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EGACY

WEDNESDAYS • Jan. 8, 2020

Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow.

INSIDE • A ‘liberal’ criminal justice reform • War mongering: ‘It was all a lie’ • Radio One has new midday host • Being black in corporate America

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A tribute to a living legend: Civil rights icon John Lewis STACY M. BROWN

Millions adore Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) for his selfless and lifelong dedication to civil and equal rights.

Some idolize Lewis like a rock star, while most revere him as an icon.

It is why presidents, politicians, members of Congress, and everyday people have taken time this week to pay tribute to the 79-year-old, 17term congressman, who announced that he’s battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

“If there’s one thing I love about Rep. John Lewis, it’s his incomparable will to fight,” former President Barack Obama wrote on his official Twitter account.

“I know he’s got a lot more of that left in him. Praying for you, my friend,” Obama wrote.

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), and former Tallahassee, Fla., Mayor Andrew Gillum, counted among the masses to send their prayers and heartfelt support to Lewis via social media.

“John Lewis is a giant – an icon of the civil rights movement, a leader in Congress and one of the kindest people I know,” Rep. Omar tweeted. “I’m praying for a speedy and full recovery. We need you making good trouble in the halls of Congress,” she wrote.

Lewis is an “American hero and one of the bravest people I know,” Gillum stated. “It was the honor of my life to get into good trouble with him on the campaign trail.”

Dr. Charles Steele, Jr., the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, said the group is praying that Lewis remains strong, vigilant, and relentless in his battle.

“There is no civil rights warrior more dedicated to the cause than John Lewis,” Steele stated. “I know he will wage this battle head-on.”

Members of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), the trade association of black-owned newspapers across the country, also offered their support for Lewis.

“Rep. John Lewis is a profound leader, humanitarian and civil rights icon who has made his mark on American history and has fought for the rights of all people, especially African Americans in this country,” stated NNPA

Chair and Houston Forward Times Publisher Karen Carter Richards.

“I am extremely confident and prayerful that Rep. Lewis will fight this battle of being diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in the same way he has fought and been an example of strength for others his entire life.

Praying for a speedy recovery,” Richards stated.

NNPA President and CEO, Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., called Lewis a fearless voice and advocate for freedom, justice, and equality both in the halls of the U.S. Congress and in the streets of America.

“John Lewis epitomizes what it means to be a courageous freedom fighter

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The LEGACY

2 • Jan. 8, 2020

News (from page 1) for more than six decades in America and throughout the world,” Chavis stated.

“The Black Press of America salutes the tireless sacrifices and triumphant ideals that the Honorable John Lewis represents today as we go into 2020,” he added.

“The re-enactment of the full Voting Rights Act should be named The John Lewis 2020 Voting Act that he has worked so diligently to see fulfilled for black Americans and all others who cry out for equality,” Chavis concluded.

Lewis said he’s not looking to give up his work.

“I have decided to do what I know to do and do what I have always done: I am going to fight it and keep fighting for the Beloved Community,” Lewis wrote in a statement.

“We still have many bridges to cross,” he stated.

Born in Troy, Alabama, on Feb. 21, 1940, Lewis and his family were poverty-stricken, but it didn’t stop him from rising among the ranks of America’s most prominent leaders.

He became involved in the Civil Rights Movement while still a student at the American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville, Tenn., where he joined the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).

Just shy of his 20th birthday in 1960, Lewis was the man behind the successful sit-in movement at segregated lunch counters in Nashville. In 1961, he volunteered to become a member of the Freedom Riders and put his life on the line several times while fighting for equality.

As chairman of the SNCC, a position he served from 1963 to 1965, Lewis earned recognition as one of the “Big Six” of the Civil Rights Movement along with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., A. Phillip Randolph, Whitney Young, James Farmer, and Roy Wilkins.

The group met with President John F. Kennedy to discuss the planning of the “March on Washington.”

In 1963, at just 23, Lewis served as a keynote speaker during the march.

In 1964, he helped coordinate and organized the successful “Mississippi Freedom Summer.”

In 1965, Lewis and fellow activist Hosea Williams led what was planned as a peaceful 54-mile march through Alabama from Selma to Montgomery. The march, a protest of the discriminatory practices and Jim Crow laws that prevented African Americans from voting, would be remembered in history as “Bloody Sunday,” one of the most dramatic and violent incidents of the American Civil Rights Movement.

The publicity surrounding “Bloody Sunday” and the subsequent march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, led President Lyndon Johnson to push for the Voting Rights Act, passed by Congress on Aug. 6, 1965, according to Lewis’

biography on The HistoryMakers.

Lewis was elected to his first governmental office in 1981, serving as an Atlanta City Council member until 1986. He was then elected to represent Georgia’s 5th Congressional District.

“John Lewis has spent his life bravely out front and center, challenging racism, entrenched systems and evil policies that support power and privilege for some as it oppresses others,” stated NNPA Treasurer and New Journal & Guide Publisher Brenda Andrews.

“He has helped change the laws and heart of the Jim Crow nation into which he was born, making us all a better people. My prayers for his recovery are with him as he confronts this very personal battle,” Andrews stated.

Bobby Henry, the publisher of the Westside Gazette Newspaper in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., recalled his first meeting with Lewis, which occurred more than 20 years ago.

“I met him with [former Florida Democratic] Congressman Alcee Hastings, and Rep. Lewis presented me with his autographed book, ‘Walking with the Wind,'” Henry recalled.

“I asked him about his preaching to his chickens, which he wrote about in his book, and he responded with laughter and said, ‘they were the only ones who would sit still and listen to me.’ I would imagine that Congressman Lewis would approach his illness as he did in a story from his childhood where he and his family were home during a violent windstorm,” Henry stated.

“The winds were pulling the house up from the ground, and they marched from one corner of the house to the other to hold the house down to keep it from being blown away. With the same courage, I’m sure Rep. Lewis will approach his situation.”

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Jan. 8, 2020 • 3

Homeless battle winter in Va., look ahead FAIRFAX (PATCH) — Rain fell on a dreary morning outside a Fairfax County office complex as workers removed invasive plants and trash near Long Branch Stream. But the weather is hardly a setback for the 10 homeless and formerly homeless workers — every day helps them work toward permanent employment and other goals as the new year approaches.

“This program helps me keep my mind off the daily struggles,” Sherwin Philips, a formerly homeless Fairfax native, said. “For me, it’s part of my recovery process.”

Philips became homeless as he struggled with his role as a young father and combatted substance abuse. After time spent camped out in a tent and hypothermia shelters in the winter, he’s been in a housing program since 2014.

Philips is one of the participants in a trial jobs program geared toward the homeless. Fairfax County’s Stormwater Planning Division assigns different sites for workers to remove trash or invasive plants for $10 hourly pay. The trial program is conducted in partnership with New Hope Housing and The Lamb Center, which chooses workers and oversees the twice-a-week, four-hour shifts. They’ve cleaned up streams and parks such as Center Ridge North Park, Lake Accotink and Wakefield Park.

Workers found large trash items at Long Branch Stream and other places in Fairfax County.

With just 12 weeks in the trial program, every workday counts as workers try to make themselves more marketable to employers. The work sites overseen by the Lamb Center started Oct. 2 and ended Monday. New Hope Housing’s work sites started later and are set to end Jan. 17.

Evan Reyle, workforce development manager for the Lamb Center, says the program “meets individuals where they are” and

homeless. The county's program leapfrogged from Fairfax City and The Lamb Center’s City Jobs program that started in November 2018. Fairfax city’s jobs program essentially became permanent through an allocation in the city budget.

“We have every intention to make this a permanent program,” Heather Ambrose, with Fairfax County’s Stormwater Planning Division, said.

The Fairfax County trial program cannot be extended, but county staff are working to determine a way to make the program permanent.

There will be a gap in between those programs.

The cold winter weather adds to the difficulties of the homeless as they try to get back on their PHOTOS: The Lamb Center helps them determine their next steps. A worker missing a day could lose their place to someone on the waiting list, while a worker who shows up for 10 consecutive work days might get a letter of recommendation. “They’ve proven that they’re showing up on time and that they’re present,” Reyle said.

