Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson is the Co-Executive Director of the Highlander Research and Education Center (the first Black woman to hold the position), a catalyst for grassroots organizing and movement building in Appalachia and the South. This renowned civil rights center suffered an arson attack in 2019, complete with a “white power” tag found at the scene. Ash-Lee and Mark discuss not just the fire, but the white supremacy that fueled it, and why events like these are “not surprising” to Ash-Lee, her colleagues, or the communities they look to serve. Ash-Lee and Mark discuss white supremacy through the lens of some of the bigger events of the year, including the death of George Floyd and the insurrection on Capitol Hill, and consider what it takes to gain ground for racial justice, equality, and most importantly, sustainability. Ash-Lee also asks us to rethink popular (and stereotypical) definitions of what it means to be from Appalachia, and what her identity as an Afrolachian means to her.

Executive Producer: Adell Coleman

Producer: Brittany Temple

Distributor: DCP Entertainment

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