around what it takes to address harm, and what we do to address trauma, and how we do that in a way where we don’t throw each other away but we build each other up. BYP: Do you think the movement has been reduced to rallying around police brutality, instead of the many other ways blacks in this country may be systematically oppressed? If so, why do you think that is? Garza: I think it has a lot to do with the way that some mainstream media outlets report on what this movement is. What happens a lot is that black men only get associated with criminal justice, or criminalization. For example, in the presidential debates, they think they’re talking about race when they talk about criminal justice, but yo, there’s so many things to be talking about as it relates to black folks. You could be talking about access to health care, you could be talking about health disparities, like what’s
(continued on page 17)
Oct. 12, 2016 • 15
www.LEGACYnewspaper.com
INTRODUCING THE NEW
FLEX PACK
Create Your Own TV Package
Call 1-800-881-9478 Offer for new and qualified customers only. Important Terms and Conditions: Promotional Offers: Advertised price requires credit qualification and eAutoPay. Upfront activation and/or receiver upgrade fees may apply based on credit qualification. After 12-month promotional period, then-current monthly price applies and is subject to change. Offer ends 11/3/16. 2-Year Commitment: Early termination fee of $20/mo. remaining applies if you cancel early. Hopper: Monthly fees: Hopper, $15; Joey, $7; Super Joey, $10. With PrimeTime Anytime record ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC plus two channels. With addition of Super Joey record two additional channels. Commercial skip feature is available at varying times, starting the day after airing, for select primetime shows on ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC recorded with PrimeTime Anytime. Recording hours vary; 2000 hours based on SD programming. Equipment comparison based on equipment available from major TV providers as of 1/01/16. Watching live and recorded TV anywhere requires an Internet-connected, Sling-enabled DVR and compatible mobile device. Premium Channels: Subject to credit qualification. After 3 mos., you will be billed $60/mo. for HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, Starz and DISH Movie Pack unless you call to cancel. Installation/Equipment Requirements: Free Standard Professional Installation only. Leased equipment must be returned to DISH upon cancellation or unreturned equipment fees apply. Other: All prices, fees, charges, packages, programming, features, functionality and offers subject to change without notice. After 6 mos., you will be billed $8/mo. for Protection Plan unless you call to cancel. Taxes or reimbursement charges for state gross earnings taxes may apply. Additional restrictions and taxes may apply. All new customers are subject to a one-time processing fee.
16 • Oct. 12, 2016
Calendar
10.14, 2 p.m.
The Library of Virginia will host Lee Smith at their Lecture Hall, 800 East Broad St., Richmond. Smith is the 2010 Library of Virginia Literary Lifetime Achievement recipient, in a talk about “Dimestore”, her intimate memoir detailing the South she knew as she grew up, a place that in many ways has vanished. Smith‘s home was in Grundy, a small coal town in Appalachia, where her father ran the local dime store. Although her parents raised her for life beyond the confines of Grundy, Smith’s love of the people, the culture, and the stories of her birthplace remain. The 15 essays in “Dimestore” are in some ways an ode to the people and life of a small town, but one peppered with the realities of her family’s struggle with mental illness and with an honesty and poignancy for the place that made her. There is limited, free underground parking should you attend.
The LEGACY
COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES & EVENTS
10.18, 6:30 p.m. ChamberRVA’s Richmond Business Council will host the second of three forums for Richmond City Council candidates. The forums are tackling the candidates’ views on key issues important to the business community, young professionals and the voter districts. All forums are held in the ChamberRVA offices at 919 East Main Street, Suite 1700, Richmond, and are free and open to the public. Public parking is available in the SunTrust Building and in nearby parking decks, garages and on the street. All applicable candidates listed by the Virginia Department of Elections were invited to participate in the forums. Audience members will have the opportunity to submit questions for the moderator to ask the candidates. For questions, contact Mark Hickman 804-783-9316 or John Easter 804-783-9321.
