MORGANTOWN history Museum Black history exhibit
The Morgantown History Museum opened its Black History Exhibit on February 23rd. The exhibit will be open through May 2024 at 175 Kirk Street.
According to the City of Morgantown’s press release, “The exhibit will contain four main galleries. The first exhibit, titled ‘Settlement, Slavery and the Civil War reveals the lives of African Americans during the turbulent formative years of the county. “The second gallery, ‘Emancipation and Reconstruction’ gives a voice to early African American entrepreneurs and other citizens through photos, artifacts and information. The third gallery, ‘The Shape of Separate but Equal’ shows the changes brought about in education for African Americans from elementary through graduate level, and tells the stories of some of the individuals involved in the process. “The fourth and final gallery, ‘Modern Figures,’ showcases African American individuals who have been successful community leaders in their respective fields. “The Black History Exhibit was created in cooperation with the Morgantown/Kingwood National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Scott's Run Museum.
The Morgantown History Museum is currently open Wednesday- Friday 11:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. and Saturday- Sunday 12:00 P.M. - 6:00 P.M. The museum also closes for all state-observed holidays. “For more information on the reception or exhibit, or if you are interested in taking a group tour of the museum, please email morgantownwvhistory@morgantownwv.gov.
International Street Festival
The annual International Street Festival will be held on Sunday, April 14 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in Downtown Morgantown.
“Come celebrate Morgantown’s diversity! The event will showcase many of the different cultures that contribute to our community. The Courthouse Square area from Walnut Street to Pleasant Street will be a pedestrian only area with exhibits, entertainment, children’s games and food. Additional activities offered along High Street to the Mountainlair."
"The International Street Festival presented by WVU Office of Global Affairs is a Main Street Morgantown Affiliate Event.”
MORGANTOWN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
The next regular meeting should be Thursday, April 18th, at 6:30 p.m. You can get contact information for the commission, including information on filing complaint forms here. You can get copies of the agendas and minutes for the commission meetings here.
New Board Members: The City Council appointed Bronson Hurr to the Commission on January 2nd meeting and appointed Ashley Swanson to the Commission on February 6th.
Vacancies on Human Rights Commission. There are currently two vacancies on the commission. According to the City of Morgantown’s website, “Appointments of to the Commission are made by City Council, and all must be residents of the City. All seats are non-ward specific. Upon formation in October 2012, terms are to be staggered: 4 shall serve two-year terms, 3 shall serve one-year terms in the first year. Thereafter, all terms will be staggered two-year terms. All new appointments and reappointments will need to be interviewed at the end of their term.” Information on applying for the commission is available here.
You can get information on the commission, including information on filing complaint forms here and copies of the agendas and minutes for the commission meetings here. You can find a calendar of annual human rights observances here. Observances for the current month are included in this website here.
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS of morgantown / monongalia County (LWV-MM)
The League of Women Voters is a constituent member of West Virginia Women Vote (WVWV) and a member of the CCSJ.
The League will be sponsoring a candidate forum on Wednesday, April 24th, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Mountaineer Mall, 5000 Greenbag Road, Morgantown. The first hour will be a candidate forum for School Board and all three candidates will be participating (Ron Lytle, Christina Morgan and Shawn Smith). Attendees are encouraged to bring questions for the candidates. The last hour will be an educational session during which Justin Hershberger of the Mon County Public Defender's Office will discuss the role and responsibilities of the Magistrate. Magistrate candidates have been invited to a meet and greet with the audience after Mr. Hershberger’s presentation. All are welcome to this free event.
Follow this group on Facebook and contact them by email at lwvmorgantown@gmail.com. Interested in joining the League of Women Voters? Join online. The state League of Women Voters has a new website. “The League of Women Voters of West Virginia is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots civic organization that encourages informed and active participation in government.” They are a member of the CCSJ.
GREATER MORGANTOWN INTERFAITH ASSOCIATION (GMIA)
You can follow GMIA on Facebook or on the web. Their email address is faulkeseve@gmail.com.
