Best Changing The Narrative Of Appalachia Podcasts (2025)

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The Southern town that sparked a BMX revival 26:45

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3d ago26:45

26:45

Greenville, NC is an unlikely hotspot for an extreme sport like BMX freestyle. Tucked away in eastern North Carolina, it's surrounded by farmland and doesn’t even crack a list of the top ten biggest cities in the state. But at one point, it was home to more professional freestyle bike riders than anywhere else on the planet. Led by Dave Mirra, one …

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How beach music taught Southerners to 'dance sexy' 27:49

7d ago27:49

27:49

A type of music known as beach music has been baked into the culture of the Carolina coast for generations, along with a specific type of dancing that goes with it: shag. But how did these smooth, soulful sounds become tied to the sandy shores of North and South Carolina? The answer is a little more complicated and transgressive than you might expe…

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Where the Devil is in the dirt 18:10

14d ago18:10

18:10

Embedded within a North Carolina forest is something eerie – an empty, desolate circle where absolutely nothing grows. It’s known as the Devil’s Tramping Ground, where legend has it the Devil himself walks around the circle plotting his evil deeds against the world. The spot has attracted brave campers, paranormal investigators, and curious people …

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Changing the narrative on Native nations 27:19

24d ago27:19

27:19

In her Pulitzer prize-winning book on Native people in North America, historian Kathleen DuVal challenges the way non-native people often regard Native America. From the bustling cities that covered the continent a thousand years ago, to the strong connection Indigenous people maintain to their homelands today, the story of Native nations is so muc…

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The mill and the man who changed the world 22:44

1M ago22:44

22:44

The turn of the 20th century was defined by earth-shattering advances in technology. Inventors were like rock stars. But for every household name like Alexander Graham Bell or the Wright Brothers, there were countless innovators whose contributions have been lost to time, including a brilliant engineer from North Carolina named Stuart Cramer. Like …

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The Western Theater - Appalachia in the American Revolution 6:14

1M ago6:14

6:14

The American Revolution wasn’t just fought on famous battlefields — it reached deep into the Appalachian frontier. 🏔️⚔️ Discover how rugged settlers, Native nations, and hidden militias shaped the fight for independence in one of the wildest regions of early America. An overview of The Western Theater in the American Revolution. #americanrevolution…

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The other Declaration of Independence 18:16

1M ago18:16

18:16

July 4th, 1776 is arguably the most important date in American history. That's when citizens of the colonies declared total independence from Great Britain for the very first time. But what if it wasn’t the first? This week, we travel down the rabbit hole of North Carolina’s Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence and entertain a couple of shocking…

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Appalachia’s crypto boom and bust 23:35

2M ago23:35

23:35

Enticed by cheap energy and friendly zoning laws, crypto mining operations poured into Appalachia. But in many places, like Murphy, North Carolina, these incredibly invasive facilities quickly wore out their welcome. Now, communities across the region are trying to pull the plug on crypto, while grappling with a new challenge that presents many of …

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A return to Midway Plantation 18:21

2M ago18:21

18:21

Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people at the end of the Civil War. For many Black Americans, it’s a day of remembrance for their ancestors who fought and died for freedom. And while that can be a spiritual experience, the physical connection to a final resting place is often obstructed by poor record keeping and the neglect of…

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America's favorite bloodthirsty plant 21:05

2M ago21:05

21:05

The Venus flytrap is one of the most recognizable plants on the planet. Its strange and unique adaptations have made it a cultural icon and a favorite of plant collectors. But increasingly, there are worries about the health of its wild population. That's because the exotic plant only grows in a single place on the planet: a sliver of dirt in a sma…

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The hunt for a million dollar fish 19:34

2M ago19:34

19:34

Marlin fishing helps fuel a billion-dollar recreational saltwater fishing industry. Much of it is situated on the North Carolina coast, which also happens to be the site of one of the oldest and most celebrated fishing competitions in the world – the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament. It’s an event filled with high stakes drama, and it continues to g…

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Can we save the red wolf (again)? 19:42

2M ago19:42

19:42

Red wolves were declared extinct in the wild in 1980. A captive breeding program reintroduced the animal less than a decade later, but it's had mixed results. With fewer than 30 animals left in the wild, all located in an isolated corner of North Carolina, humans are once again attempting to bring the red wolf back from the brink of extinction. Thi…

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Pokémon is more than just a card game 18:59

