Social Justice and Community Organizing in Appalachia


Victoria Grace Hewlett (East Tennessee State University)

Whether it's an Old Time Jam, a black-led Arts & Cultural center, farming/agricultural programs or a good old-fashioned Fish Fry, people and grassroots organizations across both urban and rural Appalachia are taking initiative to organize their communities towards a more equitable and inclusive future. Based on interviews with grassroots, non-profit, arts and cultural leaders in Central Appalachia, Victoria Hewlett shares experiences, lessons and aspirations of regional efforts towards social, racial and economic justice. As illustrated by these stories, the struggle for justice and equity isn’t just in big American cities–it is reaching across the Appalachian mountains.

Part of 05-07 In These Mountains: Stories of Fieldwork in Central Appalachia, Friday, October 14, 10:30 am–12:30 pm