the real appalachia. @tricities_com #theappalachianproject #appalachianheritage

Two men on a mission to impart the stories of Appalachia. "They want to tell the stories of the Appalachia they know — not the impoverished, drug addiction-centered stories that make national media."

"The Appalachian Project is the brainchild of Shane Simmons and Jason Barton, two bankers with video cameras who believe the stories of this region are positive ones, and need to be told. Barton is from Haysi, Virginia, and Simmons grew up in Richlands.The two men started a few months ago with a mission of filming a documentary of the stories told by some of the elderly members of the region — stories of coal mines, of African-American history in the region, of folks of Melungeon background — but now realize it will be a multi-film project. "

"We’re trying to shed a positive light on Appalachian heritage, and draw attention to how it really is, what it’s been, where it came from. ... We’re trying to tell the true story, and the truth is positivity and I think we’ve tapped into that,” Simmons said. “We want to tell it through the eyes and mouths [of the people who lived it]. Those stories are dying off every day.”

These are two guys after my own heart, I am tired of Appalachia getting a bad wrap. I am glad that there are others that want to spread a positive account about our neck of the woods. Nice job guys!

Referenced from TriCities.com