By BENNETT MINTON, published in Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)
A series of textbooks written for the fourth, seventh and 11th grades taught a generation of Virginians our state's history. Chapter 29 of the seventh-grade edition, titled "How the Negroes Lived Under Slavery," included these sentences: "A feeling of strong affection existed between masters and slaves in a majority of Virginia homes." The masters "knew the best way to control their slaves was to win their confidence and affection."
Minton, a policy analyst, blogger and grass-roots political organizer, was a Virginia resident until 2018. He lives in Portland, Ore.
By ROBERT F. CANOVA, published in Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
It is understandable that Christopher Columbus monuments would be erected in locations that have a direct relationship with him. In Italy, the country of his birth, there are 45 Columbus monuments and plaques, mostly in the Genoa area. In Spain, the flag under which he sailed to the New World, there are 67. There are 39 in the West Indies, where Columbus set foot in the New World. But there are 95 monuments, 21 plaques, 3 markers and 40 other commemorations to Columbus in the United States, a location with no geographical relationship to him.
Canova is President of Italian-American Heritage Club of Roanoke
By ROBERT M. MCNAB, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
As Virginians debate whether public schools should reopen, options usually are discussed in stark terms: reopen or remain closed. Data, however, provides insights into the costs and benefits of reopening. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 244 Americans between the ages of 0 and 24 died from COVID-19 as of July 25.
McNab is a professor of economics and director of the Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy at Old Dominion University.
By SARAH TURNER, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
Anyone who follows the world of selective college admissions knows the disruptions caused by COVID-19 have included a near-universal shift away from mandatory submission of SAT or ACT scores. The move was driven by practical difficulties administering tests during a pandemic. And it has been applauded by some as a breakthrough that will increase opportunities for low-income applicants to top colleges and universities. But will it?
Turner is a professor of economics and education at the University of Virginia.
By SIMON P. SIBELMAN, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
A native of Richmond, I have watched as the national mood has led to transformations on Monument Avenue. Gone from this elegant boulevard are all but one of the of the Confederate figures. Kirk Savage proposed: "A public monument represents a kind of collective recognition — in short, legitimacy — for the memory deposited there." What collective memory had been deposited in those statues: a uniform message, or did they communicate differently to varying constituencies?
Sibelman was executive director of the Virginia Holocaust Museum; professor emeritus in French and Holocaust studies at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh; and director of the Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies at Appalachian State University
By PATRICK HOPE, ALAN ROWSOME, AND DAVID PERRY, published in Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
As our nation grapples with the racial injustice that has marked this country for far too long, one issue that deserves more attention is the discrimination and inequality that prevents land ownership opportunities for people of color. During the 2020 Virginia General Assembly session, a bipartisan group of legislators took an important step towards rectifying this considerable problem by championing the provisions of the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act.
Hope represents the 47th district in the Virginia House of Delegates. He is a Democrat from Arlington County. Rowsome is executive director of the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust. Perry is executive director of the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy.
By JIM CARROLL, published in Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
In big cities, small towns, and the suburbs in between, thousands of Americans who struggle with the disease of addiction are finding new life in an unexpected place: the courtroom. Even in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic, drug courts are a powerful tool for leading Americans with a substance use disorder to health, stability, and recovery. Operating on the front lines of the addiction crisis, drug courts are also an invaluable resource for law enforcement and the many community partners impacted by drug use and related crime. In Southwest Virginia, the drug court model is changing lives through the Montgomery County Adult Drug Court program.
Carroll is the Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy
By GORDON C. MORSE, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
We're changing names in Virginia, purging personalities, banishing statues, rewriting history on the fly — an illuminating rationale thus far unavailing. Thomas Paine, wrote a response in 1791 to Edmund Burke's notably unenthusiastic comments on the French Revolution and said, "I know a place in America called Point-no-Point; because as you proceed along the shore, gay and flowery … it continually recedes and presents itself at a distance ahead; and when you have got as far as you can go, there is no point at all."
Morse began his writing career with the Daily Press editorial page in 1983, then moved across the water to write opinion for The Virginian-Pilot. He later joined the administration of Gerald L. Baliles as the governor's speechwriter and special assistant.
By MICHAEL ALLEN, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
Recently we experienced one of the warmest periods in Hampton Roads recorded history, culminating with four consecutive 100-degree days. Norfolk International set new records for maximum temperature on July 19, July 21 and July 28 (102°F) and observed a new maximum overnight temperature on July 20 (82°F). It was hot! Heat waves impact our health. In the United States, more people die due to heat-related issues that any other weather-related hazard.
Allen is an associate professor, climate scientist and Geography Program Director at Old Dominion University.
By TONY BROTHERS, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)
In my 25 years as a referee in the NBA, I have seen many plays that pushed teams to victory. In the same way, philanthropy is a game changer for communities in need. During Black Philanthropy Month in August, I continue my commitment to giving back to important causes I care about — education, underserved men and mentoring. I encourage you to do the same with whatever you feel passionate about.
Brothers is a referee in the National Basketball Association. He lives in Norfolk and is actively involved in philanthropy and the community.
By LARRY STIMPERT, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
Nearly five months ago, the world turned upside down for more than 16 million undergraduates as colleges and universities across the country shifted from in-person to remote instruction for the remainder of the spring semester. Now, as we approach the start of another academic year, many schools are announcing that they will be holding classes remotely again this fall. And while the factors behind these decisions vary by institution, they illustrate the contrast between large and small institutions, and their educational approaches.
Stimpert is the president of Hampden-Sydney College.
By DANNY TK AVULA AND JASON KAMRAS, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)
Health and safety always must come first. That's why Richmond Public Schools (RPS) — along with many other school divisions around the commonwealth — decided to begin the academic year virtually. But closing school buildings only will protect our children from COVID-19 in one setting. It will do nothing to address the many injustices that children of color and low-income children faced prepandemic — injustices that only have become more devastating since March.
Danny TK Avula, M.D., is the director of the Richmond and Henrico Health Departments. Jason Kamras is superintendent of Richmond Public Schools.
By PETER GALUSZKA, published in Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)
After years of struggle, the Rev. Paul Wilson, a Baptist pastor and funeral home director who lives near the historically African American community of Union Hill in rural Buckingham County, could not believe the news on July 5. The Atlantic Coast Pipeline, an $8 billion natural gas project led by Richmond-based Dominion Energy, had planned a noisy natural gas compressor on 68 acres of land at Union Hill. Pipeline partners had decided to give up. " 'Happy' is not the proper word. I was more than elated," said Wilson, whose efforts against the project meant 20 to 30 hours of work each week.
Galuszka is a freelance writer in Chesterfield, Va.
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