“That’s step one for getting a job.”

The program’s timing gives the homeless a chance to start the new year with a step in the right direction. One of the workers, Matthew Grayson, has gotten a full-time job offer from the county since starting the jobs program. The 31-year-old has been homeless since March, citing substance abuse issues and lack of communication with his parents as the main factors.

“I feel more confident in getting a certain job like this,” he said in between his work removing invasive plants.

The program can also be a good indicator that someone isn’t fit for full-time work. Homeless persons can be eligible for disability benefits if they have a mental illness, medical impairment or co-

occurring substance use disorder.

Housing programs such as Northern Virginia’s Pathway Homes strive to help people with mental illness or substance abuse issues obtain stable housing.

The county’s Office to Prevent and End Homelessness has worked with nonprofit partners on housing stability, shelters and other assistance for the homeless since its inception in 2008. However, it was a program in a neighboring jurisdiction that led to the trial jobs program for the

feet. Fairfax County operates an emergency shelter program during the winter months. The county works with 44 faith-based communities to coordinate 49 temporary shelter facilities so homeless residents can escape the cold to sleep. Last year, 1,191 people used the shelters.

Fairfax County, the most populous county in Virginia, is second to

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The LEGACY

4 • Jan. 8, 2020

(from page 3)

a night sleeping outside. “That’s how dedicated I was," he said of the opportunity to work. His transportation twice a week is now covered after his mother offered rides.

One formerly homeless woman found housing about four to five months ago. Sonia Diaz, a D.C. native who was homeless for a year, used the hypothermia shelter last winter.

“It was difficult being out in the cold during the winter season,” she said. With the help of the Lamb Center and churches, she found work, food and shelter.

“I love the Lamb Center,” Diaz said, “and it helps lots of people in the country and there should be more places like that.”

You can help homeless and struggling families in Northern Virginia by supporting nonprofits like The Lamb Center, New Hope Housing and FACETS or local faith communities' charitable efforts.

the District of Columbia in the number of homeless individuals in the region. One day each winter, localities in the D.C. metropolitan region record the number of homeless people for a point-in-time count. The 1,034 point-in-time count for 2019 — including numbers from the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church — was up from 987 in 2018.

Most other D.C.-area counties and cities saw a decline from the last year.

“It can be quite difficult. Your mind has to be in survival mode,” Grayson said of being homeless in the winter. He is staying at a shelter on Richmond Highway and notices that it has gotten more crowded this season.

When he first joined the county jobs program, he didn’t have transportation to get from the shelter to the work sites and spent

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Obtaining an ID card may be routine for most people, but it can be a long-term and important step for someone without a stable living situation. Philips is working to pay off court costs and fines to get his driver’s license and believes he will get close by the end of 2020.

In the longer term, he’d like to make things right with his 19-yearold and 20-year-old kids after substance abuse led him astray.

“Hopefully, one day I can see them again,” he said.

For Grayson, 2020 is all about getting into housing and continuing work on his music career. His success with the county jobs program and upcoming full-time position has given him inspiration. “It’s given me faith to keep going,” he said, “and I see a bright future for me in 2020.”

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For many people, the new year is a time for a clean slate and New Year’s resolutions. People who’ve experienced homelessness are no different, with many setting goals to get back on their feet in 2020.

Career goals are at the forefront for people with and without housing. Phillippe Muloway, who’s been homeless for two years, has a passion for working on homes and wants to become a general contractor. His goal is to become certified, and he’s working on his own business. A D.C.-area resident since 2012, he believes the area is expensive but wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. “I love this area,” Muloway said.

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Jan. 8, 2020• 5

Advocates see best opportunity to enact liberal criminal justice reform in Va. in a generation JUSTIN JOUVENAL A burst of bills put forward by Virginia lawmakers would reinstate parole and create a new public defender’s office. Some newly elected prosecutors plan to drop charging for marijuana possession. And the attorney general has unveiled a plan to make the justice system more equitable.

Advocates say 2020 holds the most promise in a generation to bring criminal justice reform to Virginia.

They point to a growing national movement to remake criminal justice policy, the Democratic majority poised to take control of the General Assembly for the first time since the 1990s, and the election of liberal prosecutors in some of the state’s largest jurisdictions.

State Sen. Scott A. Surovell (D-Fairfax County) said criminal justice reform is one of the top priorities for liberal legislators and Gov. Ralph Northam (D).

“I think we are going to take a hard look at making big changes over the next two years,” Surovell said. “The last time Democrats had control of both chambers, tough on crime was en vogue and [President Bill] Clinton was handing out mandatory minimums like Chiclets. . . . People have realized that having the highest prison population in the world is expensive and ineffective.”

Legislators in both parties said they expect that when the General Assembly convenes in January, it will tackle proposals regarding marijuana decriminalization, bail rules and the reinstatement of parole, which was abolished on new convictions in 1994.

Legislators have also prepared bills that would expand the convictions subject to eventual expungement; reimagine the state’s crime commission as a justice commission

Steve Descano, the commonwealth’s attorney-elect in Fairfax County, Va., speaks Dec. 17 at the D.C.based Center for American Progress about Virginia’s progressive incoming prosecutors.

PHOTO: Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post also focused on rehabilitation; and create a public defender’s office in Prince William County, the state’s largest jurisdiction without such an office.

Some Republican lawmakers and law enforcement officials are skeptical of plans to overhaul criminal justice policy and of liberal prosecutors’ approach to the job.

They argue that some of the ideas floated could increase crime and work against victims.

State Sen. Mark D. Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg), who chairs the Courts of Justice Committee under the present Republican majority, said the legislature has pursued a bipartisan, data-driven approach to

criminal justice in recent decades that has helped make Virginia one of the safest states in the country. He said he is particularly worried about changes to parole.

“Some proposals would return us to the policies of the ’70s and ’80s in which Virginia had one of the most liberal parole policies in the country, one in which first-degree murderers were released from prison in less than 10 years,” Obenshain said.

As the legislature begins its work, three liberal prosecutors will be taking office in Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun counties after their election victories in November. And in Prince William County, a new commonwealth’s attorney favors

more-liberal policies than her predecessor pursued.

The prosecutors have promised sweeping changes in their counties and say they will work to push Virginia’s criminal justice policy in a more liberal direction. They have variously pledged to end the use of cash bail, stop pursuing the death penalty and root out racial bias in charging and sentencing.

‘A sea change’ for prosecutors in Northern Virginia as liberal democratic candidates sweep races One initiative that has risen to the top of the list in Fairfax and Arlington is ending the prosecution

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6 • Jan. 8, 2020

Op/Ed & Letters

The LEGACY

It was all a damn lie JIM WALLIS A confidential trove of government documents obtained by The Washington Post reveals that senior U.S. officials failed to tell the truth about the war in Afghanistan throughout the 18-year campaign, making rosy pronouncements they knew to be false and hiding unmistakable evidence the war had become unwinnable.

This is the opening paragraph of an explosive report published recently in the Washington Post, based on the Post’s review of thousands of pages of interviews with people who played a direct role in the war, all previously unreleased until the paper recently won a multi-year court case on Freedom of Information Act grounds. And the report only gets more damning as it goes on. For example, in describing the gulf between what the public has been told throughout the 18 years of this war and what the American government knew at the time, the report states: The documents also contradict a long chorus of public statements from U.S. presidents, military The LEGACY NEWSPAPER Vol. 6 No. 2 Mailing Address P.O. Box 12474 Richmond, VA 23241 Office Address 105 1/2 E. Clay St. Richmond, VA 23219 Call: 804-644-1550 Online www.legacynewspaper.com

commanders and diplomats who assured Americans year after year that they were making progress in Afghanistan and the war was worth fighting. Several of those interviewed described explicit and sustained efforts by the U.S. government to deliberately mislead the public. They said it was common at military headquarters in Kabul — and at the White House — to distort statistics to make it appear the United States was winning the war when that was not the case … John Sopko, the head of the federal agency that conducted the interviews, acknowledged to The The LEGACY welcomes all signed letters and all respectful opinions.

