Honoring Woody Williams And Restoring A Black Cemetery In Bluefield, Virginia On This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, graves of Black residents in Bluefield, Virginia were neglected in the town’s segregated cemetery. It might have stayed that way if not for the efforts of one persistent woman, whose family was buried there. Folkways reporter Connie Bailey Kitts brings us this story for Inside Appalachia.

Also, in this show, the casket of Hershel “Woody” Williams was brought to the U.S. Capitol on Thursday. Curtis Tate has more on the solemn occasion.

And this week’s encore broadcast of Mountain Stage with host Kathy Mattea features performances from the alternative poet laureate Todd Snider and many more. Snider’s performance of one of his classics titled, “Can’t Complain,” is our Song of the Week.

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 West Virginia University, Concord University, and Shepherd University.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Charleston Area Medical Center and Marshall Health.

West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Curtis Tate, Chris Schulz, David Adkins, Eric Douglas, Jessica Lilly, Caroline MacGregor, Liz McCormick, Randy Yohe, and Shepherd Snyder.

Eric Douglas is our news director and our producer.

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