Crystal Good and Black By God: A Story of Reinvention and Impact

Crystal Good is a force—an Afrolachian poet, performer, storyteller, and publisher deeply rooted in West Virginia. She is descended from Black families who have lived in Appalachia for generations. Her journey is one of persistence, reinvention, and the power of storytelling. Now, as the publisher of Black By God: The West Virginian, she is leading a bold transformation in how Black Appalachian stories are told and valued.

A New Start with a New Team

With support from The Pivot Fund, Black By God is making a strategic shift: more videos, more TikTok, and a fresh team to help drive innovation. “It’s like having a new start,” Crystal says. Her newsroom is growing, and for the first time, she can make decisions based on data rather than instinct alone. The shift is paying off—engagement metrics have surged, impressions are up, and her audience is expanding.

The Legacy of Journalism in Her Blood

Journalism runs in Crystal’s family. Her father, Wes Armstead, worked his way up from janitor to news director at a local television station. When he retired, he was excited about helping Black By God transition from print to television reporting, leveraging his expertise to tell stories he couldn’t at a traditional news outlet. Though he passed away two years ago, Crystal continues to honor his vision, ensuring Black By God thrives as a platform for stories that might otherwise go untold.

Now, three generations of her family have become journalists—her youngest son writes for the publication. “That makes me very proud,” she says.

Investigative Journalism That Matters

One of Black By God‘s biggest recent successes has been its investigative reporting on the opioid crisis. With Pivot Fund support, Crystal hired an investigative journalist to cover the alarming increase in opioid deaths among Black Appalachians—an issue that traditional media have largely ignored. 

“White people aren’t dying, Black people are,” she says bluntly. “Black people go to jail, we don’t get treatment.” Her team secured an interview with a leading opioid expert, partnered with a local TV reporter, and produced a story that resonated widely.

The Folk Reporting Program: Building the Next Generation of Journalists

Newsrooms are disappearing in West Virginia, along with local reporters. Crystal’s solution? The Folk Reporting Program, which trains everyday citizens to attend public meetings and report what they see. “Not everyone wants to write,” she explains. “Some people prefer video, some want to record audio. However they want to report, we make space for it.”

The program is already making an impact. During the most recent legislative session, Black By God hosted a Folk Reporter training at the state capitol, drawing 20 participants eager to engage in local journalism. The message? “If you have a phone, you can be a journalist.” The program is helping to bridge the gap in local news coverage while empowering West Virginians to tell their own stories.

Expanding the Team and Strengthening the Business

For years, Crystal did everything—editing, reporting, marketing, and fundraising. Now, she’s finally able to hire and delegate. With a new program manager in place, she’s been able to scale operations, secure additional grants, and focus on Black By God’s long-term sustainability.

One of her key hires, funded by The Pivot Fund, was veteran journalist Martin Staunton. Although he is moving out of state for another opportunity, he remains a contributor, and Crystal is already working to recruit another experienced journalist to fill his role. She is also courting a former TV reporter for an assistant editor position—a role that will allow her to support reporters, contribute stories, and even help generate revenue. The former TV reporter, currently on contract, has already brought in $3,000 in ad sales, demonstrating the business potential of a more strategic approach.

Strategic Growth: Moving Beyond Print

Crystal is reimagining the role of print media. While Black By God remains committed to journalism, she recognizes the need for new formats to engage audiences. She is developing a travel and tourism issue focused on West Virginia’s Black history, foodways, and cultural landmarks—a modern-day nod to The Green Book. Instead of a traditional newspaper, the publication will take the form of a slick, coffee-table magazine, designed to showcase West Virginia in a way that makes it more welcoming for Black travelers and tourists.

Meanwhile, digital engagement is skyrocketing. Google and Facebook analytics show that audience reach has more than doubled since receiving Pivot Fund support. More people are following Black By God on YouTube and BlueSky, and the increased visibility is driving meaningful engagement. “This is the first year I can look at the whole year and know I can make my car payments,” Crystal says. “There’s a stress I no longer have. There’s a calm in knowing that I can pay myself and pay others to keep this going.”

Looking Ahead: Strengthening Black By God for the Future

Crystal is determined to ensure Black By God is sustainable long-term. She is actively seeking ways to grow her subscriber base and attract new funding sources. She co-founded Black Policy Day at the West Virginia Capitol and hosted a Black Think Tank, which resulted in community members stepping up to support Black By God as a vital institution.

Still, challenges remain. She has seen a loss in DEI-related advertising revenue as some organizations freeze funding, and she knows she needs to build a stronger base of grassroots support. But she remains undeterred. “I’ve been here for four years and haven’t given up,” she says. “The paper is looking better, and people are starting to trust it more. Now it’s about getting West Virginia’s 50,000 Black residents to step up and support Black By God in different ways.”

The Dream That Became Reality

For Crystal, Black By God is more than just a publication—it’s a dream 35 years in the making. At 15, she wanted to buy The Beacon Digest, a local Black newspaper, but was told she could only sell ads. Now, as the fearless publisher of her own paper, she is proving that Black Appalachia has stories worth telling—and an audience eager to listen.

She’s experimenting, innovating, and ensuring that Black By God is built to last. Whether through investigative journalism, community reporting, or strategic pivots to video and digital, Crystal Good is leading a revolution in West Virginian media. And with the right resources, she’s just getting started.