MORGANTOWN NOW CHAPTER
The March meeting will be on March 12th at 7:00 p.m. at the Friends Meeting House, 348 E. Brockway Avenue in Morgantown. Special Guest Amaya Williams will provide Bystander Training (pt. 1).
NOW has also announced the rest of its 2024 Schedule:
Tuesday, April 9: They will be meeting together at the Morgantown Art Bar for Taco Tuesday.
Saturday, April 13, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.: Morgantown NOW will be tabling at Story Fest 2024 Discover Connect Create (Authors, Artists, Vendors, Food, Special Guests, Games, and more). This event is to assist people in checking their voter registration status and registering them to vote as needed at the Spruce Street Pavilion.
Saturday, April 20, 2:30 p.m.: RDVIC’s Walking With Survivors. The walk will start at 3:30 p.m. and the event will last until about 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 25: Champagne for SANEs, Table 9, 40 Donley Street, Morgantown
Tuesday, May 14: Meeting at Friends Meeting House, 7:00 p.m. Special Guest Amaya Williams will present on Bystander Intervention (pt. 2)
Tuesday, June 11: Mixer: TBA, 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, July 9: Meeting at Friends Meeting House, 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, August 13: Mixer, TBA, 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, September 10: Meeting at Friends Meeting House, 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, October 8: Mixer: TBA, 7:00 pm; Annual Ping Pong Fundraiser, Tentatively on Sunday, October 17.
Tuesday, November 5: VOTE (Election Day)
Tuesday, November 12: Meeting at Friends Meeting House, Annual Meeting / Officer Elections, 7:00 p.m.
December: Mixer: TBA
Note that they say that the above schedule is an attempt to plan out consistency for the year: "We will do our best to stick to this schedule but everything is subject to change for extenuating circumstances."
Email this group at morgantownnow@gmail.com. Follow the group on Facebook or their website.
Morgantown-Kingwood Branch of the NAACP
The next meeting will be on Tuesday, April 16th at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom. Contact the NAACP at 3241naacp@gmail.com for more information and to learn how to participate.
The branch has a Readings on Race and Rights group and does its work with a variety of committees, including Education, Political Action, Legal Redress, Criminal Justice, and Health.
Follow the NAACP on Facebook. The Facebook page also includes information on bills in the legislature that are of concern to the branch members.
We appreciate the fact that the Branch shares this CCSJ Update with its membership.
Morgantown Civilian Police Review Advisory Board Needs Two Members
There are two vacancies on the board at this time. The City of Morgantown is currently accepting applications and you can get a link to the application and more information by going here. “The Board shall consist of nine members appointed by the City Council. Each member shall be a resident of the city or an active member of an organization that works within the city to promote purposes consistent with the purpose of the Board.” For links to agendas and minutes of past meetings, go here.
MORGANTOWN CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN-MENNONITE
Sunday services are held at 10:30 a.m. in person and via Zoom with the link available here.
“Christians for a Free Palestine is calling for a mass mobilization to Washington, DC, April 8-9, in order to use our public voice and our collective power to challenge Christian Zionism, advocate for a permanent ceasefire, demand an end to U.S. military aid to Israel, and ensure a long-lasting, just, and sustainable peace for Palestinians and Israelis. Learn more and register here"
The church has a Blessings Box outside the church at 464 Virginia Avenue, Morgantown, where you can drop off extra food you may have or take some if you need it, or swap food. Feminine hygiene products are also welcome.
Follow them at their website or on Facebook. The church is a member of the CCSJ.
UNITARIAN-UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP OF MORGANTOWN (UUFM)
"We are a Welcoming Congregation and support the Community Coalition for Social Justice."
For more information on the group and their programs go to the UU website or Facebook or email UUFMWV@gmail.com or call 304-216-5535.
Fairmont PFLAG
Information is available here and on their Facebook page.
