The Virginia State Conference NAACP (Virginia NAACP denounces the rise of racial intimidation in Virginia. Virginia NAACP President Rev. Cozy Bailey issued the following statement:
“We call attention to the continuous acts of hate and racism not to extend the message of the perpetrator but to bring attention to the need to find solutions to enduring racism in our communities. The hateful messages found recently in Lynchburg, Mathews, Gloucester, and Loudoun bring crystal clarity to the fact that racism endures in the Commonwealth. Those who do not want to accept or address the fact attempt to change the narrative to a debate as to whether this country is a racist nation or not. The clear and present issue is that racism exists, and it must be stamped out everywhere. This administration has chosen to back away from the challenge of mitigating racism and inequity by refusing to maintain a viable Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and nullifying the effectiveness of several Advisory Boards through lack of engagement. These passive acts and failure to address racism head-on are an encouragement to hatemongers to express their dangerous ideology freely and sometimes openly.
The VSC, in the tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, will continue to fight against justice and racism anywhere in recognition of its threat to justice everywhere. We call upon the administration to take direct action as well.”
In the 2022 Hate Crime Statistics for Virginia, as reported by the FBI, 63.5% of hate crimes were against individuals, and 64.8% were motivated by Race/Ethnicity/Ancestry. The Virginia NAACP, therefore, calls upon Attorney General Jason Miyares to vigorously investigate acts of racial violence consistent with the intentionality he has investigated other matters in our Commonwealth.
The Virginia NAACP stands firm in our commitment to a world without racism where Black people enjoy equitable opportunities in thriving communities.
