Marvind Warner News Today

The unjust and racist application of the death penalty in Virginia necessitates its abolition and Virginia should seize this moment to do so, four ministers from across the commonwealth argue in a guest column.

RICHMOND — A group of African American pastors from across Virginia on Thursday called for abolition of the death penalty in the upcoming Virginia General Assembly, citing the sometimes racist application of capital punishment in the state. “The history of capital punishment finds its roots in slavery, lynching and Jim Crow,” said Rev. Dr. LaKeisha Cook, justice reform organizer for the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy. “Capital punishment is a racial justice iss...