Ms Miller said her experiences of racism were not the same today. “I am currently surrounded by a community of social justice people who are all for equality and inclusion and anti-racist practices,” she said. “I’m lucky that I don’t have the same experience as other sisters who mainly work for whiteboards and trustees. Many of them have heavy fights.”
African Americans make up about 10 percent of Appalachia’s population, while those who identify as Hispanic or Latino make up 5.6 percent of the population, a number that’s growing, according to the Appalachian Regional Commission. Still, sociologists and historians said, black and Latino people with Appalachian roots have a deep connection to the area and their rich history should be studied and appreciated. People like Ms. Miller, who are connected to the region’s history, are helping in this effort, they said.
“You get stories about mining or you hear about good race relations here because there weren’t many black people here, but those stories are twisted,” said Dr. El-Amin of West Virginia University. “Black people have always been in the region. From slavery upwards.”
The fund Ms. Miller heads supports all Appalachians regardless of race, gender, sexuality or other identities, but under her leadership, which began in 2011, minority Appalachians say they have felt more involved. For them, just seeing a black woman committed to the growth and development of the area is a comfort and a source of encouragement.
Richard Graves, an artist in Abingdon, Virginia, who received $5,000 from the community fund fellowship program in 2021, said the money allowed him to find stability during his first year working full-time as an artist. The foundation donated a total of $80,000 to guys like Mr. Graves. But even more valuable than the financial support, he said, was the community support that came with participating in the fund’s network.
“Because of how divided and pocketed these rural communities are, it can be difficult to do community work together,” he said. “It gave me faces and names of people all over the region. We met every two weeks on Zoom and keep in touch.”
Strengthening community and bringing people together is one of Ms. Miller’s strongest qualities, according to several organizers and beneficiaries of the organization’s fund.
