Inside Appalachia

This week, hip hop started in New York and took root in places like West Virginia. We explore some of the history of the music and where it is today.

Also, food deserts are places where it’s hard to find nutritious food, but they’re found in more than just rural counties in Appalachia. Food deserts are also in disenfranchised neighborhoods, like in East Knoxville. 

And, the Reverend George Mills Dickerson of Tazewell, Virginia, was born in the years after slavery ended. During Juneteenth, he’s remembered especially through his poetry.

You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

This week, we visit with West Virginia trappers to learn about the fur trade in the 21st century.

We also meet a county fair champion who keeps racking up the blue ribbons and has released a cookbook of some of her favorites. 

And we hear an update on the Mountain Valley Pipeline. Construction has begun again, but some people wonder if it’s even needed.

 These stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia. 

This week, we meet a West Virginia artist who designs stickers, t-shirts, patches and pins. She draws on classic Appalachian phrases her family has used for years. They’re not all radio-friendly.

Also, people who live near Indian Creek in southern West Virginia say something is wrong with the water. Tests show contamination from a nearby mine. Now people and animals are getting sick. 

And, lots of schools are seeing teacher shortages. But what happens when the band director quits?

You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

This week, the woman behind the popular tik tok account “Appalachian Forager” makes jam from wild pawpaws … and jewelry from coyote teeth.

We also talk with the hosts of a new podcast that looks at coal dust exposure beyond the mines, affecting people far downstream from Appalachia. 

And, in some places, slavery continued in different forms well after the end of the Civil War. A new marker in Western North Carolina acknowledges that history and commemorates a disaster that killed 19 Black prisoners.

 You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia. 

For nearly a century, the Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival has staged a formal dance. We visit the festival and learn about a manual that’s been passed down for generations.

Also, abortion is illegal in most cases in Tennessee. A photographer spent a year following one mother who was denied an abortion. 

And we talk to Marshall University professor and poet Sarah Henning about her latest book, Burn.

 You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia. 

This week, rock climbers with disabilities have found a home in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge, which offers some pumpy crags.

Climbers have also been working to make West Virginia's New River Gorge more inclusive.

And a master craftsman, who makes one of a kind whitewater paddles remembers some advice.

You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

This week, a chef has created a hidden culinary hot spot in Asheville, North Carolina that’s attracting national attention for its eclectic menu and Filipino hospitality. 

Also, every thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail (AT) begins with a first step. Famed hiker Jennifer Pharr Davis shares hers.

And the holy month of Ramadan ends with a feast. But war and famine in Gaza muted some of this year’s celebrations.

We'll have these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

In March, broadcast journalists from Virginia and West Virginia were recognized when the Virginias Associated Press Broadcasters met to present awards for notable stories produced in 2023.

This week, we listen back to some of our award-winning stories.

This week, a pair of former miners found love shoveling coal and shaped a life making wooden spoons. We learn about treenware.

Also, NASCAR Hall of Famer Leonard Wood shares stories, and a bit of advice.

And, group bike rides are a way to socialize and get outside. But here in Appalachia, newcomers are met with steep hills.

Spring wildflowers are in bloom, and some of the most common species play an important role in herbal medicine. This week, we learn about some of the ways people use violets.

What’s your favorite style of egg roll? An acclaimed, out-of-the-way restaurant in Pounding Mill, Virginia bends culinary genres and uses an unexpected ingredient. 

And, more and more school boards are pulling books from library shelves. We’ll speak with a reporter in a Virginia county where 57 titles were yanked.