The College of Public Health hosted the third night of their annual lecture series, “Leading Voices in Public Health” on April 3. The series is a collaboration between mutually respected leaders with a passion for speaking on issues important to the community. The James and Nellie Brinkley Center housed ETSU students and the community as they heard from three panelists focusing their presentations on the night’s theme: “Art and Coal in Appalachia.”

Starting the night off was Department of Appalachian Studies professor, Ted Olson. Olson spoke on the history of coal in Appalachia, doing his best to inform the audience of a semester’s worth of information in just 15 minutes. He dove into topics such as the formation of coal, the various areas and subregions of Appalachia and the appearance of coal mining in entertainment literature, films and music.

Photo of Ted Olsen at the “Art and Coal in Appalachia” event. (Alex Holbrooks/East Tennessean)

When asked about the origin of his interest in the study of coal, Olson said, “As a boy I sold newspapers and one of the headlining stories was the disaster in West Virginia, the Buffalo Creek flood. I didn’t live in a coal area at the time, but hearing about this story and other stories through the media gained my interest, and I wanted to know more about the folks who made a living underground.”

The second panelist of the night was Anne Lewis, featuring clips of the work she captured during her time as camerawoman for “Harlan County, USA,” using her film to initiate a voice for social change.

“I lived and worked in the coal fields from 1973 to 1998, so I feel as though I am tied to the mountains, particularly southwest Virginia and eastern Kentucky,” said Lewis.

Lastly was David Blackley and his presentation of the health effects of coal mining, focusing primarily on coal miners’ pneumoconiosis or “black lung.”

To also highlight art in Appalachia, the ETSU Twin Taters provided music for the reception prior to the panelists taking stage. The old-time string band is student-led and part of the Bluegrass, Old-Time and Roots Music Studies program. From start to finish, the Twin Taters never failed to amaze the audience with their raw talents and dedication to the art.

The lectures are an annual series, split up across the fall and spring semesters. To learn more about upcoming series, visit the ETSU College of Public Health website at etsu.edu/cph/.

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