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Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Virginia probe into Black communities' displacement surges forward with infusion of funds
Nannie Ruth Johnson stands next to her mother, Ellen Williams Francis, in Nannie's yard on Shoe Lane — property that was part of a historically Black community in Newport News, where families were ultimately displaced to make way for Christopher Newport University. (Photo courtesy of James Johnson) This story first appeared on the Virginia Mercury. As more states reckon with the history of Black land loss, the Virginia General Assembly has been taking a rare, state-sanctioned approach: formally examining how the creation or expansion of public university campuses has displaced Black communities. A 19-member legislative commission met last month, its first convening since a mandatory hiatus during the 2025 legislative session was lifted. Enacted last year, the commission received an additional $200,000 in the state budget signed by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin in May, a major bump from the $28,760 it was initially allocated. As it prepares to enter its second year, the group is poised to deliver Virginia's only known comprehensive statewide examination to date of how public universities displaced Black communities — and what forms of redress may be appropriate. In Newport News, a separate task force has also been working since last year to address the displacement of a once-thriving Black neighborhood that was usurped to make way for Christopher Newport University. The neighborhood, enclosed by Shoe Lane and three other streets, was home to several generations of families who were forced to move when an all-white city council voted to seize a large portion of the area through eminent domain in the 1960s, paving the way for the school's construction. The university's expansion over time led to the acquisition of remaining homes. Today, only five remain. The local response to probe this history, running parallel to the state-level work, is led by the city and university and has laid bare ongoing tensions among some impacted residents of the neighborhood and their descendants. The community members have raised integrity questions about the task force's work, and frustrations remain high for some who say they are still waiting for the impact of their displacement to be fully acknowledged and addressed. 'We've done this before, time and time again,' said Angela Mickel, one of several attendees of a March documentary screening and discussion on Black community displacement, who expressed frustration toward public officials over long-term inaction on the issue. Like others in attendance, Mickel said she felt formal recognition of the community's complete loss was long overdue. 'We have many stories that we need to tell, and Newport News needs to reconcile with its own history.' While Virginia's state commission and the Newport News task force have indicated that engagement with impacted residents will be critical to their work, both are still navigating how best to do so. At the state level, the legislative commission has created a subcommittee focused on African American displacement in Virginia. When they reconvened in May, members adopted a formal work plan outlining how the commission will gather input from those directly affected by university expansion. That could include in-person public hearings, virtual comment periods, or an online platform for submitting written testimony. 'This particular work is pivotal to the work of the committee,' said Del. Karen Keys-Gamarra, D-Fairfax, who suggested that outside experts — not legislators themselves — take the lead on organizing and facilitating community engagement. 'I would not assume that the legislators would be responsible for that … that would speak to the level of integrity of the work that comes out of that committee.' All four subcommittees — tasked with conducting research, liaising with universities, documenting community displacement, and exploring forms of relief — have meetings scheduled through the summer and fall, with the goal of presenting recommendations for the full commission to consider ahead of the 2026 legislative session. Commission Chair Del. Delores McQuinn, D-Richmond, expressed optimism about the direction of the work, particularly with the additional funding recently approved by the General Assembly. 'We are moving in the direction of and the process of acknowledging history, and listening to those who have been impacted, and seeking a pathway toward healing and repair,' she said. A date for a public forum is still being determined in Newport News, where the city-university task force formed in April 2024 has faced criticism over limited transparency and slow outreach — largely due to lack of public access to its meetings and sporadic updates on its progress. The task force has said outreach to families is ongoing, though members have also acknowledged that coordinating those meetings has taken longer than expected. In a February city council work session, as members raised questions about the task force's outreach efforts, the group's co-chair, Vice Mayor Curtis Bethany, said the group wanted to prepare before beginning 'full-blown' outreach, calling the issue 'extremely sensitive' and noting task force members didn't want to approach the community with a 'half-baked pie.' Public remarks from at least one task force member have indicated that the impending public meeting would involve gathering community feedback. 'We want to get the input from the citizens, from the families that lived on Shoe Lane, and from other families that grew up in Newport News,' said task force member Councilman Cleon Long at the March event. As Newport News formally examines the impact of university expansion on Black families, stories of similar displacement are reemerging from other parts of the state. Adrienne Jackson-Franklin said her father, Otis, was young when her grandparents were among those forced to relocate when Longwood University in Farmville expanded into a bordering Black community in the mid-20th century. Former residents and locals in the area recall that the university cleared community blocks in phases to build dorms and academic buildings, displacing many families by threatening or using eminent domain. 