Celebrating Juneteenth And A Conversation With WVPB’s First Eastern Panhandle Reporter, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, Wednesday was the federal holiday Juneteenth, which celebrates the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. Briana Heaney talked to West Virginians as they hit the streets to celebrate the nation’s, and the state’s, newest holiday.

Also, in this show, Cecelia Mason spent 23 years as a reporter for West Virginia Public Radio, even helping establish the Eastern Panhandle Bureau in Shepherdstown. She moved onto a role with Shepherd University’s Office of Communications in 2014 but said her time in journalism shaped the course of her career and her life.

Mason retired from Shepherd earlier this month. But she returned to campus and sat down with our current Eastern Panhandle Reporter Jack Walker to reflect on her time in public radio and how the industry has changed since she left.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.

Our Appalachia Health News project is made possible with support from Marshall Health.

West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick and Maria Young.

Eric Douglas is our news director and produced this episode. Teresa Wills is our host.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning