Complications of Race and Class Fuel Perceptions of UVA Incident

When honors University of Virginia student Martese Johnson was assaulted last week by state Alcoholic Beverage Control agents, the narrative—at least for African-Americans—rang too familiar: here was yet another instance of violence against another Black male at the hands of those in authority.

In many respects, the proliferation of similar cases in recent months has desensitized folks to the nature of the incidents.

“Based on everything else that is happening around the country, it’s like ‘oh, this is happening again,’ but it’s closer to home this time,” said Anthony Austin, a 2007 graduate of UVA.

Isaac Agbeshie-Noye, a 2006 graduate of UVA, said that, while he was disappointed when he heard the news, he was not surprised. “Incidents like that are hitting the news cycle now more than ever,” he said.

But Miller Allen, a Charlottesville native with long ties to the city and the state’s flagship institution—he graduated in 1974 and was on staff from 1979 to 1987; his father, also an alumnus, had taught in the medical school, and his mother graduated from the school of nursing—said he believes the incident was a direct reflection of “the total incompetence of VA ABC agents, which they continue to demonstrate every couple of years.”

Austin agreed. “These ABC agents, it’s like they’re fighting in the Wild, Wild West out there,” he said.

“This incident would not have happened if the Charlottesville police were involved, whom I believe are capable and enlightened,” Allen said.