About US: Why A.E. Dick Howard calls his role in rewriting Virginia’s constitution ‘a blessing.’

On July 4, recognize the Black and Indigenous soldiers who... | Presented by Morgan Stanley ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Sign up for this newsletter Read online Candid conversations about identity in 21st-century America. Presented by Morgan Stanley       By Vanessa Williams  Email Last month, I spent a weekend traveling to Southern states with voting rights activists paying homage to the Freedom Rides of 1961. In that action, Black and White protesters rode buses from Washington, D.C., through Southern states to challenge Jim Crow's segregation on interstate public transportation. Three years later, Congress passed, and President Lyndon B. Johnson signed, the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Then came the Voting Rights Act of 1965, thought to be an even more important law because it solidified the right to vote for Black people who had faced discrimination, intimidation and even death for merely trying to participate in the democratic process. Yet even after the passage of the Voting Rights Act, Black Americans still had to fight for access to the ballot. It wasn't until 1971 that the constitution for the Commonwealth of Virginia was rewritten to remove language that expressly forbade Black people from voting. Our colleague Gregory Schneider introduces us to the man who oversaw the drafting of the new document. He writes that "Thursday marks 50 years since African Americans had their basic rights recognized and safeguarded in Virginia." Thursday also was the day that voting rights activists criticized a ruling by the Supreme Court that they say further weakens the landmark Voting Rights Act. We also note the nation's 245th birthday with an op-ed by Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) urging Americans to remember Black and Indigenous soldiers who fought for the nation's independence. Thank you for reading. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam talks with University of Virginia legal professor A.E. Dick Howard as they view the 1869 and 1776 Virginia constitutions at the Library of Virginia in Richmond. (Steve Helber/AP) He rewrote Virginia's constitution to guarantee Black voting rights — 'a blessing' 50 years ago The document A.E. Dick Howard, now 87, wrote repudiated a Virginia constitution adopted in 1902 with the stated purpose of disenfranchising Black people. By Gregory S. Schneider ●  Read more »     Lest we forget Fourth of July fireworks at the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., in 2020. (Astrid Riecken For The Washington Post) On July 4, recognize the Black and Indigenous soldiers who helped win the Revolutionary War George Washington's army might not have been able to beat the British without Black and Indigenous men. It's time to set the record straight, for all Americans. Opinion ●  By Bonnie Watson Coleman ●  Read more »     From The Lily A federal ban on evictions is lifting this month. It's a looming disaster for women of color. Asian, Latina and Black women are more likely to be behind on rent and mortgage than White women, an analysis found. By Anne Branigin ●  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT     More from The Post Supreme Court upholds Arizona voting laws that lower court found were unfair to minorities By Robert Barnes ●  Read more »   Surviving as a Black transgender woman in Baton Rouge By Samantha Schmidt, Brittany Renee Mayes and Nia Decaille ●  Read more »   I fought for years in court for my basic rights as a trans kid. It shouldn't have been this hard. Opinion ●  By Gavin Grimm ●  Read more »   Federal program debuts climate change, racial justice criteria as part of infrastructure grants By Ian Duncan ●  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   How the meticulous bookkeeping of two sisters led to reparations for Black people across the country Perspective ●  By Theresa Vargas ●  Read more »   Podcast aims to go beyond 'Surface Level' discussions about being Black and gay in America By Rita Omokha ●  Read more »   Ahead of Canada's national day, more unmarked graves found, more churches burned By Michael E. Miller and Amanda Coletta ●  Read more »   Body shaming yourself: How to fight the 'pervasive sense that there's something wrong with you' By Angela Haupt ●  Read more »   Sofia Vergara, Eva Longoria and chef José Andrés named to Latino museum board By Peggy McGlone ●  Read more »   A doctor was deemed 'unprofessional' for wearing hoops. Now other women of color are speaking out. By Rachel Hatzipanagos | The Lily ●  Read more »   How we celebrate the Fourth of July By Courtney Beesch ●  Read more »     What we're reading It hurts when it is one of your own By Crystal Marie | The Root ●  Read more »   Three teens, one year: How COVID-19 widened education gaps for boys of color By Mila Koumpilova | Chalkbeat ●  Read more »   The Latino vote in Texas By Rogelio Sáenz | Latino Rebels ●  Read more »   Your city is more segregated than it was in 1990, new study shows By Adam Mahoney | Grist ●  Read more »     Word on the street   We think you'll like this newsletter Check out Must Reads for a curated selection of our best journalism in your inbox every Saturday, plus a peek behind the scenes into how one story came together. Sign up »

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