Black by God l The West Virginian

Note from the Publisher:

Remembering My Dad

As this newsletter goes out, I’ll be at my father’s funeral service. That’s me with my dad, above. Here’s his obituary, which was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to write.

~ Crystal Good

Wesley Curtis “Red” Armstead, whom friends called “Wes”, was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle, friend, and colleague to many. He passed away on April 11, 2023, at the age of 68, in Charleston, WV.

“One of the best things was talking to people and having people talk to me. On a tragedy scene, people would talk to me. I’ve got a gift of gab. I try to befriend people. I think they realize it is from the heart, that I just want to tell the story.”

Three on BBG

The Food Principle: "Roots Rising" Episode Spotlights West Virginia Farmer and Visionary Jason Tartt Sr.

The Food Principle on PBS episode 4, titled "Roots Rising," highlights Jason Tartt, Sr., the founder of Appalachian Gold, a brand that unites regional farmers by producing 100% Appalachian food products.

Read the BBG story

West Virginia’s Legacy of Slavery In Roane County

Despite what is or is not being taught in classrooms, slavery’s presence in the state was pervasive, with enslaved people in all but one county in 1860.

One descendant of a West Virginia slaveholding family, Sundae Knight, currently living in Florida, is working to find the stories and descendants behind unmarked enslaved graves that rest on her family’s former plantation in Left Hand, Roane County, West Virginia.

Read the story

Happy Birthday DJ Woody Woods

Woody Woods hosted an epic “Aries Season” birthday party April 8 at the Red Carpet in Charleston, W.Va., complete with the legendary Kid Capri on the turntables. Politicians and community members came together to celebrate. Woods is a shining example of how one man can bring joy, laughter, and history to an Appalachian community and putting Chuck City on the hip-hop map.

Read the story

Virtual Book Discussion

Have You Read "Abolition. Feminism. Now." by Angela Y. Davis, Gina Dent, Erica R. Meiners, and Beth E. Richie?

Join us for a virtual discussion of this groundbreaking text on Sunday, April 23 at 7:00 pm EST.

Three to Read

WVU Center for Black Culture and Research Prepares For a New Era

Javier McCoy, who currently oversees campus-wide initiatives as the assistant director of Inclusive Leadership and Intercultural Engagement in the Division of Student Life’s Student Engagement unit, will become West Virginia University Center for Black Culture and Research interim director.

Read the story in the Moorefield Examiner

In Counties With More Black Doctors, Black People Live Longer, ‘Astonishing’ Study Finds

Black people in counties with more Black primary care physicians live longer, according to a new national analysis that provides the strongest evidence yet that increasing the diversity of the medical workforce may be key to ending deeply entrenched racial health disparities.

Read the stat news.com story

Feeding Programs in West Virginia Seeing Increased Need

The line of vehicles at the mobile food distribution in Belle snaked into the street, so workers started early to alleviate the traffic jam. Within an hour, Mountaineer Food Bank staff and volunteers had passed out nearly 6,700 pounds of food to dozens of households.

Read the Charleston Gazette-Mail story by Lori Kersey