The past few years have seen a sharp increase in the number of people from Central America trying to immigrate to the United States. President Trump and other bigots call it an “invasion” and have enacted barbaric measures to try and terrify people from trying to cross the border. So why do they come?
The Virginia Defender
Established in 2005 as The Richmond Defender, The Virginia Defender is a free community newspaper, published quarterly for the Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality. Print distribution is 16,000 and statewide. The online publication launched in Summer 2020.
THE OTHER UKRAINE STORY

A different kind of story Ukraine– including a coup, a referendum, at least 42 murders carried out by neo-Nazis which remain uninvestigated, and a Council of Mothers who are finally making progress toward justice.
DEFENDERS’ SACRED GROUND HISTORICAL RECLAMATION PROJECT RESPONDS TO MAYOR STONEY’S ATTEMPT TO LEASE A SACRED GROUND SITE IN SHOCKOE BOTTOM TO H. LOUIS SALOMONSKY
On Sept. 19, the Richmond Times-Dispatch ran a story with the headline “Stoney seeks to lease to a developer a Shockoe Bottom parking lot that could sit atop slavery site.” In response to this development, the Defenders’ Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project wrote the following statement.
MASS EVICTIONS HIT CREIGHTON COURT
The first of a developing tsunami of public housing evictions are now sweeping through Creighton Court, home to hundreds of low-income, mostly African-American families in Richmond’s East End.
NO MEALS FOR A YEAR AT ABNER CLAY PARK

It was the end of September when the fences and barbed wire went up around Abner Clay Park, the 4-acre green space in the heart of Jackson Ward. That came as a surprise to at least one of the organizations that serves free meals there.
CONFEDERATE STATUE FIGHT HEATS UP IN PITTSBORO

The small town of Pittsboro, N.C, has become a flashpoint in the ongoing battles over Confederate monuments.
TRUTH & CONCILIATION IN THE 400TH YEAR: A PUBLIC HISTORY SYMPOSIUM ON SHOCKOE BOTTOM

In order to provide education regarding the pressing matter of the memorial park proposal, the Sacred Ground Project is organizing “Truth & Conciliation in the 400th Year: A Shockoe Bottom Public History Symposium,” to be held Saturday, December 7, 2019, at the Library of Virginia.