Inside Appalachia

On this West Virginia Morning, the ballad of John Henry tells the story of a railroad worker who challenges a steam drill to see who could tunnel into a mountain the fastest and farthest. With his strength and skill, John Henry wins, but he dies from the effort. For some people who grew up in Black communities in Appalachia, the song elicits a variety of feelings.

On this West Virginia Morning, trains have been a large part of the American story since the first steam trains rolled down the tracks – and with them came song and ballads.

Like any traditional song that has endured through generations, there are lots of versions of “John Henry.” There are also many different interpretations of the song. For some people who grew up in Black communities in Appalachia, the song elicits a variety of feelings.

This week on Inside Appalachia, we’re talking about traditional ballads -- how they tell stories and connect us to the past.

West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB) has won two 2022 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards (RTDNA) in the Large Market Radio category.

On this West Virginia Morning, state disability agency leaders say the state is putting challenged teenagers at risk when they are discharged from the foster care system. And from Inside Appalachia, Roxy Todd talks to the writer and director of the documentary "Angels on Horseback".

On this West Virginia Morning, Appalachian old-time music brings together numerous cultures, including African Americans and Native Americans. Yet those musicians have often been denied and overlooked. One man is working to make old-time music more available to Black musicians, but he got into it in an unusual way.

This week, we begin our journey throughout Appalachia in Floyd County, Virginia, home of Earl White. Then, we’ll travel back to the early 20th century, when nurse Mary Breckenridge launched a midwifery program in Eastern Kentucky. We’ll also meet two student reporters at the Fayette Institute of Technology, who bring us stories about Anstead, West Virginia, and finally, we meet journalist Kim Kelley, who recently authored “Fight Like Hell: The Untold History of American Labor,” to learn about the pro-Union history of Appalachian people.

On this West Virginia Morning, our Government Reporter Randy Yohe gives us a breakdown of the results from Tuesday’s midterm Primary Election. Also, in this show, we learn about a landfill in Virginia that has a lot of people in Bristol complaining about a noxious stench.

On this West Virginia Morning, author Neema Avashia grew up in a neighborhood in Kanawha County as the daughter of immigrants. In her book, "Another Appalachia: Coming Up Queer and Indian in a Mountain Place," she discusses growing up queer and Indian in West Virginia.