As state lawmakers entered the building Monday morning, a group of young protesters greeted them with chants of “Teach Black history!” and “Protect Black children!” During floor speeches in the House of Delegates, members from both parties addressed the report and broader issue.
LaNita Poe, whose husband Maurice is incarcerated at the St. Brides Correctional Center in Chesapeake, said she was surprised to see news about some state lawmakers hoping to accelerate the
Gov. Glenn Youngkin and some Virginia lawmakers want to require police in every public school across the state: at the elementary, middle and high school level.
The report found that over the past decade, Black youth in Virginia were about 2.5 times more likely than white youth to be referred to the juvenile justice system.
As reports of another mass shooting at a school top headlines across the United States, community activists and mental health professionals want parents to know that children in Central Virginia may be impacted by the tragedy.