As a followup to my last post on legal deserts in Pennsylvania, I also filmed the above workshop on fascism and anti fascism in Appalachia. I filmed it at the 48th annual Appalachian Studies Association conference at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, TN. It was convened by Amelia Kirby, of the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky. The panel members were Judah Schept of Eastern Kentucky University, Jack Norton of Governors State University, and Angie Luvava of Frostburg State University.
The focus of the panel was on the role of the prison system in Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee. The prisons were built to replace jobs that were lost due to many coal mining jobs being lost. Inside the prisons there is an industrial complex that is increasingly self sufficient. The prison industrial complex also includes local, state, and national law enforcement.
I pointed out in the Q and A phase of the session that prisons often serve as recruiting grounds for hate groups like the Aryan brotherhood. Norton responded by stating that his research focus was on how the prisons were involved in dismantling other anti fascist social institutions. The prison industrial complex is integral to fascism and anti fascism in Appalachia.
Currently, there are 16 traditional state prisons in Pennsylvania. Twelve of these are located in the Alleghenies. There are 19 correctional industry facilities in Pennsylvania. Ten of these are located in the Alleghenies.
Vendor Profiles
I was unable to capture all of the spirit of the conference. It had more than 700 attendees. Above is a video survey of the vendors at the conference. It gives a good overview of the variety of attendees. They include book publishers, academics, writers, musicians, and environmental and labor activists.
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