Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism

VCIJ's independent, watchdog reporting gives Virginians the information and tools they need to make informed decisions. Inform, engage, educate.

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Thousands of Black families across the country were displaced, and dozens of communities of color have been wiped out since the 1960s by an unlikely force – colleges and universities.

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Our short documentary “Uprooted” examines a Black community’s decadeslong battle to hold onto their land as city officials wielded eminent domain to establish and expand Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia. https://t.co/r018PdRz9O with @propublica

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Our latest @VCIJ_Tweet in collaboration with @OpenSecretsDC investigates how dark money is fueling political campaigns across the commonwealth. #politics #darkmoney

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Independent political groups backed largely by “dark money” have spent nearly $1.7 million on Virginia candidates this election cycle, raising concerns about transparency and influence in the tightly contested battle for control of the General Assembly. https://t.co/0hCa2Jmdv7

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Independent political groups backed largely by “dark money” have spent nearly $1.7 million on Virginia candidates this election cycle, raising concerns about transparency and influence in the tightly contested battle for control of the General Assembly. https://t.co/0hCa2Jmdv7

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The disruption of established Black communities by rapid and widespread campus-building in the 1960s continues to impact communities today. https://t.co/ng94hSHSrJ

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NEW: Black Residents Facing Removal Asked, “How Much Time Do I Have?” @ProPublica @WHRO @DanLGolden

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Public universities across Virginia, including the flagship University of Virginia and Old Dominion, have expanded by dislodging Black families, sometimes by a city’s threat or use of eminent domain.

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Why the Destruction of a Black Neighborhood Matters to Me — and Should Matter to Everyone, by Brandi Kellam. Read how Brandi came to tell her story "Erasing The “Black Spot”: How A Virginia College Expanded By Uprooting A Black Neighborhood" https://t.co/5ZLXf5DBxS

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A thriving middle-class Black community in Newport News, Virginia, was about to develop more land and attract more residents.

Then city and academic leaders seized the core of the neighborhood to build a college. https://t.co/rA4qHqUkkf

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investigation, by @brandkells and @HansenLouis and edited by @DanLGolden, follows a family in Newport News that has seen its once vibrant community reduced to just five Black households. @whro @gluissandoval @Christyree69 https://t.co/NjkVZdMPUt

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Closer look at the history of a small neighborhood in Newport News, Virginia reveals a shocking and overlooked story in the African American experience.

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Stated goal of these expansions – to offer greater access to higher education – often hid racist motives to disrupt and displace Black families.

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New: Sixty-plus years ago, the white leaders of Newport News, Virginia, seized the core of a thriving Black community to build a college. The school has been gobbling up the remaining houses ever since. https://t.co/yx7EJmG0sA

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Our investigation reexamines the narrative around university growth, and exposes the legacy of prejudice that continues to resonate across the country. Research by @gluissandoval, images by @Christyree69, and support from @WHRO. https://t.co/NjkVZdMPUt

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Thousands of Black families across the country were displaced, and dozens of communities of color have been wiped out since the 1960s by an unlikely force – colleges and universities.

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The story, by @brandkells and @HansenLouis, edited by @DanLGolden, follows a family in Newport News, Virginia, that has seen its once vibrant Black neighborhood reduced to just five Black households. It’s a saga shared in many Black communities throughout #Virginia and the U.S.

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A @mechelleh interview with photojournalist Karen Kasmauski on what inspired her to follow Virginia midwives. Could this improve maternal health? https://t.co/wo6iRB3WZn via @WHRO

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Aiming to improve the health of expectant Black mothers, public health officials and providers have been looking at the role midwives can play.
Reporting by @HansenLouis Photo essay by Karen Kasmauski. Supported by the @pulitzercenter https://t.co/ecYY5r6ZhN