10.25, 5:30 p.m.
Join the Library of Virginiaduring its “Books on Broad” series as Margot Lee Shetterly discusses “Hidden Figures”, which tells the story of the pioneering African American women at NASA who did the calculations that made space flight a reality at a time when Jim Crow laws ensured that NASA was segregated. Called human computers, these brilliant mathematicians completed incredibly challenging calculations by hand. Shetterly, who grew up in Hampton, is an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellow and received a Virginia Foundation for the Humanities grant for research into the history of women in computing. The event will be held at 800 E. Broad St., Richmond, and begins with a reception with wine and cheese at 5:30–6 p.m., followed by a book talk 6 –7 p.m., and book signing from 7 – 7:30 p.m. For more information, call 804-692-3592.
10.26, 6:45 p.m. Join the Virginia Historical Society (VHS) for a special Community Idea Stations and VHS members-only preview screening of “The First Official Thanksgiving”. Produced by WCVE, “The First Official Thanksgiving” recounts, for the first time in documentary film, the story of Thanksgiving in 1619, at what is today Berkeley Plantation in Charles City County. Watch this groundbreaking film before its national distribution with the people who made it possible. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. The film begins at 7 p.m. This event is free for Community Idea Stations and VHS members. Seating is limited and reservations are required. Reserve online and bring your VHS membership card to the event. VHS is located at 428 North Boulevard, Richmond. For more information, call 804-358-4901.
Oct. 12, 2016 • 17
www.LEGACYnewspaper.com
(from page 14) but not the only way. happening in Flint, Michigan with water poisoning. You could be talking about the deficits in our education system, where black students by and large are not being educated but they’re being put in jails and prisons and detention facilities. We could go on and on. I think that responsibility really rests in the way some actors in the mainstream media really limit the frame about what black people care about is police and the “justice” system. Some of it is nefarious and some of it is just the way that our news works. But most people can walk and chew gum at the same time. Most people understand that the things that they’re concerned about aren’t able to be limited to one issue. Movements get boiled down to soundbites, and that impacts how people get involved, how they see the movement, and whether or not they see themselves within it. BYP: What was your attraction to Bernie Sanders in the primary? According to results from the GenForward Survey, majorities of young Americans across races (18-35) supported Sanders in the primaries and wanted him to be the democratic nominee for president. What do you think this says about the future of American politics? Garza: I think that there isn’t cohesion yet around moving an electoral strategy that creates space for black people to build political power, and I think, in as much as we do have those conversations, it really does center around people’s disgust and dissatisfaction with the various systems that keep our people disenfranchised. And I get that. At the same time, I think it’s really important to make sure that we are organizing on multiple fronts. We shouldn’t leave any front untouched, in my opinion. For me, I think that people confuse voting in the elections with supporting the system. And from an organizing standpoint, we need to deal with what we want, but we also need to deal with what is. Both of those things need to happen at the same time. And I think we mostly deal with what we want, rather than dealing with what is. The reality is that I don’t love elections at all. I don’t buy into the narratives that our ancestors died so we can vote. That’s not true. Our ancestors put their lives on the line to make sure that we could determine our own destiny, and voting was one way that happened—
It’s interesting because there were lots of critiques out there about people supporting candidates from the Democratic Party or the Republican Party, and I understand that. I have been part of that club at many times in my life, but as for where I’m at right now, we need to pick the terrain that we fight on. I believe that we should think about how to build alternatives, thinking and practicing about how to democratize this bourgeois democracy. And I think what it would require for this to be viable is masses of people getting organized to build another party, and then that party actually doing the groundwork to build a base…and that’s not really what’s happening. Garza: This election season is rough, because both candidates are actually really concerning, but they’re not the same. They are absolutely not the same. I don’t support candidates on the presidential level, but I’m supporting a terrain that I want to fight on. So if Hillary Clinton gets elected, then I know what that terrain is and I’m going to fight like hell to make sure that she is accountable for all of the atrocities that she’s been involved in. And if Donald Trump is president, that’s another kind of terrain. I’ve heard people say, ‘we already know that terrain, we’ve suffered so bad in our communities’….I get that. And it’s not to say that it’s going to be worse, it’s to say that it’s going to be different, and a less favorable terrain to fight and win on.
