Richmond, Va. has an unrivaled place in American history, capital of the Confederacy, but also one of the birthplaces of racial integration in divided Virginia, a city that elected a majority black council in the 1970s.

Now Richmond’s congressman, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, who grew up in the state’s capitol during those sometimes tumultuous times, is taking steps to herald the civil rights era that helped advance blacks in his hometown and nation.