3M ago18:59

18:59

The Pokémon universe includes wildly popular anime shows, films, video games, and plushies. But Pokémon’s competitive trading card game has a culture all its own. The competition is global. The business associated with it is lucrative and secretive. And both run through an unexpected place: North Carolina. Featuring: Storms Reback, freelance journa…

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The fight for free speech at public universities 18:52

3M ago18:52

18:52

For much of the past two years, the debate over campus free speech has been front and center in America. While protests and punishments at private universities have grabbed most of the headlines, public schools have been grappling with the issue as well. That includes the country’s oldest public university: the University of North Carolina at Chape…

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The mystery of the Big Hole 17:42

3M ago17:42

17:42

Tucked away in rural Chatham County, North Carolina there’s a giant concrete cube with a satellite dish on top of it. Built decades ago, the strange, windowless building is only the tip of an iceberg; below it is a massive bunker designed to withstand a nuclear holocaust. That secure site has become part of local lore and spawned countless conspira…

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The Kingdom of the Happy Land 20:51

3M ago20:51

20:51

In the late 1800s, dozens of utopian communities with radical beliefs and unusual forms of self-government sprung up throughout the United States. And perhaps the most remarkable one of them all, a group of free Black people who were led by a king and a queen, was nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Featuring: Dolen Perkins-Valdez, author of Happy…

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What exactly is a Southern home? 22:08

4M ago22:08

22:08

Last year, over half of all new homes in the US were built in the South. And if you drive through the suburban sprawl of growing Southern cities like Raleigh, North Carolina, you can see them. Sometimes it's the same home. Over and over and over again. In many locales, mass production and cookie-cutter design have made it feel like you could be any…

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Why cola became king (Revisited) 21:27

4M ago21:27

21:27

The South is the birthplace of all the big cola brands. Since the first Coca-Cola was poured in Atlanta in 1886, it's become an American icon. For many of us, these drinks are part of key childhood memories. But whether we're loyal to Coke, Pepsi, or something else, we don't drink as much soda as we used to. So why do we care so much about these br…

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The wild world of Civil War reenactment 27:54

4M ago27:54

27:54

There are dozens of major Civil War reenactments across the United States each year. They're incredible spectacles filled with cannons, muskets and marching orders. But the most interesting part of it all might just be the people who put on the show. We visited the 160th Anniversary of the Battle of Bentonville in rural eastern North Carolina to fi…

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Everyone hates the DMV 19:50

4M ago19:50

19:50

For years, the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles has been plagued by long wait times and poor service. It’s a major problem in one of America’s fastest-growing states. And in the age of DOGE and government efficiency, it's generating talk of some dramatic solutions. Featuring: Bradley George, reporter at WUNC Larry Higgs, transportation a…

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The modern Graveyard of the Atlantic 17:31

5M ago17:31

17:31

The waters surrounding North Carolina’s Outer Banks are so treacherous that they’re known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic. They’ve claimed everything from Blackbeard’s pirate ship to German U-boats. And that dark legacy continues today. Oregon Inlet, a narrow gap near Roanoke Island, is one of the deadliest waterways in the United States. But it’s…

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Quarterback of the rising sun 20:59

5M ago20:59

20:59

If you want to understand America, going to a college football game is a great place to start. In a lot of ways, the culture and history of the sport is a mirror held up to the country itself. But some folks -- especially Asian Americans -- haven’t seen themselves in that reflection until recently. Or so we thought. Because an incredible discovery …

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Public schools’ big enrollment problem 20:55

5M ago20:55

20:55

Nearly every public school district in North Carolina has fewer students than before the pandemic: part of a larger trend happening across the country. Facing empty classrooms and dwindling dollars, many public school leaders are trying to figure out where all the kids went and what declining public school enrollment could mean for the communities …

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The fight over fluoride 20:14

5M ago20:14

20:14

For decades, public health advocates have touted the dental health benefits of fluoride. But skepticism, conspiracy theories, and outright fear of fluoridated water have been around for just about as long. And they’re only gaining steam. In the midst of this heated debate, new scientific studies in North Carolina are combating health misinformation…

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Apalachin Meeting - The Mafia in Appalachia 4:17

5M ago4:17

4:17

The Appalachin meeting was a secret gathering of American Mafia leaders in 1957 to discuss illegal operations. The meeting took place at the home of mobster Joseph "Joe the Barber" Barbara in Apalachin, New York. Join us as we discuss how this meeting changed the Mafia in America forever. Are you related or connect to any of these mobsters? Find ou…

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The road to rebuilding after Helene 19:15