from the system of policing that they do not value black lives. So in essence, it feels like they’re just telling on themselves. Every time I see shit like that, I think ‘wow, you’re just showing your ass.’ From a strategy perspective, if I were them, I would be talking about how much we do care about black lives. I would be talking about how black people are also police officers. That’s what I would be doing…but they’re not doing that. So number one, their strategist needs to be fired, and number two, it just becomes clearer and clearer to the general public that the system of policing refuses to acknowledge what they do, and refuses to take responsibility for what they do. And I think that is one core reason as to why we’re seeing so much support for this movement because of the way police are engaging and interacting in the conversation, and because of the way they continue to act with impunity. I mean how many more videos can we see of people with disabilities getting shot and killed? I just read an article today about a white man in Arizona who begged for his life before he was shot and killed by a police officer. He was doing absolutely nothing. So I think that those kind of measures are reactions to the power that the movement is building, and the power that this movement is demonstrating. And so the stronger we get, the harder they tried to come back. So I think we should also look at it as a litmus test for how successful we actually have been.
BYP: Blue Lives Matter has recently become a new rallying cry in response to BLM. With the recent deaths of police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, some states have even written legislation in response to make attacking police officers a hate crime. What are your thoughts about this type of legislation? Garza: One, it’s completely ridiculous. I’m not going to say I don’t understand where it’s coming from–I do. And that makes it even sillier. At the end of the day, police are completely protected and sanctioned to commit all types of acts of violence, and they’re not held accountable in any way, shape or form. I don’t think we need more laws to protect the police. What I do think is that it demonstrates the irony of policing in and of itself. Every time there is this move to come and say that Blue Lives Matter or create these dynamics where police somehow get lifted up and venerated, it’s a direct statement
BYP: What do you say to critics within the Black community and within organizing circles who don’t believe the movement is pushing far enough? Garza: A lot this, I think, rests with an ahistorical narrative of the last period of civil rights. I think the way in which we are talked to about the accomplishments of what is known as the civil rights movement is talked about as if it happened overnight. ‘People marched, people boycotted and then we got free,’ right? It’s really disastrous. Most people, when they think of the Civil Rights Movement, think of it as the period between 1954 and 1968. But the reality is that it ebbed and flowed for 40 years. And we are in our third year, so just compare those things. Yes, it is true that a cohesive movement needs to develop a strategy to build power and contend for power, and three years does not make that strategy, nor does three years make for enough time to build the power that we need to actually
change some shit. So my response to that is this: this is a marathon and not a sprint. So that’s one piece. The other piece that I do think is… in my opinion, I think that what people want to see is black people not being murdered without consequences. The prevalence of social media that brings everything to your phone and your computer within seconds does create a level of anxiety about how quickly things are changing. So my response to those people would be ‘yes, and…’ Yes, and in three short years, this movement, this explosion in black organizing and black activism and black resistance has transformed the landscape of this country, and that is something we should celebrate. And the other piece that I would respond with is to say that if you want to see things change, you have to be a part of that change. We don’t need anymore arm chair quarterbacks. What we need is all of those people who are reading on their phones and computers and waxing poetic about what people need to be doing, to actually be doing it. With that being said, I’ve seen lots of instances where individuals will kind of run with something that requires a mass base. And that’s not what I’m talking about. It doesn’t mean that you sit in your kitchen and dream up a new policy and try to go at it on your own. It means that you have to do the hard work that many of these organizations are trying to do, which is organizing and bringing people together at scale, more than your five friends, to craft solutions to the problems that we face, and then to build strategies for how to get to those solutions. That is what Charles Payne calls ‘slow and steady work.’ The similarities between the last period of civil rights and today, is that that work is still necessary. Twitter is not going to change the world. It has revolutionized how we communicate and how we give and share information, but that’s just one piece. The other piece is actual, legit organizing. We’ve got a lot of work to do to figure out how we use these incredible communications tools to mobilize people in a real way. You know, we can get thousands of people to comment on Mary J. Blige and her video, but we still are not able to translate that into political power.
