Katrina Powell, editor of Beginning Again, and collaborators, will discuss Appalachia as a diverse place where belonging and connection are created despite displacement, resource extraction, and inequality. This new oral history collection is out now from Voice of Witness and Haymarket Books, with a foreword from poet-activist Nikki Giovanni.

Appalachia has been a place of migration—for individuals, families, and entire communities—for centuries. Beginning Again: Stories of Movement and Migration in Appalachia brings together narratives of refugees, migrants, and generations-long residents that explore complex journeys of resettlement. In their stories, Appalachia—despite how it's popularly portrayed—is not simply a monolithic region of white poverty and strife. This oral history project adds to the growing body of works that counter damaging myths of Appalachia and expand our ideas of who belongs.

“In a region historically marred by displacement and stereotypes, these poignant first-person narratives reveal a stunning, multidimensional Appalachia, a chosen home that illustrates the power of belonging.” —Appalshop

Katrina Powell is a professor of Rhetoric and Founding Director of the Center for Refugee, Migrant, and Displacement Studies at Virginia Tech. Her research focuses on displacement narratives and with the VT Appalachian Studies Program is co-directing the Monuments Across Appalachian Virginia project, funded by the Mellon Foundation.

Fanny García is the Editorial Program Manager at Voice of Witness and facilitates the organization’s book series. As an oral historian, Fanny seeks to amplify diverse voices and shed light on silenced stories. She is particularly interested in how personal narratives can bridge cultural divides, challenge preconceived notions, and contribute to a more comprehensive and equitable historical record.