100 Days in Appalachia

From Flooding to Fires: Appalachia’s Recreation Industry Faces Climate Change Challenges

The impacts of climate change are steadily and exponentially being felt here in Appalachia just as they have across the globe, and environmental activists, scientists and outdoor enthusiasts alike find themselves in a race to counter the climate curve in the region. The discussions in some communities, however, have shifted […]

What My Appalachian Roots Taught Me About Union Organizing

Growing up less than a mile away from the site of the 1892 Homestead strike in Pittsburgh, a steadfast union city, I never thought my first picket line would be in Washington, D.C. On December 7, 2023, I spent my lunch break on the picket line alongside journalists from The […]

Front Porch Politics: An Alabama Democrat’s Roadmap for Defeating Trumpism in Appalachia

You may not have felt it, but last week, Appalachia experienced a political earthquake. The epicenter is Huntsville, Alabama, where Democrat Marilyn Lands won a special election for the seat in Alabama House District 10. The seat was left open after Republican David Cole resigned following his conviction for voter […]

Sunshine illuminates the streets of Elk City on Wednesday, May 17, 2023, in Charleston, West Virginia. Photo: Lexi Browning/100 Days in Appalachia

The West Side

Gentrification or Revitalization? Investment on the West Side a ‘Litmus Test’ for Inclusive Economic Development

Depending on who you ask, the development of the Elk City district on the West Side of Charleston, West Virginia, is either “gentrification” or “revitalization” – though some will say both. Karen Williams, a lifelong Charleston resident who grew up […]

Rev. Matthew J. Watts poses for a portrait at Grace Bible Church on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, in the West Side community of Charleston, West Virginia. Watts, who is from Mount Hope, West Virginia, earned his education in engineering at the West Virginia Institute of Technology and worked as a civil engineer at Union Carbide before he felt ÒcalledÓ to ministry in 1996. This year marks his 27th at Grace Bible Church. Photo: Lexi Browning/100 Days in Appalachia

The West Side

Federal COVID Money Could Help Solve One Largely Black Community’s Complex Problems. W.Va. Leaders Invested it Elsewhere.

Karen Williams’ father, Charles Price, was the first Black graduate of West Virginia University’s College of Law, one of two land grant institutions in the state. His office once sat on Court Street, in Charleston, West Virginia’s Triangle District. As […]

James is one of the main characters of "O Pioneer!" "He has an ability to listen and really hear your words and then let those words reflect upon his understanding of his relationship with God and religion," filmmaker Clara Lehmann said. Photo: Provided

Culture

Meet the Filmmakers of ‘O, Pioneer!’, A Documentary Exploring Life in Appalachia During the Pandemic

We primeval forests felling,We the rivers stemming, vexing we, and piercing deep the mines within;We the surface broad surveying, we the virgin soil upheaving, Pioneers! O pioneers! – Stanza 7 from Pioneers! O Pioneers by Walt Whitman When we hear […]

The Grandview Overlook in the New River Gorge National Park offers scenic views like this one of the horseshoe bend. Photo: Colleen Kelly/100 Days in Appalachia

Travel Time

Ready for a Road Trip? A Guide to the Sights & Bites of Central, Southern Appalachia

This summer, our Pittsburgh family took a long-awaited bucket list road trip through Appalachia. We had recently spent 18 months driving the Pan American highway, and while it was an epic journey, the need to deeply explore our roots kept […]

A child looks on at a drag event during the Vandergrift, Pennsylvania, 2023 PRIDE in the Park event. Photo: Ava O'Bien/100 Days in Appalachia

Queer Appalachia

This Pride, ‘I Love My Hometown Whether it Loves Me Back or Not’

1993: Our pastor swayed slowly under the cover of a park pavilion — the kind rented out for graduation parties and wedding showers — and the rest of us stood on muddy grass to look at him. It was our […]

From Flooding to Fires: Appalachia’s Recreation Industry Faces Climate Change Challenges

What My Appalachian Roots Taught Me About Union Organizing

Front Porch Politics: An Alabama Democrat’s Roadmap for Defeating Trumpism in Appalachia

Gentrification or Revitalization? Investment on the West Side a ‘Litmus Test’ for Inclusive Economic Development

Federal COVID Money Could Help Solve One Largely Black Community’s Complex Problems. W.Va. Leaders Invested it Elsewhere.

Meet the Filmmakers of ‘O, Pioneer!’, A Documentary Exploring Life in Appalachia During the Pandemic

Ready for a Road Trip? A Guide to the Sights & Bites of Central, Southern Appalachia

This Pride, ‘I Love My Hometown Whether it Loves Me Back or Not’

Latest News

From Flooding to Fires: Appalachia’s Recreation Industry Faces Climate Change Challenges

What My Appalachian Roots Taught Me About Union Organizing

Front Porch Politics: An Alabama Democrat’s Roadmap for Defeating Trumpism in Appalachia

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100 Days Hiring Reporter to Cover Democracy and Politics

W. Va. Bill Poses Legal Challenges for Faith-based Immigrant Services