This week on Inside Appalachia, rock climbers with disabilities have found a home in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge, which offers some pumpy crags. Climbers have also been working to make West Virginia's New River Gorge more inclusive. And a master craftsman, who makes one of a kind whitewater paddles remembers some advice.
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Addressing Racism And Passing On Traditions Inside Appalachia
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Across the globe, many people are wondering how to change society to deal with structural racism. It might all depend on our youth. Today’s episode of Inside Appalachia features people inspiring the next generation to change the world around them.
You’ll also hear a unique story about a group of women working to preserve an ancient tradition by passing on the skills and knowledge.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this podcast incorrectly identified Enkeshi Thom El-Amin as Angela Dennis, and Angela Dennis and Enkeshi Thom El-Amin. The two cohosts’ names of the podcast “Black In Appalachia” have been updated in this updated version of the audio.
“Black In Appalachia” is a multimedia effort from a public television station in East Tennessee. They have been documenting the lives of Black Appalachians, producing short documentaries and a community history database. In August, the project will launch a new podcast.
Jessica Lilly spoke with William Isom, the project’s director, about the significance of the project as a whole. She also spoke with Angela Dennis, one of the hosts of the new podcast. Dennis is a journalist and literary activist. The podcast debuts August 8.
Telling Their Own Stories
Last year, Lee & Low Books, an independent publisher of children’s and young adult literature, surveyed publishers across the country. They found that only five percent of children’s authors are Black. Most of the books in colleges and universities are written by white authors.
Our associate producer Eric Douglas spoke with one woman in the publishing industry trying to change that. Ardre Ordie had a career in education before transitioning to the publishing industry. Now, she is working with Black men to help them tell their own stories using an initiative called the 100 Seeds of Promise.
What’s In A Name?
If you’ve traveled along I-79 and seen signs for Big Chimney, just north of Charleston, you may have wondered “Where is this chimney, and how big is it, really?” Nestled close by, there are also the towns of Quick and Pinch.
For the stories behind Quick, Pinch, and Big Chimney, Eric Douglas nosed around the community. As often happens, the best resource is a local librarian.
Tanning Tradition
A group of women are reviving the art of tanning animal hides. It’s a traditional practice around the world. In recent years, though, certain tanning methods have fallen out of favor including the technique called brain tanning. Hide by hide, women in the region are reclaiming this practice.
Inside Appalachia Folkways reporter Clara Haizlett, a brain tanner herself, brings us this story about women tanning hides in Athens, Ohio. Clara’s story is part of the Inside Appalachia Folkways Reporting Project.
Roxy Todd is our producer. Eric Douglas is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Andrea Billups. We had help editing this episode from Helen Barrington, from PMJA’s Editor Corps. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens.
Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
This week on Inside Appalachia, rock climbers with disabilities have found a home in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge, which offers some pumpy crags. Climbers have also been working to make West Virginia's New River Gorge more inclusive. And a master craftsman, who makes one of a kind whitewater paddles remembers some advice.
On this West Virginia Morning, we speak with Judy Ball, chair of the Legislative Action Workgroup for the League of Women Voters of West Virginia, to break down the state's 2024 Legislative Scorecard. Also, we hear an excerpt from our Us & Them episode, "Compassion Fatigue."
On this West Virginia Morning, we hear from Del. Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha, chair of the West Virginia Democratic Party, on the efforts to rebuild the party and restore Democrats to state offices ahead of this primary election. Also, we hear about preservation efforts for a historic Black church in Harpers Ferry.
Homelessness is not just an issue for big cities. Across America, communities large and small are struggling to provide shelter to people without housing. In Charleston, West Virginia, government and community approaches to help the unhoused have created renewed debate on an issue that is already divisive. Earlier this year, this episode of Us & Them received a second place award from the Virginias AP Broadcasters for Best Podcast.