As an alumni of Radford University and a teacher in Christiansburg, Elliston, and Blacksburg, Virginia, I have had many opportunities to work with administrators, teachers, parents, and students in several Appalacian public schools.
Although most of the families in this area are local natives to Virginia, the area also hosts a large transient population of students that are affluent and well educated, multicultural, and diverse. The local school and social systems have had remarkable success in attending to the educational and social needs of the area population.
Transient families generally find Appalachian natives friendly and accommodating, however, I do think that this comes as somewhat of a surprise to transient families because of stereotypes that have been generated by movies, television, and social media. Often people assume that most Appalachian residents come from backgrounds of poverty generated by the coal and agriculture industries. And although there are some economically depressed families living within Appalachia, there are also many other occupations that drive a thriving economy and affluent society. Both, Appalachian natives and transient cultures seem to coexist in a cooperative relationship that involves local business and charities that meet the needs of most all native and transient citizens.
J.D. Vance and other authors have unfortunately perpetuated the myth that Appalachian cultures are poorly educated, drug addicted, and socially inhospitable towards one another. Derogratory labels such as rednecks, hillbillies, mountain folk, and backwoods, seem to now be trending on social media and television and are also misleading as they tend to suggest lack of intelligence and poor self control.
I am personally impressed with our Appalachian culture and how it serves one another. I am also impressed that although some areas within Appalachia are diverse, the culture has managed to not only embrace transient cultures but still remain unique and true to the artistry of its roots. Through its music, art, crafts, and creative writing, Appalachian authors , artisans, and musicians have preserved the culture that our earliest founders brought with them from throughout the world as they settled in this cradle of American government and society.
The Appalachian culture has provided a firm foundation for growth and progress within our nation, and I am pleased to be a part of the education and artistry upon which this nation was affirmed. Keeping this unique, rich culture alive should be a goal for every Appalachian citizen to aspire to. By contributing the gifts and talents of each individual within every Appalachian community while celebrating our unique heritage, we continue to give to all who reside in Appalachia and within the great nation it founded.
9/21/2024
The Appalachian culture does seem to have arisen from a more modest people who have tended to embrace the idea that less is more. As a rural society where wealth is more evenly distributed, the Appalachian culture does tend to view itself in a more humble manner. However, the richness of diversity , not characterized by wealth, lends itself more to self expression through the arts in music, art, writing, dance, local crafts, and colloquial language. The stereotype of the uneducated, bumpkin,struggling in poverty with access to bare necessities, could also be seen as an adaptation to a more modest habitat enriched by a more scenic environment. The beauty of natural surroundings alongside a simpler, more humble lifestyle, then becomes the soul of a people that have great fortitude and acceptance of their common lot in life. In this instance, the stereotype actually enhances the value and leads one to applaud a culture that has somewhat resisted the conditioning and temptations that come to those oppressed within a capitalistic society. Emphasis on nature's beauty and rural population nestled in pockets, distanced from one another, yet remaining a thriving community, should be accredited as the factors allowing for a survival instinct of independence and self awareness. These attributes spark creativity, which is evident in the unique development of craftsmanship and artistic expression exhibited by this self contained culture. The well worn shoes of the critics may fit , but they fit beautifully, and may well survive the trek more comfortably than the fancy, shiny city shoes of our more industrialized American neighbors.
4/15/2026
-Paula C.
