Appalachian Studies at Virginia Tech

10/06/2026

In honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Holler 2 Holler will be screening the award-winning documentary Yintah. Folks are invited to share a meal and spend time together on Monday October 12th starting at 6:00, followed by the film screening at 7:00. 7951 Virginia Ave (Hwy 460) in Newport, Giles County.

In honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Holler 2 Holler will be screening the award-winning documentary Yintah. Folks are invited to share a meal and spend time together on Monday October 12th starting at 6:00, followed by the film screening at 7:00.

Yintah shares an important story of Indigenous resistance. In the words of the documentary’s creators: "Spanning more than a decade, YINTAH follows Howilhkat Freda Huson and Sleydo’ Molly Wickham as their nation reoccupies and protects their ancestral lands from the Canadian government and several of the largest fossil fuel companies on earth."

As we prepare to watch this documentary that details an inspiring fight against colonialism in so-called Canada, we invite folks to reflect on the history of colonization in the so-called US and the genocide of Indigenous people across the continent. There will be time for discussion before and after the screening. At Holler 2 Holler, learning these histories and engaging in meaningful discussion is an important part of being in community together. Mutual aid must go hand in hand with the fight for Land Back!

Dinner and snacks will be provided. Folks should feel free to bring something to share. We hope to see you Monday evening!

10/01/2026

250th Anniversary Quilt Viewing & Presentation

📅 October 23rd
🕟 4:30–6:00 PM
📍 Solitude House

Quilts represent many things in Appalachian culture. They are signs of resourcefulness, thriftiness, and creativity. They represent labors of love, caretaking, and skill. A quilt is a functional piece of art that can tell a story but also serve the very practical purpose of keeping someone warm.

To honor America’s 250th anniversary, The Appalachian Caucus at Virginia Tech invited our community to share what freedom means to them, one quilt square at a time. The designs are wonderfully different, yet share common threads.

Community volunteers stitched the squares into quilt tops and machine quilted them. The results reflect the care of our community!

A huge thank you to Donna Fortune and the School of Education, whose students created hundreds of squares, enough for SEVEN TWIN-SIZED QUILTS!! These will be donated to Montgomery County Fire and EMS to share with community members in need.

Come celebrate the completion of the 250th Anniversary Quilt Project! View the quilts and join us for the presentation to Montgomery County Fire and EMS. 🧵💛

09/29/2026

Los Appalachinos: Concert, Workshop, and Interactive Digital Experience with LUA Project 🎶

Join Lua Project for an evening of original music and storytelling through Los Appalachianos. This project shares the experiences and traditions of Latine communities in Appalachia through original songs and oral histories.

📅 Thursday, Oct 15th
🕠 5:30–6:30pm
📍 GLC Multipurpose Room

Come out for a night celebrating the intersection of Latine and Appalachian culture! Presented in partnership with El Centro’s Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month.

09/26/2026

Thank you to Dr. Kerri Moseley-Hobbs, founder of the More Than a Fraction Foundation and descendent of the Fraction family enslaved at Solitude for helping us experience history through touch!

These artifacts from MTAFF’s traveling collection provided visitors with a way to explore and handle selected objects while considering one question:

How does touching this object influence your thoughts or feelings about this place and its story?

There is no one right answer, but the effort and time to sit with these artifacts helps us continue to honor the stories behind them.

09/25/2026

Rooted Together: Our Land, Our Voice, Our Power Rising
📅 Saturday, September 26, 2026
🕙 10 AM - 3:30 PM
oin the NAACP Virginia State Conference and NAACP Montgomery/Radford/Floyd County Branch for a powerful day of truth-telling and community action featuring Abre Conner, NAACP Director of Environmental and Climate Justice.

Virginia Tech for Climate Justice
📍 Christiansburg Middle School, 1205 Buffalo Drive, Christiansburg, Virginia 24073

🌱✊ Rooted Together: Our Land, Our Voice, Our Power Rising ✊🌱

Rural Virginia carries the weight of pipelines, coal mines, and power plants, along with deteriorating roads, rising utility bills, and limited public transportation. Black, brown, Indigenous, and low-income households across rural Virginia bear these burdens most consistently - and this convening puts environmental justice at the heart of civil rights work.

Join the NAACP Virginia State Conference and NAACP Montgomery/Radford/Floyd County Branch for a powerful day of truth-telling and community action featuring Abre'Conner, NAACP Director of Environmental and Climate Justice, alongside regional experts, state agency representatives, and frontline organizers.

📅 Saturday, September 26, 2026
🕙 10 AM - 3:30 PM
📍 Christiansburg Middle School, 1205 Buffalo Drive, Christiansburg, Virginia 24073

Topics include:
🔹 Environmental Justice Overview 101
🔹 Energy affordability and utility burdens on rural households
🔹 Data center expansion, land use, and zoning
🔹 Transportation and EV access barriers in rural communities
🔹 Emergency management and public safety

Residents, advocates, faith leaders, farmers, young people, and elders - bring your voice. Together, we'll name the challenges shaping our communities and carry them directly to the people making decisions.

