Affrilachia: A Homegrown Identify

Affrilachia is more than a word.

It is a doorway into a fuller, truer picture of the Appalachian region—one that makes room for the Black families, artists, workers, and storytellers who have always been part of its hills and hollers. The term was coined in 1991 by Kentucky poet Frank X Walker, who wanted language that reflected the world he knew: a world where Black Appalachian life was not an exception, but a vibrant and essential thread in the fabric of the mountains.

Walker began using the word in the 1990s, at a time when Appalachia was often described in narrow, one‑dimensional ways. He understood how powerful it could be to name a community that had long been present but rarely acknowledged. By giving that community a name, he helped give it visibility, dignity, and a place to gather. His work did not stop with the word itself. He co‑founded the Affrilachian Poets, a collective of writers who have spent decades lifting up stories that might otherwise be overlooked. Through their poems, essays, and performances, they have shown that Appalachia is not a single story but a chorus.

Affrilachia invites us to see the region with clearer eyes. It reminds us that Black people have shaped Appalachian culture in ways both quiet and profound—from foodways and music to labor movements and local traditions. It also reminds us that identity is not fixed to one image or stereotype. It grows from lived experience, from memory, from the land, and from the communities that nurture us.

There is something deeply human about the way Affrilachia expands the map of who belongs. It makes space for people who have often been told they are outside the frame. It offers a sense of home to those who have always been here but rarely seen themselves reflected in the stories told about the mountains. And it encourages all of us to think about how language can open doors that history once tried to close.

Frank X Walker’s vision continues to ripple outward. Each time someone speaks the word Affrilachia, they help widen the circle. They help honor the fullness of a region that has never been singular. They help keep alive a truth that is both simple and profound: Appalachia has always been a place of many peoples, many cultures, and many ways of being.

Affrilachia is a reminder that naming can be an act of care. It can be a way of saying, “You are part of this story, too.”

Explore Affrilachian Poetry and Performances

Frank X Walker’s signature poem Kentucke, “where some of the Bluegrass is Black.” Watch Coal Black Voices at vimeo.com/62904238.

Learn about the Affrilachian Poets Collective, their history, and read poems by members like Frank X. Walker, Nikky Finney, and Kelly Norman Ellis at www.poetryfoundation.org/collections/145134/affrilachian-poets.

Affrilachian Poets Collective Reading at the Academy of American Poets: Attend or watch readings featuring Affrilachian poets. Events are often free and open to the public. Go to poets.org/events

University of Kentucky Events and Resources: The University of Kentucky, where Frank X. Walker teaches, hosts events and provides resources related to Affrilachian poetry and culture. Go to cas.uky.edu/english

These resources offer a rich way to read, listen to, and experience the vibrant voices of the Affrilachian Poets.