RICHMOND, Va. — Gov. Abigail Spanberger honored former Gov. Linwood Holton Jr., a crusader against racial discrimination, during her inauguration speech on Saturday.
Holton, who died in 2021, was Virginia's governor from 1970 to 1974. During his term, he declared an end to “Massive Resistance,” the state’s onetime official policy of opposing public school integration.
Holton's daughter, Anne Holton, former Virginia Secretary of Education and wife of Sen. Tim Kaine, who was governor from 2006 to 2010, was in attendance for the speech and was visibly emotional when Spanberger mentioned her late father.
"And so it was in 1970, as our Commonwealth faced once again deep divisions that Virginia's 61st governor didn't shy away from the challenges before him," Spanberger said. "Governor Linwood Holton stared them down. And on these steps, he proclaimed, and I'm quoting, 'No longer can we be divided into opposing camps of political philosophy, the time for partisan politics is over, it's time now for leadership, for action, for progress, through unity,' And he went on to issue a challenge: 'I turn today to all Virginians, whatever their political persuasion, and say, let us act together.'"
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
