In their new budget, Virginia lawmakers have approved funding to support two more years of work for a commission dedicated to uncovering the history of how the state’s colleges and universities displaced Black communities, according to a new report from the Virginia Mercury.
The commission was first created in 2024 with an initial budget of some $28,000. The following year, state legislators provided an additional $200,000. While final figures have not been determined, the new budget could allocate more than $300,000 to continue the commission’s research. The new funds would come from unspent money remaining from the Virginia Commission to Study Slavery.
Currently, the commission’s focus is on four historically Black communities affected by the expansion of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Christopher Newport University in Newport News, the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, and Longwood University in Farmville. Through listening sessions with local community members, the research team seeks to understand how the displacement occurred and its lasting consequences. The commission will then develop a final report with recommendations for remedies.
