100 Days in Appalachia | Appalachia Matters

Fasnacht in Helvetia, West Virginia

After 58 years, Helvetia’s Fasnacht celebration continues to stand as a testament to the Swiss roots of its earliest participants, while also becoming part of a uniquely Appalachian tradition.

‘Hell or High Water’: Southern W.Va. Three Weeks After the Flood

On February 15, 2025, a catastrophic flood ravaged McDowell County, West Virginia, and much of the state’s southern coalfields. At least three people were reported dead due to the flash flooding, with dozens more reported missing and more than 700 rescued. Damage to housing and infrastructure is expected to reach […]

In North Carolina, Helene’s Destruction Underscores the Value of Homegrown Rural Health Care

In a region where many suffer from chronic conditions that require long-term medical care, cultural awareness can help provide a a firm foundation for doctor-patient relationships.

Mid-Ohio Valley Group Blends Religion, Politics to Affect Policy in Ohio and West Virginia

Quietly, over the past 15 years, small group Bible-study-style gatherings near Parkersburg, W.Va. have formed the foundation for a movement that punches above its weight in terms of political influence.

Reclaiming and Revitalizing Resources in West Virginia’s Southern Coalfields

The demand for clean water in McDowell County is but one element of a groundswell of community-based activism to reclaim and revitalize resources.

Culture

Fasnacht in Helvetia, West Virginia

After 58 years, Helvetia’s Fasnacht celebration continues to stand as a testament to the Swiss roots of its earliest participants, while also becoming part of a uniquely Appalachian tradition.

Hell or High Water

‘Hell or High Water’: Southern W.Va. Three Weeks After the Flood

In North Carolina, Helene’s Destruction Underscores the Value of Homegrown Rural Health Care

In a region where many suffer from chronic conditions that require long-term medical care, cultural awareness can help provide a a firm foundation for doctor-patient relationships.

Mid-Ohio Valley Group Blends Religion, Politics to Affect Policy in Ohio and West Virginia

Appalachia

Reclaiming and Revitalizing Resources in West Virginia’s Southern Coalfields

The demand for clean water in McDowell County is but one element of a groundswell of community-based activism to reclaim and revitalize resources.

Religion

‘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.

A "Trump Victory Center" in Appalachia promoting the "Stop the Steal" movement.

Appalachia Was a Spiritual Center of Election Denial in 2020. Some in the Region Are Already Calling on God to Intervene in This Year’s Presidential Election.

Once again, there are “prophetic summits,” revivals and prayer gatherings asking God to intervene in politics.

What is the New Apostolic Reformation? How a Religio-Political Movement is Affecting U.S. and Appalachian Politics

Here’s some context and clarity about the relationship between dominion theology and the NAR, the “apostles” and “prophets” who lead this movement, and what it all means for our politics.

Generation Zeitgeist

Once again Nakiya (Nyx) Bell is surrounded by a haze on the river which runs along a deep forest. They hold their braided hair up which follows the lines of her arms and shoulders. Photo: Isa McMullen/For 100 Days in Appalachia

Photo Essay: Exploring Trans and Queer Identity through Appalachian, Christian Iconography

As a queer and gender-nonconforming person navigating life in a region deeply entrenched in Christianity, I find myself straddling two […]

Opinion: There’s a Critical Need for Equity in Care, Education for Neurodivergent Kids in Appalachia

In March of 2020, after years with a therapist, I was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. While I was at […]

Clarksburg is a community of about 15,000 people in North Central, West Virginia. Pictured here in 2019, the once thriving community has been struggling economically over the past several years and has experienced an uptick in substance use. Photo: Jesse Wright/100 Days in Appalachia

More than a Stereotype: A Young West Virginian Wants a Different Conversation

In school growing up, it wasn’t uncommon to learn about what made each of our 50 states unique, and I […]

Environment

A Political Power Play Overruled West Virginians in the Path of the Mountain Valley Pipeline. They Still Feel Betrayed.

In the wake of U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin promising his vote for a major climate change bill in exchange for the pipeline’s remaining permits, people in the project’s path are torn on their next steps.

What Arabia Can Teach Appalachia About Floods

Yemen is probably not the first place one thinks of when thinking of Appalachia and its damaging flooding. But maybe it should be.

Kimberly Holley, a member of the Tennessee Task Force One, looks out the window at the devastation massive flooding has caused on Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022, near Hazard, Kentucky. Photo: Brynn Anderson/AP Photo

Kentucky Flooding Tests Faith-based Disaster Response in Appalachia as Church Membership Declines

In eastern Kentucky, they waited for the rain to stop. “I’ve never heard that much rain that hard in my […]

Health

In North Carolina, Helene’s Destruction Underscores the Value of Homegrown Rural Health Care

In a region where many suffer from chronic conditions that require long-term medical care, cultural awareness can help provide a a firm foundation for doctor-patient relationships.

‘Life-changing Support’: In Rural North Carolina, a Program for Treatment of Substance Use Disorder Through Pregnancy and Beyond Offers Care and Counters Stigma

Project CARA works to get people into care and support them — with a goal of better outcomes for both the babies and their parents.

Left, U.S. Rep. Alma Adams, D-N.C. is seen during a voting rally for democratic candidate Kathy Manning at Bennett College in Greensboro, N.C., Friday, Oct. 19, 2018. Right, in this March 2, 2020, file photo, state Rep. Attica Scott, D-Louisville, speaks on the floor of the House of Representatives at the Capitol in Frankfort, Ky. Felony rioting charges were dropped Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020, against the Kentucky lawmaker and others arrested last month during protests demanding justice for Breonna Taylor. Photo: Gerry Broome and Bryan Woolston/AP Photo

These Appalachian Lawmakers are Working to Protect Black Mothers in the Region and Beyond

When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention introduced its Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System in 1987, the number of pregnancy-related […]