West Virginia Department of Commerce West Virginia HistoryMakers

HistoryMaker: Henry Louis Gates Jr.

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On Thursday, February 18, 2010, The HistoryMakers project interviewed Henry Louis Gate Jr. and three other West Virginia honorees: Dr. Hazo W. Carter Jr., Lou Myers and Andrea L. Taylor. The event was sponsored by Verizon, West Virginia, and held at the West Virginia Culture Center, Charleston, W.Va. (Photos: West Virginia Department of Commerce, Steve Shaluta.)

Bob Thompson & Lady D Fields
Bob Thompson and Lady D Fields provided the pre-show entertainment for The HistoryMakers taping at the West Virginia Culture Center, Charleston, W.Va.
B. Keith Fulton, Verizon
B. Keith Fulton, President of Verizon West Virginia, described how he approached The HistoryMakers project to do a show featuring stories of West Virginians.
Fulton introduced honorees.
Fulton introduced the special honorees for the evening: Dr. Hazo W. Carter Jr., Lou Myers and Andrea L. Taylor, as each came onto the stage.
“Lady D” Fields sang “Those Who Came Before.”
“Lady D” Fields sang “Those Who Came Before,” inspired by the lives of the honorees.
HistoryMakers’ Julieanne L. Richardson described the mission of the project.
Julieanne L. Richardson, HistoryMakers’ Founder and Executive Director, described the mission of the project, a digital archive documenting the stories and contributions of notable African Americans.
CNN’s Suzanne Malveaux introduced Henry Louis Gates Jr.
CNN’s White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux introduced the evening’s honoree, Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Gates described his youth in Piedmont, W.Va.
Professor Gates described his youth in Piedmont, W.Va., and his family ancestry -- which includes seven generations of free African Americans.
Gates described pursuing his education and work in African American Studies.
Professor Gates described receiving his bachelor’s at Yale University, and earning his master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Cambridge. He described his work in advancing the recognition of African American literature. Gates currently is the Chair of the African American Studies Department, Director of W.E.B. DuBois Institute of African and African American Research at Harvard University.
Professor Gates discussed being arrested in his Cambridge home.
Professor Gates discussed being arrested in his Cambridge home and the “Beer Summit” that followed at the White House. He donated the handcuffs to the Smithsonian Institution's new National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Honorees enjoyed the event.
Offstage, Taylor, Thompson and Myers enjoyed a conversation.
Students interviewed honoree.
West Virginia State University communications students interviewed Taylor about being recognized by The HistoryMakers. Their instructor, Dr. T. Ford-Ahmed, supervised.
Dr. Carter posed with his wife, Judge Phyllis Carter.
Honoree Dr. Carter posed with his wife, Judge Phyllis Carter, the chief administrative law judge for the West Virginia Human Rights Commission.
Crystal Good provided local event coordination.
Crystal Good of Mythology Marketing, who provided on-site coordination and planning of the event, watches the reception activity from the Culture Center balcony.

West Virginia Department of Commerce
Capitol Complex, Bldg. 6, Room 525
Charleston, WV 25305-0311
Phone: 800-982-3386 or (304) 558-2234
Fax: (304) 558-1189