The Black Appalachian Storytellers Fellowships are intended to honor, celebrate, and support Black storytellers residing in the Appalachian counties (as designated by the Appalachian Regional Commission) of Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The Black Appalachian Storytellers Fellowship in Partnershipīaltimore, MD – July 21, 2022 – Mid Atlantic Arts, in conjunction with South Arts, is thrilled to partner with the National Association of Black Storytellers (NABS) as they launch the Black Appalachian Storytellers Fellowship program. Policymakers should place more value on creating spaces for groups of Appalachians that have been historically oppressed or ignored to share their stories, and on helping shift narratives to accurately reflect the region’s past and present.The National Association of Black Storytellers Announces Narratives that leave out the Black parts of our region’s history and present guarantee that problems experienced by Black people won’t be prioritized. Narratives shape how policymakers prioritize public problems. Speakers identified many policy needs for Black communities in Appalachia-including access to healthcare and healthy foods, child and elder care, public transportation, clean air and water, more and higher quality education opportunities, criminal justice reform, jobs, and equal and higher pay.Īcross all of these policy issues there is a common need for Black storytelling and participation as a precondition for policymaking.

Neither the contributions of Black people to Appalachian history nor the harms experienced by Black communities are popularly known or appreciated, especially in media and policymaking. The 8 hours of rich dialogue throughout the sessions can be viewed here.īlack Appalachians have played a critical role in Appalachian history, but Appalachian narratives have been whitewashed. This BLAC paper highlights some common themes across the sessions related to policymaking in Appalachia. Black Appalachians shared stories about their past and present and thoughts about how Appalachia should move forward. The sessions were part of the ongoing national conversation around infrastructure policy but weren’t limited to infrastructure. In the fall of 2021, the Black Appalachian Coalition (BLAC) and the Ohio River Valley Institute (ORVI) hosted five virtual listening sessions to hear from Black Appalachians.

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