Virginia Del. Don Scott Jr., who once faced the harsh consequences of breaking the law and serving significant prison time, will now help craft laws after he took the helm of one of the most powerful positions in state government.
On Wednesday, Scott was sworn in as Virginia’s first Black speaker of the House.
The Portsmouth Democrat and former Navy officer and law school student was first elected to the chamber in 2019. Scott, who assumed the role after his most unconventional path to the top, once served eight years in prison after being convicted on drug conspiracy charges.
As he took the oath of office, Scott acknowledged his “dreadful mistake” in a case where he was found handling drug money. He vividly recalled the emotional courtroom scene when a judge sentenced him to a decade in prison.
“I remember my mother in the courtroom,” Scott wrote on X. “I can hear the little yelp that she made when a judge said 10 years. I still hear that sometimes.”
Undeterred by his past and determined to make amends, Scott completed his law degree after serving his prison sentence. He then established a successful law practice before his foray into politics which began with his election to the Virginia legislature. Scott swiftly climbed the political ranks, serving as the minority leader in 2022 and 2023 before earning unanimous support from other Democrats for the speakership in November.
“Damaged goods sometimes can turn out to be OK,” Scott asserted. “We are a lot more interesting than the people that followed all the rules and did everything perfect.”
He also noted the significance of being the first African American House Speaker in a city that once stood as the capital of the Confederacy.
“We’re only a few miles from where the first slaves came into this country in 1619,” Scott exclaimed. “Now 405 years later, you have your first Black speaker. So, I’m very cognizant of the shoulders that I stand on. I take it very seriously. And I’m humbled and I’m grateful for the opportunity.”
It’s amazing to see that people can change even after bad experiences. And for black people incarceration is at an all time high. However current the plague hitting our youth and t3ns are drugs. Not all of them live in poverty. It’s many reason we have a huge epidemic of youth and drugs. Parent being friends to their children rather then a parent first. Taking prayer out of school. I can go on and on. I just want to know what being done to curve this epidemic of youth and drugs.
Congratulations on your accomplishment and looking forward to you doing what is right for the people stay strong my brother you are truly an example that if you put your mind to doing some you can DO IT
Congrats to you Don Scott ❤️ A second chance was given and well deserved as well. We got work to do with that broken judicial system, because black and brown ppl are getting more time than white people with the same crimes committed!