VCC Magazine Spring 2019

Reflections from Delegate Delores L. McQuinn on HJ 617 HJ 617 designates 2019 as “the Year of Reconciliation and Civility” in Virginia. It is my sincere hope that this Resolution, coupled with HJ 38 (which passed in 2018) will create a paradigm shift for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Both Resolutions provide a platform for public awareness and transformational change that will help bridge the racial divide and will build a unified and stronger Virginia. The racial unrest and violence in Charlottesville (Aug. 2017), prompted me to patron HJ 38 - “ I am my brother’s and sister’s keeper” during the 2018 Legislative Session. This 2019 Resolution, HJ 617 was pre-filed on January 3, 2019 and was a logical next step to continue to raise awareness for the need for reconciliation and civility in Virginia. I have spent my entire adult life as a public servant, seeking truth and reconciliation, while standing up for equality and justice for those who have been marginalized and under-served. My personal quest for truth and reconciliation, however, started when I was much younger. Growing up in a segregated neighborhood during “Jim Crowe” and “Massive Resistance” in Virginia taught me many valuable lessons on how to deal with discrimination and inequities that were legislated and enforced by the government. Over the years my dedication to achieving truth and reconciliation has been continuously shaped and re-defined. My commitment is grounded in biblical principles, taught by family values and enlightened by life experiences. Research that has been compiled over the years, has helped to guide and drive my efforts to achieve genuine reconciliation. My personal journey toward reconciliation has taken me to South Africa, where I participated in the hard work of seeking truth and reconciliation in that country after apartheid was deconstructed. It has taken me on the Richmond Slave Trail, where I experienced a life changing revelation of spiritual connection with my enslaved ancestors. It has taken me on a mission to help develop, construct and install the Richmond Slavery Reconciliation Statue, which represents the notorious slave trade triangle between the City of Liverpool in England, the Republic of Benin in West Africa and the City of Richmond in Virginia. Since 2018, in partnership with former Governor McDonnell and the other volunteer members of the Virginians for Reconciliation Task Force, I have continued to work diligently to provide public awareness and education in search of practical solutions for reconciliation in Virginia. Let us all continue to search for truth, acknowledge truth and stand up for truth, as we attempt to achieve true reconciliation in our great Commonwealth and Nation…not just this year…but, every year!

Editor’s Note: This resolution was introduced by Delegate Delores McQuinn BEFORE the events of February 1, 2019. Its origin is the awareness that this year marks 400 years of the first enslaved Africans arriving in Virginia. Year of Reconciliation and Civility 01/01/2019 WHEREAS , the Declaration of Independence acknowledges that all people have inalienable rights endowed by their Creator, and the United States Constitution guarantees equal protection under the law; and WHEREAS , these spiritual, political, and economic truths are fundamental American guarantees, but they are not fully realized in every community; and WHEREAS , the first enslaved Africans arrived in Virginia, the epicenter of the American slave trade, the home of the Confederacy, and in 2017, the site of a violent, deadly protest held by white supremacists in Charlottesville; however, the Commonwealth has also been the home of trailblazing civil rights leaders; and WHEREAS , Virginians for Reconciliation is a citizen volunteer group formed to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the country’s first enslaved Africans arriving in Virginia in August 1619 and to reflect upon Virginia’s role in the enslavement of African Americans; and WHEREAS ,Virginians for Reconciliation will host a series of events to help participants understand and accept the hard truths that exist in an ethnically diverse America, and support an improved dynamic in which people of different races can have a healthier dialogue and work more closely together to advance the common good; and WHEREAS , Virginians for Reconciliation will partner with American Evolution, which will also commemorate key historical events that took place in Virginia in 1619 through a series of exhibitions, educational programs, and cultural festivals; and WHEREAS , Virginians have a unique opportunity in 2019 to accelerate the healing of racial divisions by acknowledging their depth and by developing solutions that move the nation toward unity and reconciliation economically, socially, and legally; and WHEREAS , all Virginians are encouraged to observe the Year of Reconciliation and Civility by raising awareness and taking steps to promote a more equal, just, and civil society in America; NOW, THEREFORE , I, Ralph S. Northam, do hereby recognize 2019 as the YEAR OF RECONCILIATION AND CIVILITY in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA , and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.

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chipdicks @ gentrylocke.com 804.225.5507 gentrylocke.com/chip CHIP DICKS Legislative Counsel

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V irginia C apitol C onnections , S pring 2019

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