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Post that the documents show ‘the American people have constantly been lied to.’

I am old enough to remember the same public lying about Vietnam when my peers were dying, along with millions of Vietnamese.

Many of us remember Iraq, where deliberate misrepresentation of the facts justified the unnecessary deaths in that generation too.

When I first read the report, my initial reaction was one of sadness and anger, once again — but not surprise. In fact, this report confirms some of the suspicions and even predictions many of us had since the war began nearly two decades ago, and which have only grown steadily in the years since. Writing in the December 1998 issue of Sojourners magazine, three years before 9/11 but in the wake of the embassy bombings carried out by al-Qaeda, I described my concern with the responses then envisioned by the Clinton administration. Looking back today, these words seem disturbingly prescient: Military responses generally have not been effective in combating

terrorism. The full force of the Soviet army was unable to defeat the guerrillas bunkered down in the mountains of Afghanistan.

Why do we think the United States can be successful in defeating the same people now become antiAmerican terrorists? Where has a purely military strategy worked? ... Terrorism could become the new enemy that we have “lacked” since the fall of communism, bringing the needed excuses for more military build-ups and weapons systems, more simplifying of complicated realities, more means-justifies-theends thinking and acting, and more violent conflict. With more strikes against U.S. citizens, the public clamor for more counter-strikes will grow; and with them the demand for more retaliation from the aggrieved parties in the Middle East will increase.

Though the threat of terrorism is very real, and none of us will ever forget where we were on 9/11, the ongoing threat to Americans from terrorists in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and elsewhere has

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Jan. 8, 2020• 7

P.T. Hoffsteader, Esq.

Time for compassion

As a new “liberal/progressive” Republican, I believe that the national party must change and evolve in significant ways if it is going to be at all competitive with the national Democratic Party as of 2042-2044 when over 50 percent of the USA will be “non-white”.

Here are my recommendations: The national Republican Party needs to appeal much more to groups that it has little appeal to now, and it needs to show that it cares more about these groups especially at the national level.

The national party needs to do more to help the lower and middle classes, the poor, the near-poor, and senior citizens.

The national party needs to be against making cuts to federal government social programs such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, college student loans, and unemployment insurance benefits.

The national party needs to stand strongly against sexism and white nationalism/supremacy.

The national party needs to stand strongly in favor of the total equality of women including being in favor of equal pay for equal work for women, as well as being in favor of heavily-fining and imprisoning sexual predators who commit sexual harassment and all forms of sexual abuse and sexual assault.

We also need to encourage men to do a more equal share of housework.

Lastly, the national party should fight for the passage of a federal government national health insurance program/plan that is the same one that Ontario, Canada has that will cover every American, but not the overly-expensive and fiscally irresponsible "Medicare For All." Join me in trying to make the national Republican Party more humane, compassionate, and caring than it is now.

Stewart B. Epstein

Misinformers

All sorts of frauds, miscreants, liars, grifters, and charlatans are drawn to right-wing media. Even amid such a wretched group, it stands out when multiple witnesses testify to Congress that a conservative columnist colluded with agents of the president to advance a fabricated story intended to blow up an entire presidential election.

Even more so, while aiding in a plot to extort a foreign government into supporting the effort, which has led to the president of the United States being impeached.

Angelo Carusone

indeed been consistently leveraged to justify massive and endless troop deployments, expenditures, and the deaths of both troops and civilians. In both the lead up to the Iraq War and the debate when President Obama first took office about what to do regarding the war in Afghanistan, I often quoted the aphorism, “When all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.” By that I meant that for decades, our government — and, if we’re honest, the American people — has had a failure of imagination in addressing threats like terrorism in anything but military terms.

As I said in January of 2008, “A new foreign policy that emphasizes diplomacy addressing global poverty over militarism and endless wars is now urgently needed. We must move beyond a foreign policy that sees war as the only way to confront real evil.”

My favorite quote thus far to the public indictment of the Washington Post revelations was from Peter Lucier, a Marine veteran who served in Afghanistan: These papers cast profound doubt on key tenets of the “just war” theory. If there was never a reasonable chance of success, war cannot be just … All violence stands in the way of human connection. War is the ultimate denial of others’ humanity, and

(from page 6) all war needs to be mourned and lamented. However, Afghanistan, in particular, is a lingering wound for so many who fought there, because it hasn’t ended and because no one in government speaks to what so many of us know to be true about the conflict. As a Catholic, I believe the first steps toward healing require accountability and lament.

Hopefully, “The Afghanistan Papers” brings us closer as a country to taking that first step.

I did have friends who were forced to fight in Vietnam. Some became members of the anti-war movement inside the military as some of us did on the outside. One, a former Green Beret and high school friend who came to see me when he returned, gave me the leaflet that they used in Vietnam which simply said, “The Whole Damn Thing Was a Lie.” Indeed, that always seems to be the case when it comes to justifying war and the whole war system we are addicted to. And always, the loss of lives, both among our own family members and innocent civilians, are the consequence.

Wallis is president of Sojourners. His new book “Christ in Crisis: Why We Need to Reclaim Jesus” is available now. Follow Jim on Twitter @ JimWallis.

8 •Jan. 8, 2020

The LEGACY

Faith & Religion How Christians of color in Colonial Virginia became ‘black’ RNS — By the time the English settled Virginia in the early 17th century, the enslavement of Africans had already spread across the New World. Yet the colonists in Virginia, lacking the direct cultural and legal references of their Spanish and French counterparts to the south and north, had no clear body of slave law to rely on.

Indeed, the early Virginians were uncertain about many of the basic rules regarding slavery. It was not until 40 years after the first enslaved people arrived in Virginia that the first direct reference to “negroes” as slaves appeared in law, in a 1659 statute imposing reduced import duties on slave merchants.

As the century went on, however, white colonists grappled with how to define the status of Africans.

The fledgling legislature dealt with such basic questions as whether enslavement was a permanent and inheritable condition, how slave status would be transmitted to children and whether Christian baptism was compatible with enslavement. Beginning in 1680, new laws began to draw a closer connection between race and status, establishing more firmly the debased status of people of African origin.

This new racial regime may well have been a response to the rising population of free people of color: As many as one-third of the people of color in some Virginia counties in the late 17th century were free, and white elites increasingly feared the formation of political alliances

among white indentured servants, free black people and Indians.

The first question white Virginians addressed was whether the condition of slavery would be inherited. In 1662, the Virginia General Assembly adopted the rule of partus sequitur ventrem, already universal in other parts of the Americas, that a child’s slave or free status would follow the condition of the mother.

The assembly members explained, “Whereas some doubts have arisen whether children got by any Englishman upon a negro woman should be slave or free, Be it therefore enacted and declared by this present grand assembly, that all children born in this country shal[l be] held bond or free only according to the condition of the mother.”

This measure turned against traditional English doctrine, which held that the status of the child was determined by the status of the father.

At the same time, the 1662 law went on to double the fine for fornication if it occurred between a “Christian” and a “negro man or woman.”

The differentiation between “Christian” and “negro” would grow as time went on. At least some of the black people living in early Colonial Virginia were Christians who claimed rights and even freedom on that basis. Fearing these Christians might demand privileges and rights, slaveholders became reluctant to baptize enslaved children, For example, in 1644 Manuel, a

“Slaves Waiting for Sale — Richmond, Virginia” painting by Eyre Crowe in 1861. Image courtesy of Creative Commons “mulatto,” sued for his freedom on the basis of his Christianity, and in 1661 the Indian boy Metappin was freed, “he speaking perfectly the English tongue and desiring baptism.” Elizabeth Key, the daughter of a white man and an African mother, made Christianity a fundamental part of her 1654 freedom claim, which she won “that by report shee is able to give a very good account of her fayth.”

In response, a 1667 law severed the link between Christianity and freedom, decreeing that baptized slaves would not be “exempt ... from bondage.”

