Racism

Last year, Inside Appalachia brought you the story of rock climbers taking on racist, sexist and other offensive route names in West Virginia’s New River Gorge. Inside Appalachia reporter Zack Harold recently checked in with DJ Grant, a climber who helped kickstart the effort to change the names, to see if climbers were successful in their efforts.

On this West Virginia Morning, last fall, we heard from a man who helped kick start an effort to change some offensive names of routes at the New River Gorge. We check in to see how that effort is going. Also, in this show, we hear about a new surgery created by a West Virginia doctor that aims to shorten recovery time for one of the most common sports injuries.

An exhibit in Beckley called “Social Studies” is displaying visual art that relates to local, national and even global social standards.

On this West Virginia Morning, we look back to September, when a Black Lives Matter rally turned hostile after white supremacists showed up. Also, in this show, we hear updates on schools, vaccine distribution and statehouse news.

On this West Virginia Morning, West Virginia’s foster care system has been overrun in recent years. We explore how deep trauma has affected children in foster care and how some struggle to find their place as they age out of the system. Also, we bring you a conversation with author Charles Dodd on his new novel “How Fire Runs,” and we have the latest coronavirus news in the state.

On this West Virginia Morning, we hear from residents of Bluefield, where one of the state’s only citizen review panels for local police exist. Also, in this show, we hear about the latest pushback to the Mountain Valley Pipeline.

On this West Virginia Morning, we hear about racism found somewhere you may not expect – rock climbing. We explore the history of some racist and offensive language used for route names, and the debate over whether to change them.

On this West Virginia Morning, we hear a young boy interview his mom. Also, in this show, we continue our election coverage with a look at the race for West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture.

Climbers have identified around 100 racist and otherwise offensive route names and hope to have them changed before a new guidebook goes to print this fall.

In Appalachia, we’re all too familiar with black lung disease, and how it takes the breath away from coal miners. For a time, it seemed black lung was going away, thanks to tougher mine safety regulations. Now it's seeing a resurgence.There is another problem that doesn’t seem to have gone away, either, and that is racism. It shows itself in places you never would have thought of, including in the names given to rock climbing routes in West Virginia’s New River Gorge.