A diverse crowd of roughly 30 people attended the rally.

Dr. Mark Ryan, a family physician in the Richmond area, braved the cold to attend the rally with his wife.

“As a physician who works here in Richmond, I’ve witnessed institutional racism and feel it’s important to support grass-roots efforts on behalf of those most affected,” he said.

Local real estate agents Damon Harris and his wife, Tarah, said they turned out to “have a unique conversation in real time. Everyone is wrapped up in this [issue] now.”

“As residents and citizens, we need to listen to each other,” Damon Harris said. He also added that as real estate agents, he and his wife see “much connection with real estate and social justice.”

One speaker at the rally, Ravi Perry, a political science professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, said the recent events in Virginia politics represent a failure of moral leadership.

“Can these men lead? The answer has to be no. We have to find blackface unacceptable in any form for public office,” he said.

The event also sought solutions to the current political problems facing Virginia.