'You lose friends, you lose connections, you now have to rebuild, and it's almost like starting over,' Jackson said. She told the Virginia Mercury that she'd be willing to speak with the commission and believes it's important that the state group address generational 'deep-seated trauma' that may exist among families impacted by the displacement. Lamberts Point, a once-thriving middle-class Black community in Hampton Roads, was partially razed in the 1960s and '70s to make way for a branch campus of the college of William & Mary — now the main campus of Old Dominion University (ODU) in Norfolk. Thomas Harris, a longtime resident who moved to the area in the 1970s, said he has worked with remaining neighbors to address the continuing impacts of the expansion. 'I think they should have a whole lot to say about it,' Harris said of displaced families. 'It tore up their homes. It tore up their families—they had to leave and go somewhere else to start all over again.' Longwood and Old Dominion have both said they have worked to improve relationships with communities impacted by their expansion. Longwood pledged to end its use of eminent domain for campus expansion in 2004, according to a spokesperson. ODU offers financial support for Lamberts Point residents admitted to the university, including scholarships either specifically for neighborhood residents or those that prioritize them. Across the country, efforts to reckon with university-led displacement of communities of color vary. Davarian Baldwin, a historian and urban studies scholar, said Virginia's statewide investigation stands out nationally as few other states have sanctioned similar examining bodies. 'In my research I haven't heard of another one,' Baldwin said. 'There could be commissions in almost every state in the union (but) a reparations commission around urban renewal is singular.' Baldwin co-founded the Renewal Project, a national network launched in 2022 to support local responses to campus-related displacement, including efforts in states like Kentucky and Colorado. In both states, impacted residents are directly involved to some degree in reconciliation efforts. Descendants of the displaced Jonesville community in south Kentucky sit on a reconciliation workgroup led by Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, which was established in 2022 to identify ways to address the lasting impacts of the neighborhood's destruction in the 1960s. In Denver, descendants of a Latino community displaced from the former Auraria neighborhood in the 1970s hold the majority of seats on a nine-member council formed last year comprising representatives from several universities involved in the original displacement, including the University of Colorado Denver. The council oversees the future use of homes and a church that were saved from demolition, now part of a historic park. The months ahead may bring key developments in both the state and local investigation. In addition to the impending public forum, members of the Newport News task force have publicly said a website could launch this spring or summer to make their research findings publicly accessible. At the May meeting, the commission was still working to acquire responses to a survey it distributed this winter to most of the state's 45 public institutions of higher education listed by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV). The survey included several questions about campus expansion, including queries on schools' knowledge of displacement in Black communities. The Virginia Mercury polled the 15 four-year public institutions and 23 community colleges on that list. A majority said they had responded or planned to respond to the commission's survey, including Christopher Newport, Longwood and Old Dominion University. McQuinn said she expects the additional funding received from the amended budget will allow the commission to bring in more resources which could support the subcommittees work including hiring consultants or, if needed, project managers. 'One of the reasons that we were not able to make as much progress as I think we needed to make was because there was limited funds,' McQuinn said. 'The additional dollars are going to be essential in us feeling that the outcome (is) something that is worthy of the community.' Davarian Baldwin, a historian and urban studies scholar, outlined figurative and tangible acts of repair universities, the state and localities could enact as they address the long-term impact of Black community displacement statewide. Repair for property-impacted residents could take structural forms such as: direct payments to affected families; scholarships for descendants of those displaced; community development initiatives like affordable housing and community centers; and Community Benefit Agreements ensuring job training and procuring contracts from small businesses. Given that universities are often property tax-exempt, an alternative approach could involve redirecting Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) directly to affected communities rather than the city. Commemorative efforts could include integrating the community's history into university curricula; placing historical markers; renaming buildings; and other forms of public recognition that acknowledge the past while fostering ongoing community engagement. Editor's note: This story was produced in partnership with Columbia Journalism School's Spencer Education Journalism Fellowship program. Reporter Brandi Kellam is a member of the 2025-2026 class of Spencer fellows. Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a national nonprofit news organization. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State probe into Black communities' displacement surges forward with infusion of funds
