Rednecks Rising

This episode is the audio edition of I Saw God in the Anarchists: On Surviving Helene, Building Heaven on Earth, and Seeing God in Each Other , an essay that was published in September of 2025. For more work by Rednecks Rising Media, and to support our work, you can find us at rednecksrising.com and on our linktree. We would love to work with you! Please reach out about joining us for an interview...

Get full access to Rednecks Rising Media at rednecksrising.substack.com/subscribe

This episode is extra special, featuring a guest who has been partnering with us to amplify the voices of Helene survivors by helping us to collect, curate, and publish our stories through our anthology project  From the Holler to the Sea: Cheyanne Leonardo, out of East Tennessee. Cheyanne & I discuss the role of art as vital tool for both healing and revolution, and critique the myths of "per...

It's  Mutual Aid March for our third episode of 2025! We sit down with friends out of West Virginia who tell us about their super cool project known as " The Holler House, " where they are reclaiming culture and crafting space that serves as a portal for community from birth to death and all that comes in between. Our conversation explores the idea that almost everybody (including you--yes, you!)...

For our second episode of the year, we spend our time (maybe predictably?) on a soapbox almost entirely about Hurricane Helene. Chelsea sits down with our friend Alice to vent about the social infrastructure that was already failing prior to the catastrophe caused by the storm, and which was almost entirely wiped out by the storm's impact. Alice shares the government's recently announced plan to s...

Hey guys! It’s Sierra. This won’t be a typical episode or even very long, but this will hopefully be the first of the daily updates I’m hoping to share here directly from Chelsea. Thank you for listening, love you guys. Get full access to Rednecks Rising Media at rednecksrising.substack.com/subscribe

What happens when the very land we live on exposes the multigenerational trauma being experienced at the hands of white supremacist state violence? What is it called when peaceful protestors are murdered by law enforcement to protect state interests? How do we respond when even the most “progressive” politicians end up bought out by the very entities they claim to stand against? We had to jump thr...

Starting off April on the right foot: no fools here, just Chelsea and Tiara sitting down for what was supposed to be a primer on the situation in Palestine, but turned into a conversation that had to go on for two whole days and six hours of content. This is the first of the episodes that came from that content, and in this episode, we get to know Tiara better as a fresh face to cohost the podcast...

SEASON TWO is back, this time with two new cohosts to make the show extra fun! In this episode, we introduce our new cohosts that are joining Chelsea on the show: Sierra (from episode 8) and Tiara, two additional loudmouthed and badass Appalachian women to raise hell and make good trouble with us. We declare ourselves a fullblown conspiracy podcast as we touch on everything from Amazon to Kate Mid...

Get ready for SEASON TWO of the Podcast! We've been recalibrating, recentering, and we're back with a helluva episode to kick off the latest round of rabblerowsing redneck comraderie. In this episode, I sit down with friends & neighbors Max and Hil to talk about the community organizing that was catalyzed in Haywood County, NC following a hate-filled attack campaign against our trans neighbors...

After a long, unexpected hiatus, the SHOW IS BACK! And on the anniversary of our launch one year ago, no less! In today's anniversary episode, I sit down with Whitni Resides & Mark Brown, the screenwriters of Redneck Army -- a proposal to bring the story of the Battle on Blair Mountain to live on the silver screen. With a focus on all the people involved (including the women and children who m...

Happy Black History Month, friends! In today's episode, we kick of this month by sitting down with one of my personal heroes: the brilliant Desiree B. Stephens. Desiree is an antiracist educator, counselor, and coach who creates community & fosters the healing work that is required for somatic decolonization -- she makes shi(f)t happen! In our conversation, Desiree digs into the idea behind he...

In this week's belated episode, we go for more adventures down the rabbit hole of race & labor -- but this time, we brought liquor and fast cars! We travel back to the 1600s together and follow the journey of homemade liquor throughout time and space, and just about every war since colonization began. We touch on the Whiskey Rebellion, the role of Roy Hall in the development of NASCAR, the pol...

