DOCSLIB.ORG

Contacts: Robyn Mcdougle, Ph.D. – Faculty Director, Office of Public

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Contacts: Robyn Mcdougle, Ph.D. – Faculty Director, Office of Public Contacts: Robyn McDougle, Ph.D. – Faculty Director, Farrah Stone Graham, Ph.D. – Survey Director Office of Public Policy Outreach (804) 305-3447 or [email protected] (804) 827-3290 or [email protected] Almost half of Virginians want Confederate monuments left in place, remainder split on actions RICHMOND, Va. (Jan. 9, 2018) — Virginians are split over what course of action to take with Confederate monuments, according to a new poll by the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University. A plurality of 49 percent of adult state residents favor leaving Confederate statues in place as they are, while 46 percent favor some type of change. But those supporting changes are far from united — 23 percent of those surveyed favor moving the statues to museums, 13 percent favor adding context in the current location such as additional signage, and 10 percent favor removing the statues, according to the Winter 2017-18 Public Policy Poll conducted by the Wilder Shool’s Offie of Puli Poli Outreah. For comparison, exit polls conducted by The Washington Post folloig Virgiia’s Noeer gubernatorial election that offered only two response options showed 57 percent of Virginians wanting monuments to stay in place and 39 percent supporting removal. Ma sures hae sipl asked folks hether the faor ouets eig reoed or left i plae, said Ro MDougle, Ph.D., diretor of the Offie of Puli Poli Outreah. Proidig respodets additional options that range between those two choices gives policymakers important information about the nuances of public opinion on the issue. Our poll shows that a portion of each side on the issue would prefer options like additional signage in their current loatio or reoal to a useu. The poll, a random sample of 788 adults in Virginia conducted by landline and cell telephone from Dec. 8- 26, has a margin of error of 3.49 percentage points. Significant differences of perspective exist along key demographic categories with Republicans, white respondents, those with a high school diploma or less of education, and those age 65 and older significantly more likely to favor leaving monuments in place. Figure 1: Geographic regions referenced: Northern Virginia (light blue); Northwest (purple); West (green); South Central (yellow); Tidewater (pink) Regionally, those in the West (65 percent) and Northwest (59 percent) were more likely to favor leaving monuments in place without any changes than those from Northern Virginia (37 percent). 1 Likewise, of those in the poll who reported their choice in the 2017 gubernatorial election, 69 percent of voters who supported Republican Ed Gillespie want the monuments to remain as they are, compared to only 20 percent of those who backed Democrat Ralph Northam. However, a plurality of Northam voters (46 percent) prefer relocation of the monuments to a museum, compared to only 15 percent who want to see complete removal. While no consensus exists on what to do with Confederate monuments, a large majority of the overall respondents (76 percent) are unwilling to pay for any changes to the monuments through increased taxes. Twenty-one percent would be willing to pay more in taxes to pay for changes or removal. Those most frequently willing to pay are the 10 percent who favor complete removal — 63 percent of that group expressed willingness to pay more in taxes. Younger, more educated, and minority respondents were significantly more likely to be willing to pay more in taxes, though in no category was a majority willing to do so. Regionally, Northern Virginia led in willingness to pay higher taxes (31 percent) compared to the Northwest (9 percent) and West (7 percent). For a PDF of the 13-page report including complete question wording and detailed tables of results, go to http://wilder.vcu.edu/office-of-public-policy-outreach/ On Tuesday, Jan. 16, the Wilder Shool’s Offie of Public Policy Outreach will release further poll results easurig Virgiias’ ies o issues of public safety, economic development, and K-12 and higher education. On Jan. 5, the Wilder School released its first poll results showing that more than one in five oters i Virgiia’s reet gueratorial eletio sa the ade their deisio i respose to the Trup administration. ### About