Walker running again
Charlottesville Mayor Nikuyah Walker officially announced on Friday that she’s seeking re-election to City Council in the fall. The announcement does not come as a surprise: Walker has hinted multiple times in recent months that she planned to run for a second four-year term on the council.
During a 28-minute Facebook Live broadcast, Walker spoke about the fight for racial justice that has driven her work on council.
“As a Black woman sitting in this position, especially the last two years, I have been very exhausted,” Walker said. “Even though I’ve always been ready to battle with people, it’s been a challenge to be under attack all the time. But I am a fighter in my spirit.”
Walker said she decided to seek reelection because she felt she had a duty to her constituents, particularly young Black people. “What will giving up show people who have been inspired because you’ve been here?” she asked herself before throwing her hat in again.
“I am tired, but we have to continue,” said Walker. “This is not just about us. The whole world is watching.”
Who’s she running against?
Strap in, this can get a little confusing. Two seats on Charlottesville’s five-person City Council will be up for grabs in the fall. In November, four candidates will compete for those seats: Mayor Walker, an independent, will run against another independent, 23-year-old entrepreneur Yasmine Washington, and two Democratic candidates.
Those Dems will be chosen at a primary on June 8. Three candidates are running for the two Democratic nominations: School board member Juandiego Wade, UVA planner Brian Pinkston, and entrepreneur Carl Brown.
Check back next week for a full preview of the June 8 Democratic primaries at both the local and state levels.
“More than anything, I’ll miss the fights. At a posh school like UVA, Sheetz provided a place to see the real side of people at night.”
—UVA student Sam Beidler, speaking to The Cavalier Daily about the announcement that the Sheetz on University Ave is closing
News briefs
Class of 2021 says farewell
The second of UVA’s back-to-back graduation ceremonies went off without a hitch last weekend, as the Class of 2021 took a well-deserved walk down the Lawn. We’re happy for the students—and also happy that we’ll be able to get a restaurant reservation this weekend.
Students must get vaccinated, says UVA
UVA will require its students to get vaccinated before returning to Grounds in the fall, the university announced last week. Students have until July 1 to share their proof of vaccination with the school health system. Dozens of colleges and universities around the country have announced similar policies, including liberal arts schools like William & Mary and large state universities like the University of Michigan.