With this as the backdrop, we talked for three hours about equity, partnerships, governing style, and much more in a conversation that could have continued all day, if not interrupted by a family emergency. I hope to continue our discussion and present it here at another time. As always Mayor Walker was candid and fearless with her responses and insights. What comes through in our discussion is that she remains a champion of the under-represented as she is willing to force conversations that some deem difficult.
Politics
The Words of a President Really Do Matter
No American President in history has allowed the far-right extremist to align themselves with him. The day after the tragedy in Charlottesville, Virginia in August 2017, David Duke former Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan declared that Trump was their “moral leader.” The press and the President’s critics waited and waited for his vehement denial that he was their leader. It never came!
Don Gathers as Activist & Witness: Charlottesville’s Black Lives Matter Co-Founder Speaks Out
With one like Gathers bearing witness and working as an active presence, we are more likely to remember and to heed his call to “do something.”
History in the Making: Dr. Wes Bellamy Goes National Yet Stays Rooted
Community Development, Politics
Though his work has made and continues to make history, Bellamy leans into our city while stepping out onto an increasingly national stage. Ultimately he is hopeful, both for his work and the movement itself.
At the Intersection of Health and Equity with Dr. Cameron Webb
Vinegar Hill Magazine caught up with Dr. Bryant Cameron Webb who is running for the seat in the 5th District of Virginia in United States House of Representatives.
Statement on Breonna Taylor and the Value of Human Life
At Vinegar Hill Magazine, we believe in the value of human life and we stand in solidarity with the family of Breonna Taylor and those who are again traumatized by the miscarriage of justice. We refuse to be silent when our platform reaches more and more people daily. We will continue to do everything in our editorial power to recognize the fundamental humanity of people and to normalize justice, equity, and inclusion for all.
A Conversation with One of the Nation’s Foremost Young Activists
While she is active and engaged, she is not overworked. “I’m more a less-is-more kind of person,” and I believe her, since she expresses such an awareness of the necessity of the fight for racial equity to continue beyond her efforts. Momentum can only be maintained if people can “sustain these conversations for more than just a moment.”
“Our Black Party” Declares Independence
Community Development, Politics
A collective of community leaders have declared their political independence and launched Our Black Party, a political home for those who are fiercely committed to improving the lives of Black people across this country and demanding meaningful political action that prioritizes the needs of Black people.
Determined to Be Free
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, at least twice a week Home to Hope staff went to the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail (ACRJ) to talk with inmates about their upcoming release — to develop short and long term goals, and discuss what’s called a Wellness Recovery Access Plan (WRAP).
Determined to Stay
Community Development, Determined Series, Politics
Charlottesville has been in an affordable housing crisis for years now, made more imperative because of longstanding racial and economic systems of segregation that have denied successful life outcomes to many generations of Black residents while gifting many white residents with wide-ranging structural and policy supports.
Do Better: A Conversation with Nikuyah Walker
People who were only seeing me in that sense, they were hoping I would remain uncomfortable so that maybe one day I won’t be able to continue doing this. It becomes ammunition for them. I was doing this work for free. And so I’ll do this for free like I was doing before.
Nikuyah Walker: Unmasking the Illusion
One of Nikuyah Walker’s (s)heros is Shirley Chisholm; she has been known to quote Chisholm when she needs to make a point. I find the above quote apropos to contextualizing Walker’s campaign slogan Unmasking the Illusion, which for her suggested redressing the inequalities at the heart of Charlottesville’s social and governmental systems. Prior to her run for office, a select few knew Walker as a champion for the under dog but, through interactions at such places as Blue Ribbon Commission and City Council meetings, she made her presence known to the broader community.
About Us

Vinegar Hill Magazine is a space that is designed to support and project a more inclusive social narrative, to promote entrepreneurship, and to be a beacon for art, culture, and politics in Central Virginia.
Categories
Recent News
Community Development, History, Naila Smith, Travel
Exploring Black Brussels: A Trip to Matongé
by Naila A. Smith, PhD I recently visited Brussels, Belgium, a small country in the west of Europe, nestled between France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Belgium is often called the “battlefield of Europe" due to its central and strategic location which...
Community Development, History, Hometown Heroes, Niya Bates
(re)Reflector 01: The Black Press
by Niya Bates Growing up in the 1990s, I used to cut posters out of Hype Hair, Jet, and WordUp Magazines while I waited for my mom to get her hair done at Ebony Images hair salon in Charlottesville’s Seminole Trail Shopping Center. Thinking about it evokes a series...
Business, Channing Mathews, Community, Community Development, Food and Drink, History, Hometown Heroes
Community Cornerstones: Mel’s Cafe
by Channing Mathews This month my journey through the Black food and wine-ways of Charlottesville led me to Mel’s Café on Main Street, run graciously by its dedicated, self-taught chef and owner, Mel Walker. Mel is no stranger to food reviews, as he has been...
Arts, Community Development, Jessica Harris
Kori Price & Blackity Black Black
by Jessica Harris “I don't want to just survive as an artist. I want to thrive.” That phrase is artist Kori Price’s mission statement. And between her personal artwork and serving as president of the Charlottesville Black Arts Collective (CBAC), she is certainly...
Arts, Community Development, Entertainment
Poet Samantha Thornhill Comes to Charlottesville
STAFF WRITER Are you a fan of poetry? Then you won't want to miss the chance to celebrate the work of Samantha Thornhill, a talented poet who has recently published a new book of poetry entitled "The Animated Universe". Samantha is a graduate of the prestigious MFA...
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