Three years later, the legislature added the further restriction that “noe negroe or Indian though baptised and enjoyned their owne ffree- dome” would be allowed to buy Christians, although they could buy “any of their owne nation.”

The slave code of 1705 reiterated that conversion would not emancipate a slave: All servants imported and brought

into this country, by sea or land, who were not [C]hristians in their native country, (except Turks and Moors in amity with her majesty, and others that can make due proof of their being free in England, or any other [C]hristian country, before they were shipped, in order to transportation hither) shall be accounted and be slaves, and such be here bought and sold notwithstanding a conversion to [C]hristianity afterwards.

By the beginning of the 18th century, then, conversion of slaves guaranteed freedom no more than it traditionally had in the Catholic Mediterranean world, where baptizing slave children was customary and where prominent theologians had ruled that baptism affected sin, “but not the circumstances or obligations of men.”

Not all African people were slaves, however. The first clear statutory racial distinction among free people

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Jan. 8, 2020• 9

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Pricing subject to change. $5/mo. autopay/paperless bill discount: Must enroll in autopay & paperless bill within 30 days of TV activation to receive bill credit starting in 1-3 bill cycles. First time credit will include all credits earned since meeting offer requirements. Must maintain autopay/paperless bill and valid email address to continue credits. No credits in 2nd year for autopay/paperless bill. Eligible Wireless for $10/mo. bundle discount: Consumers only. Sold separately. Reqs new or existing AT&T postpaid svc on elig. plan (excl. Lifeline) on a smartphone, phone or AT&T Wireless Internet device (excl. voice-only AT&T Wireless Internet). Eligible svc must be activated w/in 30 days of TV activation and svc addresses must match to receive bill credit starting in 1-3 bill cycles. First time credit will include all credits earned since meeting offer requirements. Must maintain both qualifying svcs to continue credits. No credits in 2nd year for bundled services. Includes: CHOICE All Included TV Pkg, monthly service & equipment fees for one Genie HD DVR, and standard pro installation. Exclusions: Price excludes Regional Sports Fee of up to $8.49/mo. (which is extra & applies to CHOICE and/or MÁS ULTRA and higher Pkgs.), applicable use tax expense surcharge on retail value of installation, custom installation, equipment upgrades/add-ons (min. $99 one-time & $7/mo. monthly fees for each extra receiver/DIRECTV Ready TV/Device), and certain other add’l fees & charges. Different offers may apply for eligible multi-dwelling unit and telco customers.

DIRECTV SVC TERMS: Subject to Equipment Lease & Customer Agreements. Must maintain a min. base TV pkg of $29.99/mo. Some offers may not be available through all channels and in select areas. Call for details.

GENERAL WIRELESS: Subj. to Wireless Customer Agmt (att.com/wca). Credit approval req’d. Deposit/Down Payment: may apply. Charges/restrictions: Taxes, Reg.Cost. Recovery Charge (Up to $1.50), other fees and charges, usage, speed, coverage & other restr’s apply per line. See att.com/mobilityfees for details on fees & charges. International and domestic off-net data may be at 2G speeds. AT&T service is subject to AT&T network management policies, see att.com/broadbandinfo for details.

10 • Jan. 8, 2020

The LEGACY

Radio One Richmond names new midday host for its urban mainstream station Radio One Richmond has named South Carolina native, Tradia Mitchell-McCoy (Tradia with the Tea), as the new Midday personality for WCDX – iPower 92.1FM/104.1FM. She began Jan. 6.

“Throughout our extensive search, Tradia stood out as someone who exudes passion for Radio and a very strong work ethic to go along with her natural talent,” said Mat Myers, operations manager of Radio One Richmond. “ We could not be happier to

How is “Watchmen” so far?

NOAH WASHINGTON The Blerd Binder covers nerdy news for the black nerds of the world. We welcome all as we talk about subjects ranging from movies to music and tech to toys.

Exciting, insightful, and incredibly strange. Those are the words I choose to describe HBO’s “Watchmen” series. HBO made the right decision in picking this material to adapt. Comic book- and graphic novel-based material has shifted from campy and bright oneoff stories to prestigious complicated narratives that take hard looks into our society. This is in part due to writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbon’s original “Watchmen” graphic novel.

This version of “Watchmen” has been adapted into a TV show set years after the original events of the graphic novel.

When the HBO series first aired, I wrote a commentary on it and what I thought.

Now, we are a little more than halfway through the series. We

now know more about Watchmen’s created world and have heard more reactions to the series so far. I will go through the highlights of the episodes as well as my thoughts on them.

(NOTE: If you haven’t seen Watchmen, there are spoilers ahead for what has happened in the series so far through episode 5. You have been warned).

I am going to begin by addressing the hate that the show has gotten.

Generally, reviews of HBO’s “Watchmen” have been great, but certain fans of the original series have review bombed the show by leaving a one-star rating on the show’s Rotten Tomatoes website.

This is in part due to the heavy racially motivated nature of the show. With this said, I’ll remind you, the reader, that the original comic was set during the cold war and looks at superheroes as “fascist dictators.”

The original “Watchmen” series was also a reflection of the then current nature of society. The

(continued on page 11)

welcome her to the Radio One Richmond family and are excited for all of the great things we will accomplish together.”

Mitchell-McCoy joins Radio One Richmond from WGIV – STREETZ 103.3FM/100.5FM in Charlotte, North Carolina where she served in a similar role. Some of Tradia’s career highlights include; interviewing various reality TV stars and celebrities, working as a BET Red Carpet Coordinator and Daily TV Correspondent. Tradia is dedicated to service and believes that service is in her heart and magic is in her voice!

“I am so very excited to be joining the Radio One Family at iPower

92.1 /104.1,” said Mitchell-McCoy. “I’d like to first say thank you to Steve Hegwood, Doc Love, Rashaun Green and the entire staff at STREETZ 103.3 for instilling in me a great work ethic and commitment needed to grow and blossom in this business! I’m excited to bring my passion and flavor to Richmond VA! “A special Thank you to Matt Myers and Marsha Landess for trusting me to hold down the middays. I’m coming for that number one spot! 804 I’m ready!”

Mitchell-McCoy has taken over the Midday slot from 10 A.M to 3 P.M., Monday- Friday, on WCDX – iPower 92.1FM/104.1FM.

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www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

Jan. 8, 2020• 11

(from page 10) reason that these viewers are upset is that the HBO show has decided to focus at least a part of the series on a marginalized group: African Americans.

I was talking with a white, colleague and he told why he believes some viewers don’t like the current adaptation of the material.

“White people are tired of being reminded of all the shitty things that they have done,” he said.

I have a few feelings on this quote.

I can empathize, because I wouldn’t want to be reminded of every bad thing that my ancestors have done.

However, I amazed at how people can be so oblivious to the [racist] actions that are still occurring in today’s society.

So, please be open-minded to where creator, Damon Lindelof is taking the series. After all, he created “Lost” and “The Leftovers” so the series is in safe hands with him.

I have one thing to say to the haters of the show that coincides with the feelings marginalized people have whenever anything is created by us and marketed to the masses: “If You Don’t Like My Story, Then Write Your Own.” (Also the title of episode 4 in the series.)

Moving on to the actual look back on the episodes so far, we begin with Ep. 2, “Martial Feats of Comanche Horsemanship.” The episode title is a reference the 19thcentury painting by George Catlin which is seen near the end of the episode. This can be seen as an allusion to the fact that there is an unsuspecting “war” happening in Tulsa.

The episode begins during WWI with the German army dropping propaganda for the “colored” soldiers, suggesting that they should question why they are fighting for the American military when they are blatantly treated so horribly.

They suggest that if they were in Germany, they would be treated with the same respect as everybody

Episode Three introduces use to an older version of one of the original comic book characters, Laurie Blake a/k/a Silk Spectre. Laurie has become an FBI agent on the Anti-Vigilante task force. else.

Episode Three introduces use to an older version of one of the original comic book characters, Laurie Blake a/k/a Silk Spectre. Laurie has become an FBI agent on the AntiVigilante task force.

