By Stephen Smoot
Every year, the Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs Issues a number of awards bearing the name of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. Two categories focus on youth while the “Living the Dream” award honors West Virginians with a number of specific awards
Those awards include Advocate for Peace, Sharing of Self, Human or Civil Rights, Scholarship, Governor’s “Living the Dream” Award, and Service Organization Honor Roll.
For her tireless work to promote education of the historic Italian-American community and also supporting women through the Progressive Women’s Association, Queen received a “Living the Dream” award along with two others.
“I really was shocked!” says Queen, who pens a weekly column for the Shinnston News and Harrison County Journal and other area publications. She added that “I really have a sincere hope to make people aware of discrimination.”
Queen, whose family immigrated from Italy, has a personal stake in the issue. While Harrison County, West Virginia, and the American Republic in general in recent decades only celebrate Italian contributions to US culture, that has not always been the case.
Between 1901 and 1930, according to the Italian Sons and Daughters of America, 3.6 million Italians made their way to the United States. Most who arrived in West Virginia, as the West Virginia Encyclopedia states, came from Campania, Calabria, and Sicily (those from Sicily often considered themselves a nationality separate from Italy.)
Italian immigrants mostly fit in well with hard-working and family oriented West Virginians, but some opposed their presence. The second rise of the Ku Klux Klan nationally, spurred by the film “Birth of a Nation” and President Woodrow Wilson’s full-throated support of the motion picture’s message, aimed not only at black Americans, but also immigrants worshipping in the Roman Catholic or Jewish faiths.
Queen remembered days when some Harrison County deeds came with covenants restricting sales to people of Italian lineage, even as many rose to form large parts of the business community across north central West Virginia. That formed a legalized reflection of social exclusion of Italian-Americans and also the Roman Catholic faith.
“It hurts,” Queen shared, going on to say that “I’ve kind of made it a lifetime goal – in my own quiet way – to make people aware.
That pain came from the fact that, as she would have stated at the ceremony if weather had permitted travel, “I learned to hide my feelings and emotions. I swore that as I got older, I would do everything to eliminate these acts, such as not being able to try out for certain positions in high school, as not being able to purchase property in my hometown, not being able to swim in certain pools, not joining certain country clubs, having to tolerate remarks against my heritage and the list goes on.”
Queen serves the community and cause with a variety of roles. One of her most prominent lies in working with the West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival. Through music, food, crafts sales, and other family fun, the Festival exposes all to many fun and family-friendly aspects of Italian culture.
She remains fiercely proud of her people and her state, but also explained that the stories of past wrongs cannot be forgotten. “Our young children need to realize it has happened here,” Queen shared, then stated that continuing to communicate on such issues productively may have spared West Virginia some of the riots and violence seen in other areas over the years.
Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. holds a special place in Queen’s heart as well. She told how she continually reads his speeches, especially “I Have a Dream,” for their wisdom and messages.
Of that famous talk, she said “I would read it 100 times.” Queen said that she herself shares that dream, pointing out “I continue to have a dream.”
“My dream is that my efforts would eliminate discrimination against all cultures and that my children and all children would never have to deal with these actions.”
Of course Italian-Americans have made their mark both in and on West Virginia, two important examples being legendary political figures A. James and Joe Manchin.
Work to advance and fulfil that dream continues throughout the year with the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation and the Progressive Women’s Association.
Coming soon, the PWA will honor a slate of “Women of Distinction” who have made significant contributions in a variety of fields. The awards dinner will take place on Feb 28 with more details to come. The executive director of West Virginia’s Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs, Jill Upson, will serve as the keynote speaker.
The PWA runs a number of programs, such as a Thanksgiving food pantry, for the community all year around.
For Queen, the work continues as long as the need remains. “We must never give up on our dreams,” she shared.