Marian's Mountain Blog

Come See Appalachian Greens & their Appalachian flag

2009-01-31T10:59:00.008-05:00

Belated happy new year, everyone! Just a note to share a link for the APPALACHIAN GREENS blog. That flag over to the left is the App Greens' very cool Appalachian flag -- designed by Tennessee Jed. What a great design!We look forward to reading the AppGreens blog & hearing from them often.

Vote Green!

2008-10-04T14:41:00.004-04:00

Hi folks! It's October 2008 - already(!) and we're gearing up for the election on Tuesday, Nov. 4. We support the truly historic U.S. Green Party presidential campaign of Cynthia McKinney and Rosa Clemente, as well as other GP candidates, including Jesse Johnson who's running for governor of West Virginia. How about making a modest donation?

2005-08-15T00:03:00.001-04:00

Girl Dancer
Photo by Marian Douglas unless otherwise noted

2005-08-15T00:03:00.000-04:00

Girl Dancer
Photo by Marian Douglas unless otherwise noted

2005-08-15T00:02:00.000-04:00

Bird
Photo by Marian Douglas unless otherwise noted

2005-08-15T00:01:00.000-04:00

Pow Wow Dancers
Photo by Marian Douglas unless otherwise noted

2005-08-14T23:59:00.000-04:00

Pow Wow
Photo by Marian Douglas unless otherwise noted

Help Save Knoxville College

2005-06-05T07:00:00.000-04:00

I just found out East Tennessee's own Knoxville College could use some help. The best sources of info would be the college and the Presbyterian Church USA. Here is KC's link: Knoxville College. And this is from their website: "Knoxville College was founded in 1875 as part of the missionary effort of the United Presbyterian Church of North America to promote religious, moral, and educational leadership among the freed men and women." They mean Black Americans who had been enslaved up until just ten years earlier, so why don't they say it? "Its mission today is a direct outgrowth of the purpose of its founding. Knoxville College opened as a normal school for the training of teachers, but was designated a college in 1877 and Dr. John Schouller McCulloch, who had been a chaplain in the Civil War, was called as the College's first president. The school offered teacher training and full college courses in classics, science, and theology. There were classes in agriculture, industrial arts, and medicine (1895-1900). After the erection of its first building, McKee Hall (the Administration building) in 1876, students helped construct most of the other buildings on campus. Wallace Hall (1891) and McMillan Chapel (1913) were built with student labor. A former student, William Thomas Jones, designed McMillan Chapel. Most of the bricks for these buildings were made by students at the campus brick yard. In 1904, students made and used or sold one million bricks. The College also owned some timberland (give to the school by a former student) which was used for its lumber needs. Since there were so few blacks in the early days who were prepared for higher education, Knoxville College initially offered classes from first grade through college level. The elementary department was discontinued during the 1926-27 school year, and the high school, or academy was dropped in 1931. Between 1902 and 1912, the State of Tennessee contributed to the financial support of the College's agricultural, industrial, and mechanical departments. This arrangement lasted until the State established Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial ..." All of us who are willing have the ability to help Knoxville College survive.

"Blount Countians say racism must stop" - and I agree

2005-06-01T08:30:00.000-04:00

Found this thru the Appalachian Community Fund link which links to the Southern Empowerment Project. My Grandma Maude Gudger was born in Maryville in 1905; she later married a Nichols in Leavenworth, Kansas. On the SEP site - "Blount County Tennessee: Spring 2005: Racist Threats Against Black Students in Schools, Vandalism Against Hispanic Business, Other Incidents. BLOUNT COUNTIANS SAY ENOUGH - THE RACISM MUST STOP!" Check the Southern Empowerment Project.

B.A.M.A.: Sweet Home Alabama

2005-05-30T01:36:00.000-04:00

We know Alabama is a-ways from East TN and western NC but we're really liking Sweet Home Alabama by this group BAMA. We caught 'em on the Jeff Foxworthy special on Comedy Central. So check them: Vision Records- BAMA

Where the heck have I been? Two books on our Eastern Cherokee family, community roots

2005-05-16T09:35:00.000-04:00

Lately I've been writing at Marian's Blog (on typepad), and contributing to Johnson City Forum, also here on Blogger/Blogspot. I just got my copies of east Tennessee writer Vicki Rozema's Footsteps of the Cherokees: Guide to the Eastern Homelands of the Cherokee Nation, and her newest book, Cherokee Voices: Early Accounts of Cherokee Life in the East, both available from John F. Blair, Publisher, in Winston-Salem, NC. It's not a good thing for a region - western NC & East TN - to be so totally divorced from its roots and its history. Not to mention our true ethnic identity. Will I make it to the Tennessee family reunion in July? I'm going to do my best.

2005-04-01T12:40:00.000-05:00

African Union Ambassador Sophie Kalinde (on panel at right) "African Union and the African Diaspora" session during "Rebuilding Africa," Kensington/Chelsea Town Hall, London UK, 16 October 2004. M. Douglas
Photo by Marian Douglas unless otherwise noted

Next summer's family reunion in Johnson City

2005-04-01T11:25:00.000-05:00

Some of our kin are hosting a reunion in July in Johnson City. I hope to be there. I hope Anthony can make it in from Amsterdam. Cousin Mary Belle turns 89 in June; she says she might not care to travel from Maryland even though I told her I'd drive her and the trip is only about 6 hours. Break it into 3-4 hrs + the second leg 1-2 hrs. I was just thinking about all our historical family connections - Maryville, Knoxville, Asheville, up and down the valleys & hollers - walking through the mountains, Greeneville, Chuckey and elsewhere. I wonder how folks down home in east Tennessee will feel about this homecoming of these Black local natives and descendants of Black local natives. I don't totally believe Tennessee knows us anymore and not sure how much she cares. July will come up fast. [Cross-posted to Johnson City Forum group blog .]

Welcome to Marian's Mountain

2005-02-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

FYI, folks, my mountains are in Southern Appalachia - the Smokies of East Tennessee and the Blue Ridge of western North Carolina. They run side-by-side.

So welcome to my writing place that's mostly about my people, and our mountains. MD.