“There’s a Farmer in the Flag: What the West Virginia Freeman Still Teaches Us”

By Crystal Good | Black By God: The West Virginian

I love looking at old Black newspapers. There’s something about them—something steadying, something alive. They remind me we’ve always been here. And that Black by god can exist. 

If you’ve never done it, go to chroniclingamerica.loc.gov. You can actually search for African-American newspapers in West Virginia. One of my favorites is the West Virginia Freeman, established in 1881 in Parkersburg. Edited by Isaac H. Johnson and managed by W.F. Attkinsson, the Freeman was a temperance paper at its core—but it was also a clearinghouse for stories, poetry, women’s leadership, agriculture, and community news.

In one issue, there’s a column called “A Word to West Virginians,” written by someone who signed their name simply as Clericus, respectfully. And it tickles me. It reads like a sermon, a love letter, and a piece of practical advice all at once.

Clericus writes: “West Virginia is one of the healthiest states in the Union.”

He urges readers—especially farmers—not to leave: “If you have a home, though ever so homely, hold on to it. There is a better day coming.”

And for those tempted to sell everything and go West: “After burying half your family, and breaking down yourself, you will be glad to get back, and call your old homely home blessed.”

He wasn’t just talking about land—he was talking about value. About staying rooted. About recognizing the abundance of West Virginia’s beef, pork, fruit, coal, timber, and what he called: “Millions of wealth upon the surface and billions under it.”

The Freeman knew what mattered. And they knew who mattered. That’s why they made space for farmers, why they had a full Farmer’s Page, and why they wrote things like: “We have plenty here.”

They also didn’t shy away from asking for support: “Don’t forget, good farmer friends, to turn in when you come to our pretty sign… and unburden your pocket to the amount of a subscription.”

That line makes me smile every time.

So in that same spirit, I’ll say it plain: If Black By God means something to you…If you believe in Black land, Black stories, and Black businesses…If you want to see the farmer in the flag brought forward again…

Then support this Black newspaper.

Subscribe. Donate. Advertise. Tell a friend. Unburden your pocket—just like they asked in 1881.