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Dear BBG Readers,
My apologies for the infrequent newsletters. We are way off production schedule but are working every day to fulfill our mission. And. Nothing like your home state NPR to hold you accountable.
Thanks, Roxy Todd and for this BBG feature!
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Crystal Good On Returning Home To Launch the Publication ‘Black By God’
What We’ve Been Up To
Black By God is planning a special 2022 legislative edition centering on Black issues and policymakers. We need volunteers for our Folk Reporters citizen journalist program, and I’m writing to invite you to participate in West Virginia’s 2022 Black Legislative Agenda survey.
The 2022 West Virginia Black Legislative Agenda will provide a platform for what we cover at the legislature. We are seeking your input on the policies that impact the lives of Black people in West Virginia.
Your expertise is essential toward defining West Virginia’s 2022 Black Legislative Agenda. Please submit your survey response to this google form by January 12th.
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Last year, we received 12 responses. We hope to double those results and receive at least 24 survey responses this year. The responses of this survey will be used as tools for increasing civic engagement throughout the legislative session. Please read our 2021 article by Folk Reporter Kate Jordan.
Your input will be shared in our print editions and during the inaugural WV Black Policy Breakfast hosted by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Black By God, Black Voter Impact Initiative, and many other allied groups. Please save the date in your calendars as February 11, 2022 for this event.
Again, here is the link to the 2022 WV Black Legislative Agenda survey. West Virginia feels like a rock and a hard place. But I can’t remember a time when it hasn’t. The difference is the stakes are higher now — there is a lot of money sitting in state, county, and city budgets through American Recovery Act funds (ARPA) and a host of other vehicles that can directly fund projects and programs that can bring relief to so many Black and poor white families.
At BBG, we believe WITNESS is one of the modest powerful tools for citizen engagement.
~ Crystal
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WITNESS
As We Plan For A Curious 2022
A LOOK BACK: THE 2021 WEST VIRGINIA BLACK LEGISLATIVE AGENDA by Folk Reporter Kate Jordan
“The Black Legislative Agenda is a start in attempting to organize a conversation around policies. It is a huge undertaking, a big idea that can help support Black people raise their voices in confidence. We will get this work done.”
The Joe Manchin Approach Doesn’t Work by David Fryson
“Manchin continually weakened West Virginia Democrats and has done the same to the national party and the Biden agenda to the detriment of the poor and marginalized in West Virginia and nationally.”
How Black Communities Become “Sacrifice Zones” for Industrial Air Pollution
One of the most dangerous chemical plants in America sits in one of West Virginia’s only majority-Black communities. For decades, residents of Institute have raised alarms about air pollution. They say concerns have “fallen on deaf ears.” By Ken Ward for Mountain State Spotlight.
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Kathy Ferguson stands outside the Union Carbide plant in Institute. Ferguson grew up in the community surrounding the plant, and her father was a co-founder of a local activism group now called People Concerned About Chemical Safety.Credit:Maddie McGarvey for ProPublica
Clifton Brooks Sr., West Virginia’s last Tuskegee Airmen, dies at 99
Clifton E. Brooks Sr., West Virginia’s last surviving Tuskegee Airman and a longtime resident of Keyser, died Friday. He was 99. Brooks studied at West Virginia State College and in the U.S. Air Force as a cryptologist during World War II.
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Clifton Brooks Sr., West Virginia’s last Tuskegee Airmen, dies at 99
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BBG EVENTS
Join host Katonya Hart and the WV Women’s Commission for ‘Talk and Tea’ public discussion celebrating Kwanzaa on Thursday, December 30, 2021 at 12:00 p.m. on Zoom at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85701156178, Meeting ID: 857 0115 6178; or by one tap mobile +19292056099,,85701156178#, or by the dial in number +1 929 205 6099
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SUPPORT BBG
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We have had an incredible year thanks to your support and donations. As the year comes to a close, we hope you’ll consider giving generously as we grow in 2022. As a result of our partnership with our 501c3 fiscal sponsor, Tiny News, your gift will be fully tax-deductible.
PLEASE CONSIDER A GIFT OF $500 or more!
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COMMUNION
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