The first black Speaker of the Virginia Legislature was Don Scott

What do we really want to say about Delegate Don Scott? — A proud moment for all of us as we recognize him as our next speaker of the house

“I pray that it is a proud moment for all of us, as we nominate Delegate Don Scott as our next speaker of the house,” said Del. Luke E. Torian in his nomination speech.

Scott appreciated his rise as leader of America’s first statehouse, from the child of a poor single mother. He expressed gratitude to the legislators who served before him.

SWENSON: That’s what I like about him, not what I love about him. He makes sure that people that are forgotten about or people at the bottom of the ladder get what they need as well.

It is called Khalid. The whole Statehouse was taken back by the Democrats in last fall’s election. Before he headed to Richmond, Scott gathered supporters in his district for a sendoff.

SCOTT: I tell the people I feel like this is a continuation of standing watch. We are standing and watching over our democracy. It doesn’t end in the Statehouse.

KHALIL: Scott’s profile within the Democratic caucus is raised by these moments. Less than six months later, he was chosen as the House minority leader and responsible for taking the chamber back from the Republicans. During the campaign trail, threats to democracy and abortion access were mentioned. He’s reminded of this when he sees the ships just outside his office window and recalls his own time in the Navy.

SCOTT: (Laughter) I just laughed. I told him that he wasn’t the principal or a student. If he want to see me, he can come over here. And to his credit, he came to see me.

“What I’ve seen from his day one activities is not someone who is a man of faith, not a Christian, but someone who wants to divide the Commonwealth,” Scott proclaimed to the Virginia House of Delegates, amid boos and jeers from the Republican side of the aisle.

Scott won his race in the Virginia House. He ran for criminal justice reform because of his experience on both sides of the legal system. Scott says, those experiences gave him another edge on the campaign trail, too.

Don Scott, J. Khalid Byline, (Right): A Black Speaker in Democrat’s House of Delegates, An Honorable John Scott,

Scott is the son of Scott. I remember receiving a text message from a good friend of mine. He told me that I was free now. So whatever you want to do now, you can do it. But it kind of did make me feel relieved, like, so now the people – everybody knows. So either they’re going to be with me or they’re not.

King: Scott told the reporter he was convicted on a drug-related charge while in law school in 1994 and was incarcerated for nearly eight years. It was on the front page of the Sunday paper, and it wasn’t a secret.

Don Scott. A reporter wanted to do a story, said, hey, you’ve gone to jail before. Is that true? I told him that. You can get the full story if you come see me.

The line is titled, “Jad Khalid Byline.” Don Scott was a successful trial lawyer. He was representing a city councilman charged with forgery. That made him a figure in the public eye.

The Virginia General Assembly unanimously elected Democrat Don Scott as house speaker on Wednesday, making him the first Black speaker in the Virginia House of Delegates’ history.

Don Scott becomes First Black Speaker in Virginia Legislature’s 400-year history: I know what you’re looking at, but what you won’t see

SCOTT: I see ghosts when I walk into the Capitol. I see our ancestors who were in there, who were emptying people’s urine and emptying the spittoons, building the buildings, breaking their back while people made decisions about whether they were human or not.

SCOTT: There’s a lot I need prayers for and I need you to pray for me. I think I’m ready for it. But I’m going to stay prayed up, and I hope that y’all will too. Have a good night. Thank you, Portsmouth, Va.

Source: Don Scott becomes first Black Speaker in Virginia Legislature’s 400-year history

Don Scott: First Black Speaker in Virginia Legislature’s 400-Year-Historic Legislature Conference During His First Term

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Scott was raised by a single mother who struggled to make ends meet. Scott remembers his mother taking care of him when she worked at the local library. The young Scott turned into a voracious reader, which he says contributed to him going to college.

Not long into Scott’s first term, the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis sparked protests in state capitals across the country. Suddenly, the issues Scott had tried to tackle were top of mind in Richmond.

Scott’s rapid rise to the caucus was the result of his confrontational approach to the sessions and his constant banter on the floor.

Early in 2022, Scott took on Gov. Glenn Youngkin after the Republican set up a “tipline” for Virginians to anonymously report educators for teaching so-called “divisive concepts” like Critical Race Theory.

Source: Don Scott becomes first Black speaker in Virginia Legislature’s 400-year history

The Battle of Richmond, VA for a Senator and an Empirical Legacy of James Scott’s Unconventional Road to the House of Delegates

Scott wasn’t discouraged by it. “I know that the truth hurts.” I know what you’re feeling and that’s why I’m not going to make you cry like saying critical race theory.

“We didn’t even see ourselves ever even raising our hand to run for speaker of the house, let alone achieve it,” he recounted them telling him after his nomination.

“I see our ancestors who were in there, who were emptying people’s urine and emptying the spittoons, building the buildings, breaking their backs while people made decisions about whether they were human or not.”

Scott told NPR from his office that he had a felony conviction and that he did not feel comfortable. You put limits on yourself because you feel like you have to be careful how far you can go.

Scott, a 58 year-old Navy veteran and lawyer representing the Southeastern Virginia city of Portsmouth, quickly distinguished himself in the Democratic Caucus in part thanks to his unconventional path to the statehouse.

“Over 400 years ago, people who looked like Delegate Scott gave their sweat blood and tears to build this Capitol,” Del. Torian elaborated. 400 years later, a person of color who helped to build this capital now has the opportunity to lead this House of Delegates.

“My first immediate emotion is just gratitude. Scott teared up as he said thank you to his 88 year old mother and wife who were watching from the gallery.