Toward Racial Justice and Recognition in Southeastern Kentucky: 100 Years After of the Forced Removal of African Americans from Corbin

100 years after African Americans were expelled from the small railroad town of Corbin, Kentucky, residents are still grappling with how to address Corbin’s exclusionary past and ongoing reputation. This presentation gives a preliminary report on current work in the town to acknowledge and commemorate the 1919 event and move toward racial justice in the community. Seeking to lift up the experiences and voices of African Americans in the tri-county area, this project engages with the complicated work of place-based racial justice initiatives in the coalfields. This presentation explores several questions including: What happened in Corbin in October 1919? What can be done to commemorate the event and address racial issues in the community? What conversations are currently occurring? What are the larger implications for community development and racial justice organizing in Appalachia? 

Sponsored by the Department of Community & Leadership Development