The conference is expected to be the largest in the association’s history, featuring a record number of sessions and participants. Programming will include academic presentations, panel discussions, workshops and community-focused events, along with excursions across campus, throughout Huntington and the surrounding Tri-State region.
The conference’s opening reception will be held Thursday, March 19, from 4 to 5 p.m., followed by the opening ceremony from 5 to 7 p.m. in Marshall’s Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center.
“This conference brings together scholars, teachers, students, community members, and regional activists who believe that shared community continues to be important to those writing, researching, and teaching about Appalachia,” said Dr. Cicero M. Fain III, conference chair and assistant provost of access and opportunity at Marshall.
A highlight of the conference will be the keynote address, “Been to the Mountaintop,” delivered by Lynch, Kentucky native William H. Turner. The keynote, which is free and open to the public, will take place Friday, March 20, from 6:45 to 8:15 p.m. in the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center. A book signing for Turner’s book, “The Harlan Renaissance: Stories of Black Life in Appalachian Coal Towns,” will follow.
Conference events will take place at multiple venues on Marshall’s campus as well as locations throughout Huntington, offering attendees opportunities to engage directly with the region’s history, communities and cultural institutions. To view detailed information and venue locations, click here.
Registration is still open. For more information or to register, click here.