Affrilachia

Affrilachians
Total population
around 900,000
(Appalachian Regional Commission, 2024 estimate)
Regions with significant populations
Blue Ridge Mountains, Central and Southern Appalachia, including:
West Virginia, Eastern Kentucky Coalfield, SWVA, East Tennessee, WNC, North Georgia
Languages
English:
Affrilachian, Ebonics
Religion
Baptist, Methodist, Holiness Pentecostalism.
A minority are Catholic or practices folk religions (Granny magic, Hoodoo)
Related ethnic groups
Melungeon, Carmel Indians, Chestnut Ridge people, Black Ozarkers, African-Americans, Appalachians

Affrilachia is a term that focuses on the culture and contributions of Black Southerner artists, writers, and musicians in the Appalachian region of the United States. The term is used to describe Affrialchian people and culture. The term "Affrilachia" is attributed to Kentucky-based writer Frank X Walker, who began using it in the 1990s as a way to negate the stereotype of Appalachian culture, which portrays Appalachians as predominantly white and living in small mountain communities. The term Affrilachian stands for an African American who is a native or resident in the Appalachian region. The word "Affrilachia" is included in the second edition of the Oxford American Dictionary.