Summers 1 Meggie Summers ENGL 3624 Mrs.

Frost 3 April 2013 Underrepresentation in Appalachia The Appalachian region is stereotypically portrayed to be a predominately white region dominated by men, compared to the rest of the world. However, if one looks at the statistics, non-whites make up 12% of the population (Pollard 6). The female to male ratio is not unusually unbalanced either. These numbers prove that minorities make up a larger part of Appalachian region than what is portrayed by the Appalachian stereotype. Several of the literature selections for the first half of the semester, tackled issues such as race and sex. These are very liberal issues, and literature produced in a conservative region willing to tackle such controversial subjects is surprising, but more common than others may realize. The works of many Appalachian authors enlighten readers on the diversity that is present in the region, and how over the years the region continues to grow more accepting of minorities. For a region that is stereotypically labeled as a pure white region, much of the writing that comes from this region is actually heavily focused on the inequality of minorities. I would argue that the minority that has been hurt the most by the individuals of Appalachia are the Native Americans. Historically speaking, Native Americans are the first and true Appalachians, since initially they owned the land. John G. Burnett tells of his time on the Trail of Tears and the exploitation of the Cherokees he witnessed in his work Removal of the Cherokees. The beginning of Burnetts piece. Removal of the

Summers 2 Cherokees, highlights how the whites and Native Americans had a mutually beneficial relationship, and how they could have lived in peace together. However, the whites desire and greed to acquire more land led to the exploitation of the Cherokee. Burnett retells the brutality he witnessed on the Trail of Tears and how the Native Americans were loaded like cattle or seep (48). Comparing the Cherokee to animals allows the reader to see the lack of consideration the whites had for the Native Americans. Ironically, several families in Appalachia have claimed to have always owned their particular piece of property. In reality, at some point in history that land belonged to the Cherokee, their family just stole it. These stories are not as well known in the Appalachian region, because this is a part of their history they are not the most proud of I believe. When speaking of Native American women Burnett states that he did not meet one who was a moral prostitute (50). This comment effectively showcases the lower expectations white Appalachians had for Native Americans. Unfortunately, there are very few Native Americans left in the Appalachian region, because many of them were relocated during this brutal time in history. Sadly, Native Americans are still heavily discriminated against nationally. Booker T. Washington and Nikki Giovanni are two well know African American Appalachian writers who both discuss the difficulties for African Americans to achieve success. As a child, Washington wanted nothing more than to attend school, something many white children took for granted. In Boyhood Days, Washington tells his educational journey. As a young boy, he had to attend night school, because his father needed him to work in order to help support the family. Washington states that he learned a lot of valuable life lessons in night school; however, typically his teachers knew but little more than I (he) did (64). When he finally won his battle to attend day school he

Summers 3 had an unwavering sense of dedication to his education. He tells his readers that in order to reach school on time he rigged the clocks at his work. This shows the reader how much Washington valued education and the possibilities he believed an education would bring. Washington states people are usually surprised if the Negro boy does not fail (63). This statement is the single reason why I believe Washington was so dedicated to his education, because he wanted to prove to everyone that African Americans could succeed. This same feeling of being African American and not being able to achieve success is also seen in Nikki Giovannis poem Revolutionary Dreams. She talks about how if she had been natural she could have achieved a political revolution (250). Giovanni seems to be saying that her writings can never achieve the profound impact they are capable of achieving, because she is an African American author. I believe both of these authors share their stories of struggle to inspire others of their race to not allow the preconceived notions set by society to stop them from achieving their dreams. Also, I would argue that being a well-celebrated African American writer in Appalachia is sign of their success in closing the minority inequality gap in Appalachia. In fact, the largest minority in Appalachia is African Americans who make up two-thirds of the minority population (Pollard 6). The minority most commonly written about in Appalachian literature is women. However, unlike in many other regions, Appalachians regard woman as an extremely vital component of the family. This can be seen in Parks Laniers poems The Legacy and The Spinning Wheel, which both talk about the loss of a mother. In both of these poems, Lanier demonstrates how females were often given the role of the familys caregiver, and this role was taken extremely seriously. However, Marat Moores piece

Summers 4 Because the Earth is Dark and Deep shows the discrimination a woman can experience when a woman decides to go against her domestic role. Moore shows her readers her experience as a female working in the male dominated field of coal mining. Women had to deal with the unequal working conditions, such as not having toilets for women in the mines. On top of the poor working conditions, other Appalachian woman typically looked down woman who broke their domestic roles upon. However, in Because the Earth is Dark and Deep the largest problem for woman is the way woman are seen as sexual icons. Moore recalls various moments where the men in the coalmines would make inappropriate comments such as, Id be on it, if shed let me (143). This issue of women being seen as sexual icons is also seen in Marilou Awiaktas work. In her poem, Anorexia Bulimia Speak from the Grave, she urges women not to listen to the negative message society tells them about their body image. She tells her readers that there is no way can they handle a full-grown woman with a full-grown dream (56). Awiakta is urging woman to rebel against what societies expectations are for woman, because they are only holding them back. If women are confidant in themselves and follow their dreams, they cannot be stopped. Since some of these works have been written woman have made some significant gains in the workforce. However, women being portrayed as sexual icons in literature and society are still a very prominent issue today. Inequality among minorities is a national issue, which also occurs in the Appalachian region. Many Appalachian writers have a passion to share the inequality they have seen minorities face or tell their own personal struggle as a minority. A region that historically is seen as predominately white contains a lot of history on minorities actually. Writers such as Awiakta, Moore, Washington, Giovanni, and Burnett effectively

Summers 5 discuss the inequalities faced by Native Americans, African Americans, and women in the Appalachian region, in order to bring about awareness and change.

Summers 6 Works Cited Awiakta, Marilou. "Anorexia Bulimia Speak from the Grave." Listen Here. Ed. Sandra Ballard and Patricia Hudson. Lexington: UP of Kentucky, 2003. 55-56. Print. "Burnett, John. Removal of the Cherokee. Course Packet. English 3624. Professor S. Frost. Virginia Tech. Spring 2013. Print. "Lanier, Parks. Legacy. Course Packet. English 3624. Professor S. Frost. Virginia Tech. Spring 2013. Print "Moore, Marat. Because the Earth is Dark and Deep. Course Packet. English 3624. Professor S. Frost. Virginia Tech. Spring 2013. Print. "Washington, Booker T. Boyhood Days. Course Packet. English 3624. Professor S. Frost. Virginia Tech. Spring 2013. Print.