HAMPTON, Va. — Fort Monroe, the first national monument dedicated by Former president Barack Obama, is one of many historic sites in Virginia that are re-examining the past and shedding new light on the role of African-Americans in American history.

American Evolution - Virginia's 2019 Commemoration - is set to highlight events that occurred in Virginia in 1619 that continue to influence America today. This includes the important contributions of African-Americans to building up Point Comfort in 1619, currently known as Fort Monroe.

Former President Barack Obama made the fort a national monument during his presidency. Terry Brown, the first African-American superintendent at Fort Monroe National Monument, said Obama's contribution to the monument makes the history even more exciting.

"When you add the fact that President Obama made this his very first national monument, and now we're a year and a half away from looking back at 400 years of all this history, it's really an amazing story,” Brown said.

The "400 Years of African-American History Commission Act" passed in early January. It ensures that Fort Monroe and other locations across the U.S. will commemorate the arrival of the first Africans in the area next year for the 400th anniversary.

Fort Monroe contains many historic landmarks, including the jail cell in which Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was held during the Civil War and the Norfolk Navy station just across from the structure. The Fort held more than 900 fleeing slaves who were seeking freedom in Union-controlled territory during the war.

Brown said those stories are just the beginning of the rich history of the fort.

"On top of that, if you scratch the surface, you can notice that there's a lot of history here. I mean, it's amazing,” he said. “We have the largest stone fort in the world right here that was built by enslaved people, so it's really an amazing place to visit."

Scholars are still trying to narrow down the exact time of the arrival of the first Africans to America, but it's believed that August 25, 2019, will mark the 400-year anniversary. The day before, Fort Monroe will open a visitor center to honor the events that took place in 1619.

UPDATED March 12, to include:
Last year the "mayors" of Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk and Virginia Beach declared that Fort Monroe's special place in history "comes from the roles it played in the 1619 start of slavery and the 1861 beginning of slavery's demise," according to Steven T. Corneliussen, a citizen advocate for Fort Monroe. He adds, "They urged that more of Fort Monroe be given full national monument status so that it can become what they called "the new fourth node in the elevation of Virginia's Historic Triangle to its Historic Diamond."


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With fewer than four months before the November general election, Democrats are planning their next move following President Joe Biden's decision to drop out of the 2024 race.

Cal Jillson, professor of political science at Southern Methodist University, said Democrats have two options.

"One of them is a fairly smooth handoff to Vice President Harris because she was already on the ticket," Jillson explained. "But many Democrats are calling for an open competition between Kamala Harris and several other Democrats that might want to step forward."

Jillson noted if Harris is the nominee, she will inherit the campaign money and operation already in place. In a post on the social media platform "X," Biden endorsed Harris to be the nominee for the Democratic Party.

Jillson pointed out Biden's departure from the election could give undecided voters the candidate they have been seeking.

"There's a possibility that a new Democratic nominee could generate a relief rally, not only among Democrats, but perhaps among independents and some alienated Republicans, that there is a different choice than Biden or Trump," Jillson contended.

Jillson stressed if Democrats can pick their nominee in a smooth and graceful manner, the party could recover from the divisive optics of the last several weeks when many in the party called for Biden to step down. He added if Harris is the nominee, she will have to run a strong campaign.

"She ran a very poor presidential nomination campaign herself in 2020, had a lot of trouble holding her staff together and developing her issue position," Jillson recounted. "So, we'll see whether or not she has gained those skills over the last three years."


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California political analysts predict the race for president will tighten since President Joe Biden has dropped out and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.

If elected, Harris would be the first Black woman and first person of Asian descent to ascend to the highest office in the land.

Lynn Vavreck, professor of political science at the University of California-Los Angeles, predicted it will re-energize the race on the Democratic side.

"There will be a flood of money coming into whatever the new ticket is likely to be," Vavreck pointed out. "The race will once again tighten to be somewhere around 50/50. That will roll us into the Democratic convention. And from that point forward, it's not that long until early voting starts."

Harris has vowed to "earn and win" the nomination at the Democratic National Convention, which starts in Chicago on August 19. It is unclear if anyone will challenge Harris for the nomination, or whom she might choose as a running mate.

Mark Baldassare, survey director for the Public Policy Institute of California, noted Harris previously served as a U.S. Senator from California, Attorney General of the Golden State, and District Attorney for San Francisco.

"This is somebody who has a long history of public service at the local, state and national levels," Baldassare emphasized. "And of course, spent three years as the vice president, which is very relevant (to) somebody who would step into the Oval Office and become president."

Harris is a strong supporter of abortion rights, voting rights, social justice and environmental causes.


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Over the weekend, while self-isolating and recovering from COVID, President Joe Biden announced he is stepping down as the Democratic candidate in the 2024 election.

Biden officially endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to become the new Democratic nominee.

Nina Eliasoph, professor of sociology at the University of Southern California, said while the announcement comes amid a tumultuous race, it shows democracy is alive.

"It would've been healthier to have done it earlier but I think if there was a shift, it would actually be really healthy for democracy," Eliasoph explained. "Because it would show that Democrats at least really care about the truth. About what the person who is supposed to be leading the country is like."

Eliasoph pointed out Biden struggled to sell the public on his ability to do the job and his policy wins, which she said eroded confidence in the party and among voters. Biden will finish out his term, which has sparked criticism from Republicans, who said if he is unfit for reelection, he should resign now.

In a statement, Harris said she will work to unite the Democratic Party and the nation, even as some Democrats call for an open nomination process.

Biden's decision to drop out of the race comes as many congressional Democrats publicly called for him to step aside following his shaky performance in last month's debate against former President Donald Trump.

Eliasoph predicted the president likely faced more pressure.

"It's really risky for them -- not personally, necessarily, but for the party -- because if they say he should resign and he doesn't, it looks terrible," Eliasoph stressed. "You can bet on it, that if for every Democrat that's saying publicly he should resign, there's a lot who are saying privately that he should resign."

Eliasoph added her advice to voters would be to show their support for a party this election cycle, rather than the presidential candidate.

"They assemble staffs that put out the legislation," Eliasoph asserted. "That is why those lower-level, 'invisible' people who parties and legislators pick are really the main characters."

Many Democrats are thanking Biden for his years of service to the country and hope his decision will give them a better chance at defeating Trump in November. Republicans said the move will likely be met with legal challenges.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.


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