Affrillachian

/ˌæf.rəˈlætʃ.ən/

adjective

relating to or characteristic of Black people, particularly artists and writers, living in the Appalachian Mountains region of eastern North America.

In Poet Crystal Wilkinson Explores Black Appalachia Cooking in Her New Book, Korsha Wilson writes,

“The dominant narrative is that there’s^[should be ‘there are’.] no Black people here,” said Frank X Walker, a playwright, professor at the University of Kentucky and co-founder of the Affrilachian Poets Society. Mr. Walker popularized the term Affrilachian to refer to people of African descent from the region, and to foster a community “to celebrate the fact that we’re here.”

It’s not a new topic for Ms. Wilkinson, who has explored Affrilachian life in poetry and fiction, including in her short story “Endangered Species: Case 47401,” which won the O. Henry Prize in 2021. In her work, food is part of the story, showing the breadth of Black Appalachian life and cooking as evidence of love and familial duty in simple, unflinching terms.