One woman’s discovery connected her more deeply to her own roots
Beth Howard, Rural Kentucky Campaign Director of Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ), explored history in her area around the term “rednecks” and unfolded a deeper story of where this term originated from, and how it was a term of honor and Amity, versus the derogatory term it has become to describe poor, white, rural folks.

Knowledge leads to action
Beth shares what she learned of the recorded history of “rednecks”, a term originally used to describe the red bandanas worn by multiracial mine workers fighting to unionize, and how they worked closely together to strive for justice. Beth is educating people about this piece of shared history, and helping people connect this understanding to the current need to fight together for racial justice for all through the movement, Rednecks for Black Lives.

Start with the history of your area
As Beth learned a great deal about her own history from exploring historical records she discovered a history of Amity. For those of you thinking about Amity in your community and taking steps toward State Race Amity Day Proclamations and Celebrations, this is a great first step. Start with your local historical society. Amity has been part of our history longer than we think!

Watch the full interview
Click below to watch Beth Howard’s amazing story on Soledad O’Brien’s TV Blog,  Matter of Fact.