The opening scene is her taking down a Batman-like vigilante by staging a robbery. This could be seen as a, “What if Batman existed in the world of Watchmen?”

The lore of the show grows in this episode as it is revealed that Nite Owl is in prison and that Laurie kept her time as a vigilante low key to her FBI colleagues and her relationship with Dr. Manhattan a secret.

This also shows how emotionally compromised Laurie has become as she picks a rookie FBI agent to accompany her just because she wants to sleep with him. A very unheroic decision.

We now go back to episode four, “If You Don’t Like My Story, Then Write Your Own.” We are introduced to Lady Trieu, a trillionaire geneticist who is building a giant clock.

She buys a farm from a married couple with a baby that she genetically engineered. It is such a tension-filled scene that you could scrape it off the walls. An object then proceeds to land at the farm.

This scene is then connected to Adrian Veidt, played sadistically and brilliantly by Jeremy Irons. Veidt is also using clones on the uninhabited island that he seems to be trapped on (more on that later).

The episode also contains a mysterious masked man called “Lube Man” as he slathers himself in an oily liquid and then proceeds to slide down a rain vent.

Episode Five, “Little Fear of Lightning” begins with Wade, a young zealot. It’s 1985 and Wade is trying to convince people to repent as the world is going to end at midnight. This is the same night as the original attack on New York by the giant squid in the comic book.

This traumatizes Wade into his adult life as he now counsils people who were affected by that night.

This shows a side of superhero movies that has more recently been explored in superhero mediums

like “Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Captain America: Civil War,” How do the actions of Superheroes affect the lives of everyday people they’ve pledged to protect?

As the episode plays out, we get a sense of the larger conspiracy as it is revealed that Senator Joe Keen is a member of the white supremacist group The 7th Calvary.

Senator Keen shows Wade a video revealing that Adrian Veidt was the one responsible for the attack on New York and proceeds to reveal his plan (which the audience doesn’t get to see). This prompts Wade to assist Keen by setting up Angela to be arrested. Is this a way for us to see an older Nite Owl? There is so much more that happens in the series that I am not going to get into, here. If you have access to HBO, I strongly implore each of you to watch the series for yourself. The series’ history lessons alone will make the viewing worth it, in addition to the fact that it will be a very entertaining hour of your life spent.

12 • Jan. 8, 2020

The LEGACY

(from page 8) was a 1668 law proclaiming that “negro” women were not exempted from the head tax because, though free, they “ought not in all respects to be admitted to a full fruition of the exemptions and impunities of the English.”

The legislature was careful to make distinctions between “negroes” and other people of color. It clarified that non-Christian servants who arrived in the colony “by shipping” became slaves for life, whereas those who arrived on land — namely, Indians — would be indentured servants.

For all this, racial status was still unsettled as late as 1695, when William Catilla won his freedom because he was “the son of a free woman” and “baptized in the Christian faith.” Free man of color John Johnson gave testimony in Somerset County court in 1674 after giving assurance that he was Christian and “did rightly understand the taking of an oath.”

But the lines were being drawn more sharply.

In 1672 Virginia’s first comprehensive act for apprehending and suppressing “runaways, negroes, and slaves” was passed. A 1680 statute complained about “the frequent meetings of considerable numbers of Negro slaves under pretense of feasts and burials” and determined that “no Negro or slave may carry arms.”

The same statute prescribed severe punishments, even death, for “any Negro [who] lift up his hand against any Christian.”

By establishing a clear and rigid distinction between “negro” and “Christian,” the act of 1680 also exemplified how the legislature continued to navigate thorny questions of slaves’ conversion to Christianity and the enslavement of coreligionists.

The slave code of 1705 offered detailed instructions for how to feed, clothe and care for servants: “That all masters and owners of servants, shall find and provide for their servants, wholesome and competent diet, clothing, and lodging, by the discretion of the county court; and shall not, at any time, give immoderate correction.”

But the 1705 code also made it illegal to “whip a [C]hristian white servant naked,” an extension of rights that shows how, by the turn of the 18th century, Christianity and whiteness had become a sign of privilege.

This article is adapted from the forthcoming book “Becoming Free, Becoming Black.” Alejandro de la Fuente is the Robert Woods Bliss Professor of Latin American History and Economics and Professor of African and African American Studies at Harvard University.

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

Jan. 8, 2020• 13

New study takes an unprecedented look at being black in corporate America Corporate America needs to awaken to the challenges faced by black professionals, according to a new study published today by nonprofit think tank the Center for Talent Innovation (CTI).

In the workplace, black professionals are more likely to encounter prejudice and microaggressions than any other racial or ethnic group. They are less likely than their white counterparts to have access to senior leaders and to have support from their managers.

Yet few white professionals see what their black colleagues are up against. Sixty-five percent of black professionals say that black employees have to work harder in order to advance, but only 16 percent of their white colleagues agree with that statement. Using a wealth of quantitative and qualitative data, featuring findings from a national survey, Being Black in Corporate America: An Intersectional Exploration delivers a multifaceted analysis, including solutions, for creating workplace cultures where black employees can do their best work and succeed.

“This report sounds the alarm that, despite many good intentions, companies are falling short of creating equitable workplaces for black employees,” said Pat FiliKrushel, CEO of CTI. “We hope that business leaders will respond to these findings by making a serious assessment of their own workplaces and creating a comprehensive plan of action.

“We are especially concerned about the lack of awareness we discovered among white professionals. This report gives business leaders a path for moving forward.”

The study finds that black professionals are more likely than

white professionals to be ambitious, and they are more likely to have strong professional networks.

Despite these assets, black professionals hold only 3.2 percent of all executive or senior leadership roles and less than 1 percent of all Fortune 500 CEO positions. The report lays out the systemic racial prejudice in the workplace that underpins low representation at the top, with the following findings: Black professionals are nearly four times as likely as white professionals to say they have experienced racial prejudice at work (58 percent versus 15 percent).

Regional differences are stark: 79 percent of black professionals in the Midwest say they have experienced racial prejudice at work, compared to 66 percent of black professionals in the West, 56 percent in the South, and 44 percent in the Northeast.

43 percent of black executives have had colleagues use racially insensitive language in their presence.

Nearly one in five (19 percent) black professionals feel that someone of their race/ethnicity would never achieve a top position at their companies, compared to only 3 percent of white professionals who feel this way.

Black women are less likely to have access to the same support and advocacy as white women. For instance, 35 percent of white women have individuals in their networks who have advocated for their ideas and skills, compared to 19 percent of black women.

“We can only create change and impact when we fully understand how systemic prejudice and microaggressions play out in our workplaces,” said Julia Taylor Kennedy, executive vice president at CTI. “Right now, it’s a lose-

lose situation. Companies are missing out on amazing talent at the top of their organizations, and black professionals are not given the opportunity to fulfill their aspirations. This report delivers the facts and, in doing so, will spur conversations that move companies, and society, forward.”

Only 40 percent of all employees of all races think their companies have effective diversity and inclusion programs. Black full-time professionals are also more likely than white full-time professionals to say white women are the primary beneficiaries of diversity and inclusion efforts (29 percent versus 13 percent).

“Companies often use the phrase ‘diverse talent’ to describe underrepresented groups, but they need to understand the diversity within their diversity,” said Pooja Jain-Link, executive vice president at CTI. “Black professionals have a different experience in the workplace than professionals of other races. If companies want

to truly engage and retain black talent, they need to be courageous and design targeted interventions that take these unique experiences into account. With this report, we are calling upon leaders to think big and start a new movement that reimagines diversity and inclusion in ways that have not been done before.”

In addition, the report finds that talented black professionals are much more likely than white professionals to plan to opt out of their corporate jobs to start entrepreneurial ventures. Black professionals who have worked at both large and small companies are also more likely to find an environment of trust, respect, and a sense of belonging at small companies, compared to large companies. Corporations that wish to retain black professionals should offer the same. In addition, the report delivers a roadmap that calls upon leaders to audit

(continued on page 17)

14 • Jan. 8, 2020

The LEGACY

New program to help prevent suicide among service members, veterans and families More than 40 community organizations and state agencies to help eliminate gaps in access to care Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam recently announced a new pilot program to help prevent suicide and close gaps in access to care for service members, veterans and their families.

