We are honored to invite you to Williams Chapel AME Zion Church for the Appalachian Legacy Story Walk: A Day to Remember—a heartfelt celebration of the enduring legacy and vital contributions of African American churches and communities across Appalachia. This event, part of Appalshop’s ongoing commitment to cultural preservation and community storytelling, shines a light on the powerful roles Black Appalachians have played in shaping the region’s history—past and present.
The Appalachian Legacy Story Walk serves as a decentralized community museum and living archive, uplifting the voices and stories that too often go unheard. Each story in the installation was lovingly written by Reverend Sandra L. Jones, whose research and dedication have been instrumental in preserving and honoring the history of African American life in our region.
In addition to sharing the histories collected by Reverend Jones, we will also be collecting your stories as a way to preserve history and culture, and to display the ways social interactions of Black Church congregations integrate with and contribute to a whole Appalachian culture.
With the support of local partners such as Williams Chapel AME Zion Church of Big Stone Gap, VA, and the Wise County Community Remembrance Project, and the coordination by Joshua Outsey, Appalshop's Community Archive Coordinator, we come together not only to reflect on difficult chapters of the past, but also to celebrate the joy, resilience, and achievements of Black Appalachian communities.
