West Liberty University will end Black History Month on a high note as it welcomes inspiring contemporary speaker Stephanie Shaw and talented Black musician Aristotle Jones during an 11 a.m., Monday, Feb. 28 program in College Hall open to all.
WLU’s combined choir, under the direction of Visiting Instructor of Music Dr. Douglas McCall, will open the program as they perform the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
William Thompson, a student in the social work program, will read the poem “Still I Rise,” by Maya Angelou.
“We are pleased to welcome our alumna Stephanie L. Shaw back to campus for a program entitled ‘Trail Blazing in 2022: Conversations from the Soul,’” said Dr. Monique Akassi, Special Assistant to the President for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Strategic Initiatives.
A resident of Columbus, Ohio, Shaw is a member of WLU’s Board of Governors and vice president for Enterprise Technology for The Wendy’s Company. In 2021, she was recognized as one of the National Diversity Council’s Top 100 Women in Technology.
Formerly of Weirton, W.Va, she holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration with a specialization in marketing from WLU and a master’s in labor relations from West Virginia University.
Her mother, Professor Emeritus Carole Harris, taught in the WLU’s College of Business for many years.
Known as the Appalachian Soul Man, Jones grew up in Huntington, W.Va. and offers a distinctive musical sound that is a lot like traditional porch-picking and takes its cue from community.
Though he hasn’t performed at WLU before, he has partnered with local musician Ezra Hamilton and creates a vibrant sound of rural Black Appalachians, Gospel, Soul, Blues and contemporary music.
He considers his grandfather’s legacy as a Gospel singer that traveled the coal camps to be an important part of his musical background.
Jones now resides in Morgantown and is a graduate of West Virginia University, though he also studied at Berea College, Kentucky.
He will perform several songs and one of these is “The Talk,” a song that supports the theme of Black Lives Matter and illustrates the discussion that many Black parents have with their children to protect them against racism.
“This song is the true story of my grandfather giving my father ‘The Talk,’ about how the world views a young Black man, then my father approaching the same delicate conversation of how to navigate a world that may consider you a threat,” he said.
Jones maintains a website at aristotlejones.com and does a weekly radio show/podcast that focuses on music, called “Sounds Good to Me.” The public can listen at 104.5 FM and 1440 AM.
The program is one of many programs presented throughout the month of February under the auspices of the WLU Campus and Community Diversity Committee.
As the oldest public college in the state of West Virginia — a state that was born during the Civil War — WLU is united in support of unity and justice for all and remains committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, as it provides a quality education to all. For more information, please visit westliberty.edu/diversity.