VCU and VCU Health Virginia Commonwealth University is a major, urban public research university with national and international rankings in sponsored research. Located in downtown Richmond, VCU enrolls more than 31,000 students in 220 degree and certificate programs in the arts, sciences and humanities. Seventy- ie of the pogas ae uiue i Vigiia, ay of the cossig the disciplies of VCU’s 13 schools and one college. The VCU Health brand represents the health sciences schools of VCU, the VCU Massey Cancer Center and the VCU Health System, which comprises VCU Medical Center (the only academic edical cete ad Level I taua cete i the egio), Couity Meoial Hospital, Childe’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, MCV Physicians and Virginia Premier Health Plan. For more, please visit www.vcu.edu and vcuhealth.org. 2 On Confederate Monuments, a Divided Public As localities across the commonwealth face questions about Confederate monuments on public property, the public remains split over what course of action to take. A plurality of 49 percent favor leaving Confederate statues in place as they are, while 46 Confederate Monuments Thinking about the monuments to Confederate percent favor some type of figures in Virginia which of the following courses of action do you favor? change. But those favoring a change are far from united All - Wilder Poll 49 13 23 10 6 WaPost eit… 57 39 on the best course — 23 West 65 5 17 10 3 percent of those surveyed Northwest 59 6 23 1 11 South Central 49 22 17 8 4 favor moving the statues to Tidewater 46 12 27 13 2 museums, 13 percent favor Northern VA 37 15 28 13 8 adding context in the current Gillespie 69 14 11 3 3 Hyra 63 7 22 7 0 location such as additional Northam 20 16 46 15 4 signage, and 10 percent favor 65+ 61 12 19 5 4 removing statues all 45-64 51 14 23 8 4 35-44 51 14 22 7 5 together. For comparison, 18-34 31 12 32 18 7 exit polls conducted by The White 60 15 18 4 3 Minority Washington Post following 25 8 33 24 9 Virgiia’s gueratorial HS grad or less 62 11 12 7 8 Some college 47 9 25 15 3 election that offered only College_+ 35 18 34 9 4 two response options Republican 75 11 8 5 1 showed 57 percent wanting Independent 49 13 17 8 13 Democrat 28 15 37 15 5 monuments to stay in place 0 20 40 60 80 100 and 39 percent favoring Leave them in place as they are Add context in the current location such as additional signage removal.1 The contrast of the Relocate to museums Remove all together two polls suggests a portion Do’t Ko/Refused of each side on the issue Source: 2017-18 Winter Public Policy Poll, L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs 1 See full results of that exit poll at - https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/local/virginia- politics/governor-exit-polls/?utm_term=.828f10b67814 3 would prefer options like additional signage in their current location or removal to a museum. Regional differences on the question were striking. Almost a majority (49 percent) of residents in South Central, which includes Richmond and its Monument Avenue tourist destination, want to leave monuments as they are, with a second most popular option in the South Central region being adding context. In contrast, those in the West (65 percent) and Northwest (59 percent) were more likely to favor leaving monuments in place without any changes than were those from Northern Virginia (37 percent). The Tidewater area showed 46 percent support for leaving monuments as they are. In these four other regions, the second most popular option was removal of monuments to a museum. Significant differences of perspective exist along key demographic categories with Republicans, white respondents, those with a high school diploma or less of education, and those 65 and older significantly more likely to favor leaving monuments in place. Republicans, at 75 percent, were far more likely to support monuments remaining as they are than were independents, at 49 percent, or Democrats at only 28 percent. The plurality of Democrats (37 percent) would like to see monuments removed to museums, while only 15 percent support removal all together. Adding context in the current location such as additional signage was a preferred action for a small portion of all political identification groups — 11 percent of Republicans, 13 percent of independents and 15 percent of Democrats selected this option. Though not as pronounced as the