Words and pictures by Natalie Jacobsen “Take your shoes off,” says Joshua Kwasi. A delegation of 56 people, most representing Charlottesville, pause for a moment, eyes darting and sweeping the stone floor, glancing toward the sandy, exposed path before them. “Why?” asks one member. “Because this is sacred ground,” says Kwasi, the tour guide at […]
Words and pictures by Natalie Jacobsen “Take your shoes off,” says Joshua Kwasi. A delegation of 56 people, most representing Charlottesville, pause for a moment, eyes darting and sweeping the stone floor, glancing toward the sandy, exposed path before them. “Why?” asks one member. “Because this is sacred ground,” says Kwasi, the tour guide at […]
And stay out! Six militia groups and their leaders named in a lawsuit aimed at preventing white supremacist and paramilitary organizations from showing their mugs around Charlottesville again have settled, agreeing they won’t engage in coordinated armed activity in any of the city’s future rallies or protests. The latest round of defendants to bow out […]
Photos and text by Natalie Jacobsen Editor’s note: Check back daily through May 9 for updates on the local delegation’s visit to Winneba, Ghana, to explore the origins of slavery and the preservation of history at one of the main points of the Transatlantic slave trade. Spirits were high at noon outside of University Hall, […]
Fridays new format Treasured Charlottesville tradition Fridays After Five kicks off April 13, with a not-so-special nod to the realities of crowds gathering in the 21st century. After-Fivers will find enhanced security at the Sprint Pavilion with bag checks and fewer entrances to the area. “Anyone in the event industry holding mass gatherings understands the […]
Out of order Everyone was ordered out of City Council chambers when the April 2 meeting spiraled out of control following public comments from Unite the Right organizer Jason Kessler and Confederate statue shroud-rippers Brian Lambert and Chris Wayne. In a closed session, councilors sought legal advice on dealing with disruptive attendees, such as Tanesha […]
During yet another out-of-control City Council meeting on April 2, Mayor Nikuyah Walker cleared the chamber and councilors reconvened after a closed session to seek legal advice on how to maintain order. Nearly two hours into the meeting, councilors began to address the city’s business, and by 10pm approved by a 4-1 vote a special […]
“Catnip for reporters.” That’s how Metallica fan and Democratic newcomer Danica Roem described her winning campaign in Virginia’s 13th District last November. She is, after all, the transgender woman who defeated the anti-LGBT incumbent Bob Marshall. Nevermind that her platform was all about lines of stalled traffic and not lines outside bathroom stalls. The simple […]
Nikuyah goes national The first black female mayor of Charlottesville sat at the table with co-hosts of “The View” on Martin Luther King Day to discuss the current state of the city, which has pushed a narrative that Unite the Right participants brought their hate from out of town, she said. Richard Spencer and Jason […]
The first meeting of the new City Council January 2 went into uncharted territory with formerly behind-the-scenes decisions—the new mayor and vice mayor—made publicly, and for some on the dais, uncomfortably. New councilors Nikuyah Walker and Heather Hill were elected mayor and vice mayor, respectively, while the airing of the grievances allowed some rebukes […]
After initially refusing to confirm reports that Charlottesville police Chief Al Thomas had resigned and was packing his office on Monday and would be out of the building by 5pm, the city issued a release Monday afternoon that said Thomas would be retiring, effective immediately. The hasty departure raised questions at the December 18 City […]