Wilder’s conspicuous absence remains a mystery

There’s a local mystery that needs solving. To understand it one must know something about politics, but maybe from a street-savvy perspective. Perhaps Jeff Schapiro is the right guy to solve it at the RT-D, or maybe veteran crime reporter Mark Holmberg at Channel 6 is the best one to put on the case. The mission […]

August 11, 2008; 2:49 PM • by FTRea

There’s a local mystery that needs solving. To understand it one must know something about politics, but maybe from a street-savvy perspective. Perhaps Jeff Schapiro is the right guy to solve it at the RT-D, or maybe veteran crime reporter Mark Holmberg at Channel 6 is the best one to put on the case.

The mission is, should a reporter accept it, is to find out where Mayor Doug Wilder was on the late-morning/early afternoon of July 21, 2008. That was when the new Virginia Civil Rights Memorial was being lauded and unveiled at Capitol Square.

According to what I have learned about it, Wilder was invited to sit on the platform with Gov. Tim Kaine, former First Lady Lisa Collis, the artist Stanley Bleifeld, Julian Bond, and other speakers and sundry dignitaries. But Wilder blew off the invitation.

We’ve been told he was out of town. But, to my knowledge, Wilder hasn’t said where he was, or why he chose to ignore the invitation from those who put together the ceremony for the unveiling. His spokespersons don’t seem to know anything more they can tell us to clear up this mystery … at least nothing they can say on the record and keep their jobs.

What could have been so important that it kept Richmond’s mayor away from such an auspicious event, one that honored heroes of the Civil Rights Era? Why must it remain a secret?

Did Wilder’s conspicuous absence have anything to do with grudges he might still hold, perhaps grudges with some of those who were sitting on that platform in the hot sun?

Was the mayor really out of town on an important matter, or was he once again, ahem, out to lunch?

– Words and art by F.R. Rea

August 11, 2008 2:49 PM 0