In early 2012, the Martinsville/Henry County Chapter grew out of opposition to the voter suppression bills in the General Assembly. After celebrating the defeat of the worst of the proposals, the chapter committed itself to register new voters and make sure that everyone was aware of the new voter ID requirements by reaching out to schools, churches, and neighborhoods in the region.
Since then, the Martinsville/Henry County Chapter has won Ban the Box campaigns in both the city and county. Our local governments have removed barriers to employment for returning citizens! In 2016, chapter leaders successfully moved Martinsville City Council to pass a resolution in support of non-partisan redistricting. In 2018, Virginia Organizing won Medicaid expansion, extending health care coverage to 400,000 Virginians. The Martinsville/Henry County Chapter has also worked on issues of health care reform at the state and national level and education issues at the local level.
In 2019, the chapter started an environmental justice campaign. We have organized a workshop, community meeting, and week of action to bring people into our work. We’d love to see you at our next local meeting!
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