Affrilachian poet and playwright Norman Jordan is one of the most published poets in the region. Born in 1938, his works have been anthologized in over 40 books of poetry. He was also a prominent voice in the Black Arts Movement in the 1960s and 70s. He died in 2015, put part of his legacy is the Norman Jordan African American Arts and Heritage Academy in West Virginia. Folkways Reporter Traci Phillips has the story.
On September 26, 1863 lawmakers in the newly formed State of West Virginia adopted the State Seal designed by Joseph Hubert Diss Debar of Doddridge County.
In the 150 years since, the state seal has never been changed. The front of the Seal, which shows a coal miner and farmer representing industry and agriculture, a rock engraved with the date of statehood, and two rifles crossed beneath the Cap of Liberty, has become a symbol of West Virginia. According to the West Virginia Encyclopedia, the seal was designed and adopted with two sides, but only the front or obverse is in common use.
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Wikimedia
The reverse side of West Virginia’s official state seal.
The reverse side of the seal is the governor’s seal. It is encircled by a wreath of laurel and oak leaves. A wooded mountain is on the left and a slope with a log farmhouse on the right. On the side of the mountain is a representation of the Tray Run Viaduct, as an engineering feat of the time, and a train about to pass over the viaduct. A factory, fronted by a river with boats, a derrick and a shed, and a meadow with sheep and cattle grazing indicate the leading characteristics and products of the state. Above, the sun emerges from the clouds, and the rays of the sun contain the Latin phrase ‘‘Libertas E Fidelitate,’’ which means ‘‘Freedom and Loyalty.’’
The Secretary of State is the official keeper of the state seal.
When he ended his term as governor to head to the U.S. Senate, Jim Justice assured West Virginians he was leaving the state in glowing financial condition. New Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced a week into his first term that he had “inherited” from the Justice administration a projected $400 million budget deficit for the fiscal year starting in July. Contradicting Justice, he said the former governor didn’t find the money to pay for his record $1 billion-a-year cuts to the personal income tax. Justice has dismissed the concerns as “crazy talk."
This is a transcript of Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s State Of The State address, delivered to West Virginia lawmakers on February 12, 2025. It has been lightly edited for clarity.
I want to start with ...
Activists in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle are promoting local history. They hope it will encourage residents to support the preservation of a village they consider threatened by corporate development.