Holler

An episode of the WV Uncommonplace : Uncommon Conversations podcast, hosted by Jr Sparrow, titled "Holler " was published on July 20, 2023 and runs 8 minutes.

July 20, 2023 ·8m · WV Uncommonplace : Uncommon Conversations

Summary

In this episode of Inside the Life and Times of Appalachian Jr, he talks about the terminology of "holler" and its significance in West Virginia. A "holler" is a one-way road with no other way out, and if someone says they are going up to a holler, it means they are going home. Appalachian Jr. explains that even big cities have hollers that only go one way in and out. He also shares a personal experience when he first heard the term "holler" at a Walmart in Princeton, West Virginia. Appalachian Jr. then talks about the different hollers he had to learn while living in Mingo County, West Virginia, and how some hollers were not meant for him to go up after dark due to certain racial tensions. He shares a story about going into a convenience store in Hearts, West Virginia, where he received a polite warning to be careful of what he does in that area, as "your kind is not taken care of out here." From that point on, he never went back to Hearts Creek and ventured to other places with a smaller black population.

Episode Description