New podcast on AIDS activist Belinda Mason

We are thrilled to share the first episode of a new podcast on AIDS and HIV activist Belinda Mason! Mason’s Way was created by Berea College student Amyah Weakley, from Somerset, Kentucky. While interning with Appalshop Archive over the summer, Amyah helped save, catalog, and digitize historical Appalshop materials. As part of that work, she took an exciting deep dive into our files for the film Belinda.

A native of Eastern Kentucky, Belinda Mason was, as she says, “a small town journalist, a young mother, a reliable Tupperware party guest” until she became infected with the HIV virus in 1987. She decided to go public with her condition and spent the rest of her life as a powerful advocate for AIDS prevention, education, treatment, and human rights. The film features Belinda talking about her own experiences dealing with AIDS and the support she found within her rural community.

Over the course of this past summer, Amyah worked closely with Appalshop staff to produce Mason’s Way using content from the Archive, such as historical documents and raw AV files, many of which were remediated and digitized after the flood. The series will feature five short episodes using behind-the-scenes assets to further explore Belinda’s life and activism. We hope you’ll tune in! 

Amyah is currently studying communications and is working with Berea College News and Radio as the Program Manager where she will create more content and help maintain Berea College's radio station. We look forward to seeing Amyah succeed at Berea College and thrive throughout her career!

June Appal in the News

Last month, June Appal Recordings, Appalshop’s record label, released the groundbreaking album No Options: Hip-Hop in Appalachia. In addition to purchasing the album (digital or CD) on Bandcamp and streaming everywhere you listen to music, you can also learn more about the project:

• The Next Movement Podcast: People's Instinctive Travels
• Born & Bred Music: No Options: Appalachian Hip-Hop Takes Center Stage On Appalshop’s June Appal Recordings