(Blog Post) As a lover of your newspaper, that's why I was disappointed today when I checked your archives and couldn't read more about Mary C. Snow, an educator in Kanawha County, West Virginia Schools for more than fifty years and the first African-American principal in the area. Full Story »
Posted by Barry Grossheim
Story of WV educator or heroic proportion. Writer reveals a passion and candor rare in the pages of news print.
the main thrust of ms wellington's article is the neglect of the named WV newspaper in passing over publishing an in-depth article on one who gave a lifetime of gifts to many students as the first african-american principal of the region, while publishing more in-depth articles on local individuals whose contributions were negative. implied but not explicit here is a question of potential lost for influencing the renaming of her school after her which recently failed.
the broader significance here is in the respect and value any community owes to its figures who greatly influenced their surrounding but were not famous in a larger context. at a time when money buys naming rights of so much, it's good to consider how this works.
This article connects readers with more detailed information on an under-recognized local local hero at her passing. Importantly, It also promises to connect readers to an action, in this case an online petition, to correct the injustice. The integration of web 2.0 technology, even as simple as a link to an on line petition, empowers and involves the reader.
Ms. Wellingotn provides a respectful reproach to the journalists that remain silent in the face of good.
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