Noted national and regional black women authors will be presenting at the Black Women Writers Symposium: Writing the Natural World, Appalachia & Beyond, to be held Friday, October 21 at the Loyal Jones Appalachian Center on the Berea College campus. The day-long event, the first of its kind in the region, is FREE and open to the public. Refreshments will be served throughout the day. Continue reading Black Women Writers To Gather at Berea College Symposium →
Tag: Appalachia
Grow Appalachia to Leverage Nearly $1 million for Southeastern Kentucky Local Foods Economy
BEREA, KY, September 30, 2016 – Grow Appalachia is excited to announce that they will be leveraging private and federal funds totaling nearly $1 million to impact Southeastern Kentucky Promise Zone and Strike Force counties. As a program of Berea College, Grow Appalachia will work with partners throughout the Southeastern Kentucky region to strengthen year-round growing efforts, agricultural economic development, and local food networks. Continue reading Grow Appalachia to Leverage Nearly $1 million for Southeastern Kentucky Local Foods Economy →
Join the Appalachian Food Summit for a Mountain Foodways Journey Along Roads, Routes, Rails and Rivers
BEREA, KY (September 2, 2016) – The 3rd Annual Appalachian Food Summit will be held September 17 from 9 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. at Gray Auditorium in Presser Hall at Berea College, Berea, Kentucky. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door for $25. Continue reading Join the Appalachian Food Summit for a Mountain Foodways Journey Along Roads, Routes, Rails and Rivers →
Appalachian Food Summit Convenes at Berea College With Opening Inaugural John Egerton Cornbread Convocation
BEREA, KY (September 2, 2016) – The Appalachian Food Summit will open with a free soup beans and cornbread supper at The Loyal Jones Center at Berea College September 16 from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. The event, the first John Egerton Cornbread Convocation honors the generosity and inclusiveness of the late social justice activist, Southern food writer and Kentucky-born historian, John Egerton. The dinner is free of charge but a suggested $15 donation will benefit West Virginia Flood Recovery Efforts. Continue reading Appalachian Food Summit Convenes at Berea College With Opening Inaugural John Egerton Cornbread Convocation →
Jean Ritchie’s Legacy Lives on Through Scholarship Program
Ethan Hamblin ’14
The ‘Jean Ritchie MA Scholarship,’ named after the internationally known ballad singer, dulcimer player, and “Mother of Folk” music, has been awarded to Ethan Hamblin, a 2014 Berea College graduate.
Hamblin is the inaugural recipient of the Jean Ritchie MA Scholarship, which is awarded to an outstanding Berea College student who has decided to pursue their Master’s degree at National University of Ireland (NUI) Galway. Hamblin will receive a full-tuition scholarship, beginning in September, as he pursues his degree in Rural Sustainability. Continue reading Jean Ritchie’s Legacy Lives on Through Scholarship Program →
Berea #1 for Crafts in America
With more than 47,789 votes tallied, American craft lovers have named Berea as their number one choice. Noted as top in the nation for its vibrant craft scene, Berea, Kentucky features a wide range of galleries and studios offering exceptionally high quality handcrafts, including the renowned woodcrafts, weaving, broom crafts, and ceramics made by Berea College students and a wide range of other arts and crafts produced by Berea alumni and other artisans in the broader community. Continue reading Berea #1 for Crafts in America →
Berea Students Travel in the Summer
Summer is not only a time for relaxing, but also for learning, exploring, reflecting, and expanding one’s horizons. Berea students are involved in a myriad of activities and adventures both in Appalachia and abroad this summer. Many students are building their resumes and improving their career skills by interning at tech companies, schools, hospitals, and even here at Berea’s own Grow Appalachia Program. Along with the internships off campus, the Entrepreneurship for the Public Good (EPG) hosts twenty students for the Summer Institute, an eight-week study of entrepreneurial leadership through community economic development. EPG students explore the creation of new ventures in Appalachia. Continue reading Berea Students Travel in the Summer →
Two Berea Students Win Project Pericles 2016 Letters to an Elected Official Competition
Megan Yocum
Megan Yocum and Tran Nguyen, two Berea College students, were one of five winning teams in the National 2016 Letters to an Elected Official competition sponsored by Project Pericles. The other winning student teams were from Allegheny College, Carleton College, Hendrix College, and Pitzer College.
