When Brady Walker first learned that some people go hungry, without a meal, he was four years old. And unlike most kids his age, he decided to take action. Brady lives in Mercer County, West Virginia, but he had a family friend named Ursula Candasamy, who has since passed away, […]
Read MoreTag: Culture
Black and Poor Communities Hit Hardest by COVID-19 Underscore Inequities
As the COVID-19 epidemic continues to ravage the American public, an unsurprising story emerges: Poor communities are hot spots for COVID transmission. The death rate from COVID-19 appears to be staggeringly high among African Americans compared to whites. The Washington Post reports, for example, that while 14 percent of the […]
Read MoreSocial Distancing Got You Down? A Rural Video Game Getaway Might Help
From “Stardew Valley” to the recently-released “Animal Crossing: New Horizons,” these popular games focus on the simple act of living purposefully, in close relationship with a place and its people. In normal times, video games are as likely to offer cause for social distancing than a remedy for it. To […]
Read MoreCoronavirus Threatens Not Only W.Va.’s Elderly, But The Children They Care For
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that older adults and people with underlying chronic health conditions are at increased risk for serious illness from the coronavirus. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, West Virginia has the highest percentage of at-risk adults of any state in the country. This is one of the […]
Read More‘Coal Country’: Can A Play About A Mine Disaster Help Bridge A National Divide?
This article was originally published by the Ohio Valley ReSource. The actors deliver their lines from a sparse stage — just a few benches around them and 29 modest lights above. For the most part they speak directly to the audience, sharing memories of the lives of husbands, sons, fathers […]
Read More‘Hey, Bub’: A West Virginian Reflects on the Sage Songwriting of Bill Withers
“Hey, Bub. It’s Bill Withers.” Those were the words that greeted me the first time I spoke with the songwriter behind “Lean on Me,” “Just the Two of Us,” “Lovely Day” and “Grandma’s Hands,” who passed away on Monday, March 30, at the age of 81. We had arranged for […]
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