Community

Redistricted Map Update

Over the weekend, the Virginia Supreme Court ruled that the proposed April 21st referendum to vote on new congressional maps can still be held. This comes after a lower court judge ruled that the referendum violated rules set forth by the state constitution. As the state gears up for this referendum, expect more information to be posted on our website in the weeks to come! Read more at this link.

Contacting US Senators

Currently, the United States Senate is considering the SAVE Act, a controversial bill that takes aim at voting rights across the nation. Most Democrats in the Senate have voiced their opposition, but more vocal opposition is needed. To read more about why this bill is bad, the Bipartisan Policy Center released a useful article, linked here.

The Brennan Center for Justice created a useful email and phone template that can be used when reaching out to representatives. At the end of this email, you can find the number for Senator Warner and Kaine’s offices. Make your voices heard!

“As your constituent, I urge you to oppose the SAVE Act. Studies show that requiring Americans to produce documents like passports or birth certificates to register to vote could block millions of eligible U.S. citizens from voting.

Current federal and state law already makes clear that only American citizens can vote in elections. And the National Voter Registration Act already requires citizens registering to vote to confirm their citizenship status. The SAVE Act would merely disenfranchise the more than 21 million Americans who don’t have documents like passports and birth certificates readily available.

We should be protecting the freedom to vote, not restricting it. Please reject this anti-voter bill.

Thank you,

[First Name] [Last Name]”

As some of you may have read, Speaker Scott and Senate President Lucas released the proposed redistricting maps for Virginia’s House of Representatives districts. This has been in the works for quite some time and will be voted on in a referendum on April 21, 2026 (more information to come). To read more about what the maps say, how it affects Charlottesville, and what a referendum will look like, this article by the New York Times provides a good overview.

There is a slate of sensible gun reforms up for a vote in the House of Delegates. To ensure that they get passed and protect our community, we are being called on to reach out to our state representatives and encourage them to vote ‘yes’ on this set of bills. At the bottom of this email, you can find contact information for Delegate Callsen and Senator Deeds. Below is an email template you can use:

“Dear Del. (or) Sen. XXX,

I’m a constituent in zip code #####. [Add a sentence about why gun violence protection is important to you.] I ask that you please vote for these bills as they come to the floor:

• HB19: Close the Boyfriend Loophole
• HB21: Industry Accountability
• HB40: Ban Ghost Guns
• HB93: Protect DV Survivors
• HB110: Preventing Gun Thefts from Cars
• HB229: Prohibiting Weapons in Hospitals & Mental Health Facilities
• HB626: No Guns on Campus
• HB702: Establishing a Statewide Give-Back Program
• HB871: Safe Child Access Prevention
• HB1096: ERPO Reporting
• HB1359: Firearm Purchaser Licensing

Thank you for your time and consideration,

NAME

ADDRESS (not necessary, up to you if you would like to include).”

Don’t miss a FULL LIST of community MLKJr-related events and activities compiled by UVA:

https://mlk.virginia.edu/events

These events will take place today through next Monday, Jan. 26.

Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church Community MLK Service

Next Sunday, January 25, 2026 at 5pm, Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church

Here are some past MLK Day events from Monday, Jan. 19:

• Join volunteers at Ivy Creek Nature Center, 9:30am to noon, for our Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service! Activities will include removing invasive plant species and performing trail maintenance at this African American Civil Rights Network site. Sign up: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/ivycreekfoundation/event/11926martinlutherkingjrdayofservice/

• United Way is partnering with Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital to host a community kit-building project 10am-noon at Jackson P. Burley Middle School. They plan to compile about 1,000 kits of warm clothes and hygiene products for people in need. Registration online has closed, but you can Donate to help assemble even more kits. ALSO, UVA’s Multicultural Student Services will be assembling warmth kits at noon at Multicultural Student Center, Newcomb Hall, 2nd Floor.
• Come celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. at a full program of speakers, readers, and musicians at the Carver Recreation Center, 233 4th Street, NW Charlottesville, VA 22902, 1-3pm (produced by Mr. Alex-Zan).