partisan divide, white respondents (60 percent) were significantly more likely to want monuments left as they are compared to only 25 percent of minority respondents who said the same. Among white respondents, the next most popular course of action was to move monuments to museums — a course favored by 18 percent. Minority responses were more evenly split, with 33 percent supporting a relocation to museums and 24 percent supporting removal altogether. Those with a high school diploma or less of education (62 percent) were more likely to support leaving monuments as they are compared to those with some college (47 percent) and those with a college degree or more (35 percent). Among college degree holders, removal of monuments to a museum, at 34 percent, was almost as popular as leaving monuments as they are, while 18 percent of those ith a ollege degree supported addig otet i a ouet’s urret loatio.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Railroad Centers Growth in Virginia’S Railroads
    ©Melissa Matusevich ©Melissa Matusevich Effects of Railroads on Growth Growth in Virginia’s Cities Virginia began to grow in many areas after the Civil War and Railroads facilitated the growth of small towns to cities. Reconstruction. Cities grew with people, businesses, and factories. ©Melissa Matusevich ©Melissa Matusevich Railroad Centers Growth in Virginia’s Railroads Railroads were a key to the expansion of business, agriculture, and industry. Railroad centers stimulated the growth of factories where clothing, furniture, and other useful items were made. The railroad brought new jobs and people to areas of Virginia. ©Melissa Matusevich more andbetterroadsincreased. After theCivilWarandReconstruction,needfor ©Melissa Matusevich The Solution The Problem Virginia Cities that Became Railroad Centers T T h h e e I I m m p p Alexandria o o r r t t a a n n c c e e o o f f Richmond Lynchburg G G Roanoke Petersburg o o Newport News o o Norfolk d d R R o o a a Lynchburg, Roanoke, Alexandria, Richmond, Norfolk, and d d s s Newport News grew rapidly because of the railroad. These cities bustled with activity as the railroad brought new jobs and people. woman tobecome abankpresident. in theUnited States.Shewasalso thefirst American woman tobecomeabank president Maggie L.Walkerwas thefirstAfrican ©Melissa Matusevich ©Melissa Matusevich Virginia Grew as Industries Developed Maggie L.Walker After Civil War and Reconstruction, coal deposits were discovered in Tazewell County and then in nearby counties. The coal industry grew and became a source of income for the residents of Southwest Virginia. ©Melissa Matusevich ©Melissa N.
    [Show full text]
  • Independence Day at Monticello (.Pdf
    INDEPENDENCE DAY AT MONTICELLO JULY 2017 “The only birthday I ever commemorate is that of our Independence, the Fourth of July.” - Margaret Bayard Smith quoting Thomas Jefferson, 1801 There is no more inspirational place to celebrate the Fourth of July than Monticello, the home of the author of the Declaration of Independence. Since 1963, more than 3,000 people from every corner of the globe have taken the oath of citizenship at the annual Monticello Independence Day Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony. Jefferson himself hoped that Americans would celebrate the Fourth of July, what he called “the great birthday of our Republic,” to “refresh our collections of [our] rights, and undiminished devotion to them.” The iconic West Lawn of Monticello provides a glorious setting for a ceremony steeped in patriotic elements. “Monticello is a beautiful spot for this, full as it is of the spirit that animated this country’s foundation: boldness, vision, improvisation, practicality, inventiveness and imagination, the kind of cheekiness that only comes from free-thinking and faith in an individual’s ability to change the face of the world — it’s easy to imagine Jefferson saying to himself, “So what if I’ve never designed a building before? If I want to, I will...” - Excerpt from Sam Waterston’s remarks at Monticello, 2007 It is said that we are a nation of immigrants. The list of those who have delivered the July 4th address at Monticello is a thoroughly American story. In 1995 there was Roberto Goizueta, the man who fled Cuba with nothing but an education and a job, and who rose to lead one of the best known corporations: The Coca-Cola Company.
    [Show full text]
  • George Allen?
