Virginia panel says racist laws should be purged

#politics

These racist laws include measures that helped enforce federally mandated school integration, a poll tax intended to keep black Virginians from voting, and mandated racially segregated transportation.

A commission in Virginia, tasked with researching racist laws from the state’s past, recommended repealing dozens of outdated laws to purge discriminatory language from the state’s books.

These laws include measures that enforced “Massive Resistance” against federally mandated school integration, imposed a poll tax to disenfranchise black voters, mandated racially segregated transportation, and prohibited interracial marriage.

While many of these laws no longer have legal effect, they remain enshrined in the legal code. The commission’s report urged their repeal during the legislative session that started in January 2020. Governor Ralph Northam initiated this effort as part of addressing Virginia’s history of racism and racial inequities1.