FAYETTEVILLE, WV (LOOTPRESS) – In a gathering that fused Appalachian resilience with urgent political mobilization, over two dozen women and allies convened at Cathedral Café on April 29, 2025, 6:00 P.M., to relaunch the Fayette County chapter of the West Virginia Federation of Democratic Women (WVFDW). The meeting, orchestrated by local leaders including Smithers Mayor Anne Cavalier and former Fayette County Commission President Matthew Wender, marked the first step in revitalizing a group dormant for decades-once known as the Fayette County Democratic Women’s League.
Leadership and Key Attendees
Mayor D. Anne Cavalier, a fourth-generation Smithers resident and economic revitalization advocate, spearheaded the meeting despite returning from Mexico just hours earlier. Cavalier, who transformed Smithers through projects like the GATEWAY Center community hub, framed the event as a continuation of Appalachian women’s legacy: “We’ve always been the backbone here-holding communities together while men mined coal or fought wars. Now, we’re fighting for our rights and futures and we’re NOT GOING BACK!.”
Matthew Wender, Fayette County Commission President from 2017–2019, co-coordinated the effort. During his tenure, Wender navigated opioid crisis litigation and infrastructure challenges, experiences that informed his call for “women-led solutions to systemic failures.”
Sam Petsonk, an Oak Hill attorney renowned for black lung benefit cases and labor rights advocacy, struck a unifying chord by performing “Country Roads” on guitar. Petsonk, a Rising Star attorney and Skadden Fellowship recipient, tied regional identity to political action: “This song isn’t just nostalgia-it’s a roadmap for justice.”
Kathleen Murphy, the 2024 Fayette County Circuit Court judicial candidate5, emerged as chapter coordinator. Murphy, who campaigned on expanding drug courts and equitable justice, pledged to draft by-laws.
Pam Garrison, a Yale-recognized activist and West Virginia Poor People’s Campaign leader, delivered impassioned remarks linking poverty to policy: “They say being poor isn’t a death sentence-but in Appalachia, it’s a risk factor. We’re here to rewrite that story, We Are Not Going Back!”
Historical Context and Modern Urgency
The original Fayette County Democratic Women’s League, likely founded during the WVFDW’s 1960s expansion, historically focused on voter mobilization and labor rights. Its decline mirrored broader Appalachian Democratic struggles amid coal’s collapse and political realignments. Attendees invoked Helen Powell, a mid-20th-century activist who secured black lung benefits for miners’ families, as a model for intersectional advocacy.
Garrison’s warning that women risk being reduced to “property” resonated amid recent state legislation restricting reproductive rights. This fear, coupled with concerns about the 47th presidential administration’s policies, fueled consensus: 90% of attendees cited “rights erosion” as their primary motivator.
Structural Foundations and Leadership
A provisional board took shape, blending experience and fresh perspectives:
Kathleen Murphy (Coordinator): Oversees bylaws development.
Carrie Kidd, M.A. Leadership (Advisor): Brings nonprofit governance expertise.
Three Unnamed Volunteers: Handling membership drives and event planning.
Judy Elizabeth Hamilton, Kanawha County chapter president and Teresa Keenan, a dual-county member, as well as Pam Van Horn, West Virginia Federation of Democratic Women, President, offered mentorship, stressing the need for “cross-holler collaboration.”
Rev. John Holland of Fayetteville Presbyterian Church and his wife attended, signaling faith community support. Holland, a former WVU Tech engineering professor turned pastor, blessed the effort.
Selina Vickers’ Quiet Influence
Democratic reform advocate Selina Vickers-founder of DNC Watch and 2020 House of Delegates candidate-was confirmed as an attendee. Vickers’ presence aligned with her documented push for grassroots empowerment and superdelegate reform2, themes echoed in the chapter’s anti-corporate stance.
Appalachian Identity as Catalyst
Discussions repeatedly highlighted Appalachian women’s historical role in sustaining communities during industrial upheavals. Retired Mount Hope educator Kathy Rutledge linked this to modern challenges: “We taught kids in underfunded schools then; now we’re fighting for their futures.”
Cathedral Café’s donated refreshments-including its famed coffee and hummus-fueled a three-hour dialogue bridging generations.
Next Steps
An email list and interest form will coordinate future actions, with a follow-up meeting pending. The group plans to partner with collaborative groups and lobby for the protection of women’s rights in West Virginia.
“We’re Not Going Back”
As attendees dispersed into the New River Gorge night, Cavalier’s ancestral refrain lingered:
~ John Paddy Huddleston didn’t settle this valley for us to retreat. We’re not just reviving a chapter-we’re reclaiming our place as Appalachia’s architects.