18 • Oct. 12, 2016
Classifieds
The LEGACY
LEGAL, EMPLOYMENT, ANNOUNCEMENTS, FOR SALE, SERVICES
Serving Richmond & Hampton Roads Drivers CDL-A 409 E. Main St. #4 (mailing) • 105 1/2 E. Clay St. (office) Regional 46-49 cpm! Richmond, VA 23219 804-644-1550 (office) • 800-783-8062 (fax) Home Weekly-Some Weekdays!
156-107 HAMPTON SOLICITATION
ads@legacynewspaper.com
The Director of Finance or his designated representative will accept written responses in the Procurement Office 1 Franklin Street, 3rd floor, suite 345 Hampton, VA on behalf of the Entity (ies) listed below until the date(s) and local time(s) specified. HAMPTON CITY Thursday, November 10, 2016 2:00 p.m. EST RFP#17-31/EA Architectural and Structural Engineering Services Mandatory Pre-Proposal Conference on October 18, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. in the Public Works Conference Room at 22 Lincoln Street, Hampton, VA 23669, 4th floor. Thursday, November 10, 2016 3:00 p.m. EST RFP#17-34/EA Environmental Consulting Services
Ad Size: 11.3 inches (2 columns X 5.65 inches)
EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY NOTICE We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia's Rate: $11 per column inch policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the commonwealth. Includes Internet placement We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers Please review the proof, make any needed changes and return by faxtoorobtaining e-mail. housing because of race, color, religion, If your response is not received by deadline, your ad may not benational inserted. origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap. 1 Issue (Oct. 12) - $124.30
REMINDER: Deadline is Fridays @ 5 p.m.
For more information or to file a housing complaint, call the Virginia Housing Office at (804) 367-8530; toll-free call (888) 551-3247. For the hearing-impaired, call (804) 367-9753 or send an e-mail fairhousing@dpor.virginia.gov.
For additional information, see our web page at http://www.hampton.gov/bids-contracts
r
tp
rne
nte
O
Hig
Get the Ultimate Bundle from AT&T!
BUUR NASK N ATIOABOU DL N T IN WIDE G!
tp rne nte
L- E TA ON . YS PH rket CR AR a LE by m T C AS T ies RF NE var PE ER er SU INT ovid
dI
pee h-S
V CT RE DI
r
1-800-273-8255
L- E TA ON . YS PH rket CR AR a LE by m T C AS T ies RF NE var PE ER der SU INT ovi
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
dI
Are you in a suicide crisis?
pee
The Library of Virginia is seeking a Records & Information Management Analyst. Reporting to the Records Management Coordinator, the Analyst will provide direct services to designated records officers in state and local governmental offices. This is a fulltime position with benefits including health coverage. For full information, and to apply, please visit https://virginiajobs. peopleadmin.com and search for position #00123. An EEO/AA/ADA Employer.
BUUR NASK N ATIOABOU DL N T IN WIDE G!
h-S
Karl Daughtrey, Director of Finance
Ready to visit several Ad Size: 2.50 inchesa (1 column(s) X 1.25 inches) destinations for steal? 1 Issue (Oct. 12) - $27.50
O
Hig
Minority-Owned, Woman-Owned and Veteran Businesses are encouraged to participate.
Get the Ultimate Bundle from AT&T!
