CHARLESTON, W. Va. – Dr. R. Charles Byers, Provost Emeritus and Vice President Emeritus of Academic Affairs at West Virginia State University, says there are two key players to understanding and improving the world: knowing yourself and knowing that knowledge is power.
Byers, also a historian with HBCU, was the keynote speaker at a virtual West Virginia Civil Rights Day ceremony hosted Thursday by the West Virginia Human Rights Commission (HRC).
Byers said it is important to remember that everyone is equal and to treat others the way you would like to be treated.
Dr. R. Charles Byers
“Learn to observe people and interact positively with people. Start looking for people by their identity, not their religion, skin color, ethnicity or socio-economic status, ”Byers said.
“I’ve always heard that you reap what you sow, what goes around comes around. These are very important tenants that you take into account when communicating with people. “
Byers said the state and country were making progress, but there was still a long way to go to treat everyone equally. Earlier this year, Governor Jim Justice made Juneteenth a public holiday in West Virginia. June 19th marks the emancipation of enslaved people in the USA, which has also become a federal holiday.
Byers said he would like to see more people stand up against political leaders who are trying to divide.
“Too many of us don’t stand up for what’s right. We allow too many who think wrong, think wrong, to take the lead, ”he said.
Other speakers included Justice, the Cabinet Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Health and Personnel Bill J. Crouch, HRC Executive Director Tia L. Welch, and U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (DW.Va.) and Shelley Moore Capito ( RW.Va.).
“Recognizing the path to civil rights also includes recognizing successes and highlighting work that has yet to be done,” Welch said in a press release. “The West Virginia Human Rights Commissions applaud all West Virginians who work for the continued upholding of civil rights inside and outside the boundaries of our state.”
The event can also be watched on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. on the West Virginia Channel by WV Public Broadcasting. Following these presentations, the event can be viewed at any time on the HRC Facebook page.
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