The Resistance will be Rural: Grassroots Activism in Contemporary Appalachia
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Nottingham
Department Name: American and Canadian Studies
Abstract
My project is the first comprehensive study of contemporary activism in the Appalachian region of the United States. In the lead up to the 2016 US presidential election, Appalachia was cast as a 'uniquely toxic and tragic region', responsible for the creeping popularity of Trumpism. In the aftermath of the shock result, pundits doubled down on this aspersion, eschewing any nuance in their quest to explain a Trump presidency through the lens of a homogeneously white and working-class Appalachia. Elizabeth Catte named this genre of reporting, 'Trump Country' journalism. One of her key criticisms of the genre was that the reports were 'narratives of omission', deliberately showing only one highly curated side of a large, complex region. This leads many Americans, and wider observers, to perceive the region to be completely devoid of liberal-minded people; a progressive wasteland.
Yet despite this enduring perception, there is a rich history of activism in the mountains. Jessica Wilkerson highlighted some of these movements in her recent work To Live Here You Have To Fight (2019) as did Catte in her book What You're Getting Wrong About Appalachia (2018) But I believe there is currently a gap for further research on the evolving contemporary situation: movements involving a new generation of Appalachians which use innovative activist methods. My research will examine how these movements intersect and elevate each other into a broader leftist, Appalachian coalition and interrogate the challenges they face from hostile, local conservatism on one hand and marginalisation from the wider American left on the other.
An introductory chapter will build on the work I produced for my Masters by Research thesis, outlining the current image of Appalachia as 'Trump Country' and dissecting wider theories on the purported divide between urban and rural America. Once this framework is established, a corrective can then be issued in the form of separate but interlocking chapters featuring primary research on different strains of contemporary Appalachian activism which identify their historical roots in the region as the ethos that underpins their contemporary actions. The thesis will include chapters on LGBT activism, Appalachian feminism and reproductive justice, and labour activism. Qualitative research will be carried out with activists from frontline organisations such as Queer Appalachia, Holler Health Justice Network, Knoxville Abortion Doula Collective, Appalachian Feminist Coalition and activists from two recent instances of Appalachian industrial action: the Harlan County miners protest and the West Virginia teachers' strike.
Yet despite this enduring perception, there is a rich history of activism in the mountains. Jessica Wilkerson highlighted some of these movements in her recent work To Live Here You Have To Fight (2019) as did Catte in her book What You're Getting Wrong About Appalachia (2018) But I believe there is currently a gap for further research on the evolving contemporary situation: movements involving a new generation of Appalachians which use innovative activist methods. My research will examine how these movements intersect and elevate each other into a broader leftist, Appalachian coalition and interrogate the challenges they face from hostile, local conservatism on one hand and marginalisation from the wider American left on the other.
An introductory chapter will build on the work I produced for my Masters by Research thesis, outlining the current image of Appalachia as 'Trump Country' and dissecting wider theories on the purported divide between urban and rural America. Once this framework is established, a corrective can then be issued in the form of separate but interlocking chapters featuring primary research on different strains of contemporary Appalachian activism which identify their historical roots in the region as the ethos that underpins their contemporary actions. The thesis will include chapters on LGBT activism, Appalachian feminism and reproductive justice, and labour activism. Qualitative research will be carried out with activists from frontline organisations such as Queer Appalachia, Holler Health Justice Network, Knoxville Abortion Doula Collective, Appalachian Feminist Coalition and activists from two recent instances of Appalachian industrial action: the Harlan County miners protest and the West Virginia teachers' strike.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| STEPHANIE LEWTHWAITE (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Eleanor Griffiths (Student) |