Virginia Rising

IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 13, 2016 Contact: Malik Russell (703) 589-0856 For Many, Grassroots MLK Day Event to Provide first Experiences in Lobbying State Lawmakers STUDENT DEBT, IMMIGRATION AND MASS INCARCERATION HIGHLIGHT KEY ISSUES FOR PARTICIPANTS                                                                                                         Student Speakout@9AM (Hotel) AND RALLIES @11AM & 2 PM IN FRONT OF GAB (sidewalk of 9th Street between E Broad St. and E. Grace St) …

  DURING A 1964 speech at Wesleyan University, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” While immediately recognizable today, in 1964, King was repeating something first attributed to Theodore Parker, a 19th century Unitarian minister, calling for the abolishment of slavery. For people incarcerated in Virginia during a …

Virginia Politics Democrats accuse rogue elections official of compromising voter privacy By Jenna Portnoy December 1 RICHMOND — Election officials in Prince William County this week asked the Commonwealth’s attorney to investigate one of their own. They say Guy Anthony Guiffré, a member of the county electoral board, might have broken state and federal laws in his quest to determine …

If you have friends or family incarcerated in Virginia and need help visiting them for the Holidays?   Visit RIHD to learn more  @RIHD 2015 HOLIDAY TRANSPORTATION    November 27-29 & December 18-20 2-DAY VISITATION Van(s) Leave Friday 11pm and Return Sunday 10pm FROM:  The Shops at Willow Lawns McDonald’s Parking Lot  – 4423 South Laburnum Richmond, Virginia 23231 http://rihd.org/prison-transportation/

Three-judge panel upholds boundaries in 12 House of Delegates districts   Virginia State Capitol Posted: Thursday, October 22, 2015 7:30 pm By ANDREW CAIN Richmond Times-Dispatch In a 2-1 ruling, a federal three-judge panel on Thursday upheld the constitutionality of 12 majority-black districts in the House of Delegates that plaintiffs said diluted the voting power of African-Americans. “The court holds …

Join us for New Virginia Majority’s first-ever People’s Congress We believe that everyone, especially communities of color, students and immigrant communities must be a part of the journey to transform Virginia into the Virginia we know it can be. We’re talking about creating a 21st century democracy based on compassion, opportunity, justice and freedom. During our first-ever People’s Congress, you’ll not only …

‘Mobile Justice’ tour stops by Williamsburg Thursday The Virginia Gazette5:51 p.m. EDT, August 25, 2015 WILLIAMSBURG — A coalition of groups aimed at improving restoration of rights for formerly incarcerated citizens will bring a tour bus to Williamsburg on Thursday. The 4th Mobile Justice Tour will stop at the Williamsburg Regional Library at 515 Scotland Street, with information and resources …

Posted: Tuesday, August 18, 2015 10:30 pm BY RYAN McKINNON Richmond Times-Dispatch The Mobile Justice Tour rolled into town Tuesday, and its organizers led a small but lively seminar on criminal justice reform at the Richmond East End Branch Library. Lillie Branch-Kennedy, the founder and executive director of Resource Information Help for the Disadvantaged, spoke for 90 minutes to an …

August 10, 2015 Guest Post by Tram Nguyen, Co-Executive Director, New Virginia Majority *This post is part of ACSblog’s symposium regarding the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The principle of our democracy rests on the idea that each person has a vote that is cast and counted equally, regardless of who they are or where they come from. Fifty years …

Sen. Tom Garrett Posted: Tuesday, July 28, 2015 10:03 pm ALEX ROHR arohr@newsadvance.com A proposal that would change whether potential Virginia voters have to check a box indicating whether they are U.S. citizens brought complaints from throughout the commonwealth to the State Board of Elections on Tuesday. The proposal, under consideration by the board, no longer would require voter applicants …