The problem with Virginia that hurts me deeply – and my family has been here since 1760 – is that I actually believe in the idealism and values of this state. I believe in the Declaration of Independence. There are some great things that have happened here. 

And yet, the only times we have been able to live up to those values are when we made the Yankees do it to us. It took the defeat of our people to end slavery, and it took the defeat of our people to make us overcome racial segregation in schools. And as soon as the Yankees left, we did it all over again.

I would love to see us do our own work and be proud to be Virginians.

–Rev. Ben Campbell: Rhodes Scholar, servant leader, and author of

Richmond’s Unhealed History.

VoxFairfax Editors’ Note: Excerpted from “A Short History of Richmond” by Jeff Thomas, crossposted from Blue Virginia, August 4, 2018. To read the entire article: https://bluevirginia.us/2018/08/a-short-history-of-richmond

Categories: Issues