African Americans have had a profound impact on the economy, culture, and social landscape of southern Appalachia but only after a surge of study in the last two decades have their contributions been recognized by white culture. Appalachians and Race brings together 18 essays on the black experience in the mountain South in the nineteenth century. These essays provide a broad and diverse sampling of the best work on race relations in this region. The contributors consider a variety of topics: black migration into and out of the region, educational and religious missions directed at African Americans, the musical influences of interracial contacts, the political activism of blacks during reconstruction and beyond, the racial attitudes of white highlanders, and much more. Drawing from the particulars of southern mountain experiences, this collection brings together important studies of the dynamics of race not only within the region, but throughout the South and the nation over the course of the turbulent nineteenth century.

An important anthology. - Choice; ""To read this book is to see the southern mountains in a new way, as a place shared by white people and black people. This collection, with a fine introduction and first-rate essays, shows us a history of Appalachia that is sobering, heartening, and surprising."" - Edward L. Ayers, author of in the Presence of Mine Enemies; ""Inscoe has done a great service to Appalachian studies by pulling together under one cover such a balanced and well-integrated collection."" - Journal of Appalachian Studies; ""Valuable both for specialists studying Appalachia, the South, or race relations who need a handy survey of top recent work and also to anyone who wants a compact introduction to a wide range of excellent scholarship."" - Virginia Magazine

John C. Inscoe, professor of history at the University of Georgia, is the author or editor of several books, including The Heart of Confederate Appalachia, coauthored with Gordon B. McKinney.