    George Allen's 1~ 000 Days Have Changed Virginia .......................... By Frank B. Atkinson .......................... Mr. Atkinson served in Governor George ALIens economy and society, the fall ofrigid and divisive cabinet as Counselor to the Governor and Direc­ racial codes, the emergence of the federallevia­ tor ofPolicy untilSeptembe0 when he returned to than and modern social welfare state, the rise of his lawpractice in Richmond. He is the author of the Cold War defense establishment, the politi­ "The Dynamic Dominion) )) a recent book about cal ascendancy of suburbia, and the advent of Virginia Politics. competitive two-party politics. Virginia's chief executives typically have not championed change. Historians usually 1keeping with tradition, the portraits ofthe identify only two major reform governors dur­ sixteen most recent Virginia governors adorn ing this century. Harry Byrd (1926-30) the walls out ide the offices of the current gov­ reorganized state government and re tructured ernor, George Allen, in Richmond. It is a short the state-local tax system, promoted "pay-as­ stroll around the third-floor balcony that over­ you-go" road construction, and pushed through looks the Capitol rotunda, but as one moves a constitutional limit on bonded indebtedne . past the likenesses of Virginia chief executives And Mills Godwin (1966-70,1974-78) imposed spanning from Governor Harry F. Byrd to L. a statewide sales tax, created the community Douglas Wilder, history casts a long shadow. college system, and committed significant new The Virginia saga from Byrd to Wilder is a public resources to education, mental health, Frank B. Atkinson story of profound social and economic change.
    [Show full text]
  • To: Senator Mark Warner, Senator Tim Kaine, Congressman Ben Cline, Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton CC
    To: Senator Mark Warner, Senator Tim Kaine, Congressman Ben Cline, Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton CC: Governor Ralph Northam, Secretary of Transportation Shannon Valentine, Staunton District CTB Member Dixon Whitworth From: Kate Wofford, Executive Director, Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley Keven Walker, Chief Executive Office, Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation 9386 South Congress Street, New Market VA 22844 Date: April 17, 2020 RE: Targeted Approach to Possible Interstate 81 Funds in Federal Infrastructure Package We understand that leaders in Congress and the Administration are in discussion about a possible infrastructure bill as part of the federal response to COVID 19 impacts, as well as possible reauthorization of the federal surface transportation law. We expect that you are receiving a number of requests from localities, constituents, interest groups, and others seeking infrastructure funds for priority projects. We are writing to urge a targeted and well-considered approach to any federal funding for transportation projects in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, particularly any funding for projects involving Interstate 81. The I-81 corridor in Virginia can certainly use improvements, and it has been a focus of concern for local and regional travelers for many years. In the past 15 years, there have been a wide range of proposals to address these concerns—some have been simply awful, while others have been fairly good. The awful ones call for extensive, excessive widening of I-81 regardless of the cost to taxpayers, transportation needs, or impacts on communities, health, and natural and historic resources. Among other things, overbuilding on I-81 would degrade the rural character of the corridor— damaging historic resources and streams and destroying productive farmland, homes and businesses.
    [Show full text]
  • Fisette Retiring After 20 Years on County Board Are the Times
    Vol. 42, No 3 www.arlingtondemocrats.org March 2017 Fisette retiring after 20 years Meet all three lieutenant governor primary candi- dates at the 2nd Saturday on County Board After almost two decades on the Arlington County Board, Jay Breakfast. Fisette has decided not to run for re-election this fall. See Page 5. In an announcement, Fisette said, “I just returned from a trip abroad, where I gave this a lot of thought. I have decided that it’s time to find a new platform and seek new ways of protecting and advancing some of the progressive values that are so important to me, values we have championed here in Arlington that are threatened by the current administration. I will not seek a sixth term on the County Board. Stay tuned.” Fisette said he has not yet decided what exactly he will do next, but it will not involve elective office. Bath County (with just Assuming more than one Democrat files to succeed him by the 4,500 people) has a big deadline of Thursday, March 30, a caucus of Arlington Democrats will be held Thursday, May 11, and Saturday, May 13, to choose a electoral fraud scandal— nominee for the November ballot. G. N. (Jay) Fisette, as his name appeared on the ballot, announced but not the kind the GOP his retirement last Wednesday, four days before his 61st birthday. He warns about. moved to Arlington in 1983 to start his career working for the federal government. See Page 10 On his retirement December 31, he will be the second longest- continued on page nine Are the times achangin’? Here’s a surprise that suggests the times they Henrico County outside Richmond.
