November 13th 2023.
Delores McQuinn, a Virginia state representative who was recently re-elected, is calling for a legislative commission to uncover the impact of public universities on the seizure and displacement of Black communities. The news outlet ProPublica reports that McQuinn was "troubled" by recent reports of how Virginia universities have kicked out Black families, and is now sponsoring the commission to research these uprooted communities and explore cases of families allegedly forced to sell their homes.
"These efforts will result in solution-oriented steps towards addressing past inequities," McQuinn hopes.
The story of Shoe Lane in Newport News, Virginia, is a particularly heartbreaking example of this displacement. Around 1960, 20 Black families owned ranch-style homes on Shoe Lane and three other nearby streets. But the Newport News City Council had other plans in mind, and so they used their right of eminent domain to forcibly purchase this private property for public use. The result was a branch of the College of William & Mary system on Shoe Lane, and a segregated country club just a drive away.
Today, only five Black households remain in the Shoe Lane area. In their place are a dorm, student center, sorority and fraternity houses, and a residence hall. To access the street, residents must navigate through a university parking lot.
"This was a deliberate attempt to get rid of a Black community," said Anthony Santoro, Christopher Newport’s president from 1987 to 1996.
McQuinn believes that universities should take it upon themselves to address these injustices. "Many universities have profited for years based on the injustice that prevented Black families from progressing financially," she said.
ProPublica reports some universities are taking steps to make amends. Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, has significantly increased its enrollment of students of color, and offered free summer camps and employment opportunities. The University of Virginia in Charlottesville has appointed two executive commissions to study its historical support for racist policies, and by 2030 the president hopes to build 1,500 affordable homes and apartments for Charlottesville residents.
McQuinn wants this movement to continue, so we can ensure that Black families are fairly compensated for their losses and are not further displaced.
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