Monuments Across Appalachian Virginia announces next round of projects to receive funding

After announcing the first round of funding this past winter, Monuments Across Appalachian Virginia has added five more projects to its list, making for nine total projects funded through the Mellon Foundation.

The Monuments Across Appalachian Virginia is a three-year initiative dedicated to funding the construction of new monuments in Appalachian Virginia with the goal of sharing the untold stories of historically marginalized, oppressed, and excluded communities in the region. It is based in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech and led by Emily Satterwhite of the Appalachian Studies Program and Katrina Powell of the Center for Refugee, Migrant, and Displacement Studies.

Like the first round of projects, the newest projects highlight perspectives from across the region, including those from Pulaski, Pound, Rocky Mount, Clifton Forge, and Monroe. Of the five projects, three center around African American stories, one centers on Indigenous stories, and one centers on the diverse voices of individuals from a labor profession that is a cornerstone of Appalachian history. Monuments Across Appalachian Virginia gave out a total of $1.26 million to the five projects in second round.  

"There is a tremendous amount of effort and thought that has gone into each of these projects, and I am in awe of their passion and the relationships they have built in order to tell their stories so eloquently," said Lauren Trice, the initiative's project coordinator. "From the beginning, our projects have placed their community’s voices at the center, and even being a small part of that process is a privilege.”

New projects

• Green Pastures: In cooperation with local stakeholders, preservation groups, and Douthat State Park, the project will introduce an interpretive trail and a staged reading to showcase the rich heritage and stories associated with Green Pastures. This recreational area holds significant cultural importance as a recreational haven for African Americans during an era of segregation.
• 23/54: In 1947, 23 Black parents and 54 children challenged racial discrimination in the court case Corbin v. County School Board of Pulaski County, Virginia. Inspired by this story, the Calfee Community and Cultural Center aims to research and tell the stories of brave Black parents in Southwest Virginia, their ancestors, and descendants through oral history interviews, archival research, a traveling exhibit, and a community-created quilt.
• Yesáh Community House: The Monacan Nation Culture Foundation will be building a modern day long house that will serve as a physical monument of the Monacan people in Virginia. It will be constructed on the Monacan powwow grounds in Monroe and will become the permanent home of this annual event.
• Labor in Motion: The town of Pound and Appalachian Voices will be partnering in creating an amphitheater and decorative retaining wall. The amphitheater will be transformed into the town's first performance venue for town events and storytelling events chosen by town residents.
• Raising the Shade: More than 180,000 African American soldiers made significant contributions in the Civil War, however, only a handful of monuments to these men exist. The Franklin County NAACP aims to share these stories and more at various community events over the next year, as well as dedicating a monument to these soldiers.
  

While the planning for these projects has just started, the first round projects are gearing up for unveilings this upcoming fall. Visit the Monuments Across Appalachian Virginia website to get the latest updates on project unveilings. Each unveiling will be open to the public.

To learn more about all the projects, please visit www.moremountainstories.org.