Who's Involved
The Podcast
Dr. Enkeshi El-Amin
Host & Co-Producer
Dr. El-Amin is a researcher, cultural worker & lecturer at Agnes Scott College. She earned a PhD in Sociology at UT Knoxville. Her work explores the link between race, place and Black practices in defining contesting & re-imaginig of place.
Angela Dennis
Co-Host
An East Knoxville native, Angela Dennis is a journalist and literary activist. She is the Race, Equity, and Justice Reporter for the Knoxville News Sentinel and a member of the National Association of Black Journalists.
C. Lee Smith
Producer
With more than 25 years experience in public media & television production, Chris has written, edited, shot & produced programming for sports, news magazines, commercials & documentaries; PBS, FOX, ESPN, CBS, NBC and HGTV.
Fredrick Watkins
Editor
A native of Nashville, TN, Fredrick is passionate for creativity in all its forms. With MA degrees from TSU & Argosy University, He works with K-12 Youth, guides students through the college admissions process & cultivates opportunities through talent acquisition roles. His professional path reflects a commitment to education and empowerment.
Research, Education & Support
William Isom II
Operations
William Isom is a East Tennessee native & the director of Black in Appalachia. He coordinates the project's research, community data base development, documentary film & photography production, oral history collection and educational events with residents.
Alona Norwood
Community Achivist
A native of Elizabethton, Tennessee & graduate of Berea College. She received a Masters in Information Science at UNC Chapel Hill. Alona manages the digital community archive and is an expert in equitable community-based archival processes.
Misha Awad
GIS
Misha is a cartographer & environmentalist from the Shenandoah Valley of WV. Since attaining her bachelor' degree from Vassar College, Misha has focused on education, community development, & Afro-Asian relations in China & Japan. Her current work for Black in Appalachia documents migrations of Black & POC communities through Appalachia & beyond.
Kathleen Kelley
Historian & Artist
Kathleen received a Bachelor's in History at the University of Tennessee. She works with Black in Appalachia to chronicle African American families through Census data, narrative research and writing. She's also quite the artist!
Board of Directors
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Jaimie Bagwell, Chair, Knoxville, Tenn.
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Bill McCabe, Treasurer, Hancock County, Tenn.
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Catherine Wilson, Secretary, Knoxville, Tenn.
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Ron Carson, Pennington Gap, Va.
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Rev. Roger Mills, Whitesburg, Tenn.