The Appalachian Voice
Black Diamonds documentary video released
“This is not just my Fight: it’s Appalachia’s Fight” – Larry Gibson
Citizens and friends of the West Virginia mountains remembered more than veterans on Memorial Day by paying their respects to the land and people. Standing with long-time mountaintop removal activist Larry Gibson near his home on Kayford Mountain in West Virginia, over 60 community members and activists traveled to the top of a mountaintop removal…
Read MoreInternational groups hear coal delegation
Coal and timber companies on the defensive in West Virginia lawsuits
A set of bitter lawsuits has erupted around the question of who is responsible for contaminating the drinking water in Rawl, WV. and even what can be said about it. In late April, a Massey Energy subsidiary filed a libel suit against attorneys representing citizens who believe they were injured by chemicals in the water…
Read MoreJack Spadaro
images/voice_uploads/Circle.Spadero.gif Jack Spadaro was a young engineer in February 1972 when he arrived at the site of a coal waste dam failure that killed 125 people. He had grown up in coal country, and had worked in the mines to get through college. Even so, he was shocked. “I made a pledge to dedicate my…
Read MoreTaking Mountaintop Removal to the United Nations
Ask any one of the 10 delegates of seven organizations representing the voices of the dispossessed in Appalachia why they’re going to the United Nations on May 6-12, and they’ll all tell you the same thing. To fight for their human rights. The coalition is collectively organizing a side event at an upcoming U.N. meeting…
Read MoreBush proposes sale of national forest lands across US
President George Bush’s proposed sale of 300,000 acres forest service lands may have been just a trial balloon for a larger land sale, as Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA) suggested in late March. But the balloon seems to be deflating quickly. Most of the Appalachian region’s governors, senators and representatives speaking on the issue have opposed…
Read MorePresident Theodore Roosevelt
One hundred years ago, President Theodore Roosevelt worked with Congress to ADD land to our national forests. “ I am gravely concerned at the extremely unsatisfactory condition of the public land laws and at the prevalence of fraud under their present provisions. For much of this fraud the present laws are chiefly responsible. In fairness…
Read MoreSpring Tonics and Appalachian Herbals
The Southern Appalachian Mountains forests contain a cornucopia of over four hundred medicinal herbs used by the Cherokee, including both native and introduced plants. Many of these herbs and their traditional medicinal uses were shared with the European settlers. The settlers often added their own additional European plants and use of alcohol tinctures. These plant…
Read MoreRemembering Carl Rutherford
Ain’t no grave holding Carl Rutherford down. In death as in life he’s still making people laugh out loud, and his music continues to carry on like a contagious smile. Which is mostly all he wanted. “I’d like to leave an afterglow of smiles when life is done,” he told his cousin, Hershel Muncy, before…
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