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Discussing White Supremacy

Less than 7 weeks since white supremacists marched with torches on the University of Virginia campus across the street, St. Paul’s Memorial church hosted a panel discussion on Wednesday evening aimed at addressing white supremacy and Christianity. WMRA’s Jordy Yager has more.

Speaking before a mostly white crowd of about 100, the evening’s five speakers included two UVA professors of color, two pastors—one white, one black—from nearby churches, and Charlottesville Vice-Mayor Wes Bellamy, the only African American on City Council.

Much of people’s focus in the wake of the violence that erupted on August 11th and 12th has been on how the city will react the next time white supremacists march in the streets. But that’s not the only front, Bellamy said.

WES BELLAMY Well, if you are not going to be in the street, which is okay, are you going to attend the city council meetings, or the school board meetings? Are you going to apply pressure to the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, who have not had a person of color on their Board of Supervisors since Mr. Charles Martin in 2003. Are we making a fuss about that?

Rev. Brenda Brown-Grooms seconded Bellamy’s call to action, especially by white congregations who may unknowingly be forcing African Americans out of the city.

BRENDA BROWN-GROOMS:  Charlottesville is very far into yet another gentrification process. You see all the housing going up in Charlottesville? It’s all for well-off, generally white, people.  Middle class and poor people in Charlottesville are being pushed out of the city, simply because they cannot afford to live where they were born anymore.

Jordy Yager was a freelance reporter for WMRA from 2015 - 2019.