HAMPTON, Va. — Dozens gathered at Buckroe Beach on Saturday morning for the second annual Ida B. Wells “Hands Off Our Vote” Walk, an event honoring women’s equality and the ongoing fight for voting rights.

Organized by the Virginia State Conference NAACP’s Hampton Roads branches and the Women in the NAACP (WIN), the walk coincided with Women’s Equality Day, which commemorates the ratification of the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote.

“We’re talking about the importance of turning out the vote in November, but also the importance of having rights to our own body, for our own health,” said Gaylene Kanoyton, regional vice president of the Virginia State Conference NAACP.

Kanoyton said the event is about honoring Ida B. Wells’ legacy, a journalist and activist who co-founded

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