Dear ,

Governor Youngkin offered a minor amendment to the solitary confinement study bill (SB108). When we heard he’d amended it, we sat on pins and needles till we saw the actual language. It is fine.

Essentially, the amendment says that people who serve on the study committee can’t be the subject of or involved in pending litigation with the department. The General Assembly will likely accept the amendment when it reconvenes in less than two weeks (April 27).  

Last week, Salim Khalfani, our Criminal Justice Reform Organizer, and I met with colleagues from the Virginia Solitary Confinement Coalition to develop a shared vision and strategy for how we can support the development of a good study process and continue educating legislators about the need for Virginia to set limits to its excessive use of solitary confinement. We are excited about working with the other coalition members. Our role, anchoring the faith engagement in the issue, is critical for this issue.

In the coming months, we will be: 

• Circulating a clergy sign-on letter calling upon the Governor to lead on the issue.
• Supporting our colleagues to make the study process effective. 
• Organizing meetings with legislators in key districts.  
• Connecting with prison ministry groups around the commonwealth, and inviting them to become engaged in the campaign.  

Although we were disappointed that the original bill to limit the use of solitary confinement did not pass, we do believe that the study process going forward can help legislators feel assured that Virginia can safely limit the use of solitary confinement. And, as we know, legislative change takes time.  

If you’d like to have a presentation about the issue and how your congregation or community can help, send an email to: Salim@virginiainterfaithcenter.org

May you be blessed in this Holy Week (for Christians), Ramadan (for Muslims), and Passover Season (for Jews). 



 
Sincerely, 


Kim Bobo 
Executive Director 

VICPP’s JAB Initiative continues to make strides in building relationships with local health departments. These meetings with the directors and/or staff are aimed to generate support for visible commitments to ethics in health care as one way to restore trust with people of color who are hesitant of engaging with the health system due to historical harm inflicted upon their communities. Advocates have met with departments serving Norfolk, Hampton and the Peninsula, with upcoming meetings scheduled with Virginia Beach and Prince William departments. Additional support has come from the Office of Health Equity in the Virginia Department of Health who will be including the JAB pamphlet, “Principles of Ethics in Health Care: Building Vaccine Equity During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond” in its monthly newsletter highlighting state resources. Click the button below to learn more. 

Thank you to Delegate Sam Rasoul for an inspiring advocacy outlook during our annual legislative session wrap-up. He gave a thoughtful presentation that included tips and insights for engaging elected officials. The closing thought was arguably the most memorable as he shared a personal story, encouraging everyone to keep moving forward in our advocacy work. Holding up a pair of boxing gloves, Del. Rasoul (pictured at the bottom left side of the above image) spoke of "punching holes in the darkness" and making room for the light to shine through.

We are in the middle of Passion Week, or Holy Week. This is a unique season wherein the three Abrahamic faiths observe some of their most sacred days in their respective traditions. Maundy Thursday heralds the end of Lent, a sundown marks the beginning of Passover while a sunrise marks the celebration of Easter (Resurrection) Sunday, and Ramadan draws close to its end after the Night of Power. As part of VICPP’s project in partnership with the Prince William County Police Department to fight hate crimes against houses of worship, VICPP Engagement Director Dora Muhammad kicks off “Together in Faith” this week. It is the educational element of the project. She will capture these upcoming four holy days in a photo essay of public events hosted by houses of worship in PWC. CLICK HERE TO READ the Together in Faith Blog — a joint essay with our Faith Organizer Sheila Herlihy on how she observes Lent, our Director of Communications Ayesha Gilani Taylor on how she observes Ramadan, and Dora on how she observes both — a creative illustration of how we are Together in Faith!

And click the button below to see our calendar of upcoming observances of these holy days along with links to register to attend. 

Against the backdrop of VICPP team members observing the holiest days of their different faith traditions, VICPP Director of Communications Ayesha Gilani Taylor offered her perspective in a blog post as a Muslim observing Ramadan. Framed by the interfaith aspects of Ramadan, the Holy Quran, and Islam in general, she wrote of the significance and history of the holy month, how it relates to other faiths and Scripture, and what it all means to her in her worship and work. An excerpt follows. 

"The revered 14th century Islamic scholar known as Ibn Kathir stated that it was narrated that 'Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

'The Suhuf (Tablets) of Ibrahim (Abraham) were revealed during the first night of Ramadan. The Taurat (Torah) was revealed during the sixth night of Ramadan. The Injeel (Gospel) was revealed during the thirteenth night of Ramadan. The Zabur (Psalms of David) were revealed on the eighteenth of Ramadan. And Allah revealed the Qur’an on the twenty-fourth night of Ramadan.’ (Hadiths: Ahmad 4:107 and Musnad #177025).

Right now, at least 4.3 billion people across this Earth who identify with a religion that centers on worshiping the same Creator and similar principles, are practicing the most widely observed, holiest rituals of their respective faiths. That's well over half of the human population. There is something profoundly unifying and humbling about this. So what does this all mean and how does it pertain to how Muslims observe Ramadan? I found the road map for my spiritual journey and soul purpose in the Quran..."

Read the full blog post by clicking the button below. 

The fifth annual National Black Maternal Health Week, founded and led by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA), is a week of awareness, activism, and community building recognized by Congress. It is observed every year from April 11-17. This year’s schedule included a midweek conversation with top policymakers leading the fight in Congress to end the maternal mortality crisis among Black women and birthing people, featuring a keynote address by Vice President Kamala Harris for Policy Day. Learn more about what lies ahead for the remainder of the week’s activities to join in. 

Save the date! Join Norfolk State University’s Campus Life and Diversity for the kickoff of a series of virtual conversations. VICPP Health Equity Program Manager Dora Muhammad will be one of three panelists for a discussion on “Disbelieving Black Women to Death: A Spotlight on Racial and Sexual Biases in Healthcare for Women of Color.” The panel will take place via Zoom at 6 pm. NSU will open registration today, Thursday, April 14, so check back later today on the events page of our website for the link! You can click the button below to do so.

VICPP Board Member Reverend Robin D. Mines was pictured in today's edition of the Richmond Times-Dispatch on page A6. She is shown helping out at a community festival in 2021, encouraging her fellow community members to get vaccinated. 

On April 5, 2022, VICPP Criminal Justice Reform Organizer Salim Khalfani was a featured speaker at the Because They Matter Part 2 Pop-Up event, which took place during the E3 Consulting Presents: Taking Steps to Create Change event. 50 people attended the event held at Gallery 5 on 200 West Marshall St. in historic Jackson Ward of the Richmond area. In the above photo, pictured from left to right are Frank Mosley, Director of VA Democracy Centers at the Center for Common Ground; Angelette Aviles, Creative Manager for Grassroots Leadership Academy of Americans for Prosperity Foundation; and our very own Salim Khalfani.

How Serena Williams Saved Her Own Life
Black women are nearly three times more likely to die after childbirth than white women. Serena Williams was almost one of them. Here, in her own words, she tells her story.

Elle, April 5, 2022

By Serena Williams