Scott Statement on the Passing of Jack Gravely

NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement on the passing of former Virginia NAACP executive director and radio talk show host Jack Gravely:

“It was with profound sadness that I learned of the passing of my good friend Jack Gravely. Jack devoted his life to trying to make Richmond and the entire Commonwealth of Virginia a better place to live and raise a family. I first met Jack while serving as the Newport News branch president of the NAACP while he was the head of the Virginia chapter of the NAACP. As a civil rights activist, Jack was a natural choice to lead the Virginia chapter. And during my early years in the Virginia House of Delegates, I was able to see firsthand what a forceful voice he was on civil rights issues. Jack would go on to serve as an adviser to National NAACP President Benjamin L. Hooks. His years of dedication to the NAACP and his ability to bring people together brought him back to the Virginia chapter last year as its interim executive director.

“Many will remember Jack for his savvy political analysis and sometimes heated back and forth with politicians and other community leaders on his award winning radio talk show. Despite a hiatus in the mid-2000s, Jack’s booming voice has been a staple of local Richmond talk radio. He used his radio program to highlight and discuss at length issues that often went unnoticed or unreported by other media outlets.

“I will greatly miss Jack’s counsel and talking politics and public policy with him. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and all those that tuned their radios to the Jack Gravely Show.”

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