A Band That Took A Stand Against Racism, Forest Fire Threats & Blenko Glass

On this West Virginia Morning, we take learn about a band that took a stand against racism, take a look at forest fire threats and hear about a West Virginia folklore-inspired piece from Blenko Glass.

The struggle against racial discrimination has hundreds of years of history in this country. The next episode of Us & Them looks at the intersection of music and race in the 1960s. It’s about a band that took a stand against racism. And musicians who suffered the consequences. Here’s an excerpt from the latest Us & Them called “A Band On The Right Side Of History.”

West Virginia is the third most forested state in the nation, and second in standing hardwoods like maple and oak, according to the National Association of State Foresters. With forest fires plaguing western states in recent years, Eric Douglas wanted to find out if fires could be a potential problem here too.

At the start of the pandemic, Blenko Glass had to lay off nearly all of its employees. But thanks to a federal loan and some clever marketing, they’ve rehired almost everyone back. They even had one of their most profitable years in decades. Reporter Molly Born recently wrote an article about it for the Washington Post. It involves Liz Pavlovic — a West Virginia graphic design artist — and the state’s mythical folklore legend — the Flatwoods Monster. Inside Appalachia co-host Caitlin Tan spoke with Born about her story.

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