How A Black Filmmaker Changed Movies From The Edge Of Appalachia

One of America’s pioneering filmmakers had nothing to do with Hollywood but nevertheless left his mark on the emerging industry. Oscar Micheaux was a homesteader, who then turned his attention to making movies in the early 1900s. He was a Black man who made movies for Black audiences at a time when they weren’t allowed into mainstream, white-only theaters. And for several pivotal years in the 1920s, he operated out of Roanoke, Virginia.

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Vanessa Peña

Arts & Culture Bill Lynch +, Feb. 28, 2026

Oscar Micheaux, Kathleen Driskell And Soul Food, Inside Appalachia

This week, in the 1920s, Oscar Micheaux was an entrepreneur filmmaker in western Virginia. He became a world-renowned director and producer. Also, Kentucky’s poet laureate lives down the road from what has been called the country’s most lethal cryptid. Attempts to spot it have led to deaths. And, we talk soul food with Xavier Oglesby, who’s passing on generations of kitchen wisdom to his niece.

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Arts & Culture Bill Lynch +, Jun. 13, 2025

Saving A Black Coal Camp And Affrilachian Poets, Inside Appalachia

This week, Inside Appalachia, a West Virginia man is reviving a Black coal camp through farming. Also, the legacy of Affrilachian poet Norman Jordan includes a summer camp for teens to study their heritage. And, the Reverend George Mills Dickerson of Tazewell, Virginia, was born in the years after slavery ended. He’s remembered during Juneteenth through his poetry.

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Arts & Culture Bill Lynch +, Feb. 14, 2025

Hare Krishna Kitchens In W.Va., Soul Food And A Musician's Call To Arms, Inside Appalachia

This week on Inside Appalachia, a Hare Krishna community in West Virginia serves vegetarian food made in three sacred kitchens. Also, an Asheville musician’s latest guitar album is a call to arms. And, we talk soul food with Xavier Oglesby, who is passing on generations of kitchen wisdom to his niece.

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Arts & Culture Vanessa Peña, Jun. 17, 2024

In W.Va., Hip Hop Has Gone From Marginalized To Mainstream

Last year, communities celebrated the 50th anniversary of hip hop. Over the past half century, hip hop has gone from a marginalized art form to a mainstream powerhouse. It developed in major metropolitan centers like New York, Los Angeles and the South, but took root in Appalachia, too. Folkways Reporter Vanessa Peña reports on hip hop in West Virginia.

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Arts & Culture Bill Lynch +, Jun. 17, 2024

Hip Hop In W.Va. And Food Deserts In Knoxville, Inside Appalachia

This week on Inside Appalachia, hip hop started in New York and took root in places like West Virginia. We explore some of the history of the music and where it is today. Also, food deserts are places where it’s hard to find nutritious food, but they’re found in more than just rural counties in Appalachia. Food deserts are also in disenfranchised neighborhoods, like in East Knoxville.

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Arts & Culture Bill Lynch +, Feb. 26, 2024

Step Dancing At WVSU And Radioactive Brine, Inside Appalachia

This week on Inside Appalachia, step shows are a tradition at many historically Black universities, including schools in Appalachia. We hear about one that’s part of West Virginia State University’s annual homecoming celebration. And, abandoned industrial sites have long been a magnet for people to explore and turn into not-at-all-legal hangout spots, but some come with hidden dangers. We learn about the danger at Fairmont Brine, a site in West Virginia that processed liquid used in hydraulic fracking.

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