Appalachia

Alex Elle, author of Words from a Wanderer, states, “I am thankful for my struggle because without it I wouldn’t have stumbled across my strength.” As a first-generation college student from Southwest Virginia, I have witnessed and experienced much strife. However, I do not feel regretful or saddened by my past. I believe I experienced hardships to fully understand my purpose in life. I do not wish to harp on my struggles, but I feel their mention will help more deeply explain my strength. My…

equality among blacks and whites.” While this is a good goal to pursue, the Carter G. Woodson center does not live up to this commitment. They attempt to bring all the races (particularly blacks and whites) together by teaching about their different cultures, but they do not try to directly fix the problems that cause disadvantage for those of minority races. While it is necessary for everyone to gain an understanding of each other’s perspective if we are ever to reach social equality, it is…

Likewise, the media has depicted Appalachians as uneducated human beings for centuries. Stereotypes have depressed regions from obtaining proper resources such as health care and employment opportunities. In Jeff Biggers’ book, The United States of Appalachia, he voiced the impractical stereotypes Appalachian people have tolerated. Stereotypes have become a reality to Americans through the media and other means of communication. In addition, my grandmother, Peggy Crowder, grew up as an…

Socioeconomic Overview of Appalachia, 2010 (PDF: 3.1 MB) (2010): n. pag. Web. The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is a regional economic development agency that represents a partnership of federal, state, and local government. Established by an act of Congress in 1965, ARC is…

Appalachia is a culture within itself created by individuals looking to get away from a more structural environmnet set with rules and limits. The individuals who set out to move into the Appalachian Region did so in order to have more privacy and be left alone. The Appalachian Region gave protection to anyone wanting to be alone and live life his or her way. Unfortunately, those wanting to live this way were looked at as barbarick which created labels like poor and uneducated. Those outside the…

Introduction As a professional providing services to a particular area is it important to know and understand the culture of the community being served. It is also just as equally important to have a grasp of the area's culture as this will explain why the area has the traditions and beliefs it has. Also by having a understanding of the culture ensures the community, as a professional, the service provider has an interest in the people of the community. For professionals it is about gaining the…

eye opening volunteer experiences and today’s pressing social policy issues that confront our country. For the past three summers, I volunteered with an organization that helps poverty stricken families repair and improve their homes in central Appalachia. I respect and care for the home owners, but each year I am discouraged by their poor daily health habits. It is commonplace to see pregnant mothers smoking cigarettes, overweight adults spending much of the day watching TV, and young…

under-recognized. It is often easy to recognize that a woman who wears a hijab is a practicing Muslim or a man wearing a kippah is a practicing Jew; however, it is often difficult to recognize understated geographical cultural difference of those from Appalachia. As mentioned previously, Appalachians are historically known to be wary of outsiders but as one who “take care of their own,” they are proud, hard working, and often focused on the importance of family and religion (Coyne et. al.,…

Mountaintop removal is a destructive form of mining that is leaving mountains (specifically mountains in Appalachia) in shambles. It is an awful mining method that not only harms the environment, but people as well when there are clearly safer and cleaner alternatives. Coal companies have almost completely obliterated the summits of scores of mountains scattered throughout Appalachia, permanently altering the landscape and environment forever. The process of mountaintop removal, also known as…

wondrous fortunes to discover. The mountains give you comfort, they offer you assurance from the outside world, and they fill your existence with all the magnificence, sounds, and untamed life that the woods brings to the table. This is the heart of Appalachia; this is its shelter and its most noteworthy fortune. This is the environment that gets your heart and says I am…