    [Show full text]
  • National Press Club Luncheon with Douglas Wilder, Mayor of Richmond, Virginia and Former Governor of Virginia, Accompanied by Ben Vereen, Actor
    NATIONAL PRESS CLUB LUNCHEON WITH DOUGLAS WILDER, MAYOR OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA AND FORMER GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA, ACCOMPANIED BY BEN VEREEN, ACTOR SUBJECT: "CONFRONTING THE ISSUE OF SLAVERY: THE UNEXPLORED CHAPTER IN AMERICAN HISTORY" MODERATOR: JONATHAN SALANT, PRESIDENT, NPC AND REPORTER, BLOOMBERG NEWS LOCATION: NATIONAL PRESS CLUB BALLROOM, WASHINGTON, D.C. TIME: 1:00 P.M. EST DATE: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2006 (C) COPYRIGHT 2005, FEDERAL NEWS SERVICE, INC., 1000 VERMONT AVE. NW; 5TH FLOOR; WASHINGTON, DC - 20005, USA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ANY REPRODUCTION, REDISTRIBUTION OR RETRANSMISSION IS EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED. UNAUTHORIZED REPRODUCTION, REDISTRIBUTION OR RETRANSMISSION CONSTITUTES A MISAPPROPRIATION UNDER APPLICABLE UNFAIR COMPETITION LAW, AND FEDERAL NEWS SERVICE, INC. RESERVES THE RIGHT TO PURSUE ALL REMEDIES AVAILABLE TO IT IN RESPECT TO SUCH MISAPPROPRIATION. FEDERAL NEWS SERVICE, INC. IS A PRIVATE FIRM AND IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. NO COPYRIGHT IS CLAIMED AS TO ANY PART OF THE ORIGINAL WORK PREPARED BY A UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE AS PART OF THAT PERSON'S OFFICIAL DUTIES. FOR INFORMATION ON SUBSCRIBING TO FNS, PLEASE CALL JACK GRAEME AT 202-347-1400. ------------------------- MR. SALANT: (Sounds gavel.) Good afternoon and welcome to the National Press Club. I'm Jonathan Salant, a reporter for Bloomberg News and president of the National Press Club. I'd like to welcome club members and their guests in the audience today, as well as those of you watching on C-SPAN. Please hold your applause during the speech so we have time for as many questions as possible. For our broadcast audience, I'd like to explain that if you hear applause, it is from the members of the general public and the guests who attend our luncheons, not from the working press.
    [Show full text]
  • Virginia Governor's Race, 1989
    ThLJ VOL. 66, NO.6 JANUARY 1990 University ofVirginzeu NEWS LETTER Virginia Governor's Race, 1989 PART 2: THE GENERAL ELECTION by Larry]. Sabato The author is professor of government and foreign affairs at both for the history books and in headlines across the University of Virginia. This News Letter is drawn from the world. Virginia did what no American state the author's forthcoming Virginia Votes 1987-1990. Part 1 had ever done: it chose a black citizen to serve as of this series, on the nomination stage, was the July 1989 is­ its chief executive. That it did so in the closest guber­ sue; part 3, covering election issues, will appear as the Febru­ natorial contest in modern Virginia's history added ary issue. to the drama and the in- Not soon to be forgotten, trigue of the event. Not soon Virginia and Virginians to be forgotten, the 1989 mac;ie a great portion of this the 1989 election for governor election for governor not nation's history in the early not only transformed only transformed the state's years of the Republic. The the state's image beyond its borders image beyond its borders Old Dominion was arguably but was brimming with but was brimming with the most influential state, implications for the nation's and four of the first five U.S. implications for the nation's and and other states' politics. presidents were drawn from other states' politics. its citizenry. But for the nearly century and a quarter following the Civil War, General Election Results few would have characterized Virginia as a trend­ setter or history-maker.
