WV CAG Mourns Passing of Board Member Shalom Tazewell

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The staff and board of WV Citizen Action Group are deeply saddened by the death of board member Shalom Tazewell.

“Shalom was an amazingly effective organizer who lived her values with a passion. A fighter till the end and then an exit with grace and compassion. She will be missed by many.” — Gary Zuckett, WV CAG Executive Director

We were grateful for the opportunity to recognize Shalom last year for her contributions to our state and her local community in Hinton as the recipient of the Si Galperin in Defense of Democracy Award. We extend our deepest sympathy to Shalom’s family and friends. A memorial service for Shalom will be scheduled for August, according to her obituary.

About Shalom

Shalom moved to WV in 1993 from the DC Metropolitan area, where she had worked for Defenders of Wildlife. Right away, she volunteered for the Sierra Club and as an adult literacy instructor at the Hinton Public Library. In 1997, Shalom started an adult ESL program in Raleigh County, where she was the lead instructor, working with adult immigrants from over 15 different countries who, like her, chose West Virginia as the place they wanted to put down roots. She also helped coordinate a correctional center literacy program where she trained inmates to teach others how to read. She became the lobbyist for the WV Adult Education Association, mobilizing students and teachers in a successful campaign with the legislature to provide free GEDs.

After the shock of the 2016 general election, Shalom co-founded the Summers County Huddle, a growing grassroots advocacy organization that promotes social and economic justice and civic engagement. In June 2017, she retired from adult education to dedicate more time to working in the community as an advocate for government policies and laws that reflect democratic values. Shalom served on the boards of WV CAG and the Appalachian South Folklife Center. During the 2020 elections, she was a Movement Captain for WV Can’t Wait, recruiting and training organizers to Get Out the Vote around the state. She also served on the CORE Support Team for the Wild, Wonderful & Healthy Summers County, an organization working to support safe and affordable housing, strengthen recreational opportunities, and support the economic development of local small businesses in their community.

Excerpt from 2023 In Defense of Democracy Award Presentation:

“Shalom Tazewell is the best ally I know, and I want to be clear on the use of that term ally. I looked up the definition of the word “ally” and discovered that an ally is one who combines or unites resources with another for mutual benefit. An ally is not someone who speaks for and tells groups of minorities what is best for them and their community. An ally is a resource to empower and amplify the work of under-represented groups and communities. This is so important because for 400 years we have had white allies tell us what is best for us and how is that working?”

“Shalom’s community activism began at an early age, shaped by her parents who were active in the civil rights movement in both Richmond and Atlanta in the 60’s. While in Atlanta and with the enthusiastic support of her parents, she worked during the summers for a youth program at Ebenezer Baptist, Dr. Martin Luther King’s church. She was suspended from high school more than once for “distracting other students,” by refusing to sing Dixie at pep rallies, wearing a black armband when Dr. King was murdered, reading Langston Hughes poetry over the intercom instead of the expected school announcements, and resisting a dress code that she considered antiquated.”

“There is no wonder why I love this woman so much because she is a fierce warrior, standing up and alongside efforts to improve the respect and services needed by others.” — Loretta Young, WV CAG Board Member