Last week on April 5th, Women and Gender Studies hosted Dr. Crystal Wilkinson, the current poet laureate of Kentucky, Dr. Heather Hoover, and Professor Rachael Meads, for a panel on Women in Appalachia. Each woman’s unique experiences and connections to Appalachia made for a rich conversation about folklore and tradition, storytelling, race, sexuality, and gender. The conversation started with a discussion on each woman’s development of their identities as Appalachian, both Professor Meads and Dr. Wilkinson observed that they didn’t identify with the name until they left and then returned. Most of their work revolves around reclamation. Professor Meads’s work focuses on reclaiming the storytelling and musical traditions of Appalachia, and to do this she founded an annual festival to celebrate these traditions and raise awareness of them beyond Appalachia. Dr. Wilkinson’s work moves in a slightly different way, through reclaiming her identity as a Black Appalachian in her essays and poetry, and working to rewrite the stereotype of the White Appalachian. Dr. Hoover comes from a slightly different position, as someone who is not originally from Appalachia, but whose ancestors came from the region. Dr. Hoover’s educational background is in Appalachian Studies, and she used that to work to increase access to birth control in the region, through both education and mentorship programs. She also uses her role as a mentor to empower young people and encourage them to break down the stereotype of stupidity often associated with Appalachia.
Students were very interested in the coalition building potential of Appalachian Studies. One student asked how the lessons from the field can be applied to a larger context. Professor Meads pointed out that many “mountain peoples” have similar experiences of exclusion, as well as similar stereotypes of stupidity or “backwardness.” She highlighted the potential for international coalitions with people living in the mountains, including indigenous groups and others. Students left the panel energized and more informed about a field that is often overlooked in mainstream academia.
April 14, 2022