    [Show full text]
  • Douglas Wilder and the Continuing Significance of Race: an Analysis of the 1989 Gubernatorial Election
    Journal of Political Science Volume 23 Number 1 Article 5 November 1995 Douglas Wilder and the Continuing Significance of Race: An Analysis of the 1989 Gubernatorial Election Judson L. Jeffries Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/jops Part of the Political Science Commons Recommended Citation Jeffries, Judson L. (1995) "Douglas Wilder and the Continuing Significance of Race: An Analysis of the 1989 Gubernatorial Election," Journal of Political Science: Vol. 23 : No. 1 , Article 5. Available at: https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/jops/vol23/iss1/5 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Politics at CCU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Political Science by an authorized editor of CCU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. DOUGLAS WILDER AND THE CONTINUING SIGNIFICANCE OF RACE: AN ANALYSIS OF THE 1989 GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION Judson L. Jeffries, Universityof Southern California In 1989 Virginia elected an African-American to serve as its chief executive officer. Until Douglas Wilder , no African-American had ever been elected governor of any state. In 1872, the African-American lieutenant-go vernor of Louisiana, P .B.S. Pinchback', was elevated to the post of acting governor for 43 days. The operative word here is elevated. Success for African-American candidates running for high profile2 statewide office has been rare. With the exception of Wilder, only Edward Brooke and Carol Mosely Braun have been able to win high profile statewide office ; but even when they succeeded, the results did not reveal extensive white support for these candidates.
    [Show full text]
  • Bill Bolling Contemporary Virginia Politics
    6/29/21 A DISCUSSION OF CONTEM PORARY VIRGINIA POLITICS —FROM BLUE TO RED AND BACK AGAIN” - THE RISE AND FALL OF THE GOP IN VIRGINIA 1 For the first 200 years of Virginia's existence, state politics was dominated by the Democratic Party ◦ From 1791-1970 there were: Decades Of ◦ 50 Democrats who served as Governor (including Democratic-Republicans) Democratic ◦ 9 Republicans who served as Governor Dominance (including Federalists and Whigs) ◦ During this same period: ◦ 35 Democrats represented Virginia in the United States Senate ◦ 3 Republicans represented Virginia in the United States Senate 2 1 6/29/21 ◦ Likewise, this first Republican majority in the Virginia General Democratic Assembly did not occur until Dominance – 1998. General ◦ Democrats had controlled the Assembly General Assembly every year before that time. 3 ◦ These were not your “modern” Democrats ◦ They were a very conservative group of Democrats in the southern tradition What Was A ◦ A great deal of their focus was on fiscal Democrat? conservativism – Pay As You Go ◦ They were also the ones who advocated for Jim Crow and Massive resistance up until the passage of the Civil Rights Act of in 1965 4 2 6/29/21 Byrd Democrats ◦ These were the followers of Senator Harry F. Byrd, a former Virginia Governor and U.S. Senator ◦ Senator Byrd’s “Byrd Machine” dominated and controlled Virginia politics for this entire period 5 ◦ Virginia didn‘t really become a competitive two-party state until Ơͥ ͣ ǝ, and the first real From Blue To competition emerged at the statewide level Red œ
    [Show full text]
  • Virtual Signature Event Governor Ralph Northam, Steven Collis
    Virtual Signature Event Governor Ralph Northam, Steven Collis, Ralph Boyd, Jr., & Secretary Lonnie Bunch The Honorable Ralph S. Northam Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia Steven H. Collis Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer AmerisourceBergen Corporation Ralph F. Boyd, Jr. President and CEO of So Others Might Eat (SOME) The Honorable Lonnie G. Bunch III Secretary of The Smithsonian Institution Moderator: David M. Rubenstein President, The Economic Club of Washington, D.C. Friday, June 12, 2020 1 ANNOUNCER: Please welcome David Rubenstein, president of The Economic Club of Washington, D.C. DAVID M. RUBENSTEIN: Welcome, everyone, this morning. I appreciate your joining us. Today is our 12th Virtual Signature Event since we began doing these virtual events. And today we have four extraordinary guests. And I will just introduce them briefly now, and then I’ll give you a little bit more introduction when they actually do the discussion with them. First, of course will be the honorable Ralph Northam, who is the governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the 73rd governor. After Governor Northam we’ll have Steve Collis, who’s the chairman, president, and CEO of AmerisourceBergen Corporation, which is the largest wholesale distributor of pharmaceuticals in the United States. He will be followed by Ralph Boyd, president and CEO of So Others Might Eat, SOME as it’s known. And then, finally, we’ll have the honorable Lonnie Bunch, who is a secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. So now let me talk with our first guest, the governor of Virginia, the commonwealth of Virginia, the 73rd governor, Governor Ralph Northam.
