Alert (March 14, 2026): Due to recent high winds, our radio/TV tower in Bethany is not operational. Our engineers are working to resolve the issue. Alert (March 11, 2026): Our TV translator in Flatwoods is experiencing technical issues. Our engineers are troubleshooting the problem and expect it to be down for a couple days.
Thank you for your patience.
This week, a new novel about two girls and an astronomy textbook draws inspiration from one of the quietest places in West Virginia. Also, author Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle talks about growing up as part of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. And, a Kentucky tattoo artist practices traditional tattooing and traditional music. He says they’re not too different.
Randy Blake Thomas (a Creeker) and Trey Kay (a Hiller).Joni Deutsch
Listen
Share this Article
Our cultural divides start early in America – some even in childhood.
As kids, we learn where we come from and where we belong. Those divisions can really run deep. When Us & Them host Trey Kay was a kid at George Washington High School in Charleston, West Virginia, you were either a ‘hiller’ or a ‘creeker.’ The sorting followed class lines and separated kids based on their family’s income.
Trey goes back to his old neighborhood to see if others remember it the way he does. Some of their differences were subtle while others were as basic as the clothes they could afford. But what he learned from these adult conversations is that they had a lot in common. They were all self-conscious and knew that even their shoes could define them.
Another thing they all share? The pain of those 40-year-old wounds can sometimes still sting.
This episode of Us & Them is presented with support from the CRC Foundation and the West Virginia Humanities Council.
Subscribe to Us & Them on Apple Podcasts, NPR One, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher and beyond. You also can listen to Us & Them on WVPB Radio — tune in every fourth Thursday at 8 p.m., or listen to the encore presentation on the following Saturday at 3 p.m.
George Washington High School Yearbook
/
Randy Blake Thomas in 1977 as a sophomore at George Washington High School in Charleston, W.Va.
George Washington High School Yearbook
/
Joey Minardi in 1977 as a sophomore at George Washington High School in Charleston, W.Va.
George Washington High School Yearbook.
/
Trey Kay in 1977 as a sophomore at George Washington High School in Charleston, W.Va.
Joni Deutsch
/
Randy Thomas sporting a pair of his coveted Nike Cortez sneakers.
Add WVPB as a preferred source on Google to see more from our team
Host and reporter Randy Yohe speaks with Senior Reporter Chris Schulz and Assistant News Director Maria Young. They discuss some of the biggest bills they covered during the 2026 regular session of the West Virginia Legislature — and what issues did not come up. They also look ahead to the legislature's final day, Saturday, March 14.
This week, a new novel about two girls and an astronomy textbook draws inspiration from one of the quietest places in West Virginia. Also, author Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle talks about growing up as part of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. And, a Kentucky tattoo artist practices traditional tattooing and traditional music. He says they’re not too different.