What UACC was doing a decade ago

Ah, yes. The year was 2016. FC Cincinnati was just getting started. The world mourned Harambe. People gathered in parks to play Pokémon Go. Meanwhile, killer clowns filled the headlines. At the same time, our region stepped into the national spotlight with the publication of Hillbilly Elegy.

Since 2016 is trending again, we decided to take a trip down memory lane. We wanted to see what UACC was up to back then. Come along with us.

Storytelling and memory

Even in 2016, storytelling and community memory shaped our work. Recently, UACC reconnected with the Farley family at our Kith and Kin launch event at the library in October 2025. A decade earlier, we interviewed Vickie Farley and Johanna Krumer. They spoke about Taylor Farley’s involvement with the Urban Appalachian Council.

In both moments, they shared stories about Taylor. He was a talented musician and family man. He also played music at many urban Appalachian events across the city. Today, his music and presence remain part of our collective story.

Arts and culture

That same year, Pauletta Hansel, former UACC core member, began her term as Cincinnati’s first-ever poet laureate in April 2016. Since then, she’s gone on to become the Cincinnati Public Library’s writer-in-residence and now has a new book coming out later this year. We were proud then (and still are) to see Appalachian voices shaping the city’s cultural landscape.

Advocacy

Urban Appalachians also showed up in spaces where big conversations were happening. Urban Appalachians attended the Cincinnati Child Poverty Collaborative Summit, and UACC hosted our own community conversation on the issue later in the year. Fast forward a decade, and urban Appalachians continue to advocate on a wide range of issues—from climate change to affordable housing—showing up, speaking out, and making space for our communities in civic life.

Research and archives

In 2016, UACC’s Frank Foster Library was in storage and in need of a permanent home. Since then, the collection has been digitized and relocated to an accessible space where it can be shared and used. You can now visit the library’s webpage to browse the collection and learn how to check out materials—proof that preserving our history is an ongoing effort.

Here we are, a decade later: continuing the work, leaning into new opportunities, and always finding new ways to connect, represent, and advocate for our urban Appalachian community.