For the competition, students from member campuses of Project Pericles sent letters on various public policy issues to elected officials throughout the United States. For the first time, students also submitted project proposals outlining how they would use their award. Each of the five winning teams will receive $500 to work on their issue during the 2016-17 academic year. Continue reading Two Berea Students Win Project Pericles 2016 Letters to an Elected Official Competition →
YES! Magazine Features Article by Berea Student
Berea College Student and former coal miner Nick Mullins writes an article in YES! Magazine about his experiences as a miner and why he quit. YES! Magazine focuses on current issues in society and explores their solutions with in-depth analysis, tools for citizen engagement, and stories about real people working for a better world. Read the full article here:
Berea College Welcomes the 81st Annual Mountain Folk Festival
The 81st annual Mountain Folk Festival begins tomorrow, Friday April 1, from 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. and continues Saturday, April 2, from 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. Most activities will be held in Seabury Center or in nearby facilities on campus. Registration for this festival is $30 per dancer. Continue reading Berea College Welcomes the 81st Annual Mountain Folk Festival →
Gyude Moore to Speak at Service Convocation
Of Stickers and Margins: Courage in the Face of Radical Evil
Gyude Moore
Gyude Moore, a 2006 graduate of Berea College, will be the speaker at this year’s Service Convocation, March 24 at 3:00 p.m., in Phelps Stokes Chapel. Moore, who was a political science major at Berea, now is the Minister of Public Works in the administration of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in his home country, the Republic of Liberia. He also holds a Master’s of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. Continue reading Gyude Moore to Speak at Service Convocation →
2015 Weatherford Award Winners for Best Appalachian Books Announced
The winners of the 2015 Weatherford Awards are Nickole Brown’s Fanny Says (poetry), Robert Gipe’s Trampoline (fiction) and Studying Appalachian Studies: Making the Path by Walking, edited by Chad Berry, Shaunna Scott and Phillip Obermiller (non-fiction).
The Weatherford Awards honor books that “best illuminate the challenges, personalities and unique qualities of the Appalachian South.” Granted by Berea College and the Appalachian Studies Association for 36 years, the awards commemorate the life and achievements of W.D. Weatherford, Sr., a pioneer and leading figure in Appalachian development, youth work and race relations, and of his son, Willis D. Weatherford, Jr., who was Berea College President from 1967 – 84. Continue reading 2015 Weatherford Award Winners for Best Appalachian Books Announced →
News Advisory
WHAT: Kentucky premiere of documentary film Blood On The Mountain
WHEN: Wednesday, March 2, 2016. Film starts at 7:00 p.m. (run-time: 93 minutes), discussion panel follows screening
WHERE: Phelps Stokes Auditorium, Berea College
Hosted by: Loyal Jones Appalachian Center, Berea College
Sponsored by: AFL-CIO, Appalachian Voices, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth (KFTC), the Loyal Jones Appalachian Center and the Cumberland Chapter of the Sierra Club Continue reading News Advisory →
Appalachian Center Director Comments on Muslims in the Region
Christopher Green, director of the Loyal Jones Appalachian Center at Berea College and an associate professor of Appalachian Studies, was interviewed for a recent article published by Al Jazeera America. The article centered on the growing population of Muslim Americans in the Appalachian region and the welcome they have experienced from their local neighbors. Green, an Appalachian scholar, was quoted about the often-overlooked depth of diversity in the region.
Read the full article here:
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2016/2/21/muslims-appalachia-kentucky.html
Superlative Superintendents
Originally published in the Spring 2009 issue of the Berea College Magazine
Complied by Michael Loruss, ’10, and Patricia Stephens, ’11
A little over a year ago, David N. Cook, ’85, contacted the Berea College Magazine with an idea for a feature on eight Berea alumni employed as superintendents of public education in Kentucky. As a policy advisor for the state Department of Education’s Office of Leadership and School Improvement, David mentioned that of the 174 public school superintendents, Berea College had the distinction of having more Kentucky school superintendents than any other private college. Continue reading Superlative Superintendents →
Appalachian Heritage Event Honors Poet Jim Wayne Miller
In June, Jim Wayne Miller, ’58, was honored by Appalachian Heritage, the literary quarterly sponsored through the Loyal Jones Appalachian Center. Miller, a pioneer in Appalachian literature and studies, was former Kentucky poet laureate and the featured author of the Summer 2009 issue of Appalachian Heritage. Continue reading Appalachian Heritage Event Honors Poet Jim Wayne Miller →
Dreama Gentry is GEARed UP
Published Originally in the Winter/Spring 2012 Issue of Berea College Magazine
By Rachel Tsvetanov
Since its founding in 1855, Berea College has been dedicated to Appalachia, not only educating students from the region but also providing outreach services. This commitment has always extended beyond the borders of campus, and with four new grants from the U.S. Department of Education, the College will make a significantly larger impact on education in the neighboring region. In fact, the educational systems in some 17 southeastern Kentucky counties will receive comprehensive educational support for children, teens and parents through programs administered by the College. Together these grants, totaling over $100 million, will impact the lives of more than 20,000 people. Continue reading Dreama Gentry is GEARed UP →
Fulbright Fellowship Granted to Miller
Published originally in the Spring 2011 issue of Berea College Magazine
by Deb McIntyre, ’11
Chris Miller, associate director of the Loyal Jones Appalachian Center and College curator, has been awarded a Fulbright Fellowship for the fall 2011 semester. This fellowship will allow him to travel to IvanoFrankivsk, Ukraine, in the Carpathian mountain range to explore Appalachian parallels. He will research how “material culture is used to construct and portray highlander identity.” Comparative regional scholarship is considered to be on the leading edge of contemporary Appalachian studies. Chris has pursued similar studies in the past.