In our second episode of 2023, we bring Ash Orr onto the show to give us a breakdown of what’s going on in the state legislature in places like West Virginia right now, where the old white dudes with too much power are going wild. Then, we sit down with Jasmine Sherman -- a self-proclaimed Fat, Black Socialist based out of Charlotte, NC who is taking on the system by running as a candidate in the...

In today's episode, we kick off the new year by digging into the history of the for-profit adoption industry in America. We touch on key players like the Orphan Trains, Georgia Tann, and Appalachia's own Dr. Thomas Hicks. But first! We have some exciting announcements that you don't want to miss, and I take my first swing at covering some current events taking place in West Virginia. This week's e...

In today's episode I chat with my long-time friend, neighbor, & co-conspirator -- Trevor Gates. Trevor is a visually-impaired/blind Appalachian, an aspiring therapist, and an incredible advocate for disability justice & deconstructing ableism in Appalachia and beyond. Our conversation touches on everything from Trevor's personal experiences in advocacy, to the recent election results, the concept...

This bonus episode is a tribute to Transgender Week of Awareness & Transgender Day of Remembrance. In this episode, I talk with Alex Vance -- the author and illustrator of upcoming children's book, "My Wings Are Wrong." Alex speaks on his own experience growing up transgender in West Virginia, how this children's book came to life, his first PRIDE experience, his love for the tight-knit artistic c...

I sat down with my friend and neighbor, Artie, earlier this week to have a conversation about the past & present of Transgender Appalachians. We touch on the history of gender & gender roles in Appalachia and the influence of Indigenous perspectives of gender in this area. We pay tribute to the stories of Transgender Appalachian ancestors who came before us, like Lucy Hicks Anderson, Carlett Brown...

In today's episode, I sit down with Andy from the Poor Prole's Almanac Podcast. We dig into the idea of community as the key ingredient to successful, sustainable solutions moving forward as human beings from basic food systems to decision-making and caretaking. Of course, building community with our real neighbors as they are (as opposed to how we wish they were) is where the real challenge lies,...

In today's episode, I sit down with South Asian Appalachian filmmaker, Sujata Day and her debut feature-length film "Definition Please." You might also be familiar with Sujata from The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, or HBO's Insecure. Sujata shares her experiences growing up in Western Pennsylvania and why she loves it so much, and even chose to shoot her film in her hometown. She talks with...

In episode 20, I sit down with Reverend Oliver Snow, "THE Reverend," of the Holy Dionysian Church of Mothman in West Virginia. After growing up in rural Ohio and moving around, life led The Reverend back to Appalachia where he founded The Church of Mothman as a way of bringing community together, shaping mutual aid, and reclaiming Appalachia as the home that we all need and deserve. I feel big fee...

In today's episode we explore four spooky stories and local legends from the Appalachian region in honor of the autumn season and the atmosphere of this time of year. TailyPo/TailyBone, Spearfinger, the Greenbriar Ghost & the Unsolved Murder of Mamie Thurman are the four tales that we dig into today. (TW: Some gruesome depictions in the last two stories). --- Articles referenced in this week's epi...

In today's episode, I met up with my buddy and neighbor Dean Gibson and we sat down at one of our local parks where Dean did me the honor of sharing a glimpse into his story. He touches on what it was like to grow up as a black man in Appalachia, and tell us about Operation Grassy Knoll -- the retaliatory police ambush of one of Haywood County's historically black communities that targeted and cri...

In today's episode, I give my synopsis of Elizabeth Catte's "What You're Getting Wrong About Appalachia" and reflections on what she covers in the book. For folks who are curious about where to get started in regards to learning about Appalachian history, heritage, politics, and culture -- this book is a great starting point, and includes many references to continue your learning journey! (Pssst.....

In today's episode, we sit down with Joey: a Virginian who is returning to his culture & roots after betraying Appalachia in pursuit of the Rockies (but he came back, so we'll forgive him)! Joey and Chelsea jam on a vision for food systems that support our communities, reduce waste, and are rooted in shared community building and relationships: transformative, regenerative, sustainable models that...