Inside Appalachia

On Thursday June 23, massive flooding swept across most of West Virginia. It began with a rare event- a tornado touched down in Nicholas County, West Virginia on the afternoon of Tuesday, June 21. Regional rain storms followed but nothing like what started to fall throughout a 22-county region on Thursday, June 23.

As coal jobs continue to disappear in Appalachia, some families are holding tight to the idea that coal will come back. Surprisingly, it’s not the pay that they miss about the work but the bond that comes with working in the mines. They often call it a 'brotherhood.'

When you think of Appalachia, hip hop isn't often the first thing that comes to mind. But because of the hard work of several generations of Appalachians, there is a growing hip hop scene here in these hills, complete with music festivals, political action, and youth development programs.

This week on Inside Appalachia, we're taking a look at Appalachians of all stripes who are retooling tradition to create a brighter future. We'll hear from a family of guitar makers in Virginia, members of Davis and Elkins College's first graduating class of its Appalachian Ensemble, an enterprising young reporter who's working to amplify #WVMusic, one of the few piano tuners in West Virginia, and a group of folks from Letcher County, Kentucky who are bringing square dancing back into vogue.

Biscuits, gravy, pepperoni rolls, fried chicken, and... salt? This week on Inside Appalachia, we're investigating the history and stories of some of Appalachia's most famous foods with the help of Gravy, a podcast produced by the Southern Foodways Alliance. We'll hear about the revitalization of West Virginia's salt production industry, the complicated history of fried chicken, and the growing popularity of Appalachian food in major urban centers.

It's election season and we want to know what Appalachians are looking for in a new president. We’ll hear from a former coal miner from Whitesburg, Ky, Gary Bentley. We'll also hear from a veteran who lives in Bristol, Va., Ralph Slaughter.

You might have heard of this radio show called Mountain Stage. The show, produced by folks right here in Appalachia, has been featuring artists from across the world for more than 30 years. Mountain Stage is one of the longest running live music performance shows on public radio. It began in 1983 and has featured nearly 2,000 acts from more than 50 countries--and nearly every conceivable genre--for a catalogue of 871 shows (and counting).

You might have heard of this radio show called Mountain Stage. The show, produced by folks right here in Appalachia, has been featuring artists from...

On this week’s episode of Inside Appalachia, we’re featuring some of our team's award winning Appalachian stories from the last year.

There are a lot of things that can make you feel connected to home or your childhood, and many of those memories are probably filled with food and family kitchenware.