Pittsylvania County NAACP sponsors dialogue with state lawmakers

The Pittsylvania County Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People will sponsor a Legislative Dialogue Meeting with state legislators Thursday, Jan. 8.

The meeting, which is open to the public, will begin at 6 p.m. at the Cherrystone South Education and Recreational Center on U.S. 29 just north of Chatham.

State senators Bill Stanley and Frank Ruff and delegates Les Adams and Danny Marshall have been invited to attend, said NAACP President Willie Fitzgerald.

Moderators will be the Rev. Cecil Bridgeforth and John Collins.

Each legislator will have two to three minutes for opening statements followed by discussion on the following resolutions adopted at the state NAACP convention in October:

Resolution 1--Demand that the Commonwealth of Virginia increase participation of African Americans in employment and procurement at the state-supported colleges and universities.

Resolution 2--Adopt the Moral Monday Movement model that stands opposed to those unfair and discriminatory laws involving voter suppression, restriction of Medicaid expansion, and opposition to raising the minimum wage.

Resolution 3--Push for legislation to increase Virginia's felony grand larceny threshold up to $1,500.

Resolution 4--Push for legislation to ensure statewide full and open public oversight, monitoring, inventorying, and/or regular audits of donated military equipment. (This resolution was submitted by the Pittsylvania County NAACP.)

Resolution 5--Push for legislation to ensure both laws and systems are passed to increase the minimum wage up to a living wage over a sustainable period of time.

Resolution 6--Push for legislation that mandates the full use of body cameras and/or dash cameras by all law enforcement officials and departments in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Written questions and concerns will be presented from the audience, Fitzgerald said.