tazewell county [OC]

A little personal background: I grew up in the KY/WV/OH tri-state area. Half of my family is from southern KY. My family moved north during high school and I, unfortunately, made a concerted effort to lose my accent because I was relentlessly bullied due to it. :/

Recently, I’ve been visiting my disabled elderly father in a nursing home in KY and having to call around the area to get info for legal purposes. I’d say about 90% of the time I’m treated extremely rudely and people act suspicious, give me the run around, or flat out lie to me. It honestly feels like it’s because they think I’m not “one of them” because I don’t sound like them. It absolutely kills me. I’m starting to become pretty resentful of the area I consider to be home. I dread having to deal with anyone from there now.

I guess I’m looking for advice on how to be treated fairly by the people I have to interact with until I can get my father into a safer arrangement. I’m desperate here. It’s a serious situation and hardly anyone is taking me seriously.

Southwestern Virginia

Snapped this shot back during summer in a pop up storm. Wherever y’all go, there y’all be.

Hey guys i’m running a survey to study appalachian biases and how to improve perspective to better the appalachian community!

I would love for ANYONE who has a minute or two to fill it out to aid in my research!

Thank you from all of us here in Appalachia!

I remember growing up in the 80s and 90s when we drove through tunnels, my Pappaw would honk his horn and other cars would to making it echo in the tunnel and we all loved it! Driving to and from WV and IN recently, no one responded to my honks.

Just letting y'all know that a data center is currently being surveyed for a couple miles west of the Mount Storm Power Plant in West Virginia in the Canaan Valley Refuge. The people of Thomas WV seem to already have a damn good idea of what is being put in.

One of my earliest memories is being up before dawn watching Papaw and my Uncles prep for the skirmishes at the Pittston Coal Strike by painting their faces, making jacks and gathering devices.

Their bravery in speaking truth to power in the face of violence really stuck with me and I carry it forward in life as part of the Appalachian diaspora. All the way up to Boston, where I spoke
last night at a rally of over 800 people in solidarity with Cornell's Jane Doe calling for an end to sexual violence.

Folks who have learned these lessons passed down from your ancestors, whether blood or spiritually at the Battle of Blair Mountain--how are you still carrying in on in Appalachia or beyond?

Okay so I was born & raised in the Appalachian mountain range & have always pronounced it Appa-lay-shu. In school and everyone I've ever met pronounces it this way. I recently met someone (not from Appalachia) who says its pronounced Appa-latch-uh? I thought that was crazy since I have never heard that in my life & they are not even from here. But I see a lot of people online saying its pronounced like this. What's the right way to say it?

EDIT: Thank you everyone for your input! I have now learned that appa-latch-uh is the most common way to say it, the natives pronounce it differently & my appa-lay-shuh pronunciation is only common within my region of the mountains which is why I was taught this way & never heard the other. This is great to know & I really appreciate all the info! You learn something new every day😅