During the migration when African Americans left the rural South during the first part of the twentieth century, many stopped over in the coal fields of West Virginia, Tennessee, and Eastern Kentucky. Whether they stayed for a generation or set down permanent roots, these migrants and their families came to think of Appalachia as “home.” This exhibition centers the personal experiences of these families of black coal miners as it explores deeper themes of race, identity, and representation in the region.
For more details, visit the Southern Historical Collection blog.
