Black History Month's Honoree - Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

As a young child growing up in Piedmont, West Virginia, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. did not know that someday he would help America celebrate its roots.

In observance of Black History Month, we salute Dr. Gates and applaud his PBS program “Finding Your Roots.”

Now a Harvard University African-American Studies professor, Dr. Gates has increased focus on America’s immigrant journeys through the family trees of celebrities, journalists, political leaders, scientists and other accomplished individuals of varied ethnic backgrounds.

With numerous African-American guests, he has illustrated the impact of “disappeared” relatives—those slaves who were never listed by name in any records. Others have discovered that they were descendants of free people of color.

In contrast, other guests have learned that their ancestors five or six generations back were slave owners.

In recognition of his ground-breaking work, Dr. Gates has received honorary degrees or awards from 53 universities, including West Virginia University. He was awarded the MacArthur Fellow “genius grant” and other prestigious accolades for his efforts as author, documentary filmmaker, essayist, literary critic and professor.

Black History and the Court System, free lecture 3p 2/8/20 at Culture Center in Charleston WV

The Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs sponsors a monthlong series of events. The lecture “Black History and the Court System” will be presented Saturday, Feb. 8, at 3 p.m. in the Culture Center, Archives Library. The speaker will be Charleston-born attorney Olubunmi “Bunmi” Kusimo-Frazier.

The event is free and open to the public.

The discourse will explore how the American court system has factored into the lives of African Americans. The lecture is part of a series of events sponsored by Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs (HHOMA) to recognize Black History Month.

“We are excited to bring back our popular Black History Month Lecture Series for a second year,” said Jill Upson, executive director of HHOMA. “We encourage everyone to RSVP at 304-356-2023 because seating for this event may fill up quickly.”

Kusimo-Frazier serves as the director of Magistrate Services at West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. She oversees more than 400 employees and the operations of the 55 magistrate courts in the state of West Virginia.

She studied at the historically black Florida A&M University and graduated magna cum laude. She holds a juris doctor from Washington and Lee University School of Law in Lexington, Virginia.

After graduating from law school, Kusimo-Frazier returned to Charleston to work as an assistant prosecuting attorney and as a criminal defense lawyer for a private firm. As a criminal defense attorney, she represented numerous clients in federal, state, and municipal courts, and was named one of the "Top 40 under 40" by the National Trial Lawyers Association. She also worked as a deputy counsel for the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.

The Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs, which operates within the Office of Governor Jim Justice, is committed to assisting all underserved citizens across West Virginia and developing innovative ways to address issues affecting minority populations through conversation, education, leadership, and collaboration. For more information, visit their Facebook page at @WVHHOMA, website at minorityaffairs.wv.gov, or call their office at 304-356-2023.