Richmond, Va. – In response to the Democrats winning both houses of the General Assembly yesterday, Virginia Organizing’s chairperson, Del McWhorter, released the following statement,

“Virginia Organizing members recognize that after every election we have to go to work to convince our delegates and senators to take action for justice once they get to Richmond. We work to make the issues that affect our members a priority. This year is no different. A new General Assembly will meet in January, and we want them to work on the following:

1. “Fund programs to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline in our public schools. Restorative justice, more access to training, and equitable funding will help break the cycle that hurts so many of our children, especially African American boys, students with disabilities, and LGBTQ students.
    
2. “Stop the targeting of immigrants and people of color by the criminal justice system. There are many steps necessary to complete this goal, but one way to begin would be to allow all Virginians to apply for driver’s licenses regardless of immigration status.
    
3. “Take concrete steps forward on environmental justice in order to fight climate change in a way that is equitable and addresses Virginia’s history of systemic racism by polluters and utility companies.

“There are many other progressive goals that we also support, but these three are vital to our mission to dismantle institutional racism in the Commonwealth. 2020 will be our 25th anniversary as an organization fighting racism in Virginia, and we are hopeful that the new leadership in the General Assembly will move these issues forward. We will keep organizing to build power for a more just Virginia.”

To ask questions or arrange an interview with Del McWhorter, please contact Rosemary Gould at rosemary@virginia-organizing.org or 434-962-7261.