CHARLESTON, W.Va. – As West Virginia celebrates its 150th birthday, a series of events will highlight how African-American history is central to the state’s story.
The Rev. Ron English of Charleston says the state might not even exist if everyone had accepted slavery.
He says the frontier western counties had long drifted away from slave-holding eastern Virginia, and that many on this side of the mountains had little sympathy for the plantation owners who went on to run the Confederacy.
He explains that it's no accident that West Virginia was born in the crucible of the Civil War.
"The question that really led to statehood was slavery,” he explains. “And Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation happened at the same time that the state was founded."
English says there were a few plantations here, including one on the site of a school now named for prominent black educator Mary Snow.
English is coordinating a series of events next week highlighting black West Virginia history, starting with a Juneteenth celebration Sunday at the Culture Center in Charleston.
After the Civil War, blacks were violently suppressed in much of the country. But English says West Virginia became known for allowing African-Americans to go to college and was home to early black schools such as West Virginia State University and Storer College.
He says it was Storer that made the Eastern Panhandle the site of a second monumental event in Black history – the movement that led to the founding of the NAACP.
"It was in Harpers Ferry that John Brown's raid took place,” English says. “And it was also in Harpers Ferry that the Niagara Movement developed."
English says by the first part of the 20th century, employment in the mines was allowing black families stability and a better income than was available in many other places. And he adds that the coalfields were unusual for the way they accepted African-Americans.
The United Mine Workers Union was even integrated from when it was founded in 1890.
"All miners came out of the mines looking the same,” he points out. “The coal mining industry opening up in West Virginia became a place blacks were able to find a decent wage."
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The youngest North Carolina voters could end up shifting the political landscape of the state in the not-too-distant future.
New data from the Brookings Institution indicates that together, people under age 45 -- the Millennials and Gen Z -- make up the largest generation and tend to lean toward the Democratic Party.
Michael Hais, former vice president of the research-based consulting firm Frank N. Magid Associates, believes the generation's diversity could be the driving force behind changes in politics over the next few years.
"Those under 45 are very distinctively different in their demographic composition, their partisanship, their political attitudes, and their media usage than voters who are over 45," Hais explained.
Research also revealed Millennials and Gen Z will be a majority of potential voters by 2028, and will represent more than 60% of potential U.S. voters by 2036. It also highlighted if Democrats do not run campaigns focused on younger voters, they could jeopardize the allegiance of the growing majority.
Dakota Hall, executive director of the Alliance for Youth Action, said another shift is young voters demand significant change and will not settle for minimal reform.
"These are folks who went to high school and witnessed nothing but 'on' news coverage on their different social media feeds, of Trump, of dysfunction, of government shutdowns and then a global pandemic," Hall pointed out. "They've seen the worst of what this country can be, and I think they want to push us forward."
According to research from the Alliance, young Democratic voters prioritize protecting abortion access and other issues - like democracy reform, voting rights, affordable health care, and stopping gun violence and climate change. Young Republicans are more concerned about the economy and inflation.
Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.
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Georgia's young people could shift the political landscape of the state in the near future.
New data from the Brookings Institution indicates that millennials and Generation Z make up the largest generation and tend to favor the Democratic Party.
Michael Hais, former vice president of the research-based consulting firm Frank N. Magid Associates, believes this generation's diversity could be the driving force behind changes in politics over the next few years.
"Those under 45 are very distinctively different in their demographic composition, their partisanship, their political attitudes, and their media usage than voters who are over 45, who are primarily members of Generation X, the Baby Boom generation, and the Silent Generation," Hais outlined.
Research also revealed millennials and 'Gen Z' will make up the majority of potential voters by 2028, and they will represent more than 60% of potential U.S. voters by 2036. It also highlights that if Democrats don't run campaigns to focus on younger voters, they could jeopardize the allegiance of the growing majority.
Dakota Hall, executive director of the Alliance for Youth Action, said another shift is young voters demand significant change and will not settle for minimal reform.
"These are folks who went to high school and witnessed nothing but 'on' news coverage on their different social media feeds -- of Trump, of dysfunction, of government shutdowns and then a global pandemic," Hall pointed out. "They've seen the worst of what this country can be, and I think they want to push us forward."
According to research from the Alliance, a majority of young Democratic voters prioritize protecting abortion access and other key issues like democracy reform, voting rights, affordable health care, gun violence and climate change, while young Republicans are more concerned about the economy and inflation.
Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.
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Prison reform advocates in Minnesota continue to speak out following a lockdown at the correctional facility in Stillwater.
People incarcerated there want better conditions, and their supporters say systemic issues need to be addressed.
A coalition is now calling for two state offices to conduct an independent human rights investigation after those being held at Stillwater staged a peaceful protest earlier this month.
The issues include a lack of air conditioning during excessive heat and poor water quality.
David Boehnke, an organizer with the Twin Cities Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee, said it adds to longstanding concerns across the correctional system.
"There's a pattern and practice here," said Boehnke, "and there's just a refusal to look at these types of inhuman conditions and create actual solutions."
Boehnke contended these individuals are having their rights violated while still being expected to perform the work they're ordered to do in carrying out their sentences.
He suggested treating them better can lead to better outcomes after they're released.
The Department of Corrections cites staffing issues for some of the concerns, and argues that some of the claims are false.
Advocates say while the prison population is their primary concern, Marvina Haynes - founder of the group Minnesota Wrongfully Convicted Judicial Reform - pointed out that rough conditions can negatively affect correctional staff, too.
"Officers are working in inhumane conditions," said Haynes, "and it just causes a more stressful environment."
Haynes also has a brother incarcerated at Stillwater, and she says inmates have provided details of brown water inside the prison. That's one of the claims corrections administrators have said is false.
Meanwhile, the union representing corrections officers at Stillwater echoes concerns about operations at the facility.
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