Serving Richmond & Hampton Roads 409 E. Main St. #4 (mailing) • 105 1/2 E. Clay Get St.the(office) Ultimate Bundle from AT&T! Richmond, VA 23219 804-644-1550 (office) • 800-783-8062 (fax) ads@legacynewspaper.com
V CT RE DI
A withdrawal of bid due to error shall be in accordance with Section 2.2-4330 of the Code of Virginia. All forms relating to these solicitations may be obtained from the above listed address or for further information call; (757) 727-2200. The right is reserved to reject any and all responses, to make awards in whole or in part, and to waive any informality in submittals.
Excellent Benefits Flatbed Exp. Nice Sign-on-Bonus. Training Available 855-842-8420 x160
Rate: $11 per column inch
Internet placement Book yourIncludes next Please review the proof, make any needed changes and return by fax or e-mail. cruise vacation If your response is not received by deadline, your ad may not be inserted. on Carnival 3 great services for the same bundle price Ok X_________________________________________ month for 2 years - Guaranteed! Cruise Lines. NEW! every Everything you need for your whole home ! W from one provider. OkContant with changes X _____________________________ a NENNWEE!W! The ultimate e Everything you need TV for yo $ $ W! 99 00 The ultimate TV e knowledgable from one With DIRECTV, you’ll getprovi 99% w NE REMINDER: Deadline is Fridays @ 5 p.m. 00 $ With DIRECTV, you’ll get 99%tow reliability and access to the The ultimate experience: MO. TV entertainment travel agent. 00$ reliability and access to the to MO.
895099
ded All Inclug! pricin
ncluded 2-Yr all-i in g ded clu ic n r -i p ll a r 2-Y deding lu ic c r In p ll A pricing!
50
8989 MO.
ed All Includg! for 24 months pricin plus taxes & fees
$
99 MO.
The ultimate TV entertainment experience:
With DIRECTV, you’ll get 99% worry-free signal reliability* and access to the top sports packages. Everything you need for your whole home Plus, you can get a free Genie® HD DVR †upgrade and HBO,® from one provider. † ® STARZ,® SHOWTIME ®, and CINEMAX for 3 months at no extra cost! The ultimate TV entertainment exper †
*Based on a Nationwide Study of representative cities. Plus taxes. The ultimate TV entertainment experience: With DIRECTV, you’ll get 99% worry-free you’ll get 99% worry-free signal Plus, you can get a free Geniesi® With DIRECTV, you’ll get 99% worry-free signal reliability* Plus taxes. High-Speed Internet: and access toyou the sports packages. † can get a free Genie® ®top ® andpackages. access to thePlus, top sports packages. reliability and access to the top sports MO. W/ 24-mo. TV agmt.* HBO,Consistently STARZ,fastSHOWTIME MO. 99.9% Internet connectionand reliability. ®speeds. for 24 months for 24 months HD DVR upgrade and HBO , DVR up Plus, you can get a free Genie Monthly fees included for Wi-Fi Gateway, HD Plus, you can get a free Genie ® ® W/ 24-mo. TV agmt.* Includes: plus taxes & fees Plus taxes. HD DVR & 3 add’l receivers. and HBO, ®STARZ, SHOWTIME taxescan & feesget a free Genie® HD DVR SHOWTIME for 3 3 months at no extra STARZ, ® , and CINEMAX ® Plus,plusyou upgrade CINEMAX months atcost! no3 Home Phone: SHOWTIME®for , and CINEMAX for STARZ, *Based on a Nationwide Study of representative cities. Includes: ® Channels. Package Over Req’s combined bill and 24-mo. TV–&®12-mo. Internet145 agmts. W/ 24-mo. TV agmt.