We've been publishing a series of articles on the general topic of Hate Crimes and Assaults here on the Loper Website. As a part of this series, we are interviewing people with something to share - insight, opinion, even more questions - and will publish these interviews from time to time. The framework for the interviews is a questionnaire, but we will not slavishly force each interview to follow a prescribed format - ideas flow too freely for that.

Dave Sagarin interview with Rev. Alvin Edwards

What is a Hate Crime / Should there be Hate Crime laws?

I think that history ought to have a lot to do with how you develop [any] law, and how you view it. [If a crime is basically] against African-Americans, Jews and so forth, there should be stiffer penalties.

It is a hate crime if it's against these [historically-persecuted groups]. Even today if you don't get a job because of your color or religion - or if a judge's decision [is biased] -- then that's a hate crime, too. This might be utopian, I know - but this is how I feel. [And] ... I fully believe that all these [Hate Crimes] ought to carry stiff penalties.

Do you feel the same way whether it's a member of a majority or minority group doing the violation?

You don't have [the same] history of hate crimes against whites - if there's a problem it is because of what was done to [blacks] - going back to slavery, and since.

Caucasians are not really in a position to draw conclusions about racism, they really can't understand it [the way African Americans can]. Whites have lived with it so long that it's acceptable and normal behavior [to them].

Comments on press coverage of the assaults on UVa students

I'm not [about] protecting kids when they [are] wrong. I am concerned about the [press] coverage causing a lot of confusion.

I was sorry [to see] Downing Smith's response to my remarks, since I was misquoted in the press.

You know, there are no African Americans among the media covering this story. You can't have fair representation [of facts] when it's only Caucasians doing the reporting to the public.

Comments on committees to deal with the outcomes of the assaults

I did not set up these Committees - it was done in response to an outcry from the [black] community. [I helped to form the committees] to respond to concerns that were voiced to me.

Comments on racism in Charlottesville

[Racism has] a long history in this community - and you know, the joke of it is, Charlottesville is a good community [compared to many]

[Years ago] there was [an integrated] community clergy group - and they broke up over segregation - can you believe it? A group of clergymen!

In this community - [there is] a power structure [including the people who own the Charlottesville media] … [And they] want to hide [racism] by calling it by another name.

They would rather keep this community in chaos than address fundamental issues … They do it to keep control - they don't care what the cost is [in suffering]. It's economics - money is what drives it.

They don't care about fairness unless it is to their benefit. (April 22, 2002)

Alvin Edwards is pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Charlottesville, a past mayor of the city, and active in community organizations.