Nagolia “Goldie” Wells was at the very first meeting of the Portsmouth Chapter of Virginia Organizing—and she hasn’t stopped since!

“Meghan, our organizer, came to one of my civic league meetings back in 2016,” said Goldie. “A few of us decided to go check it out. I went to the first meeting and was hooked—it was what I needed.”

Since that first meeting, Goldie has worked with parents and community members to develop the chapter’s school-to-prison pipeline campaign. On August 5, they celebrated victory when the Portsmouth School Board voted to change the student code of conduct to reduce suspensions and relax harmful zero tolerance policies.

Within the chapter, Goldie has worked to keep other members engaged. By encouraging people when they want to give up, making phone calls to register people for the Grassroots Gathering, and helping develop new leaders, she has strengthened the membership of the Portsmouth Chapter.

“If you have a heart and care about people, it’s a beautiful organization to be in,” said Goldie. “If you don’t know what to do, we’ll give you the tools you need to get things done. I’ve seen people’s lives changed.”

When asked what Virginia Organizing means to her, Goldie had one thing to say:

“We’re helping a lot of people get a real sense of power.”

Thank you, Goldie, for building a more just Virginia!