42 episodes

Having long been in this region, Black Appalachians remain mostly invisible, while the dominant narratives of Appalachia depict an overwhelming, white cultural homogeneity. The Black in Appalachia Podcast challenges these misconceptions by highlighting how Black families have shaped and have been shaped by the region. Through historical and contemporary stories of people, places and experiences, hosts Enkeshi El-Amin and Angela Dennis interrogate what it means to be Black in Appalachia, creating space where under-told stories can be heard and Black identity can be reclaimed.

Black in Appalachia Black in Appalachia

    • History
    • 4.9 • 220 Ratings

Having long been in this region, Black Appalachians remain mostly invisible, while the dominant narratives of Appalachia depict an overwhelming, white cultural homogeneity. The Black in Appalachia Podcast challenges these misconceptions by highlighting how Black families have shaped and have been shaped by the region. Through historical and contemporary stories of people, places and experiences, hosts Enkeshi El-Amin and Angela Dennis interrogate what it means to be Black in Appalachia, creating space where under-told stories can be heard and Black identity can be reclaimed.

    Black in Appalachia: Immigrant Independence

    Black in Appalachia: Immigrant Independence

    On this episode of the Black in Appalachia podcast, West Virginia University Sociology Major, Suraya Boggs, shares her experience of growing up in Appalachia as a second generation immigrant with a West Indian parent. She is particularly concerned with the codependent relationships between immigrant parents and American-born children. Boggs found many similarities among herself and other second generation peers and also compared their codependent familiar relationships to their more independent non-immigrant peers.

    • 29 min
    Black in Appalachia: Frank X Walker

    Black in Appalachia: Frank X Walker

    On this episode of Black in Appalachia we talk with Frank X Walker, Black Appalachian award winning author, coiner of the term “Affrilachian” and 1st Black Poet Laureate of Kentucky. Frank shared with us about his background and growing up in Danville, Kentucky, the origins of his career as a poet, the founding of the Affrilachian poets and some of his work and writing processes. 

    • 38 min
    Cornel West talks with the Black in Appalachia Podcast crew about running for president.

    Cornel West talks with the Black in Appalachia Podcast crew about running for president.

    Enkeshi and William sit down and talk with Cornel West about his run for President of the United States.

    • 53 min
    The Black in Appalachia Podcast talks with Clara Hughes about her 102 years living in Appalachia.

    The Black in Appalachia Podcast talks with Clara Hughes about her 102 years living in Appalachia.

    The Black in Appalachia Podcast was lucky enough to talk with 102 year old Clara Hughes from Oliver Springs, Tennessee. She has led an incredible life, so you can only imagine the amazing stories she has to share, such as, she was the first Black woman to sit on the Y-12 Union Board in Oak Ridge, outliving 2 husbands and carving out a career and life from the East Tennessee coalfields to a venue of cutting edge technology and science.

    • 39 min
    The Black in Appalachia Podcast asks "What is Black safety?"

    The Black in Appalachia Podcast asks "What is Black safety?"

    On this episode of Black in Appalachia, Enkeshi is joined by University of Tennessee Sociologists, Shaneda Destine and Michelle Brown to share about a project the three of them worked on around the topic of Black safety. Black safety is a term Enkeshi developed in her dissertation that was concerned with how in a violent anti-black racists society, Black people and Black communities provide a sense of safety not captured in mainstream carceral understandings of safety. Together they curated a set of scholars to write on the topic and interviewed activists about their understanding and practices of safety. The episode highlights their interview with Ash-lee Woodard Henderson, Chattanooga native and Co-Executive Director at Highlander Research and Education Center.

    • 35 min
    We hear from curator Kreneshia Whiteside-McGee about Y’all Don’t Hear Me: The Black Appalachia

    We hear from curator Kreneshia Whiteside-McGee about Y’all Don’t Hear Me: The Black Appalachia

    Curator Kreneshia Whiteside-McGhee talks about her installation Y’all Don’t Hear Me: The Black Appalachia. As part of the exhibit Kren sits down for a conversation with Nikki Giovanni.

    Featured artists include Amanda Banks, Jabari Browne, Kamau Bostic, Kywaun Davenport, Laiza Fuhrmann, Nikki Giovanni, Genesis The Greykid, Vandorn Hinnant, Frederick Johnson, Ashley Jones, Mary Martin, Charlie Newton, Iantha Newton, Mikael Owunna, Travis Prince, Walter Reap, Justin Rocha, RaMell Ross, Jessica Scott-Felder, Larry Silver, Myke “Murda” Stallone, Moses Sumney, Raymond Thompson, Carrington Ware, Crystal Wilkinson and Coco Villa.

    • 32 min

Customer Reviews

4.9 out of 5
220 Ratings

220 Ratings

lilyerb ,

I learn so much from each episode

This podcast is so full of information that I am grateful to be learning and that sticks with me throughout the week. A great way to learn more about where I have lived for must of my life.

ihartbilal ,

Joe Trotter is my cuz!!!!

I stumbled on your podcast when I was searching for podcasts that had a social work connection and I have been hooked ever since!! My family roots travel from Alabama to the hills of West Virginia to Youngstown, Ohio so I definitely feel a connection to your discussions! When I heard you were traveling to Pittsburgh I was super excited!! I wanted to invite your team to meet my family because they have STORIES, but time got away from me & I never sent the email invite 👀While listening to the live broadcast of the episode I heard my cousins voice reading the introduction!!! YESSSS Joe Trotter is my mother’s first cousin & he is DOPE!!! I’m so glad you met him because he is truly our family’s historian so I feel like we did get to meet😊

Love your podcast you are doing great work. This podcast the best “history class” I’ve ever taken.

Lynn

Dyad1968 ,

Love your podcast!

Love your podcast!

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