raft on , ▁West ▁Virginia , ▁belongs ▁to ▁this ▁cl an , ▁and ▁after ▁a ▁thorough ▁investigation , ▁says ▁" They ▁origin ated ▁from ▁an ▁English man ▁named ▁Male ▁who ▁came ▁to ▁America ▁at ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁the ▁Revolution . ▁From ▁that ▁one ▁man ▁have ▁spr ung ▁about ▁ 7 0 0 ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁name , ▁not ▁to ▁speak ▁of ▁the ▁half - bre eds ." ▁Thus ▁it ▁would ▁seem ▁that ▁the ▁family ▁was ▁only ▁half - black ▁at ▁the ▁beginning , ▁and ▁by ▁the ▁inter - mi xt ures ▁since , ▁many ▁are ▁now ▁almost ▁white . ▁ ▁The ▁people ▁of ▁" The ▁R idge " ▁have ▁tradition ally ▁been ▁subject ▁to ▁severe ▁ra cial ▁disc rim ination , ▁amount ing ▁to ▁ost rac ism , ▁by ▁the ▁surrounding ▁majority - white ▁community . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s , ▁a ▁local ▁historian ▁recorded ▁that ▁" on ▁several ▁occasions ▁su its ▁have ▁been ▁entered ▁in ▁Taylor ▁and ▁Bar bour ▁courts ▁seeking ▁to ▁prevent ▁these ▁people ▁from ▁sending ▁their ▁children ▁to ▁schools ▁with ▁whites ▁but ▁proof ▁of ▁claims ▁they ▁have ▁negro ▁blood ▁in ▁their ▁ve ins ▁never ▁has ▁been ▁established ". ▁As ▁recently ▁as ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁a ▁few ▁Philipp i ▁business es ▁still ▁posted ▁not ices ▁proc laim ing ▁" White ▁Trade ▁Only ", ▁directed ▁against ▁the ▁CR P , ▁as ▁they ▁were ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁part ▁African - American . ▁Although ▁the ▁local ▁public ▁schools ▁were ▁not ▁seg reg ated