Black in Appalachia

On the next episode of the Black in Appalachia Podcast, Dr. Enkeshi El-Amin & Pumpkin Starr dig into the story of John Henry. There are dozens of tales of this Black laborer covered in myth & metaphors on race & class, but very little discussion on health & the sacrifice of Black bodies for capital.

In this episode we're talking about the history of confederate monuments, their removal and impact on our educational landscape with C.J. Hunt the director of Neutral Ground. Neutral Ground documents New Orleans’ fight over monuments and America’s troubled romance with the Lost Cause.

Enkeshi and Pumpkin talk with Drag Queens about the ups, downs and being Black in the Appalachian Scene

On this episode of Black in Appalachia, Enkeshi teams up with four educators of West Virginia University's national writers project to bring you letters from the archives. The team went to the University's archive for a workshop on how to incorporate primary sources in developing new narratives of Appalachia. While in the archives they discovered a master clap-back king and had to tell his story.

Enkeshi El-Amin talks in-depth with Pittsburgh-based Brian Broome, the author of Punch Me Up to the Gods: A Memoir. His book recounts his experiences—in all their cringe-worthy, hilarious, and heartbreaking glory—revealing a perpetual outsider awkwardly squirming to find his way in.