Christmas Country Dance School Registration Opens
Registration for the annual Christmas Country Dance School at Berea College is now open.
Each year, participants spend part of the holiday season at a cozy event dedicated to fun, music, friendship, learning, sharing, and dance, a celebration of individual creativity within a supportive community atmosphere. Christmas Country Dance School (CCDS) at Berea College provides a festive environment to try something new, participate in ancient traditions, and forge new traditions. Continue reading Christmas Country Dance School Registration Opens →
Gloria Steinem and bell hooks Speak at the bell hooks Institute
Gloria Steinem and bell hooks
Noted American writer, lecturer, political activist and feminist Gloria Steinem and bell hooks, Berea’s Distinguished Professor in Residence in Appalachian Studies, recently spoke at the bell hooks Institute at Berea College. During the event Steinem and hooks shared memories from their distinguished careers, passages from their books and reflections about feminism and other current issues. The occasion was part of a series of ongoing events to celebrate the opening of the bell hooks Institute.
Hunger Hurts Food Drive Gathers 7500 Pounds of Food from Community Members
The Annual Hunger Hurts Food Drive, coordinated by Berea College’s Center for Excellence in Learning through Service (CELTS), in collaboration with Berea Faith Community Outreach (BFCO), was completed on October 24, 2015. Continue reading Hunger Hurts Food Drive Gathers 7500 Pounds of Food from Community Members →
Library of Congress Places Lomax Kentucky Recordings at Berea College
Berea College Special Collections & Archives, the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress, the Association for Cultural Equity, and University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center are proud to announce digital access to The Lomax Kentucky Recordings, an online exhibition of over 70 hours of Eastern Kentucky folk music and lore, collected under the auspices of the Library of Congress between 1933 and 1942. Continue reading Library of Congress Places Lomax Kentucky Recordings at Berea College →
Largest Gathering of Appalachian Writers in History to Assemble at Berea College in September
The largest gathering of Appalachian writers in history will happen at Berea College on September 9 and 10. The Appalachian Symposium will be two days of public conversations focusing on the current state of the region’s literature and will feature keynote addresses by famed feminist author and activist bell hooks as well as Pulitzer Prize finalist Maurice Manning. Continue reading Largest Gathering of Appalachian Writers in History to Assemble at Berea College in September →
Weatherford Award Winners for Best Appalachian Books Announced
The Weatherford Awards honor books that “best illuminate the challenges, personalities, and unique qualities of the Appalachian South.” Granted by Berea College and the Appalachian Studies Association for 35 years, the awards commemorate the life and achievements of W.D. Weatherford, Sr., a pioneer and leading figure in Appalachian development, youth work, and race relations, and of his son, Willis D. Weatherford, Jr., late Berea College President. Continue reading Weatherford Award Winners for Best Appalachian Books Announced →
Retired Berea College Faculty Member Authors Appalachian Dance Book
Susan Spalding, author of “Appalachian Dance: Creativity and Continuity in Six Communities.”
After interviewing black and white Virginians, Kentuckians and Tennesseans over a twenty-five year span, Susan Eike Spalding has authored “Appalachian Dance: Creativity and Continuity in Six Communities”, a book that explores the evolution and social uses of dance in each region. Spalding’s book analyzes how issues as different as industrialization around coal, plantation culture, race relations, and the 1970s folk revival profoundly influenced freestyle clogging and other dance forms like square dancing. Her research identifies how African Americans and Native Americans, as well as European immigrants drawn to the timber mills and coal fields of Appalachia, brought movement styles that added to local dance vocabularies. Continue reading Retired Berea College Faculty Member Authors Appalachian Dance Book →