60 Photos: A Tribute to Pioneering Black Lawmakers at the Virginia State Capitol

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Event Honoring First 100 Black Members in the Virginia General Assembly and Unveil History Features Speaker Scott, HBCU Presidents, Gov. Youngkin

A special breakfast reception on Jan. 24 in the Virginia State Capitol honored the lives of Black men who served in the General Assembly Virginia during Reconstruction. The event was hosted by Virginia House Speaker Don Scott of Portsmouth. In January 2024, Speaker Scott made history last year after being sworn in as Virginia’s first Black House Speaker.

“In the Capitol Rotunda there are two plaques honoring the 100 Black men who served in the Virginia General Assembly. Most people don’t even know they existed and even fewer know the stories behind their names,” Speaker Scott said at the crowded breakfast.

The event was a fairly rare bipartisan moment that featured Democrats and Republicans at the podium and many attendees who drove an hour north from Hampton Roads. Speaker Scott commented on looking around the room and having a sense of progress. He wasn’t the only one.

“I too look around this room and see trailblazers. Trailblazers in all aspects of our great Commonwealth. When I address the general assembly with the great honor of giving the status reports on the Commonwealth of Virginia in my annual State of the Commonwealth, three of those Trailblazers sit behind me,” said Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

“I have the great privilege of representing the Commonwealth and when I see the President Pro Tempore, L. Louise Lucas, sitting there, and I see our great Lieutenant Governor sitting there and I see our Speaker sitting and standing there I am humbled to be on that dais with you all,” said Governor added.

The event brought together Speaker Scott, Governor Youngkin, Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, Congressman Bobby Scott, State Senator L. Louise Lucas, former Republican House Speaker Todd Gilbert and many other members of the Virginia House of Delegates. They included Delegates Cliff Hayes, Cia Price, Candi King, Nadarius Clark, Josh Cole, Rae Cousins, Mike Jones, Michele Moldondo, Michael Feggans, Bonita Anthony, Karen Keys-Gamarra, Alex Askew and the Chairs of Finance and Appropriations: Del. Vivian Watts and Del. Luke Torian.

There were also three Presidents of Virginia’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities, lobbyists, and the Librarian of the Library of Virginia, Dennis Clark. Also seen in the standing-room-only crowd were Gov. Youngkin’s Chief Diversity Officer, Martin Brown, U.S. Black Chamber of Commerce President Ron Busby, Sr., Portsmouth Mayor Shannon Glover and former Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger.

The current Chair of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, Senator Lamont Bagby, served as MC. House Majority Charniele Herring was also in attendance at a front table.

After the sit-down breakfast, Speaker Scott and the Librarian of Virginia jointly signed a gift of deed not long after the Speaker announced his papers would go to the Library of Virginia along with other historic artifacts from his time as Speaker.

“At the Library of Virginia I like to say we have the receipts — even if it’s not something that is often discussed,” Clark said.

“Speaker Scott’s papers will join the stories of the first Black members of the General Assembly,” Clark added.

In a bit of irony, as the breakfast honoring the first Black members of the Virginia General Assembly was taking place, so was a committee hearing on the question of protecting confederate monuments. Quite a contrast.

All photos 📸 by Lauren Victoria Burke

Above: Speaker Don Scott and Dennis Clark, the Librarian of Virginia, sign a joint deed of gift on Jan 24. 2025 at the Virginia State Capitol. At right: Delegates Cliff Hayes and Candi King.

Above: The unveiling of a new display case featuring Speaker Scott and other Black historic figures in the Virginia House and Senate.

Above and below: Images of the new display case.

Above: The new display case.

Above: Virginia’s HBCU Presidents Dr. Makola Abdullah of Virginia State University, Dr. Javaune Adams-Gaston of Norfolk State University and Gen. Darrell Williams of Hampton University with Congresswoman Scott and Speaker Scott on Jan. 24, 2025.

Above: Speaker Scott, Gov. Youngkin and Portsmouth Mayor Shannon Glover.

Above and below: Members of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and members of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.

Below: Delegates Michael Feggans, Nadarius Clark and Majority Leader Charniele Herring.

Above and below: A lot of meeting and greeting at the Jan. 24, 2025 reception unveiling a new historic display case at the Virginia State Capitol.

Above: The first Black member of Congress from Virginia since Reconstruction, Rep. Bobby Scott and Virginia’s first Black Speaker Don Scott.

Above: The event was another creation of Kimberly Wimbish, whose events always have an unforgettable signature quality to them from the food to the programs.

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