Intro to Appalachian Studies
I took Intro to Appalachian Studies in my Junior year because I thought it would be a unique opportunity to learn more about an equally unique part of our country. The class taught us about the culture and history of the people of Appalachia, remaining mostly in the past but eventually leading us to learn about present-day issues towards the end of our time in the semester. We would read an article concerning some of the struggles Appalachians in the past faced, then came to class to discuss the impacts this had on the people and their stereotypes. The class ended with us writing about a current issue to one of our lawmakers, but more on that later.
The overarching message of the class was that the Appalachians had been marginalized within America throughout the country’s history. There were a number of myths and stereotypes used to belittle and take advantage of them. A good example of all of this is the local color fiction stories popular in the 1800s, which had outsiders share stories about how “backwards” the Appalachian people were to gain sympathy. Feuds were a popular subject in these stories, turning the bitter rivalries of powerful families vying for power in the area into popular folklore for the press. Well, owners of industries would become sympathetic to the “backwards” mountaineers and try to bring more modernization into the region to “save” these people, when in fact it only gave the feuding families something else to control over the innocent masses. Even today, there is a general perception that Appalachians are impoverished and live in the middle of nowhere, and that is reason to make fun of them, but this only shows how harmful and enduring some stereotypes can be.
Towards the end of the class we were tasked with researching an issue that is being faced in the Appalachian Mountains and to write to a representative to support or oppose a piece of legislation. Our professor aided us in our individual research and gave us great tips and guidelines for how to write a finely crafted letter that a representative would actually listen to. Using independent sources and appealing to the interests of my congressman, I wrote a convincing letter to Congressman Morgan Griffith to support the Appalachian Communities Health Emergency Act. I was proud to have crafted something so formally that could result in a great change for the region, even if he did not change his stance. Our professor had told us that our action had to be taken in letter form because that was the medium in which representatives were most likely to respond to us, and lo-and-behold, Congressman Griffith’s office did write back to me saying they were hoping to explore the matter further! I could not believe it had worked!
The biggest lessons I gained from the class ended up being about activism. While yes, it is important to not forget how the Appalachian people have been slighted over their history, along with many other groups throughout the world, but in coming to understand that past we can try and work towards a better future. The actions we take today can change the course of history for the better, and our professor embodied that belief better than anyone I had met. In the Summer before class had started, our professor was arrested for chaining herself to a tree to protest the construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline. She told us how she was heavily involved with groups fighting against the pipeline and how it was necessary to protect what she considered important: the New River Valley and its people. Seeing how passionate she was about the issue inspired me. One could say her actions were inappropriate for a university professor, but she did what she felt was right at the time, and her actions and infamy inspired others around the area to join the cause. Her values and approach energized many others to follow her lead, and while I can’t say that I would go about things the same way, I do see the importance of your actions as a leader.
Artifacts of this class can be found in the files below:
Joe Downey's Leadership Blog 