Nannie Ruth Johnson stands next to her mother, Ellen Williams Francis, in Nannie's yard on Shoe Lane—property that was part of a historically Black community in Newport News, where families were ultimately displaced to make way for Christopher Newport University. (Photo courtesy of James Johnson) As more states reckon with the history of Black land loss, the Virginia General Assembly has been taking a rare, state-sanctioned approach: formally examining how the creation or expansion of public university campuses has displaced Black communities. A 19-member legislative commission met last month, its first convening since a mandatory hiatus during the 2025 legislative session was lifted. Enacted last year, the commission received an additional $200,000 in the state budget signed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin in May, a major bump from the $28,760 it was initially allocated. As it prepares to enter its second year, the group is poised to deliver Virginia's only known comprehensive statewide examination to date of how public universities displaced Black communities — and what forms of redress may be appropriate. In Newport News, a separate task force has also been working since last year to address the displacement of a once-thriving Black neighborhood that was usurped to make way for Christopher Newport University. The neighborhood, enclosed by Shoe Lane and three other streets, was home to several generations of families who were forced to move when an all-white city council voted to seize a large portion of the area through eminent domain in the 1960s, paving the way for the school's construction. The university's expansion over time led to the acquisition of remaining homes. Today, only five remain. The local response to probe this history, running parallel to the state-level work, is led by the city and university and has laid bare ongoing tensions among some impacted residents of the neighborhood and their descendants. The community members have raised integrity questions about the task force's work, and frustrations remain high for some who say they are still waiting for the impact of their displacement to be fully acknowledged and addressed. 'We've done this before, time and time again,' said Angela Mickel, one of several attendees of a March documentary screening and discussion on Black community displacement, who expressed frustration towards public officials over long-term inaction on the issue. Like others in attendance, Mickel said she felt formal recognition of the community's complete loss was long overdue. 'We have many stories that we need to tell, and Newport News needs to reconcile with its own history.' While Virginia's state commission and the Newport News task force have indicated that engagement with impacted residents will be critical to their work, both are still navigating how best to do so. At the state level, the legislative commission has created a subcommittee focused on African American displacement in Virginia. When they reconvened in May, members adopted a formal work plan outlining how the commission will gather input from those directly affected by university expansion. That could include in-person public hearings, virtual comment periods, or an online platform for submitting written testimony. 'This particular work is pivotal to the work of the committee,' said Del. Karen Keys-Gamarra, D-Fairfax, who suggested that outside experts — not legislators themselves — take the lead on organizing and facilitating community engagement. 'I would not assume that the legislators would be responsible for that … that would speak to the level of integrity of the work that comes out of that committee.' All four subcommittees — tasked with conducting research, liaising with universities, documenting community displacement, and exploring forms of relief — have meetings scheduled through the summer and fall, with the goal of presenting recommendations for the full commission to consider ahead of the 2026 legislative session. Commission Chair Del. Delores McQuinn, D-Richmond, expressed optimism about the direction of the work, particularly with the additional funding recently approved by the General Assembly. 'We are moving in the direction of and the process of acknowledging history, and listening to those who have been impacted, and seeking a pathway toward healing and repair,' she said. A date for a public forum is still being determined in Newport News, where the city-university task force formed in April 2024 has faced criticism over limited transparency and slow outreach — largely due to lack of public access to its meetings and sporadic updates on its progress. The task force has said outreach to families is ongoing, though members have also acknowledged that coordinating those meetings has taken longer than expected. In a February city council work session, as members raised questions about the task force's outreach efforts, the group's co-chair, Vice Mayor Curtis Bethany, said the group wanted to prepare before beginning 'full-blown' outreach, calling the issue 'extremely sensitive' and noting task force members didn't want to approach the community with a 'half-baked pie.' Public remarks from at least one task force member have indicated that the impending public meeting would involve gathering community feedback. 'We want to get the input from the citizens, from the families that lived on Shoe Lane, and from other families that grew up in Newport News,' said task force member Councilman Cleon Long at the March event. As Newport News formally examines the impact of university expansion on Black families, stories of similar displacement are reemerging from other parts of the state. Adrienne Jackson-Franklin said her father, Otis, was young when her grandparents were among those forced to relocate when Longwood University in Farmville expanded into a bordering Black community in the mid-20th century. Former residents and locals in the area recall that the university cleared community blocks in phases to build dorms and academic buildings, displacing many families by threatening or using eminent domain. 