Did You Know MLK Had Deep Roots in Appalachia?

When we think of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we usually picture the buses in Montgomery, the marches in Selma, or the monuments in D.C. But if you look closer at the map of his life and legacy, you’ll find some incredible, and often overlooked, footprints right here in the Appalachian Mountains.

Dr. King saw Appalachia as a partner in the soul of the movement. Here’s a look at how he shaped our region and how our region, in turn, helped shape him.

1. A Classroom in the Tennessee Mountains

Long before he was a household name, a young Dr. King spent time at the Highlander Folk School in Monteagle, Tennessee. At the time, Highlander was a rare "oasis" in the South. A place where Black and white people could sit at the same table, share a meal, and plan for a better future. It was there that he sharpened his strategies for nonviolent protest.

In a way, the Appalachian spirit of grassroots organizing provided the "classroom" for some of the most famous moments in Civil Rights history!

2. The "Common Ground" Connection

One of the most powerful things Dr. King did for Appalachia was change the conversation about poverty. In the late 1960s, he launched the Poor People’s Campaign, and he made a point to include the white families living in the hollows of West Virginia and Kentucky.

He famously argued that a hungry child in the Appalachian coalfields and a hungry child in the Mississippi Delta were brothers in the same struggle.

By refusing to let race divide people who shared the same economic hardships, he gave the region a powerful new way to fight for dignity.

He taught us that we are much stronger when we stand together than when we let "divide and conquer" politics keep us apart.

3. Bringing the Message Home

Dr. King wasn't a stranger to our cities, either. Whether he was speaking at a church in Charleston, West Virginia, or holding retreats in the quiet woods of Western North Carolina, he brought a message of hope directly to the mountains.

He often spoke about the "Other America", the one that had been left behind by progress, and he challenged the country to realize that the American Dream wasn't complete until it reached every mountain holler and every city block.

His Influence Still Shines Bright

Today, you can still see his influence in our local labor unions, our community organizers, and the way neighbors help neighbors regardless of their background. He helped us see that our struggle for a fair wage, clean water, and good schools is part of a much bigger, beautiful story of justice.

Next time you’re driving through the winding roads of the Blue Ridge or the Alleghenies, remember: Dr. King saw something special in these hills. He saw a community that had the power to help change the world.