Saving A Black Coal Camp And Affrilachian Poets, Inside Appalachia

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A West Virginia man is reviving an historic Black coal camp through farming.

Also, the legacy of Affrilachian poet Norman Jordan includes a summer camp for teens to study their heritage.

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

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

In This Episode:

• Reviving A Black Coal Camp Through Farming
• Frank X Walker's Poetry Explores "Affrilachia"
• Affrilachian Poet Norman Jordan's Summer Camp
• Hip Hop History In W.Va.
• Generations Of Black Poets Carry On In Tazwell, Virginia
• Torli Bush’s Book, Requiem for a Redbird

Reviving A Black Coal Camp Through Farming

Photos from the Black coal camp in Berwind, W.Va.
Courtesy of Black by God, the West Virginian

In the early 20th century, the coal industry was booming in Appalachia. That made the region a destination for Black migrants from the Deep South, who were moving northward in search of new jobs. Black communities thrived in Appalachia during the boom. But as coal employment declined, Black coal camps began to dwindle.

Now, a West Virginia man is reviving one of those coal camps — through farming.

Tiara Brown reports with support from Black By God, the West Virginian.

Frank X Walker's Poetry Explores "Affrilachia"

Load in Nine Times, by Frank X Walker.
Courtesy Photo

The word “Affrilachia” was coined by Kentucky poet Frank X Walker in 1991. That’s when he co-founded the Affrilachian Poets Collective to challenge the idea that Appalachian identity is defined by whiteness. Walker says the word Affrilachia, “spoke to the union of Appalachian identity and the region’s African American culture and history.”

He’s published several collections of poetry. Last fall, Host Mason Adams spoke with Walker about his latest, Load in Nine Times.

Affrilachian Poet Norman Jordan's Summer Camp

Students interact during the poetry workshop.
Photo Credit: Traci Phillips/West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Affrilachian poet and playwright Norman Jordan was a prominent voice in the Black Arts Movement through the 1960s and 1970s. He was also one of the most published poets in the region, anthologized in at least 42 books. He died in 2015 at the age of 77.

Along with his writing, Jordan left another legacy. A summer camp for teens to learn music, theater and dance.

Last summer, Folkways Reporter Traci Phillips visited the Norman Jordan African American Arts and Heritage Academy in Westover, West Virginia. Traci brought us this story.

Hip-Hop History In W.Va.

Shelem at his home studio in Charleston, West Virginia, demonstrating his workflow and organization.
Photo Credit: Vanessa Peña/West Virginia Public Broadcasting

In 2023, communities all around the country celebrated the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, marking a summer day in 1973 when DJ Kool Herc used two turntables to extend a funky drum break. Over the past half century, hip-hop has gone from a marginalized art form to a mainstream powerhouse. It developed in major metropolitan centers like New York, Los Angeles and the Dirty South.

But hip-hop has taken root in Appalachia, too, and it thrives in places like Charleston, West Virginia.

Last year, Folkways Reporter Vanessa Peña had this story.

Generations Of Black Poets Live On Through Tazwell, Virginia Family

Rev. George Mills Dickerson, center, surrounded by his sons, many of whom moved away to pursue higher education.
Courtesy of Jeanette Wilson

Poetry is a tradition in Jeanette Wilson’s family. They’ve recited the poems of Wilson’s grandfather and her uncle George for nearly 100 years. Now, these poems about African American life in southwestern Virginia are read during the Juneteenth celebration in Tazewell, Virginia — where they reach a wider audience and connect the past to the present.

In 2023, Folkways Reporter Connie Kitts brought us the story.

Torli Bush’s Book, Requiem for a Redbird

Torli Bush.
Courtesy Photo

We’ve highlighted several of today's Black Appalachian poets. One of the region’s emerging voices is Torli Bush, who grew up in Webster Springs, West Virginia. He developed his work, in part, through poetry slams in Pittsburgh.

Producer Bill Lynch spoke with Bush about his book, Requiem For a Redbird.

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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr., Carpenter Ants, Tim Bing, Bob Thompson and Blue Dot Sessions.

Bill Lynch is our producer. Abby Neff is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. We had help this week from Folkways Editors Nicole Musgrave, Jennifer Goren and Clara Haizlett.

You can send us an email: [email protected].

You can find us on Instagram, Threads and X @InAppalachia. Or here on Facebook.

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Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.