Listening for Racial Understanding exhibit on display in Clarksburg

Jan. 21—CLARKSBURG — In 2021, 23 conversations between one white person and one person of color were facilitated by two coordinators.

Coordinators Eve Faulkes and Susan Eason of Morgantown put the conversations into a video series on YouTube. Then, 23 local artists listened to one conversation each and then made visual art to accompany the conversation.

The "Listening for Racial Understanding" exhibit is currently on display in the historic Kelly Miller Community Center located at 408 E. B. Saunders Way in downtown Clarksburg.

The exhibit evolved from a conversation Faulkes had with 98-year-old Sarah Little, a Black woman who grew up in the Scott's Run community, a historic mixed-race coal community in between Morgantown and Fairmont. Little said she wished she could just sit down and have a conversation with a white person, which inspired Faulkes. Faulkes and Eason set out to make her Little's wish a reality and were awarded with a partial grant from Morgantown First Presbyterian Church to develop the project.

Participants talked openly about their lives and the way race impacted them, but the questions were easy to answer and respond to, Faulkes said. Participants were also required to actively listen and repeat what their partner had shared after answering a question. Participants were asked by Faulkes or Eason to participate or respond to an ad the two coordinators had posted in the Morgantown newspaper and then paired at random.

"What I liked best about this is listening to the different life experiences of people. That's the No. 1 thing is just realizing we all have such interesting stories to tell and life experiences to share," Eason said.

Faulkes shared similar sentiments.

"I'd listened to (the recordings) three or four times and I'd cry every time. I mean, it's not because they were sad, necessarily, they're just moving. ... Particularly hearing Black people say over and over, I don't talk about this stuff because it's dangerous to talk about it, or no one's gonna listen and understand. ... That's why it's so precious, you know, just to see that we were given this gift of being able to hear this," Faulkes said.

On Friday, December 13, participants of the conversations, artists and others that worked on the exhibit, visited the community center to discuss and showcase the project to local guests.

The exhibit has been displayed in Morgantown and Lewisburg. It debuted in the Morgantown Public Library in September 2022 and has been on display during WVU's Diversity Week and in First Presbyterian Church. Faulkes said she really hopes the exhibit helps inspire others to recreate the project.

At the event, participants and artist Susan Truxell Sauter shared their experiences with the project. Truxell Sauter read the poem she created as part of the artwork for conversation. Participants also talked about issues affecting many West Virginians, such as the school to prison pipeline.

The Kelly Miller Community Center was Kelly Miller High School, a Black high school that operated from 1902 until segregation ended in 1956. The school had a gymnasium, swimming pool and intercom system, according to former NAACP President and Black Heritage Festival Board of Directors Chairman Jim Griffin. Griffin said the school was one of the best in the area, but when segregation ended, the school closed so white students didn't have to travel into the Black community.

Griffin shared information on the history of the building and how it's used as a community center. He also shared some of the racist experiences he's had living in North Central West Virginia. He talked about a Klu Klux Klan rally in downtown Clarksburg and traveling to Elkins as a member of the track team.

He shared a story about history repeating itself. After the track meet, he and some of his white teammates went to a pool room called Whimpy's in downtown Elkins. He wasn't allowed to shoot pool, because of his skin color. Twenty years later, one of his son's baseball games in Elkins had to be stopped because of racial slurs being yelled at his son in the outfield. The Robert C. Byrd High School football team had to be escorted out of Elkins by state police, around 10 years ago, Griffin said.

"If we don't tell these stories, history will repeat itself," Griffin said.

Toney Dickson of Bridgeport visited the exhibit on Dec. 13. He is associated with the Kelly Miller Organization and the NAACP. He enjoyed viewing the art and learning about the work that went into it.

"I was told about this experiment regarding human relations and I thought it sounded pretty interesting," Dickson said.

Dickson said he absolutely recommends everyone visit the exhibit.

For more information on Listening for Racial Understanding, visit their website. The exhibit will be on display until Jan. 30 from 4-6 p.m..

Reach me at sshriver@timeswv.com or 304-367-2549.