Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism

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.

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. vimeo.com/whrotv/uproote… with @propublica

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

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. vcij.org/stories/nearly…

The disruption of established Black communities by rapid and widespread campus-building in the 1960s continues to impact communities today. vcij.org/stories/virgin…

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.

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

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" vcij.org/why-destructio…

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. propublica.org/article/how-vi…

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 vcij.org/stories/how-vi…

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

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

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. propublica.org/article/how-vi…

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. vcij.org/stories/how-vi…

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.

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.

A @mechelleh interview with photojournalist Karen Kasmauski on what inspired her to follow Virginia midwives. Could this improve maternal health? whro.org/news/local-new… via @WHRO

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 vcij.org/stories/i-just…