5M ago19:15

19:15

Hurricane Helene wiped out hundreds of roadways in western North Carolina. Now engineers are working to fill the holes the storm left behind. But how do you rebuild a road that’s meant to last in a climate that’s changing quicker than we can keep up? Featuring: Nathan Moneyham, Division Construction Engineer for North Carolina Department of Transpo…

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Hell froze over: Southern hockey is thriving 20:23

6M ago20:23

20:23

In the 1990s, professional ice hockey was primed for growth. But the NHL had one major problem: geography. In order to expand its footprint, the sport had to move into unlikely warm weather locations with few existing fans. The league eventually expanded to the Sun Belt with mixed early results. But in North Carolina and other Southern states, the …

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The hunt for a long-lost musical masterpiece (Revisited) 21:58

6M ago21:58

21:58

To celebrate Black History Month, we're revisiting one of our favorite episodes from last year. Perhaps more than any other artform, the 20th century was shaped by jazz. And piano player and composer Mary Lou Williams was there at nearly every turn. In recent years, historians have documented and dissected her career and its big impact on American …

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Who gets to be Native in America 21:25

6M ago21:25

21:25

North Carolina’s Lumbee Tribe have been pursuing full federal recognition for over 130 years. A campaign promise kept by Donald Trump has given them hope. But it’s also renewed centuries-old questions about who gets to be Native in America. Featuring: Sarah Nagem, editor of the Border Belt Independent John Lowery, Lumbee Tribal Chairman Carrie Lowr…

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Election season is over… right? 19:29

6M ago19:29

19:29

Election Day was nearly three months ago. Since then, every race in the country has been called and certified. Except for one. A single election for a seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court remains in limbo, and its outcome might have huge ramifications for American democracy. Featuring: Rusty Jacobs, Voting and Election Integrity reporter for WU…

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How North Carolina became Japan's favorite state 21:41

7M ago21:41

21:41

North Carolina has been cultivating a special relationship with Japan for more than four decades… and the rewards for the American economy are only accelerating. This week, we find out how tax incentives, BBQ, and Bojangles helped make the Tar Heel State the epicenter of Japanese investment in the US. Featuring: Teruhiro "Terry" Kawabe, President a…

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Segregation academies and a forgotten migration 22:42

7M ago22:42

22:42

Throughout the South, state legislatures are adopting and expanding school voucher programs designed to allow parents to use public funds to pay for private school tuition. But this modern day push for school choice is connected to a dark past that recalls America’s long and sometimes forgotten history of resisting integration in the classroom. Fea…

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The gambling gold rush is here 23:28

7M ago23:28

23:28

In 2018, the US Supreme Court ruled that states could legalize sports gambling. Since then, 38 states have taken the plunge, including our home state of North Carolina. The payoff has been lucrative. But it also has a human toll. Featuring: Jason deBruyn, Supervising Editor for Digital News at WUNC Jason Quick, Senior Writer at The Athletic Links: …

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That time we almost destroyed the world 18:17

7M ago18:17

18:17

On a chilly evening in 1961, a B-52 crashed in rural eastern North Carolina near the town of Goldsboro. Any plane crash is bad, but this one was particularly dangerous because onboard that bomber were two nuclear weapons. The event was perhaps the closest the United States has ever come to accidentally detonating a nuclear bomb—and kicking off a nu…

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The ballad and the flood 39:46

8M ago39:46

39:46

This week, we visit the small town of Marshall in western North Carolina, a region ravaged by Hurricane Helene earlier this year. But this story isn’t about the storm or climate change or the walls of water that rushed through the Black Mountains in September. It’s about what happened after. How people create systems to help each other. And how the…

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Deck your halls with Rauch balls 24:40

8M ago24:40

24:40

In this special holiday episode, we meet the Jewish man from Gastonia, North Carolina who became the world's largest manufacturer of Christmas ornaments and used his power to make his home more tolerant of all religions. This episode comes to us from Jeremy Markovich. Jeremy is the creator of a newsletter and podcast called the North Carolina Rabbi…

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Tony Hawk and the skateboard rabbit hole 18:58

8M ago18:58

18:58

On a rainy day in 1979, a photograph was taken of a young girl skateboarding down a street in Fayetteville, North Carolina. 45 years later, that photo went viral with a little help from the most famous skater who ever lived: Tony Hawk. This week, we find out who the mystery girl in the picture was and why the snapshot was so ahead of its time. Feat…

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Can we save Christmas (trees)? 20:00

8M ago20:00

20:00

From the White House to your living room, North Carolina’s iconic Fraser fir is the most popular Christmas tree in America. But this holiday season, something is threatening to wipe it out — and the $250 million dollar industry associated with it. Special thanks this week goes out to Kate Sheppard of The Assembly. Featuring: Steve Riley, contributo…

