BY ERIC KOLENICH
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Del. David Reid, D-Loudoun, has sponsored a bill to address the five public colleges in Virginia built and maintained on the backs of enslaved workers.Â
Titled the Enslaved Ancestors College Access Scholarship, the bill calls for Longwood University, the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Military Institute, and the College of William & Mary to offer scholarships to the descendants of the enslaved.Â
The House on Thursday passed the measure 61-39.
There are five public universities in Virginia built prior to 1865. Their buildings were erected and maintained by enslaved workers. Reid's bill, HB 1980, intends to recognize them, give back to their living families and help those entrenched in poverty.