* SELECT™ All Included Crystal-clear home phone. Study®of for 3 months at no †a Nationwide *Based on CINEMAX representative cities. and HBO, STARZ, SHOWTIME ®, and digital Based on a Nationwide Study of representative Internet incl 250GB data/mo. $10 chrg for each add’l 50GB. High-Speed Internet: ™ Req’s fees combined bill and TV && 12-mo. Internet agmts. 145 SELECT All Included Package – ®Over Channels. ‡ Monthly for HD24-mo. DVR 3 additional receivers. † CINEMAX for 3 months at no extraT.cost! 99.9%FEES Internet connection Consistently speeds. Based onreliability. a Nationwide Study offastrepresentative ALL ADD’L APPLY. Monthly included for Wi-Fi Internet incl 250GB data/mo. $10fees chrg forDIREC add’l 50GB.Gateway, High-Speed Internet: All Included Package – Over Monthly 145 Channels. fees for HD DVR 3each additional receivers. †&& HD DVR receivers.Study Based3onadd’l a Nationwide of representative cities. Home Phone: 99.9% Internet connection reliability. Cons or HD DVR & 3 additional receivers. Crystal-clear digital home phone. Monthly fees included for Wi-Fi Gateway, ALL DIRECTV OFFERS REQUIRE 24-MONTH AGMT. ADD’L FEES HD DVR & 3 add’l receivers. ALL DIREC T. ADD’L FEES APPLY. Phone: ALL DIRECTV OFFERSHome REQUIRE 24-MONTH AGMT. ADD’L FEES ALL DIRECTV OFFERS REQUIRE 24-MONTH AGMT. ADD’L FEES APPLY. Crystal-clear digital home phone.
Visit
CHTravels.com
Req’s combined bill and 24-mo. TV & 12-mo. Internet agmts.DIRECTV, With Internet incl 250GB data/mo. $10 chrg for each add’l 50GB.
®
®
®
®
®
Ask me how to Bundle and save. CALL TODAY!
me how toLLC Bundle and save. CALL TODAY! IV SUPPORTAsk HOLDINGS ALL DIREC
T. ADD’L FEES APPLY.
†
Oct. 12, 2016 • 19
DRIVERS WANTED
Excellent Wages + Monthly Bonuses up to $500+. Guaranteed Hometime. BCBS Benefits. No Touch. CDL-A 1yr exp. 855-842-8498 CDL-A, Regional 46-49 cpm! Home WeeklySome Weekdays! Excellent Benefits Flatbed Exp. Nice Sign-on-Bonus. Training Available Kasey: 855-842-8420 x160
ANNOUNCEMENTS/NOTICES SALVATION VS JELLY BEANS & DONUTS @ www.changewomen. org How to change a woman? @changewomen.org Romans, 13:1-8 AUCTIONS AUCTION - HISTORIC EAGLE HOUSE MANSION, 10,000 sq. ft., Circa 1730 SATURDAY 11/5 11:30a.m., Madison, Virginia. 7-Bedroom, 6-Bath, 13 Fireplaces Suitable for Bed & Breakfast. 1 Court Sq., Madison VA 22727 www.PrimeAuctionSolutions. com, CALL 703.889.8949.VA 2908000975 EDUCATION MEDICAL BILLING TRAINEES NEEDED! Train to become a Medical Office Assistant! NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED! Training & Job Placement available at CTI! HS Diploma/GED & Computer needed. 1-888-424-9419 AIRLINE MECHANIC TRAINING – Get FAA certification. No HS Diploma or GED – We can help. Approved for military benefits. Financial aid if qualified. Job placement assistance. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance 877-204-4130. HELP WANTED/TRUCK DRIVERS CDL TRAINING FOR LOCAL/ OTR DRIVERS! $40,000-$50,000 1ST Year! 4-wks or 10 Weekends for CDL. Veterans in Demand! Richmond/Fredericksburg 800243-1600; Lynchburg/Roanoke 800-614-6500; Front Royal/ Winchester 800-454-1400
67 Driver Trainees needed! No CDL? No Problem-We Train. Be Job ready in as little as 20 days! Earn Great pay/benefits! 1-800874-7131 INSTRUCTIONAL EDUCATION/ TRAINING TRAIN AT HOME FOR A CAREER IN HOSPITALITY! Hotels, Resorts & Cruise Industry need Staff! ONLINE TRAINING CAN GET YOU JOB READY! Externship & Job placement if qualified! 1-888424-9413 MyCTI.tv LIVESTOCK FOR SALE
PRINT & DIGITAL AD SALES EXECUTIVE
www.LEGACYnewspaper.com