'You lose friends, you lose connections, you now have to rebuild, and it's almost like starting over,' Jackson said. She told the Virginia Mercury that she'd be willing to speak with the commission and believes it's important that the state group address generational 'deep-seated trauma' that may exist among families impacted by the displacement. Lamberts Point, a once-thriving middle-class Black community in Hampton Roads, was partially razed in the 1960s and '70s to make way for a branch campus of the college of William & Mary — now the main campus of Old Dominion University (ODU) in Norfolk. Thomas Harris, a longtime resident who moved to the area in the 1970s, said he has worked with remaining neighbors to address the continuing impacts of the expansion. 'I think they should have a whole lot to say about it,' Harris said of displaced families. 'It tore up their homes. It tore up their families—they had to leave and go somewhere else to start all over again.' Longwood and Old Dominion have both said they have worked to improve relationships with communities impacted by their expansion. Longwood pledged to end its use of eminent domain for campus expansion in 2004, according to a spokesperson. ODU offers financial support for Lamberts Point residents admitted to the university, including scholarships either specifically for neighborhood residents or those that prioritize them. Across the country, efforts to reckon with university-led displacement of communities of color vary. Davarian Baldwin, a historian and urban studies scholar, said Virginia's statewide investigation stands out nationally as few other states have sanctioned similar examining bodies. 'In my research I haven't heard of another one,' Baldwin said. 'There could be commissions in almost every state in the union (but) a reparations commission around urban renewal is singular.' Baldwin co-founded the Renewal Project, a national network launched in 2022 to support local responses to campus-related displacement, including efforts in states like Kentucky and Colorado. In both states, impacted residents are directly involved to some degree in reconciliation efforts. Descendants of the displaced Jonesville community in south Kentucky sit on a reconciliation workgroup led by Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, which was established in 2022 to identify ways to address the lasting impacts of the neighborhood's destruction in the 1960s. In Denver, descendants of a Latino community displaced from the former Auraria neighborhood in the 1970s hold the majority of seats on a nine-member council formed last year comprising representatives from several universities involved in the original displacement, including the University of Colorado Denver. The council oversees the future use of homes and a church that were saved from demolition, now part of a historic park. The months ahead may bring key developments in both the state and local investigation. In addition to the impending public forum, members of the Newport News task force have publicly said a website could launch this spring or summer to make their research findings publicly accessible. At the May meeting, the commission was still working to acquire responses to a survey it distributed this winter to most of the state's 45 public institutions of higher education listed by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV). The survey included several questions about campus expansion, including queries on schools' knowledge of displacement in Black communities. The Virginia Mercury polled the 15 four-year public institutions and 23 community colleges on that list. A majority said they had responded or planned to respond to the commission's survey, including Christopher Newport, Longwood and Old Dominion University. McQuinn said she expects the additional funding received from the amended budget will allow the commission to bring in more resources which could support the subcommittees work including hiring consultants or, if needed, project managers. 'One of the reasons that we were not able to make as much progress as I think we needed to make was because there was limited funds,' McQuinn said. 'The additional dollars are going to be essential in us feeling that the outcome (is) something that is worthy of the community.' Davarian Baldwin, a historian and urban studies scholar, outlined figurative and tangible acts of repair universities, the state and localities could enact as they address the long-term impact of Black community displacement statewide. Repair for property-impacted residents could take structural forms such as: direct payments to affected families; scholarships for descendants of those displaced; community development initiatives like affordable housing and community centers; and Community Benefit Agreements ensuring job training and procuring contracts from small businesses. Given that universities are often property tax-exempt, an alternative approach could involve redirecting Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) directly to affected communities rather than the city. Commemorative efforts could include integrating the community's history into university curricula; placing historical markers; renaming buildings; and other forms of public recognition that acknowledge the past while fostering ongoing community engagement. This story was produced in partnership with Columbia Journalism School's Spencer Education Journalism Fellowship program. Reporter Brandi Kellam is a member of the 2025-2026 class of Spencer fellows. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
So long, weatherman: Patrick Rockey, longtime WTKR meteorologist, retires after more than 20 years
