Black Lives Matter In Appalachia

Making Connections News

The population of Appalachia, like most of rural America, is more diverse than many people realize. And the recent support for racial justice has been larger than many expected. When Joseph Palumbo signed on to help organize a Black Lives Matter march in his Eastern Kentucky hometown of Hazard, he figured 50 people would show up. The peaceful event drew about 10 times that amount. The unexpectedly strong response to this and similar events across Appalachia is changing attitudes, including Palumbo's, about what’s possible in small towns across rural America. Tim Marema from The Daily Yonder interviewed Palumbo, who is 33 years old, about the march in June and civic activities that are growing out of it.