Black By God

Opinion: I helped oppose Morgantown's camping ban WV doesn't need a statewide one.

And we've got a great op-ed about a bill that would prohibit unhoused people from sleeping outside!

Read more from Maya Krueger:
blackbygod.org/articles/civ...

Anti-DEI Bill Advances in WV House The bill just needs to pass the House Judiciary Committee and the House Floor.

ICYMI: An anti-DEI bill is getting closer to passage in WV. blackbygod.org/articles/civ...

WV Senate passes bill making it easier to discriminate – Black By God Senate Bill 579 would overturn 20 local fairness ordinances prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

And overturn local non-discrimination ordinances!
blackbygod.org/articles/civ...

WV Senate Committee advances bill requiring Holocaust education, removes parts related to understanding prejudice, racism and stereotyping – Black By God The Committee also discussed a bill requiring West Virginia colleges to accept a conservative, Christian-backed alternative to the SAT.

In other news, lawmakers have advanced bills to require education about the Holocaust.

blackbygod.org/articles/civ...

WV Senate passes bill requiring parent notification for teen STD care The bill would add a requirement for parental notification when minors above the age of consent receive any medical care.

And require parental consent for teenagers to receive medical care.
blackbygod.org/articles/civ...

WV House advances internet & data bills A WV House committee passed a data protection act & a bill requiring customers to be automatically credited when their internet is disrupted.

Lawmakers are also trying to strengthen internet & data-related consumer protections.

blackbygod.org/articles/civ...

Our lawmakers have been trying to make several changes to election law! @justicehudson.bsky.social has dug into some proposed bills.

blackbygod.org/articles/civ...

A thread of our most recent Folk Reports in cased you miss them!

Bill increasing jail time and parole requirements approved by WV Senate – Black By God Senate Bill 136 would increase sentencing requirements and the minimum jail time an incarcerated person needs to serve before they are considered for parole.

@justicehudson.bsky.social has also done a great job tracking criminal justice-related bills for #BBGFolkReporters, with articles like this one. 👇
blackbygod.org/articles/civ...

WV House Judiciary moves to limit absentee ballots & trans rights BBG Folk Reporter Starrie Schulz has the scoop on what went down during Monday’s House Judiciary Committee meeting. A bill criminalizing the physical distribution of absentee ballot forms passed the c...

We've had some other great #BBGFolkReports come out earlier this session, like this piece from Starrie Schulz!
blackbygod.org/articles/civ...

WV Senate passes “Women’s Bill of Rights”  – Black By God The state Senate approved a controversial “Women’s Bill of Rights” with just one senator opposing it. The bill is one of many spawned by the governor’s desire to end “wokeness.”

Our most recent #BBGFolkReport from @justicehudson.bsky.social!

Yesterday, the West Virginia Senate passed a controversial "Women's Bill of Rights" that would require transgender people to use bathrooms, changing rooms, and more based on their sex at birth.

blackbygod.org/articles/civ...

15 Photos That Will Change Your Thoughts About Race in Coal Country Discover insightful articles on These Photos Will Change the Way You Think About Race in Coal Country. Join us in exploring solutions for a just, sustainable, and compassionate world. #These Photos Wi...

“When someone hears ‘Appalachia,’ the first thing that pops into their head isn’t an African American face, ever. It’s kind of irritating.”

—Shaylan Clark (Washington Post interview, 2017)

Bill increasing jail time and parole requirements approved by WV Senate – Black By God Senate Bill 136 would increase sentencing requirements and the minimum jail time an incarcerated person needs to serve before they are considered for parole.

My latest for @blackbygod.bsky.social

“Bill increasing jail time and parole requirements approved by WV Senate”

SB 136 would increase sentencing requirements and the minimum jail time an incarcerated person needs to serve before they are considered for parole. 

blackbygod.org/articles/civ...

Mollett family fights to keep Edwight mine land cemetery alive – Black By God Rakes and flowers in their hands, memories of loved ones on their minds, Doretha Mollett’s family never made it past the company gate. For the second time in four years, Mollett’s family could not rea...

Left standing at the gate—again. For the 2nd time in 4 years, the Mollett family was blocked from visiting their ancestors’ graves on coal mine land. Black Appalachian history buried twice—first in the ground, then behind corporate gates.

By @JoeSerivino for BBG.

blackbygod.org/articles/fam...

Breaking BBG News – Black By God BBG is honored to collaborate with veteran reporter Martin Staunton on a critical story about the rising opioid overdose rates among Black West Virginians. While rates for white populations are declin...

BBG is honored to collaborate with/ veteran reporter Martin Staunton on a critical story about the rising opioid overdose rates among Black West Virginians. While rates for the white population decline, the Black community faces a growing crisis. Stay tuned!
blackbygod.org/articles/new...

Who Speaks for Us? Addressing the Black Overdose Crisis in Appalachia – Black By God By BBG  On Friday, December 6, 2024, state and local leaders gathered in South Charleston at Café Appalachia, a nonprofit that supports people with substance use disorders, for a town hall meeting on ...

Dr. Stephen Loyd, head of the state’s Office of Drug Control Policy, emphasized that while overdose deaths in West Virginia have decreased overall, Black communities have not benefited from the same progress.

blackbygod.org/articles/hea...

BBG Tech: Addressing the Human Element in Cybersecurity – Black By God By: Aiden Satterfield As I read the Verizon 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report for class, I thought it offered a reminder that while technology evolves, human error remains one of the most critica...

BBG Tech: Addressing the Human Element in Cybersecurity
By Aiden Satterfield

blackbygod.org/articles/bbg...

An Open Letter from Pastor Mathew J. Watts – Black By God West Virginia’s New Governor Sparks Concern Over “No More DEI” Agenda Governor Patrick Morrisey’s recent inaugural declaration of “No More DEI” within West Virginia’s education system has drawn sharp ...

In an Open Letter, Pastor Matthew J. Watts addresses Governor-elect Patrick Morrisey’s dismissal of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) as "not West Virginia values."

blackbygod.org/articles/civ...

Who Speaks for Us? Addressing the Black Overdose Crisis in Appalachia – Black By God By BBG  On Friday, December 6, 2024, state and local leaders gathered in South Charleston at Café Appalachia, a nonprofit that supports people with substance use disorders, for a town hall meeting on ...

Dr. Stephen Loyd, head of the state’s Office of Drug Control Policy, emphasized that while overdose deaths in West Virginia have decreased overall, Black communities have not benefited from the same progress.

blackbygod.org/articles/hea...

Just joined the Bluesky platform.

Howdy.

I publish a small newspaper amplifying Black voices in West Virginia, Central Appalachia.

Take a sneak peek at our upcoming cover and platform: BlackByGod.org