Heroes
Are You Sick Of Ass-Backward Hillbillies? Check Out Some Ass-Forward Ones.
Growing up in West Virginia, I got a lot of comments about whether I wear shoes or have all my teeth. When I went to school out of state, I actually had a professor ask me if "folks back home" felt like I had "outgrown [my] raisin'" by going to college. Since the 1800s, the rest of the world has painted a picture of Appalachians as uneducated and unsophisticated. I love seeing people from my home state speaking for themselves and sharing a vision that is very smart and future-focused.Around three minutes in, you'll see them taking their skills from the coal field into the sky. At 4:40, the man with the plan explains how his very Silicon Valley concept fits into the heart of coal country. At 8:00, they challenge you to work with your own neighbors — be they red, blue, or purple — because the only way we'll get through the next century is by working together.
06.27.14