Appalachian author and scholar William H. Turner to speak at Union College

Rachel Dorroh • January 29, 2024
Dr. William H. Turner.

Acclaimed author and scholar Dr. William H. Turner will speak at Union College in Barbourville, Kentucky on Wednesday, February 7. The talk, titled “The Appalachian Origins of the Modern Civil Rights Movement," will be held at 7 p.m. in Conway Boatman Chapel and is open to the public, free of charge.


From the coal town of Lynch, Kentucky in Harlan County, Turner is best-known for his innovative research on African American communities in Appalachia. He has received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, most recently for his book “The Harlan Renaissance: Stories of Black Life in Appalachian Coal Towns,” published in 2021 by West Virginia University Press.


In recognition of the book’s significant contributions to Kentucky history, “Harlan Renaissance” won the 2023 Kentucky Historical Society Governor’s Award. The book also received the 2021 Weatherford Award for Non-Fiction from the Appalachian Studies Association and Berea College.


Western Carolina University honored Turner with the 2021 Individual Mountain Heritage Award, noting that he was “one of the first to combine African American studies and Appalachian studies, ultimately reshaping both fields.” That same year, he was inducted into the College of Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame at the University of Kentucky (UK), where he had completed his bachelor’s in sociology in 1968.

Turner’s other career highlights include co-editing the groundbreaking textbook “Blacks in Appalachia” as well as serving as research associate to “Roots” author Alex Haley from 1979 to 1991. Haley said of Turner, “Bill knows more about black people in the mountains of the South than anyone in the world.”

 

During his academic career, Turner served as Research Scientist Leader at the Prairie View A&M University College of Agriculture and Human Sciences, Dean of Arts and Sciences and Interim President at Kentucky State University, Vice President for Multicultural Affairs at the University of Kentucky, and Distinguished Professor of Appalachian Studies and Regional Ambassador at Berea College. He holds a Ph.D. in Sociology & Anthropology from Notre Dame University as well as an Honorary Doctorate from the University of North Carolina Asheville.

 

In addition to his work as a writer, editor, and public speaker, Turner offers consultation services for leaders aiming to increase diversity and inclusion in their organizations and businesses. His clients have included the Appalachian Regional Commission, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The Salvation Army, Sara Lee Corporation, Winston-Salem Foundation and the Catholic Committee of Appalachia. 

 

To learn more about Dr. William H. Turner, see William H. Turner, PhD (whturnerphd.com).

 

For questions about the event on February 7, contact David Powell at dpowell@unionky.edu.

Book Cover: William H. Turner-The Harlan Renaissance-Stories of Black Life in Appalachian Coal Towns.

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