Accidental Tomatoes

Live from the 2025 Wild Goose Festival, we kick off Season 6 as Joe sits down with Rev. Brad Davis of From Below: Rising Together for Coalfield Justice to ask the question "How is it with your soul?" in regards to the work of justice in one of the poorest regions of the country. (Special thanks to our friend Charles Bretan of A Jew and a Gentile Walk Into a Bar...Mitzvah for producing this episode!)

“Spilling the Black Girl Tea: Unfiltered Stories from the Heart of Appalachia” is a multimedia project built on the fundamental belief that the people who are the least heard have the most important things to say.

The storytellers in the project are Black girls and women who call West Virginia home — part of a vibrant but often overlooked group that comprises less than 2.5% of the entire Mountain State’s population.

Their stories are those of the challenges and joys of Black identity. In the series, seventeen Black girls and women, ranging in ages from 16 to 80, candidly share their experiences in intimate conversations. The participants are students, community leaders, educators, advocates, activists and entrepreneurs who are talking about what matters to them most.

Part 4: Spaces and Places

Four Black women creatives from West Virginia share their experiences of using art as a powerful tool for self-expression and identity exploration.

In a conversation facilitated by Royce Lyden, they delve into the challenges they experience as straight and queer folx navigating both the Black community and predominantly white spaces. In the face of pressure to conform to competing societal expectations for Black women, they highlight the importance of safe spaces, setting boundaries, and the need for self care.

Participants: Tiara Brown, Ilene Evans, Kasha Snyder McDonald, Oceanna Smith

Guest Host: Royce Lyden

 

Episode videos and more: https://wvfaith.org/spilling-the-black-girl-tea/

 

“Spilling the Black Girl Tea: Unfiltered Stories from the Heart of Appalachia” is a multimedia project built on the fundamental belief that the people who are the least heard have the most important things to say.

The storytellers in the project are Black girls and women who call West Virginia home — part of a vibrant but often overlooked group that comprises less than 2.5% of the entire Mountain State’s population.

Their stories are those of the challenges and joys of Black identity. In the series, seventeen Black girls and women, ranging in ages from 16 to 80, candidly share their experiences in intimate conversations. The participants are students, community leaders, educators, advocates, activists and entrepreneurs who are talking about what matters to them most.

Part 3: Health and Healers
West Virginia journalist and Black by God founder Crystal Good facilitates a conversation among three women about healing practices and mental health in Black Appalachian communities.

Together they explore the places from which healing originates, the liberation inherent in art and creativity, the unique mental health challenges faced by Black women, and the significance of food in community gatherings and healing practices. To everyone’s delight, there’s even a spontaneous ode to the air fryer.

Participants: Dr. Octavia Cordon, Dr. Shanequa Smith, A. Toni Young

Guest Host: Royce Lyden

 

Episode videos and more: https://wvfaith.org/spilling-the-black-girl-tea/ 

 

“Spilling the Black Girl Tea: Unfiltered Stories from the Heart of Appalachia” is a multimedia project built on the fundamental belief that the people who are the least heard have the most important things to say.

The storytellers in the project are Black girls and women who call West Virginia home — part of a vibrant but often overlooked group that comprises less than 2.5% of the entire Mountain State’s population.

Their stories are those of the challenges and joys of Black identity. In the series, seventeen Black girls and women, ranging in ages from 16 to 80, candidly share their experiences in intimate conversations. The participants are students, community leaders, educators, advocates, activists and entrepreneurs who are talking about what matters to them most.

Part 2: Girls and Curls

With a focus on hair, beauty, makeup, and style, four students from 16 to 25 years old explore the experiences of Black women and girls in schools and society. Jennifer Wells facilitates a conversation highlighting the importance of holding space for young black girls and women and acknowledging the impact of comments and judgments on their self-esteem and style choices. They share with one another personal stories about styling Black hair, the influence of societal beauty norms, and the challenges they’ve faced, such as colorism, bullying, and discrimination against natural hair.

