West Virginia celebrates Black History Month

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — It’s important to “keep the dream of Martin Luther King, Junior alive”, according to a member of the MLK State Holiday Commission.

Patricia Wilson, chair of the commission’s awards committee, presented art awards Monday at the state Culture Center to student winners across West Virginia.

Awards for art and mixed media work were presented to high school, middle school and elementary school students from Mingo, Lincoln and Raleigh counties.

“It’s just a way to salute their art work and to see what those teachers are doing in the schools to teach the story about Martin Luther King because you can’t just have that art work done without someone giving them the background information so they know what it’s all about,” Wilson said.

The awards ceremony was part of a Black History Month celebration sponsored by the Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs, the MLK State Holiday Commission and the state Division of Culture and History.

“I just think that, at this time, it’s so critical because of some of the things that are happening in the nation that’s related to people of other cultures,” Wilson said. “We want to perpetuate his (MLK) philosophical ideas so that we can have a better world in which to live.”

Wilson has served on the commission since its inception about 25 years ago.

“One of the things that has remained constant is the attitude that the commission members have about the importance of the celebration and what that means to West Virginia and to the nation at large too,” she said.

Art work at the Culture Center included paintings of both civil rights activists Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior as well as Rosa Parks.

Speakers included First Lady Cathy Justice, state Division of Culture and History Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, Liberty Missionary Baptist Church Rev. Jerry Staples, Heart of God pastor Tia Welch, U.S. Small Business Administration’s Charleston branch manager Emma Wilson.

The Panther Pride Ensemble of the Charleston Job Corps Choir also performed music selections during Monday’s program.





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