“Get ready to celebrate love, acceptance, and equality at Fairmont Pride! Join us for a day of live music, vendors, and more! Pack the car for this family-friendly community event hosted by PFLAG Fairmont” at 12:00 p.m. at the Fairmont Greenspace, 308 Watson Avenue."
DISMANTLING RACISM TOGETHER
Dismantling Racism Together (DRT) will be meeting on April 15th via Zoom at 7:00 p.m. At least two candidates for the Monongalia County School Board (Shawn Smith and Christina Fattore Morgan) will discuss and answer questions related to diversity, equity & inclusion; discipline; and working with local school improvement councils. Please join by zoom here.
For more information about the group please go to their website or Facebook or email dismantlingracismtogether@gmail.com or contact rebeccarodd@yahoo.com.
WEST VIRGINIA COALITION FOR TRUTH IN HISTORY
The Coalition was very active during the legislative session, including, after the session, publishing an op ed in the Charleston Gazette and a letter to the editor in the Dominion Post about its issues. See our Legislature Updates/Alerts page for information on issues of concern. Send your email address to ccsjwv@gmail.com, and we will pass on your information to the coalition’s leadership.
For more information about the group please go to their website or Facebook or email dismantlingracismtogether@gmail.com or contact rebeccarodd@yahoo.com.
MORGANTOWN PRIDE
According to their website: "We provide social and educational resources for the LGBTQ+ Community, Friends and Allies in Mon. County. Our main focus is to sponsor and participate in events and programs that enrich the Morgantown community and affirm the value of LGBTQ+ people within our community. We offer several events throughout the year to bring people together and raise awareness."
The 2024 Block Party will be on Sunday, June 15th and will again be at Hazel Ruby McQuain Ampitheater. “Vendor sign ups have begun! We will close vendor sign ups and start registration for back up vendors as soon as we reach 50 sign ups or May 29th whichever comes first! “Thanks everyone for your patience and we know we will have another great year! Information on vendors, sponsorships, and parade participation is available here.
For information on this group, go to their Facebook page or their website. Morgantown Pride has an Instagram page here.
Raising Trans Kids Community Group
Anyone interested in joining the meeting for the first time or wishes to get more information can email raisingtranskids@gmail.com. All meetings are held virtually via Zoom.
The Raising Trans Kids community group is for West Virginia parents, guardians, and families who are raising transgender or gender diverse kids (of any age), or have kids who might be transgender or gender diverse. Follow Morgantown Pride on Facebook.
MONONGALIA COUNTY CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER (MCCAC) EVENTS
The Girls Night Out event will be held on Friday, May 17, 2024, from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. at Tropics in Cheat Lake. MCCAC is still looking for sponsors for the event, along with items for the auctions and raffles. If you are interested in participating in this way, please reach out to Taylor at tshultz@moncocac.org. Still need a ticket? Get the early bird rate until May 3rd!Sponsorship information is available here.
“From January 2023 to October 2023, MCCAC has served 559 clients and conducted 237 forensic interviews. We have also provided 1,179 therapy sessions and 5,516 family advocacy services.”
Kroger Community Rewards support the CAC: If you already use Kroger rewards and have a digital account, simply link your Shopper's Card to your account so that all transactions apply toward the organization you choose. Choose MCCAC from the organization list, and Kroger will donate a percentage of your spending to the CAC. MCCAC's NPO number: 90621.
Follow this group here or on Facebook. The Facebook page includes information on legislation of concern to the MCCAC through the West Virginia Child Advocacy Center.
Scotts Run
Community sing: This event happens every last Monday of the month at 6:00 p.m. at the Scott’s Run Settlement House, 41 Ladybug Drive in Osage. You do not have to be from Scotts Run to participate. It is for everyone, from anywhere, and for all ages!
Soup Luncheon, Scott’s Run, Saturday, April 27th 11:00 am until we’re out: $10 Soup, Salad and Dessert, Eat in or Take Out at the Museum. Eight homemade soups, salad, rolls, dessert. Live music for those eating in.
WVU-associated news and activities
Go here for information.
