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Fighting myths, misconceptions and misunderstandings about race, slavery and the Civil War
Slaves were treated well. Blacks fought in large numbers for the Confederacy. The Civil War was about states’ rights. These are myths, spread to dress up the horrors of slavery and justify Confederates, historians say. Many have racist origins. Historians and others say we can never achieve racial peace in America unless we acknowledge the […]
Spare the snakes: Know these six serpents
Spring is so wonderful — blooming flowers, singing birds and visits from our friends, the snakes. These reptilian Rip Van Winkles are up from their long winter naps and moving, looking for food and mates. One just might find you by mistake. It doesn’t have to be a big deal. Believe it or not, Virginia’s […]
How I unlearned what I was taught about the Civil War and Virginia’s fraught racial history
On a springlike winter day, my wife and I walked through Maymont, chatted there with a happy family from Guatemala, then headed to North Richmond for a late lunch. As we zipped along the Boulevard, we saw the “flaggers,” men and women who fly Confederate flags to protest … something. We live almost next door […]