“It is hard to feel such complicated feelings and to be asked to speak for a place that defies a spokesperson.”
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Tag: Culture
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 Charleston, West Virginia, for a family friend’s memorial service. We […]
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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 guitarist, songwriter and frontman cracked a joke with a similar […]
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In West Virginia’s ‘Poultry Capital,’ Immigrant Workers Struggle to Find the Help and Support They Need
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. Thousands of immigrants have worked at Pilgrim’s Pride’s Moorefield poultry plant, the area’s largest employer. After arrival, they have a hard […]
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In One of the Most Dangerous Workplaces in West Virginia, a Poultry Giant Has Profited From Immigrant Labor For Decades
For over three decades, people have come from all over the globe to work for Pilgrim’s Pride’s Moorefield chicken factory. Inside the plant, immigrant workers shoulder a disproportionate amount of the danger. This story was originally published by Mountain State Spotlight. Get stories like this delivered to your email inbox […]
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In North Carolina, A Sanctuary for Local Songwriters Emerges: The East Boone Listening Room
It’s 6:30 p.m. on a Friday night in Boone, North Carolina, and a hush falls over the East Boone Listening Room. “We spent many years trying to find a space like this in town,” says artist and songwriter Sarah DeShields. Boone, which is home to Appalachian State University, has plenty […]
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