🔗 Register now: https://naacp-va.org/RootedTogetherConvening
Registration closes Friday, September 25, 2026.

📩 [email protected]
📱 .virginia |

09/23/2026

We want more history in the NRV! Join us September 24–26 for a weekend of free history programming:

📌 Thur 9/24 — Freedom Scholars Workshop
📌 Fri 9/25 — A Walk Across the River
📌 Fri 9/25 — Touch to Remember
📌 Sat 9/26 — What’s Your Story?

Follow the link in our bio for more information or visit wewantmorehistory.org !! We Want More History!

Starting tomorrow with We Want More History! September 24–26, 2026 VT History and friends are joining communities across the country for this nationwide celebration of history programming. All ages welcome and admission is free!

🗓️ Sept 24 — Freedom Scholars Workshop: learn about Black freedom in Virginia during Reconstruction

🗓️ Sept 25, 1–4 PM — A Walk Across the River: share stories of the people, places, and events that shaped the Appalachian Trail

🗓️ Sept 25, 12–5 PM — Touch to Remember: an African Artifact Traveling Exhibition with the More Than A Fraction Foundation

🗓️ Sept 26 — What’s Your Story?: reflect on your own personal histories in Blacksburg with VT History students and faculty

Presented by VT History, the Appalachian Studies Program, and the More Than A Fraction Foundation.

Touch to Remember: An African Artifact Traveling Exhibition with the More Than A Fraction Foundation

📅 Friday, September 25, 2026
🕐 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
📍 Solitude, 705 W. Campus Dr., Blacksburg

Part of We Want More History in the NRV, in partnership with VT History and the Appalachian Studies Program.

TOUCH TO REMEMBER: An African Artifact Traveling Exhibition with the More Than A Fraction Foundation!

Experience history through touch. Join the More Than A Fraction Foundation and Virginia Tech for an interactive exhibition featuring African artifacts from MTAFF’s traveling collection. Handle selected objects and consider: How does touching this object influence your thoughts or feelings about this place and its story? Come curious. Touch history. See what the objects bring to mind.

📅 Friday, September 25, 2026
🕐 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
📍 Solitude, 705 W. Campus Dr., Blacksburg, VA

Presented with We Want More History, VT History, and the Appalachian Studies Program.

08/20/2026

Join us for the third event in the Forest Botanicals Region Living Monument's Community Learning Series! Appalachian herbalists Ruby Daniels, Lori Briscoe, and Terran Young will lead participants in an exploration of the important role forest botanicals play in Appalachian herbal traditions. Participants will learn about the historical and present-day uses of Appalachian forest botanicals and the various preparations that can be made. All attendees will have the opportunity to blend their own herbal tea using sustainably harvested plant material.

🍃Space is limited! Register by calling 276-679-3103 or emailing [email protected]🍃

08/16/2026

Come take a break with the Appalachian Studies Program! Our welcome party is coming up, and we hope to see you there!

When? Friday August 28th
What time? Noon to 1:30 p.m.
Where? Solitude (map in next slide)

Come meet other students, enjoy some live music AND free food!

RSVP via link in bio by August 26th if you can!

08/12/2026

The Central Appalachia Leadership Lab is accepting applications. This paid, three-year leadership development program convenes regional changemakers who live in TN, VA, WV, and KY and share a common passion for the pursuit of economic mobility and futures filled with possibility for Central Appalachian youth. The program brings together folks who work both inside and outside of education and are passionate about this shared goal. Apply by January 3rd and learn more at www.callfellowship.com. Questions? Contact Program Director Samantha Glaser at [email protected].

https://www.caalfellowship.com/

  CENTRAL APPALACHIA LEADERSHIP LAB   We’re pursuing a bold north star goal for Central Appalachia, and we invite regional changemakers to join us as members of the Central Appalachia Leadership Lab (CALL). Our hope for the region we serve: Central Appalachian youth will have access to economic ...

06/25/2026

WANTED: Superheroes with research and community organizing powers to fight injustice! 🦸

The Sociological Initiatives Foundation (GMA Foundations) is offering grants of up to $30,000 for community-based research that helps communities organize for change.

Funded projects support community-academic partnerships that:
- Change laws and regulations
- Reform institutional practices
- Amplify the voices of those left out
- Build the political power of groups excluded from decision-making

The Foundation prioritizes research and organizing that addresses institutional change rather than individual or behavioral change.

📅 Concept application deadline: August 14, 2026
🌐 More info & guidelines: www.sifoundation.org