The LEGACY is looking for a reliable, highly-motivated, goal-driven sales professional to join our team selling print and digital advertising in the Richmond and Hampton Roads areas. Duties include: Building and maintaining relationships with new/existing clients Meeting and exceeding monthly sales goals Cold calling new prospects over the phone to promote print and online advertising space Qualifications:
Proven experience with print (newspaper) and/or digital (website) advertising sales Phone and one-on-one sales experience Effective verbal and written communication skills Familiarity with the Richmond and/or Hampton Roads Professional image Compensation depends on experience and includes a base pay as well as commission. The LEGACY is an African-American-oriented weekly newspaper, circulation 25,000, with a website featuring local and national news and advertising. E-mail resume and letter of interest to ads@ legacynewspaper.com detailing your past sales experience. No phone calls please.
Purebred Angus Sale on October 22, 2016 at 12 noon in New Market, VA. Selling 80+ females. For info call 540-421-8341 or www.nvangus.org
FRANKLIN COUNTY NEAR SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE. 17 Acres. Mostly tall hardwoods. Open meadow hidden in middle. Superb homesite – total privacy. $109,900. I’ll finance. 540-2943826.
SERVICES DIVORCE – Uncontested, $395 + $86 court cost. No court appearance. Estimated completion time twenty-one days. Telephone inquiries welcome - no obligation. Hilton Oliver, Attorney. 757-4900126. Se Habla Español.
Does your auto club offer no hassle service and rewards? Call Auto Club of America (ACA) Get Bonus $25 Gift Card & $200 in ACA Rewards! (New members only) 1- 800-493-5913
Retrieve knowledge by reading newspapers! Thank you for picking up your copy of The Legacy
LOTS & ACREAGE
BEDFORD – 1.6 ACRES – fine wooded homesite – High knoll just minutes from James River. $37,900. I’ll finance – nothing down. No covenants. 540-4870480.
AUTO CLUB SERVICE
The City of Richmond is seeking to fill the following position(s): Administrative Project Analyst-New Construction 25M00000129 Department of Finance Apply by 10/23/2016 Controller 25M00000121 Department of Finance Apply by 10/23/2016 Engineer IV-City Bridge/Asset Manager 29M00000603 Department of Public Works Apply by 11/06/2016 Intern-Budget & Strategic Planning 22TEMP0001 Budget and Strategic Planning Apply by 10/23/2016 Management Analyst I 25M00000131 Department of Finance Apply by 10/23/2016 Planner II 05M00000020 Planning & Development Apply by 10/23/2016 Registered Nurse-Detention Center 15M00000307 Department of Justice Services Apply by 10/23/2016 Property Maintenance Enforcement Inspector I 05M00000165 Planning & Development Apply by 10/23/2016 ********************************* For an exciting career with the City of Richmond, visit our website for additional information and apply today!
www.richmondgov.com EOE M/F/D/V
FREE TRIAL
Meet sexy new friends
who really get your vibe...
REAL PEOPLE, REAL DESIRE, REAL FUN.
Connect Instantly
800-914-0978
18+
Try FREE: 800-619-6380 Ahora español/18+
Apply to The Workshop at Macy’s today. If your woman or minority-owned company is ready to own your next phase of growth, then we invite you to apply for The Workshop at Macy’s – our free and exclusive vendor retail development program in New York City.
Learn more and apply now at macysinc.com/workshop