Federal Employees: Arlington Dems Hold Second 200+ Event; March 7, 1965; VMI's First Black Superintendent: Firing Was Partisan

Mar 07, 2025

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On This Day in 1965

OTD: On March 7, 1965 the first attempt to march in protest of racist laws stopping Blacks from voting took place in Selma, Alabama. The first of three Selma to Montgomery marches would be known as Bloody Sunday after Alabama State Troopers attacked marchers at the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

The marches were organized by nonviolent civil rights activists in the fight for the right to vote and a defiance to racism and segregation. The activism led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act. The march was led by John Lewis, Bernard Lafayette and many others.

Help for Federal Employees: Arlington Dems Hold Second 200+ Event

ARLINGTON, VA — Last night, the Arlington Democrats hosted their second event to assist federal employees at the Arlington Library at 1015 North Quincy Street in Arlington. For the second event run a row, over 200 people attended.

Questions related to federal contractors, issues regarding different unemployment relief standards in the DMV and various legal options were discussed. Tomorrow, March 8, Rep. Don Beyer will hold an event to assist federal employees. Beyer’s events will take place at Wakefield High School at 1325 South Dinwiddie Street in Arlington from noon to 5pm.

Republicans in Virginia have remained almost universally silent on the issue of President Trump’s mass firings of federal employees. They include a plan to eliminate over 70,000 employees servicing the Department of Veterans Affairs. As if resigned to massive job cuts in Virginia, Gov. Glenn Youngkin held a virtual job fair on March 5. Gov. Youngkin has stated his support of Trump’s plans to cut jobs in Virginia.

“Let me just begin with the fact is that I don't believe that the federal government downsizing is wrong, and in fact, we need to press forward and drive efficiencies in our federal government, and as a result, in driving those efficiencies, I do expect that some Virginians will lose their jobs and that's why it's so important that we provide alternative, alternative opportunities for them,” Gov. Youngkin said on Feb. 24, in McLean.

Below: Virginia Senators Barbara Favola, Aaron Rouse and Ghazala Hashmi are seen at the event to assist federal workers. This year, Rouse and Hashmi are running for Lt. Governor.

Event: Supporting 3/14 Day of Action for Federal Workers. Upcoming RESISTANCE events see here.

No chair was empty last night as four panelists knowledgeable about employment law, unions and the federal government, took a wide array of questions on the problems federal employees are facing because of mass firings by the Trump Administration.

A UVA analysis says cutting 10% of federal jobs would wipe out the state's projected 2025 job growth. (VPM)

The Censure of Al Green and the GOP’s Racial Double Standards

WASHINGTON, DC — In one of the quickest punishments of a member of the U.S. House of Representatives in the modern era, Congressman Al Green (D-TX) was censured by a 224-198 vote today in the House.

Rep. Green’s censure featured no hearing or testimony before the House Ethics Committee and his punishment was put on the floor for a vote by the Republican controlled House less than 72 hours after the infraction in question.

Of the last three censures of members of the U.S. House, two have been members of the Congressional Black Caucus under GOP control. In 2023, Rep. Jamal Bowman was censured.

On the night of March 4, as President Trump delivered a Joint Address to Congress, Rep. Green interrupted him twice. Rep. Green shouted, “you don’t have a mandate to cut Medicare and you need to raise the cap on social security,” to President Trump.

In another rare event, Rep. Green was escorted off of the House floor by security shortly after yelling at the President by order of GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson.

Over the last four years members of Congress have yelled at President Biden during the State of the Union. Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor-Greene was joined by Republican Rep. Lauren Bobert (R-CO) in 2022 in yelling at President Biden. In 2023, Rep. Greene, Rep. Bob Good (R-VA) and Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI) yelled at Biden, interrupting his speech. In 2024, wearing a red MAGA hat, a violation of the rules of the U.S. House, Greene interrupted Biden again. She was never censured for her behavior.

“I respect them but, I would do it again,” and “it is a matter of conscience,” Rep. Green told Black Press USA’s April Ryan in an exclusive interview on March 5. READ ENTIRE

Virginia NAACP: Terrence Richardson, Wrongful Imprisonment and an Urgent Call to Address Systemic

Terrence Richardson released. The Virginia NAACP: The NAACP Virginia State Conference acknowledges the release of Terrence Richardson, one of the “Waverly Two,” who spent decades wrongfully imprisoned. A federal jury found him not guilty of the murder of Waverly police officer Allen Gibson, revealing significant flaws in our justice system.

Richardson and Ferrone Claiborne were initially suspected in the 1998 murder but lacked sufficient evidence against them. Each accepted a plea deal due to the threat of the death penalty. After Gibson’s family contested the case at the federal level, the Waverly Two were acquitted of murder charges, although they were convicted on a drug charge.

Ferrone Claiborne is also slated for release this year, and we urge that he be released immediately.

As we recognize Mr. Richardson’s release, we call for immediate action to address the systemic issues in our criminal justice system. The NAACP remains committed to fighting for justice and equality for all.

L. Douglas Wilder: Breaking Barriers

From Wilder Visions. Recently, I was asked to provide comments at the funeral services of Willard Douglas, a good friend and former neighbor of mine.

He was a graduate of Virginia Union University and Howard University School of Law, both of which I am proud to be an alumnus thereof. In fact, we were in law school at the same time, him being a year behind me.

When I told the attendees how, as a Virginia State Senator, I was able to get Douglas appointed as the first African American to serve as an Assistant Commonwealth Attorney, they told me afterwards, they did not know how this appointment came about.

They were more surprised to learn how I was able to get friends of mine in the House of Delegates to engage in the fight – and it was a huge fight – to get Douglas appointed as the first judge of color in a court in Virginia. READ ENTIRE

Listen to Black Virginia News podcast 46: 🎙️ Advice for Federal Workers

VMI Superintendent Responds After Partisan Vote Not to Extend Contract

By Nathaniel Cline. The Virginia Military Institute’s (VMI) first Black superintendent, Ret. Maj. Gen. Cedric Wins, says “partisan politics” played a key role in the Board of Visitors’ decision to not renew his contract — a move that comes after four and a half years of leadership at the nation’s oldest state-supported military college.

“I am disappointed by the Board of Visitors’ decision not to renew my contract as superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute,” Wins said in a statement on Thursday.

“This decision was not based on my performance or the tangible progress we achieved. It is the result of a partisan choice that abandons the values of honor, integrity, and excellence upon which VMI was built.”

The board, appointed by the governor, held a special closed meeting last week, where members ultimately voted to seek a new leader to replace Wins. READ ENTIRE

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