    [Show full text]
  • Biography of L. Douglas Wilder
    BREAKING BARRIERS Aetna African American Calendar L. Douglas Wilder March 2010 Calendar Mr. L. Douglas Wilder became the first African American to be elected governor in the U.S., leading the Commonwealth of Virginia (1990-1994), the first African American state senator in Virginia since Reconstruction (1969-1985) and the first elected African American mayor of Richmond, Va. (2005-2009). Currently he is a distinguished professor at Virginia Commonwealth University’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs. An attorney by profession, Mr. Wilder gained recognition as a leading criminal trial lawyer. He graduated from Howard University Law School and later established Wilder, Gregory & Associates. Prior to obtaining his law degree, Mr. Wilder graduated from at-large election of the mayor of the city of Virginia Union University with a B.S. in Richmond. chemistry. He has chaired committees on Known for his sound fiscal management transportation, rehabilitation and social and balancing a state budget during services, and privileges and elections. He difficult economic times, Mr. Wilder’s successfully sponsored Virginia’s first achievements also include providing state drug paraphernalia law and the health care coverage for sickle-cell compulsory school attendance law. anemia patients, toughening penalties for capital murderers and prison escapees, Recipient of more than 36 honorary and expanding low- and moderate- degrees, Mr. Wilder has received income housing. Mr. Wilder led the numerous awards, including the National establishment of a state holiday honoring Association for the Advancement of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., making Virginia Colored People Spingarn Medal, the the first state in the nation to have a Anna Eleanor Roosevelt Medallion of legislative holiday for Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • A History of the Virginia Democratic Party, 1965-2015
    A History of the Virginia Democratic Party, 1965-2015 A Senior Honors Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Graduation “with Honors Distinction in History” in the undergraduate colleges at The Ohio State University by Margaret Echols The Ohio State University May 2015 Project Advisor: Professor David L. Stebenne, Department of History 2 3 Table of Contents I. Introduction II. Mills Godwin, Linwood Holton, and the Rise of Two-Party Competition, 1965-1981 III. Democratic Resurgence in the Reagan Era, 1981-1993 IV. A Return to the Right, 1993-2001 V. Warner, Kaine, Bipartisanship, and Progressive Politics, 2001-2015 VI. Conclusions 4 I. Introduction Of all the American states, Virginia can lay claim to the most thorough control by an oligarchy. Political power has been closely held by a small group of leaders who, themselves and their predecessors, have subverted democratic institutions and deprived most Virginians of a voice in their government. The Commonwealth possesses the characteristics more akin to those of England at about the time of the Reform Bill of 1832 than to those of any other state of the present-day South. It is a political museum piece. Yet the little oligarchy that rules Virginia demonstrates a sense of honor, an aversion to open venality, a degree of sensitivity to public opinion, a concern for efficiency in administration, and, so long as it does not cost much, a feeling of social responsibility. - Southern Politics in State and Nation, V. O. Key, Jr., 19491 Thus did V. O. Key, Jr. so famously describe Virginia’s political landscape in 1949 in his revolutionary book Southern Politics in State and Nation.
    [Show full text]