The Virginia Identify, Screen, and Refer Pilot will enhance the Commonwealth’s efforts to recognize these individuals (identified as SMVF), screen for suicide risk, and connect them to services. The pilot is part of the Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide, which Virginia joined along with Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, New Hampshire, and Texas. The pilot program will run through September 2020.

“As an Army veteran, I know firsthand the challenges that our service members may face while on active duty, in their transition to civilian life, and beyond,” said Northam. “That’s why I’ve made it a priority to ensure Virginia is equipped to provide quality behavioral health and supports, and that our veterans have access to them. This pilot program will help save lives, and it will help service providers better understand the needs of service members, veterans, and their families.”

The program will address the following issues, among others: Cultural Competency: Enhancing cultural awareness and communication between militaryrelated and civilian healthcare providers. Only 8 percent of behavioral health providers who are not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or TRICARE medical systems

report having high military cultural competency, according to a RAND report.

Education: Increasing awareness among community providers about the number of SMVF they are serving and the resources available to them.

Efficiency: Reducing duplicative efforts and gaps in community programs and services resulting from a lack of collaboration.

“Stigma around behavioral health keeps many service members and veterans from seeking care in federal treatment systems,” said Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs Carlos Hopkins. “State and community agencies are critical to prevent and end suicide among members of the military and veterans.”

The Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide team is working with a diverse group of agencies, who are voluntarily stepping up without additional resources. These partners are have committed to identify SMVF more accurately and reliably, train staff in military culture and suicide prevention best practices, and connect individuals to military- and veteran-specific community resources such as the VA. “It is essential for local agencies to be a part of this mission,” said

Secretary of Health and Human Resources Daniel Carey, MD. “Approximately 70 percent of veterans who die by suicide were not connected to VA care at the time of their deaths. This program will help build infrastructure to serve our military and veteran citizens and gather data on what resources we will need to sustain these essential services.”

VISR Pilot participants include hospitals like John Randolph, Sentara and University of Virginia; Community services boards like Henrico Area Mental Health and Developmental Services and Richmond Behavioral Health Authority; social services departments in localities like Chesterfield-Colonial Heights, Hampton, Hanover; Virginia Department of Health; Virginia Department of Veterans Services (Virginia Veteran and Family Support Program; Benefits Services); and the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at The Up Center.

Since the inception of Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide among SMVF earlier this year, Virginia’s interagency team has trained more than 500 community services providers in military cultural competency and suicide prevention, hosting six statewide Military Culture and Suicide Prevention

Summits. The team also hosted two regional planning sessions focused on closing access to behavioral healthcare gaps for SMVF. In January 2019, Northam announced that Virginia was selected as one of seven states to participate in the inaugural Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide among SMVF. The Virginia Governor’s Challenge team is cochaired by Secretaries Hopkins and Carey. The team consists of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Department of Defense; along with the Virginia Departments of Veterans Services, Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, Health, Social Services, Medical Assistance Services, and Education; the Virginia National Guard, and the Virginia State Police.

Other health partners include the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association, Richmond Behavioral Health Authority and NAMIVirginia.

Military service members, veterans, and family members who are in crisis or having thoughts of suicide—and those who know someone in crisis—can call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800273-8255 (Veterans and caregivers, press 1) for confidential support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year.

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

Jan. 8, 2020• 15

Legal Notice NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF A PETITION BY VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY FOR APPROVAL OF ITS 2019 DSM UPDATE PURSUANT TO § 56-585.1 A 5 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA CASE NO. PUR-2019-00201 •Dominion Energy Virginia (“Dominion”) has applied for approval to implement new demand-side management (“DSM”) programs, extend one DSM program, and to revise its Riders C1A, C2A and C3A, by which Dominion recovers the costs of its DSM programs.

•Dominion requests a total of $59,685,418 for its 2020 Riders C1A, C2A and C3A. According to Dominion, this amount would increase the bill of a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours per month by $0.34.

•A Hearing Examiner appointed by the Commission will hear the case on April 29, 2020, at 10 a.m.

•Further information about this case is available on the SCC website at: http://www.scc.virginia.gov/case.

On December 3, 2018, Virginia Electric and Power Company d/b/a Dominion Energy Virginia (“Dominion” or “Company”), pursuant to § 56-585.1 A 5 of the Code of Virginia (“Code”), the Rules Governing Utility Rate Applications and Annual Informational Filings of the State Corporation Commission (“Commission”), the Commission’s Rules Governing Utility Promotional Allowances, the Commission’s Rules Governing Cost/Benefit Measures Required for Demand-Side Management Programs, the Commission’s Rules Governing the Evaluation, Measurement and Verification of the Effects of Utility-Sponsored Demand-Side Management Programs, and the directive contained in Ordering Paragraph (4) of the Commission’s May 2, 2019 Order in Case No. PUR-2018-00168 (“May 2, 2019 Order”), as amended by the Commission’s September 17, 2019 Order Granting Motion to Extend, filed with the Commission its petition requesting (1) approval to implement new demand-side management (“DSM”) programs, (2) to extend the Company’s existing Air Conditioner (“AC”) Cycling Program; (3) expedited approval to launch three of the Phase VII DSM programs approved in the May 2, 2019 Order with updated parameters and cost/benefit results; (4) approval of revised measures in two existing Phase VII DSM Programs approved in the May 2, 2019 Order; and (5) approval of three updated rate adjustment clauses, Riders C1A, C2A and C3A (“Petition”).

In its Petition, the Company requests approval to implement 11 new DSM programs as the Company’s “Phase VIII” programs, ten of which are “energy efficiency” (“EE”) DSM programs and one of which is a “demand response” (“DR”) DSM program, as those terms are defined by Code § 56-576. With the exception of the proposed House Bill (“HB”) 2789 program, the Company requests that the Commission permit the Company to operate the following proposed DSM programs for the five-year period of January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2025, subject to future extensions as requested by the Company and granted by the Commission: (1) Residential Electric Vehicle (EE and DR); (2) Residential Electric Vehicle (Peak Shaving); (3) Residential Energy Efficiency Kits (EE); (4) Residential Home Retrofit (EE); (5) Residential Manufactured Housing (EE); (6) Residential New Construction (EE); (7) Residential/Non-residential Multifamily (EE); (8) Non-residential Midstream Energy Efficient Products (EE); (9) Non-residential New Construction (EE); (10) Small Business Improvement Enhanced (EE); and (11) HB 2789 (Heating and Cooling/Health and Safety) (EE).

The Company proposes an aggregate total cost cap for the Phase VIII programs in the amount of $186 million. Additionally, the Company requests the ability to exceed the spending cap by no more than 5%. The Company further “seeks authorization to spend directly for these programs for a reasonable amount of time before and after [the proposed] five-year period . . . so that the programs can run for a full five years and then have additional time built in for launch and wind-down activities.” The Company further asserts that the total proposed costs of the energy efficiency programs proposed in the Petition will be counted toward the requirement in the 2018 Grid Transformation and Security Act that the Company develop a proposed program of energy efficiency measures with projected costs of no less than an aggregate amount of $870 million between July 1, 2018, and July 1, 2028, including any existing approved energy efficiency programs.

The Company also requests expedited approval, by March 31, 2020, to launch three of the Phase VII Programs approved in the May 2, 2019 Order, with updated parameters and cost/benefit results. The Company states that, following issuance of the Commission’s May 2, 2019 Order, the Company discovered issues involving the costs for the Residential Customer Engagement Program and the projected participation levels for the Residential Thermostat (EE) Program and the Residential Thermostat (DR) Program. Accordingly, the Company did not launch those programs and requests expedited authorization of the programs in this proceeding with the revised parameters. The Company is also requesting approval of a revised five-year cost cap for the Phase VII Residential Customer Engagement Program.

