CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Hundreds of West Virginians are gathering together again in aim to increase civic engagement and raise policy awareness for black and marginalized communities.

It was the fourth annual Black Policy Day at the state Capitol Monday.

Community leaders, advocates, and students across the state came to engage with legislators about some of the issues that are impacting their communities across West Virginia, from the Southern Coalfields to the northern and eastern panhandles.

Specifically, they were meeting with lawmakers to discuss bills that align with the 2025 Black Policy Agenda. including Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies and the CROWN legislation in workplaces and schools.

Black Policy Day co-founder Dr. Shanequa Smith said on MetroNews ‘Talkline’ Monday that many of the bills they have in the works are aimed at protecting the children of their communities most of all.

“I am very much focused on making sure that we have the resources for our childcare and in schools, because, if our children are strong than our community can grow strong,” Smith said.

The Black Policy Agenda covers anything from health, education, criminal justice, among other issues that affect black and marginalized communities.

Smith said they have a couple of bills out regarding the CROWN Act, or “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.”

blackpolicydaywv.org

The legislation is designed to prohibit race-based hair discrimination, such as discriminating against people’s hair styles and textures, in the workplace and schools.

Smith said the bills are simply just asking for black individuals to have the freedom to wear their hair in a natural way that is comfortable for them at work or at school and acknowledge that they have unique hair textures and styles which can make it different. She said that doesn’t mean they are attempting to go against any work or school policies with their hair.

“I know a lot of times when individuals are uncomfortable or unfamiliar with something they tend to resist it, but we just want space to be able to wear our hair, we don’t want people to be intimidated by our hair, it doesn’t mean we would violate any laws as far if, you know, you would have wear a hard hat or if you had to follow anything for your job,” she said.

Another topic of much tension lately has been DEI policies after the Trump Administration began issuing executive orders to dismantle DEI programs.

Smith said a lot of times, when people think of DEI they just think of colored people, but, she it’s actually an agenda put in place long ago that benefits a large majority of Americans.

“We know from DEI that DEI does not only benefit colored people, it benefits veterans, and disabled people, and other people in other classes,” she said.

Smith said when you look at this current administration that is ready to remove something long been in place that benefits so many people, it’s hard not to question the morals and the heart of the system.

The Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs has been one such institution in the state that has been a part of DEI discussions and whether or not it should be fully funded.

Smith said the office needs to be fully funded because it focuses on hearing the voices of people who have historically been oppressed, and for a long time, were not given a voice.

“I think it’s important that when we talk about having a healthy state that we include all individuals and we support all individuals, so the Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs is just specifically focusing on all of those people and all of those things that traditionally, kind of had a way of falling through the cracks,” Smith said.

She said the office gives marginalized people a direct voice and a direct line to legislatures and government bureaucracy.

Smith said Black Policy Day not only advocates for the black community, but for the equity of all people in West Virginia.

“It’s not exclusive only to black people, this is a very inclusive space, but it is a bold statement to say a lot of times we don’t have space, so we just want some space to add to the wisdom and the strength of our state,” said Smith.

There were going to be events all day at the capitol as part of the annual day that was to end with a CROWN Act rally.