Participation Type
Panel
Session Title
The People Resist: Appalachian Activism, Then and Now
Session Abstract or Summary
Three Berea College students look at the history of resistance in Appalachia and the way that legacy is fueling contemporary activism for a whole new generation. Presentations will focus on groups fighting hunger, the way systemic slow violence in the coal camps lead to moments of violent uprising such as the Mine Wars, and the similarities between Appalachia and the rest of marginalized America in their approaches to combat oppression through activism. Films such as Harlan County USA and books such as Denise Giardina's Storming Heaven will be examined, as well as programs such as Grow Appalachia.
Presentation #1 Title
Convenor
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Convening the session. I will introduce each panelist and then moderate the Q&A after their presentations.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Silas House is the NEH Chair of Appalachian Studies at Berea College.
Presentation #2 Title
Slow Violence and Writing Activism in the West Virginia Coal Fields
Presentation #2 Abstract or Summary
I will be exploring the way systemic slow violence in the coal camps leads to moments of violent uprising such as the Mine Wars in West Virginia. I will also be examining writing activism such as Storming Heaven by Denise Giardina and the limitations of writing as activism.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #2
Emily Masters is a senior English major at Berea College with a minor in Appalachian Studies. She is a teaching assistant for Silas House and a student editor for Appalachian Heritage.
Presentation #3 Title
Fighting Hunger/Fighting Back
Presentation #3 Abstract or Summary
The epidemic of hunger in Appalachia, namely focused in Eastern Kentucky, will only be fixed by a grassroots movement built up by the community in which the issue resides. Programs such as Grow Appalachia, community farms/gardens, and reevaluating the way we look at our communities will be the way we alleviate food insecurity.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #3
Morgan Mecham is a Communications major, with a minor in Appalachian Studies, who plans on attending UK for a MSW focusing in childhood poverty and food insecurity in the Appalachian Region. She has served two internships with Grow Appalachia in cooperation with Americorps to bring community gardens and programs into Appalachian neighborhoods.
Presentation #4 Title
Poor White Folk Resistance: Brookside Strikes and Harlan County USA
Presentation #4 Abstract or Summary
This project examines the similarities between Appalachia and the rest of marginalized America in their approaches to combat oppression through activism. As a lens for examining this activism, the presentation will be comparing the Brookside Strikes and the documentary film, Harlan County USA.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #4
Breanna Lawson is from Pineville, KY, and is currently a Junior at Berea College studying Communication and Appalachian Studies.
Convenor
Convening the session. I will introduce each panelist and then moderate the Q&A after their presentations.