The Company also seeks approval to adjust measures in the Phase VII Residential Efficient Marketplace and Residential Home Energy Assessment Programs due to recent changes in Federal legislation that allow A-line LED bulbs to be sold beyond 2019. The Company is not seeking approval of a revised cost cap for those programs.

Additionally, the Company seeks approval of a two-year extension of the existing AC Cycling Program, which is currently set to expire as of March 31, 2021.

Further, the Company requests approval of an annual update to continue three rate adjustment clauses, Riders C1A, C2A and C3A, for a Rate Year of September 1, 2020, through August 31, 2021 (“2020 Rate Year”) for recovery of: (i) 2020 Rate Year costs associated with its Phase II, Phase IV, Phase V, Phase VI and Phase VII Programs approved by the Commission in prior cases; (ii) calendar year 2018 true-up of costs associated with the Company’s approved Phase II, Phase III, Phase IV, Phase V and Phase VI Programs; (iii) calendar year 2018 true-up of costs associated with the Company’s Electric Vehicle Pilot Program, which was approved by the Commission in Case No. PUE-2011-00014; and (iv) 2020 Rate Year costs associated with the Company’s proposed Phase VIII Programs.

For Rider C1A, Dominion requests a total revenue requirement of $2,835,423. For Rider C2A, Dominion requests a total revenue requirement of $8,388,330. For Rider C3A, Dominion requests a total revenue requirement of $48,461,666. The proposed total revenue requirement for Riders C1A, C2A and C3A for the 2020 Rate Year is $59,685,418. The Company proposes a general rate of return on common equity of 9.2% for the projected revenue requirement and Monthly True-Up Adjustment for the period of January 1, 2018, through December 31, 2018. Dominion states that it is not seeking recovery of lost revenues related to energy efficiency programs at this time; however, the Company further states that it is not waiving any right to seek such lost revenues in future proceedings for the 2020 Rate Year.

If the proposed Riders C1A, C2A and C3A for the 2020 Rate Year are approved, the impact on customer bills would depend on the customer’s rate schedule and usage.

Interested persons are encouraged to review the Petition and supporting documents for the details of these and other proposals.

TAKE NOTICE that the Commission may apportion revenues among customer classes and/or design rates in a manner differing from that shown in the Petition and supporting documents and thus may adopt rates that differ from those appearing in the Company’s Petition and supporting documents.

The Commission entered an Order for Notice and Hearing that, among other things, scheduled a public hearing on April 29, 2020, at 10 a.m., in the Commission’s second floor courtroom located in the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, to receive testimony from members of the public and evidence related to the Petition from the Company, any respondents, and the Commission’s Staff. Any person desiring to testify as a public witness at this hearing should appear in the Commission’s courtroom fifteen (15) minutes prior to the starting time of the hearing and contact the Commission’s Bailiff.

The public version of the Company’s Petition, as well as the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, are available for public inspection during regular business hours at each of the Company’s business offices in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Copies also may be obtained by submitting a written request to counsel for the Company, Paul E. Pfeffer, Esquire, Dominion Resources Services, Inc., 120 Tredegar Street, RS-2, Richmond, Virginia 23219. If acceptable to the requesting party, the Company may provide the documents by electronic means.

Copies of the public version of the Petition and other documents filed in this case also are available for interested persons to review in the Commission’s Document Control Center located on the first floor of the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, between the hours of 8:15 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Interested persons also may download unofficial copies from the Commission’s website: http://www.scc.virginia.gov/case.

On or before April 22, 2020, any interested person wishing to comment on the Company’s Petition shall file written comments on the Petition with Joel H. Peck, Clerk, State Corporation Commission, c/o Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, Virginia 23218-2118. Any interested person desiring to file comments electronically may do so on or before April 22, 2020, by following the instructions on the Commission’s website: http://www.scc.virginia.gov/case. Compact disks or any other form of electronic storage medium may not be filed with the comments. All such comments shall refer to Case No. PUR-2019-00201.

On or before February 14, 2020, any person or entity wishing to participate as a respondent in this proceeding may do so by filing a notice of participation. If not filed electronically, an original and fifteen (15) copies of the notice of participation shall be submitted to the Clerk of the Commission at the address above. A copy of the notice of participation as a respondent also must be sent to counsel for the Company at the address set forth above. Pursuant to Rule 5 VAC 5-20-80 B, Participation as a respondent, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure (“Rules of Practice”), any notice of participation shall set forth: (i) a precise statement of the interest of the respondent; (ii) a statement of the specific action sought to the extent then known; and (iii) the factual and legal basis for the action. Any organization, corporation, or government body participating as a respondent must be represented by counsel as required by Rule 5 VAC 5-20-30, Counsel, of the Rules of Practice. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2019-00201.

On or before March 20, 2020, each respondent may file with the Clerk of the Commission, and serve on the Commission’s Staff, the Company, and all other respondents, any testimony and exhibits by which the respondent expects to establish its case, and each witness’s testimony shall include a summary not to exceed one page. If not filed electronically, an original and fifteen (15) copies of such testimony and exhibits shall be submitted to the Clerk of the Commission at the address above. Respondents also shall comply with the Commission’s Rules of Practice, including: 5 VAC 5-20-140, Filing and service, and 5 VAC 5-20-240, Prepared testimony and exhibits. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2019-00201.

All documents filed with the Office of the Clerk of the Commission in this docket may use both sides of the paper. In all other respects, all filings shall comply fully with the requirements of 5 VAC 5-20150, Copies and format, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice.

The Commission’s Rules of Practice may be viewed at http://www.scc.virginia.gov/case. A printed copy of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and an official copy of the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing in this proceeding may be obtained from the Clerk of the Commission at the address above.

VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY

16 • Jan. 8, 2020

The LEGACY

Calendar 1.8, 2 p.m.

State legislators are set to speak at the Monumental Justice Virginia rally at the State Capitol building plaza in Richmond.

The rally is being held in support of a bill to amend Virginia’s war memorials law to give cities and counties local control over monuments in their public spaces.

The bill will be introduced in both the House of Delegates and the Senate.

The legislation has been endorsed by organizations around the state, including Virginia First Cities and organizations in Norfolk, Richmond, Northern Virginia, Louisa, and Charlottesville.

Take ‘Em Down Cville, Monumental Justice Virginia’s Charlottesville affiliate, has chartered two buses for area residents to travel to Richmond for the rally. Interested community members (and members of the media) can sign up for bus seats via @TakeEmDownCharlottesville on Facebook or @TakeEmDownCVL on Twitter.

Tickets are $20 per seat, with free tickets available to those who need them.

1.13, 9 a.m.

For the first time, youth climate activists from the Sunrise Movement are traveling from all over the commonwealth of Virginia to convene in Richmond for a climate rally. They demand that the state be a leader in the just transition to renewable energy by supporting the Virginia Green New Deal Act, HB 77. The rally will be taking place at the Pocahontas Building.

To RSVP or learn more about the action, visit Sunrise Virginia’s Facebook page.

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES, ANNOUNCEMENTS & EVENTS

PSA

NOTICE TO CITY OF RICHMOND RESIDENTS T h e S t a t e B o a r d o f E le c t io n s h a s o r d e r e d t h a t a D e m o c r a t ic P a r t y p r e s id e n t ia l p r im a r y w ill b e h e ld o n :

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

The purpose of this election is to nominate the Democratic party candidates that will appear on the ballot in November for the offices of President and Vice President of the United States.

Any qualified resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia who will be 18 by November 3, 2020 may register and vote in this primary.

Polling places will be open for voting from 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM PHOTO ID IS NOW REQUIRED AT THE POLLS Visit www.elections.virginia.gov for details on photo ID

THE DEADLINE TO REGISTER TO VOTE IN THIS ELECTION IS: Monday, February 10, 2020 Persons with DMV issued ID CAN NOW REGISTER TO VOTE OR UPDATE their voter registration ONLINE and paperlessly at www.elections.virginia.gov.