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The mystery of the Brown Mountain lights 17:15

9M ago17:15

17:15

For more than a century, people near Brown Mountain have witnessed unusual displays of shimmering and sometimes even exploding lights. A skeptical scientist has spent years trying to solve the mystery. This week, we’re heading to the mountains of western North Carolina for an episode produced by Atlas Obscura in partnership with Visit North Carolin…

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Storytelling's surprising digital age revival 18:22

9M ago18:22

18:22

Trading stories is an ancient and deeply human experience. But today, most of the stories we consume come to us through a digital screen. So it might surprise you to find out that we're in the midst of a revival of the old school style of storytelling. Turns out, sitting in a crowded room with other people, sharing funny and tragic and unbelievable…

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The world's biggest video game is from North Carolina 20:55

9M ago20:55

20:55

Fortnite was an unlikely hit from an unlikely place: North Carolina-based Epic Games. Innovative game design and smart leveraging of social media and live streaming catapulted it into becoming one of the world's biggest video games. And today, Fortnite is a bona fide cultural phenomenon. But can the memes and viral dance moves go on forever? Featur…

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A Day in the Life: The artist 21:04

9M ago21:04

21:04

This week we're launching a new kind of episode where we spend an ordinary day in the life of someone doing something extraordinary. Join us as we tag along with renowned North Carolina-based muralist Dare Coulter while she works to bring a very big and very public artistic vision to life. Featuring: Dare Coulter, professional artist and muralist L…

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More than Moonshine: Join the table of Appalachian Ancestors 1:01:55

9M ago1:01:55

1:01:55

Uncover your family's history through the flavors of Appalachia. Combining centuries of Appalachian cuisine with the compelling stories of the people who created it. Discover the stories behind mountain-grown ingredients to cherished family recipes, that showcase their ancestry and culture, passed down through generations. From the mountains to the…

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Explore Your #Appalachian #Heritage & #Culture with Foods 7:40

9M ago7:40

7:40

Explore your Appalachian History and Genealogy through food. Food and culture go hand in hand. We discuss the ways to track your heritage through your family's recipes. From the mountains to the kitchen table, discover the profound connection between food, family, and the culture of Appalachians.By Changing the Narrative of Appalachia

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The weirdest and wildest political stories 21:20

9M ago21:20

21:20

It’s Election Week in America–and if you’re like us, you’re probably a little burned out with politics. So we’re offering up something different. This week, we ask three veteran political reporters a single question: what’s the most bizarre story you've ever covered? Featuring: Barry Yeoman, freelance writer and contributor at The Assembly Jim Morr…

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Why it's so hard to find a good couch 22:00

10M ago22:00

22:00

Known as the "Furniture Capital of the World," North Carolina is famous for its high-quality furniture. And for over a century, it's been the heartbeat of the American furniture industry. But in recent decades, that business has changed dramatically, decimating the workforce and leaving average American consumers with two less-than-ideal options: h…

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Bonus episode: Let's go to the fair! 5:16

10M ago5:16

5:16

The North Carolina State Fair is one of the largest and oldest state fairs in the United States, drawing nearly a million people each year. And it's in full swing right now. We went yesterday and brought you back some funnel cake. Donate: The Broadside is made possible by contributions from listeners like you. Support WUNC-North Carolina Public Rad…

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Is it becoming too hot to work? 20:36

10M ago20:36

20:36

The South is seeing the effects of a warming climate. 2024 was the hottest summer on record for much of the region. For people who work outside, it’s making jobs more difficult, dangerous... and even deadly. This week, we chat with two journalists from WUNC-North Carolina Public Radio about their multi-part series Scorched Workers, which examines t…

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Hurricanes, helicopters and how we help 22:43

10M ago22:43

22:43

Hurricane Helene ravaged the Southeast and brought unprecedented flooding to the mountains of western North Carolina. Helene is a devastating example of climate change’s impact on places like Appalachia, a region that poses unique challenges for relief and recovery. Featuring: Jay Price, Military Reporter at WUNC and The American Homefront Project …

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The art and alarming science of political ads 23:40

10M ago23:40

23:40

This year, a record $12.3 billion will be spent on US political campaigns. The majority of that is earmarked for political advertising, particularly in battleground states like North Carolina. But where does that money go, and what exactly does it buy? The answers might surprise and alarm you. Featuring: Colin Campbell, Capitol Bureau Chief at Nort…