Jerry Bruce Thomas: "For Blacks in West Virginia in the 1920s, the situation was better than in some neighboring states and certainly better than in the Deep South.

"And in the coal mining counties, particularly in the southern part of the state where there were substantial numbers of Blacks, they had a political impact.

"There were state institutions which were established, which spoke to needs of the Black citizens of the state.

"The downside of race relations, and I think where one has to be careful about claiming exceptionality for race relations in West Virginia, is the fact that we know the Klu Klux Klan was very active in the state in the 1920s."