Register in person in room 105, City Hall, 900 East Broad Street between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday, except holidays. Applications are also in all city post offices, libraries, and DMV. The Office of the General Registrar will mail applications upon request.

Voter registration applications must either be postmarked or in the Office of the General Registrar by 5 PM on the deadline date.

Applications submitted online through www.elections.virginia.gov will be accepted if submitted by 11:59 PM on February 10, 2020.

THE DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR AN ABSENTEE BALLOT THROUGH THE MAIL IS: Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Absentee voting in person will begin no later than January 17, 2020. The deadline to apply and vote an absentee ballot in person is 5:00 PM, Saturday, February 29, 2020, except in the case of certain emergencies or military personnel. In addition to its normal business hours, the Office of the General Registrar will also be open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturday, February 29, 2020 for absentee voting.

ELECTION OFFICERS NEEDED

This City of Richmond needs persons to work the polls on election day. www.elections.virginia.gov to apply.

Visit

Questions? Call 646-5950 for more information.

Submit your calendar events by email to: editor @ legacynewspaper.com.

Include the who, what, where, when & contact information that can be printed. Deadline is Friday.

The Defense Department has announced expanded commissary, Military Service Exchange and MWR, and established a standard for physical access to military installations.

Veterans and primary family caregivers who are eligible and want to take advantage of inperson benefits must have a Veterans Health Identification Card, or VHIC. Primary family caregivers must have an eligibility letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Community Care.

Veterans currently use VHICs for identification and check-in at VA appointments, but will also use them for base access under the new program.

Veterans eligible solely under this act who are eligible to obtain a VHIC must use this credential for in-person installation and privilege access.

The card must display the veteran’s eligibility status (e.g., Purple Heart, former prisoner of war or military-service connected).

Veterans eligible solely under this act who are not enrolled in or are not eligible to enroll in VA health care, or who are enrolled in VA health care, but do not possess a VHIC will not have access to DoD and Coast Guard installations for in person commissary, exchange and MWR retail privileges, but will have full access to online exchanges and American Forces Travel.

Medal of Honor recipients and veterans with 100 percent service connected disability ratings are eligible for DoD credentials under DoD policy.

For more information, call 877222-VETS (8387).

Jan. 8, 2020• 17

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

(from page 4) of marijuana possession. Steven T. Descano, the prosecutor-elect in Fairfax, said it was an issue he heard about again and again, so he decided to make it his first initiative.

“We know marijuana prosecutions do not keep our communities safe,” Descano said. “They waste money that should be going to other things that keep our community safe. They saddle people with a criminal record that’s going to negatively affect them for the rest of their life, and it has a disproportionate impact on individuals of color.”

Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring (D) also outlined a platform for criminal justice issues in a November op-ed in the VirginianPilot, saying the moment was right for ambitious changes. Herring likewise called for marijuana decriminalization, as well as expanded reentry programs for those leaving prisons and jails, and a more diverse judiciary.

“Virginia cannot have different systems and standards of justice depending on the color of a person’s skin or their wealth,” Herring wrote.

(from page 13) their workplaces, and to create conversations that awaken white employees to the workplace prejudice that their black colleagues face.

“Study after study has shown that black executives perform as well as or better than other executives but are not advanced to the highest levels,” said Skip Spriggs, president and CEO of The Executive Leadership Council, a research partner on the report. “The roadmap offered by CTI as a result of this study could make a difference because it is rooted in intentional, results-oriented actions designed to affect measurable, positive change.”

The national survey was conducted online and over the phone in June 2019 among 3,736 respondents (1,398 men, 2,317 women, and 21

Criminal justice reformers have been frustrated by the pace of change in Virginia, even as the movement has gained steam in many states across the country and at the federal level.

They have highlighted a number of concerns, including Virginia’s incarceration rate, which at 779 per 100,000 is above the national average, and the fact that black residents are three times as likely as white residents to be arrested on marijuana charges.

They also argue that the rules governing what evidence defendants can see as their cases proceed are skewed toward the prosecution.

Surovell said that over the past decade, the state Senate has passed a raft of bills aimed at making the justice system fairer but that those measures regularly died in the Republican-controlled Courts of Justice Committee in the House of Delegates.

Likewise, the Virginia Association of Commonwealth’s Attorneys (VACA), which has been dominated by tough-on-crime prosecutors and has a huge influence over criminal justice legislation, has stymied who identify as something else; 520 identify as black, 1,783 as white, 549 as Hispanic, 674 as Asian, 135 as two or more races, and 75 as another race or ethnicity) between the ages of 21 and 65 currently employed full-time or self-employed in white-collar professions, with at least a bachelor's degree. Data were weighted to be representative of the U.S. population on key demographics (age, sex, education, race/ethnicity, and census division).

The base used for statistical testing was the effective base.

The research also includes inperson focus groups and virtual focus groups with more than 150 participants; a qualitative questionnaire of nearly 200 participants; and one-on-one interviews with more than 40 people.

efforts to loosen laws, such as a 2018 push to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana.

Liberal advocates are hoping both dynamics will change. Democrats will control the Courts of Justice committees in the House and the Senate, and Descano and Arlington County’s recently elected prosecutor, Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, said they hope to soften VACA’s stances.

Both will serve on VACA’s board of directors.

Del. Rob Bell (R-Albemarle), who heads the House Courts of Justice Committee, said the new push for criminal justice reform leaves a major piece out of the equation.

“It’s striking how little attention is being paid to crime victims in some of these proposals,’ Bell said.

Bell said he was also troubled by the liberal prosecutors’ pledges to forgo marijuana possession charges.

He said that prosecutors have discretion not to pursue individual cases but that to declare they will not enforce certain statutes violates their duty to uphold the law.

Some prosecutors have faced

pushback from judges and police for declining to prosecute marijuana cases. In Virginia, officers can pursue misdemeanor marijuana cases in court, something police union officials in Arlington are discussing.

Arlington County Police Chief M. Jay Farr said that whether his department would take such a position “is really going to depend on the commonwealth’s attorney.”

He said such a policy change would have to come from his office and would not be a step he would take lightly.

“It’s not an ideal situation, and it’s certainly not one that’s conducive to us working well with our prosecutor,” Farr said. But, he noted, it is allowed under state law.

Dehghani-Tafti declined to comment on the prospect of the police taking cases to court.

Descano, too, faces head winds.

He said he will have to replace 50 percent of the staff in the office and build bridges to Fairfax County law enforcement, whose unions endorsed his opponent in November.

18 • Jan. 8, 2020

ads@legacynewspaper.com

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To see what opportunities are available, please refer to our website at www.richmondgov.com.

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PRINT & DIGITAL AD SALES EXECUTIVE

REMINDER: Deadline is Fridays @ 5 p.m.

The LEGACY is looking for a reliable, highlymotivated, 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, professional image and; Familiarity with Richmond and/or Hampton Roads areas.

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.

The LEGACY

Jan. 8, 2020• 19

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

AUCTIONS ATTN. AUCTIONEERS: Advertise your upcoming auctions statewide or in other states. Affordable Print and Digital Solutions reaching your target audiences. Call this paper or Landon Clark at Virginia Press Services 804-521-7576, landonc@vpa.net EDUCATION/CAREER TRAINING AIRLINES ARE HIRING – Get FAA approved hands on Aviation training. Financial aid for qualified students - Career placement assistance. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance SCHEV certified 877-204- 4130 HELP WANTED / DRIVERS Need CDL Drivers? Advertise your JOB OPENINGS statewide or in other states. Affordable Print and Digital Solutions to reach truck drivers. Call Landon Clark at Virginia Press Services 804521-7576, landonc@vpa.net REAL ESTATE FOR SALE ATTN. REALTORS: Advertise your listings regionally or statewide. Affordable Print and Digital Solutions that get results!

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If you are our advertiser, relax. We are audited by Circulation Verification Council. We spend a lot of money to keep our distribution system in top condition, and to assure our advertisers that they are indeed getting what they’re paying for.

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We contract with CVC to “provide reports that accurately convey complete and timely circulation information.” CVC conducts both field audits and a yearly internal audit.

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