Bold Dominion

Four years later, the deadly "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville is still a moment we mark time by. It has shaped us as people. And it has shaped the social and political landscape of Charlottesville and Virginia.

Today on Bold Dominion, we're looking at how the Unite the Right rally changed Virginia politics -- from the removal of Confederate statues to the future of our democracy. Featuring data scientist Emily Gorcenski, UVA professor Jalane Schmidt, and Virginia Delegate Sally Hudson.

During the 2020 elections, Virginia voters passed a Redistricting Commission Amendment. The short version: it changes how Virginia draws its political district lines.

In the past, whatever party held majorities in the Virginia General Assembly approved pretty much whatever district maps it wanted to. Parties have used district maps as a political weapon to maintain their power. It’s a tool called gerrymandering. But now the map-drawing process is changing.

Will Virginia's new redistricting commission help our flawed democracy? Does it go far enough?

This week, we talk with Brian Cannon, former Exective Director of One Virginia 2021, the nonprofit that spear-headed the amendment. We also talk with Virginia Delegate Mark Levine, who has concerns about how this is unfolding and whether the amendment goes far enough.

Virginia is a bona fide trash capital. For decades, Virginia has been the second biggest importer of trash from other states. We even accept trash from other countries. About a quarter of all the trash dumped in Virginia originates from outside the state -- nearly 6 million tons of trash per year.

One state’s trash must be our state’s treasure... at least for the owners. Waste management is a surprisingly profitable enterprise, and Virginia charges no fees for out-of-state trash imports. You can thank the state’s pro-business ideology and some well-placed corporate campaign donations.

So where does that trash land in Virginia? And who does it get dumped on?

Teachers across America are brainwashing our youth with “critical race theory” so that they all become woke gay communists! Or so it would seem if you consume right-wing media lately.

“Critical Race Theory” has become a pejorative in today’s American conservative movement -- including here in Virginia. In several Virginia counties, school systems have been trying to educate children about the history of systemic racism in the United States, and “Critical Race Theory” has been leveled as an accusation against these efforts.

So what is “critical race theory”? And how has it come to be the newest right-wing bogeyman?

In this episode, we talk with Ian Mullins, professor of sociology at UVA, Peter Galuszka, Richmond-based journalist, and Amanda Moxham, member of the Hate-Free Schools Coalition of Albemarle County.

Tuesday, June 8, was the Democratic primary for statewide offices, and the results were fairly unexceptional. Former Governor Terry McAuliffe handily won the nomination for governor, State Delegate Hala Ayala won the nomination for Lieutenant Governor, and incumbent Attorney General Mark Herring beat out a primary challenger; meanwhile, outspoken delegates Lee Carter, Mark Levine, and Ibrahim Samirah failed to win their bids for re-nomination.

To answer that question, we spoke with Richmond-based journalist Peter Galuszka, as well as Brennan Gilmore, Executive Director of Clean Virginia, an organization dedicated to fighting corruption in Virginia's government.

Content Warning: in this episode, we discuss eugenics and forced sterilization, and a brief mention of rape in the back half.

In this episode, we talk with author and historian Elizabeth Catte, author of Pure America: Eugenics and the Making of Modern Virginia. In this book, she examines Virginia's history of eugenics through the land we use today: considering the experiences of Virginia's disabled, Black, Native, and other marginalized communities in the 20th century--and the reasons why this period of our history has largely gone unspoken.

In a year of pandemic-induced upheaval, much of daily life has shifted to a series of online interactions. From public school to telehealth and even many white-collar professions--broadband internet access has gone from “important” to “mission-critical infrastructure” in the blink of an eye.

To answer that question, we turn to the experts: Dr. Christopher Ali, an Associate Professor in the Department of Media Studies at the University of Virginia. He specializes in Broadband Policy, Planning, and Deployment, and is the author of Farm Fresh Broadband: The Politics of Rural Connectivity. We also talk with Evan Feinman, the Chief Broadband Advisor for Governor Ralph Northam, to discuss Virginia's progress and its path to greater broadband access going forward.

There are many ways to influence legislators and policymakers: some write letters and call their lawmakers; others organize campaigns to march or campaign. Organized capital -- in the form of businesses and industry -- has the most influence of all. That’s where lobbying comes in.

Lobbyists hold so much influence in Virginia that there's even a term for it in Richmond: a “shadow government” that dominates Virginia policy-making without a single elected official. How does this shadow government work--and why is Virginia so uniquely susceptible to their influence? How important is that influence overall?

This week, we talk to Jeff Schapiro, a political columnist for the Richmond Times-DIspatch, who has covered Virginia's politics and government for over forty years. We also talk with Robert Zullo, founder and editor of the Virginia Mercury, an independent news organization based in Richmond, to learn exactly how lobbyists operate in Virginia--and what their influence means for our state laws.

Virginia's gubernatorial race is just around the corner, taking place in November 2021. And with 13 candidates in the running--7 Republicans, 5 Democrats, and an independent--it's a crowded field. This week, we finish our two-part series diving into the five Democratic candidates for governor: who are they, and what do they stand for?

Jennifer McClellan is a State Senator who represents Virginia's 9th District; Justin Fairfax is the current Lieutenant Governor of Virginia; Terry McAuliffe is the former governor of Virginia. We asked all three candidates plainly about their campaign strategies and their policies to help working Virginians, including:

The Virginia Democratic primary takes place on Tuesday, June 8th, and early in-person and absentee voting start on April 24th.

Virginia's gubernatorial race is just around the corner, taking place in November 2021. And with 13 candidates in the running--7 Republicans, 5 Democrats, and an independent--it's a crowded field. This week, we begin a two-part series diving into the five Democratic candidates for governor: who are they, and what do they stand for?

Jennifer Carroll Foy is a former state delegate who represented Virginia's 2nd District; Lee Carter is a delegate representing Virginia's 50th District. We asked both candidates plainly about their campaign strategies and their policies to help working Virginians, including:

The Virginia Democratic primary takes place on Tuesday, June 8th, and early in-person and absentee voting start on April 24th.