PLP's Krysta Jones Launches Leadership Organization
Oct 19 2006 - 9:23am
Krysta Jones, a member of the Political Leaders Program Class of 2006, has recently launched a new leadership organization that is aimed at getting more African-Americans elected to office in Virginia. The Virginia Leadership Institute was founded in May 2006 and just last week unveiled its new website.
Jones writes, "The organization emanated from my Master's thesis at George Washington University, where I studied the lack of black congressional representation in Virginia. There has been only one black Representative in Congress from Virginia since Reconstruction, Representative Bobby Scott of the 3rd district, and in 2001 there were less than 250 black elected officials across the state. We can do better."
She continues, "Despite a general increase in African-American office holders in the last 40 years throughout the South, Virginia has lagged behind. The VLI will increase training, networking and mentoring opportunities for blacks interested in running for office, and aims to conduct research on voter attitudes and barriers to electing blacks throughout the Commonwealth."
For more information please visit the website of the Virginia Leadership Institute.
