#163 Tram Nguyen, New Virginia Majority

It is impossible to overstate the depth of transformation that is taking place right now in Virginia. Once the cradle of the confederacy, and for decades a bastion of hard-edged Republican leadership, Virginia's future is being rewritten by shifting demographics and community organizations centered on equity. In the 1980s, only 1% of Virginians were foreign born; today 1 in 7 are immigrants. These communities struggle with inequities experienced by many Virginians, from insecure housing, under-funded public schools to mass incarceration and polluted environments. New Virginia Majority was founded it 2007 to leverage the collective power of its multi-racial and multi-issue base. As Tram Nguyen, NVM's co-executive director explains, NVMs bold plan for change is working. In 2019, Democrats took control of the state legislature and it recently made history by being the first southern state to ban the death penalty. All eyes are now on Virginia in anticipation of its 2021 elections, from the Governor's race to 100 house seats on the ballot, the nation's first contests after the presidential election. Tram brings her lived experience, belief in democracy and trust in the vision of community to this most vital enterprise.