Three on BBG

Big Foot to Senator Joe Manchin The Third

WV Film Office Production Directory Available

In Los Angeles, California, there’s a new exhibition opening at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. "Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898-1971." The exhibit offers a chance to learn more about how Black performers and filmmakers have helped define cinema in America.

West Virginia doesn’t always get credited as a place that has developed many Hollywood careers (Lou Myers) to the growing number of West Virginia Black filmmakers.

BBG hopes to be part of the growing film industry in West Virginia and we hope you will too.

The WV Film Office Production Directory is now open for West Virginia’s talented Black (actors, makeup artists, wardrobe, etc..) as well as  Black-owned Air BnBs, hotels, restaurants, property (location).

West Virginia Film Office

Give a Second Chance to Workers

The Federal Bonding Program (FBP) provides Fidelity Bonds to the employer that guarantee honesty for at-risk hard-to-place, and criminal justice involved job seekers. The bonds cover the first six months of employment. There is no cost to the job applicant or the employer.

Learn how your business can qualify for this program: the business must be a registered vendor in Oasis and doing business in the State of West Virginia. The company must also register in the WorkForce WV MACC system. Staff is available to help employers get started employing second-chance workers.

WorkForce West Virginia: On the Job Training

WorkForce West Virginia: Federal Bonding Program

WorkForce West Virginia: Explore Tax Credits

Civil Rights Violation?

West Virginia man sues deputies who accused him of growing marijuana near his land.

Story from The Black Wall Street Times

Katherine Johnson Day

West Virginia celebrated Katherine Johnson Day on Aug. 26, honoring the NASA legend who is the namesake of the NASA Independent Verification & Validation Facility.

Katherine Johnson Day coincides with Women’s Equality Day, which commemorates the 1920 adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and acknowledges past and continued work toward equality and equity for women. Katherine Johnson is an important figure for women’s history and equality.

From the Times West Virginian

Huntington’s Black History

How Black history is intrinsic to the city of Huntington’s story was the discussion of the inaugural lecture for the Marshall University’s Higher Learning Commission (HLC) Quality Initiative: “Building a Stronger and More Inclusive Marshall Community.” 

As the university’s visiting diversity scholar and a fourth generation Huntingtonian, Dr. Cicero Fain III says the time has come for the community to recognize, honor, and celebrate the Black men and women that built Huntington into the vibrant powerhouse it stands as  today. 

"I’m proud and humbled to be spreading the gospel of Black Huntington. ~ Dr. Cicero Fain, author of Black Huntington 

The Parthenon story by Taylor Issac

Publisher’s Note

Mountain Afro-surrealism

Wikipedia says Afro-Surrealism or Afro-surrealism is a school of art and literature. In 1974 (the year I was born) Amiri Baraka (who told me to always carry my poetry book like a gun) used the term to describe the work of Henry Dumas.Inspired by Baraka, Dunbar, W.Va. nativeD.Scot Miller wrote his famous Afrosurreal Manifesto.

"Afro-Surrealism sees that all ‘others’ who create from their actual, lived experience are surrealist…"

As I "rest" which is such a lame way that I need to move slower and with an eye on the future, I’m encouraged and inspired by Miller and Afro-Surrealism — and West Virginiaville too.

I hope you enjoy this interview  by Doug Imbrogno withD. Scot Miller as much as I do.

I wanted weed to be legal.I wanted people to marry whomever they wanted to marry…I wanted an entirely desegregated Popular Culture. And most of all, I wanted out of West Virginia." ~ D. Scot Miller, Dunbar, W.Va native

— Crystal