 

Participants: Jaidyn Carter, Camryn Pressley, Freda Reaves, Myya Williams

Guest Host: Royce Lyden

 

Episode videos and more: https://wvfaith.org/spilling-the-black-girl-tea/ 

“Spilling the Black Girl Tea: Unfiltered Stories from the Heart of Appalachia” is a multimedia project built on the fundamental belief that the people who are the least heard have the most important things to say.

The storytellers in the project are Black girls and women who call West Virginia home — part of a vibrant but often overlooked group that comprises less than 2.5% of the entire Mountain State’s population.

Their stories are those of the challenges and joys of Black identity. In the series, seventeen Black girls and women, ranging in ages from 16 to 80, candidly share their experiences in intimate conversations. The participants are students, community leaders, educators, advocates, activists and entrepreneurs who are talking about what matters to them most.

Part 1: Learning and Leading

In a conversation facilitated by Anitra Hamilton, two educators explore their personal stories of growing up in different cities, confronting racism and segregation, and the profound impact that community support and Black teachers had on their lives.

Together these three women of different generations share their journeys navigating the education system and rising to leadership positions, highlighting the significance of Black sororities, the values of sisterhood and service, and the enduring importance of collective action in the fight for social justice and equality.

Participants: Dr. Amena Anderson, Dr. Florita Montgomery

Guest Host: Royce Lyden

 

Episode videos and more: https://wvfaith.org/spilling-the-black-girl-tea/ 

Joe talks with Brad Davis and Josh Scott about how colonialist interpretations of the Bible have helped contribute to the social, economic, political, and spiritual exploitation of Central Appalachia, including the WV water crisis, at the 2024 Wild Goose Festival. (Our apologies for the extra bit of background noise...this episode was recorded live in an open area without studio controls.)

Learn more about From Below here --> https://www.facebook.com/groups/629075958675198

Check out Josh Scott's work here --> https://www.joshscott.online/

 

Fresh off the 2024 Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church in West Virginia, Heather and Joe take a look at two resolutions that signal a renewed focus on social justice for the denomination in the Mountain State and beyond.

Show links:
Hope for McDowell: https://hopeinthemountains.com/donate/ (please specify “Hope for McDowell” on the donation page)

From Below: Rising Together for Coalfield Justice: https://www.facebook.com/groups/629075958675198
[Cover image courtesy of From Below: Rising Together for Coalfield Justice]

In one of the historically poorest communities in America, thousands of people are going without clean tap water in their homes. And while cities like Flint, MI, and Jackson, MS, deservedly grab national headlines for their water issues, the Southern West Virginia Coalfields are now decades into a water crisis with few answers on the horizon. In this episode, Brad Davis and Caitlin Ware join Heather and Joe to talk about the West Virginia water crisis, the complex issues surrounding it, and the ways coalfield communities are banding together to create contextual solutions where government and industry have failed. They also talk about the role of faith communities in helping to organize local residents and support local problem-solving efforts. If you’d like to get involved, below are links to some of the coalitions and organizations mentioned in the podcast:

From Below Coalition: https://www.facebook.com/groups/629075958675198

WVUMC Clean Water Initiative: https://www.wvumc.org/clean-water-in-southern-district/

WV Faith Collective: https://wvfaith.org/

WV Water Distribution: https://gofund.me/f55125a7

 

We don't often think about tourism as a justice issue, but the displacement of families and communities to provide a more favorable user experience in tourist locations is a very real concern in places like Appalachia, where connection to the land runs deep and where infrastructure to support a tourist economy lags significantly behind. In this episode, Heather and Joe sit down with Caitlin Ware, who discusses her recent article on our blog, "Curating the View: Tourism & Exploitation in Appalachia."

How is spiritual deconstruction like a lasagna? Is reconstruction a necessary result of deconstruction? Heather Moore and Joe Webb unpack these questions and more in Heather's debut as our new co-host!