Fairfax @NAACP Candidate Forum Hosts 25+ Candidates, Remembering Vivian Malone
Fairfax @NAACP Candidate Forum Hosts 25+ Candidates, Remembering Vivian Malone
CHANTILLY, VA — A candidate packed forum held by the Fairfax NAACP on this weekend featured so many candidates that organizers had to constantly add chairs over the two hour event for the many candidates who attended. Over 25 stopped in to the June 10 event. The candidates stayed to introduce themselves to voters before and after the forum ten days before the June 10 primary.
Attending the event heard at Chantilly Baptist Church, were State Senator Jennifer Boysko (SD38), State Senator George Barker (SD36), Delegates David Bulova (HD37), Kathy Tran (HD18) and Irene Shin (HD86). Also in attendance were Fairfax School Board member, attorney and candidate for HD07 Karen Keys-Gamarra, SD36 candidate and Fairfax County School Board member Stella Pekarsky, SD35 candidate Heidi Drauschak, SD37 candidate Saddam Salim and HD15 candidate Laura Jane Cohen among many others.
Several candidates spoke in the issue of gun violence. On June 6 in Richmond, seven people were shot, two fatally, after a graduation ceremony for Huguenot High School that took place at the Altria Theater.
“Central to my platform is to ban assault weapons. I cannot believe that we are still discussing this when we know that they are not used for any legitimate purpose such as hunting… my simple principle is this: Every person has the right to be free of gun violence and to feel safe in their homes and community buildings and malls etc. I'm actually tired of hearing people say ‘thoughts and prayers, prayers and thoughts…’ I actually have a thought: How about we actually do something in Virginia in this nation,” said Fairfax School Board member Karen Keys-Gamarra, who is running for the House of Delegates in District 07.
Her words were echoed by many other Democrats in the room. Though early voting began in May, candidates on the ballot for the June 20 primary are engaged in a final push to influence voters in the final days of a hectic primary campaign in Virginia.
REMEMBERING VIVIAN MALONE. Sixty years ago on June 11, 1963, Vivian Malone (1942-2005) became the first Black person to register for classes at the all white University of Alabama.
Malone arrived, along with a second Black student, James Hood, at the University of Alabama's campus and had to be accompanied by United States Deputy Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach and three-cars of federal marshals to ensure her entry.
Alabama Governor George Wallace, standing with several Alabama State Troopers, blocked the doorway of the school intending to prevent Malone from registering. Wallace would eventually step aside after delivering a speech and arguing with Katzenbach, who informed the Governor that blocking Malone’s entrance would defy a federal court order.
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