For My Indian-American family, West Virginia Will Always Be Home
“West Virginia” is never what people are looking for when they ask where my family is from. The first week of January, my dad and I drove five hours from our house in North Carolina to visit his hometown of […]
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Healthcare is Human: A Nurse on the Frontlines of an Addiction Crisis
Angie Gray has spent her entire career in public health nursing and says she knew long ago that West Virginia was vulnerable to many public health issues. Substance use disorder was becoming a problem in West Virginia as she advanced […]
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The Number of White Nationalist Groups in Appalachia Is Rising — and the Surge Could Have Implications for Democracy
The number of white nationalist groups operating in Appalachia has increased, according to a recent report by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The rise coincides with a national surge of far-right, anti-government and anti-LGBTQ+ groups, which the SPLC warns could […]
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WV Capitol Renovation Oversight Skirted for Years. Now, a Babydog Mural is in its Historic Seat of Government
This story was originally published by Mountain State Spotlight. Get stories like this delivered to your email inbox once a week; sign up for the free newsletter at mountainstatespotlight.org/newsletter On West Virginia’s 161st birthday, Gov. Jim Justice came to the […]
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When Your Appalachian Music Roots Show Up on the National Stage, A Reflection on the Whizzbanger’s Ball
If there’s anything to be said about the inaugural Whizzbanger’s Ball at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in Glen Jean, West Virginia, it’s that it served as a long-awaited point of intersection for many. During William Matheny’s Saturday afternoon set, the […]
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Tyler Childers’ Appalachia: How the Country Singer Challenges our Relationships with Addiction and Religion
Not only has Childers reformed how Appalachians think about addiction and religion, but he’s re-cast the way the rest of the country views our story too.
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Appalachian Tennessee Abortion Providers Are Still Fighting to Provide Care
Amid abortion bans across Southern Appalachia, it’s harder than ever for abortion providers in Tennessee to offer services.
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For These Drag Queens, Their Queerness and Appalachian Identity Go Hand-in-Hand
Their on-stage personas both challenge redneck stereotypes and reclaim their Appalachian heritage.
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‘A Crisis of Truth:’ Trauma, Disinformation and the New Apostolic Reformation’s Effect on Our Politics
Many find healing from trauma in religion. But that trauma can also be used by religious leaders to activate political action.
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Front Porch Politics: A Tennessee university censors left-wing speech.
Right-wing groups can speak on ETSU’s campus with no waivers or trigger warnings, while the painting “Evolution” by Joel Gibbs got both.
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From the Editor: “We’ve Seen The Future, It Looks Like Young Appalachia.”
I’ve been thinking about our efforts since 2016 to collectively rewrite a different future, one where Appalachia, especially young Appalachia, is fully cognizant of the dystopia and hopeful nonetheless.
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