It was a ruined vacation back in 1972 that led Patrick Rockey to meteorology. Rockey, a Hampton Roads native, was with his family at Lake Gaston in North Carolina when the remnants of Hurricane Agnes arrived. The campground quickly became a mess, he said, so the trip was cut short. On the way home to Northern Virginia, they couldn't go through Richmond due to heavy flooding. 'It was weird and crazy,' Rockey said of the trip. 'I remember seeing a lot of things and kind of being fascinated by it. I think that's what started my fascination with weather, and I started paying a lot more attention to it. It wasn't like that light-bulb moment saying, 'I want to be a meteorologist,' but eventually I got there.' Now, after more than two decades at WTKR News 3, Rockey is preparing to hang up his weatherman hat Friday. Rockey was born at Fort Eustis, and after graduating from Christopher Newport University, he continued with grad school at Murray State in Kentucky. He worked as a reporter at a local TV station before moving to South Carolina, where he took a stab at meteorology. After completing the broadcast meteorology program at Mississippi State, he took on weather full-time. 'When a job at the television station that you watched as a kid in your hometown opens up, you go for it,' Rockey said about moving back to Hampton Roads. 'So the job came open, and I jumped on it when it was offered at Channel 3. I was on mornings. I was a morning meteorologist for seven years and then moved to the evenings as the chief for more than 15 now.' Over the course of his career, Rockey has walked Hampton Roads through its most extreme weather events, including excessive heat, winter storms, tornadoes, hurricanes and flooding. His first was Hurricane Isabel, a monster of a storm that caused major damage across the region and left many without power for days. Rockey started in December 2002, and Isabel made landfall the following September. 'I remember trying to track down a wind-up alarm clock to be able to wake up,' Rockey said. 'Because I was on the morning show, I'd have to wake up at 1:30 in the morning. So I had a wind-up alarm clock and then I would go to the station which had power and a shower. Obviously, I can't complain too much about that, because people literally lost homes or were out of their homes for years and years after Isabel. It left a lot of scars here.' While he is looking forward to the vacation time, Rockey said his co-workers at the station over the years and WTKR's viewers were what kept him coming back. He even worked with Ed Hughes, a longtime local TV journalist monikered 'The Walter Cronkite of Hampton Roads.' 'Television (has) its perks and (like) everything it has its downsides,' Rockey said. 'We're there when people are at home, you know? There are bad shifts, and you work holidays and that kind of thing. So I think I wouldn't continue doing it if we didn't work with just wonderful people.' After Friday evening's show, Patrick said he is looking forward to more free time to be with family and to take trips across the United States. WTKR News 3 has announced a successor for Rockey, as well. David Aldrich, a decades-long veteran of meteorology, will take the reins as chief meteorologist. 'I'll probably be chilling out for right at the beginning (of retirement),' he said. 'We plan on taking all kinds of trips. I've signed up for all the emails for cruises and all different kinds of things, and we're trying to figure out what we want to do and where and what we want to see. I think at some point it may be just a big West Coast road trip. I would love to see Yellowstone and everything in Utah. That might be amazing, especially for meteorologists.' Eliza Noe,
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NN Mayor Phillip Jones to deliver State of the City address
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) – Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones is set to deliver the annual State of the City address Thursday evening. The address is scheduled to take place starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Ferguson Center for the Arts at Christopher Newport University. The theme for 2025's address is 'Our City. Our Story. Our Moment.' Jones will be joined alongside former mayors Barry E. Duval, Mckinely L. Price and Joseph C. Ritchie, where they will discuss the city's accomplishments from the previous year, ongoing projects and shared goals for the future of the city. The address will be livestreamed on the city's website for those who cannot attend in person. Individual tickets to attend in person start at $55. For more information on the address or for getting tickets, contact Allie Carson via email at allie@ or via phone at 757-325-8157. Continue to check for updates. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Red Sand Project in NN symbolizes filling community gaps to stop human trafficking
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — January is recognized as National Human Trafficking Awareness Month. As part of the fight, the Newport News Commissioner of the Revenue and Christopher Newport University announced the 2nd Annual Operation Breakthrough: A Red Sand Project Installation. The Red Sand Project consists of pouring red sand into sidewalk cracks, symbolizing the effort to 'fill societal gaps where human trafficking thrives.' The event will take place on Thursday, Jan. 30, at Christopher Newport University. Participating organizations will share resources, insights and steps to combat human trafficking. Community involvement is critical to amplifying this message and creating meaningful change. Event Details:Location: Christopher Newport UniversityDate: Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025Set-Up Time: 11 a.m. to 12:30 Time: 12:30-1:30 p.m. Confirmed participating organizations include: Fear 2 Freedom Freekind VCAHT Transitions Family Violence Services Survivor Ventures Just Free International Newport News Police Department The Center for Sexual Assault Survivors 'As Commissioner of the Revenue, I firmly believe that protecting all taxpayers shouldn't wait until they're in the midst of a crisis like human trafficking. During National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, we are reminded that every taxpayer is an investor and stakeholder in our economy, deserving of respect, support, and proactive advocacy—not treated as criminals or afterthoughts. This event highlights the importance of community collaboration in ensuring dignity and justice for all,' said Tiffany M. Boyle, Newport News Commissioner of the Revenue. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
