In the last years of slavery and early segregation, Boone’s small population of free blacks settled together at the base of the mountain, then called, “the hill”. The hill, known now as “Junaluska” was considered too uneven, and undesirable to landowning whites who wanted flatter ground to till. Nevertheless, a community was born.
For some time I have been interested in the rapid change taking place in Junaluska as a microcosm of the development happening throughout Boone and all around the Appalachian region. As a student of Appalachian State University, my presence is a symptom of this, and I have witnessed the change firsthand within my few years in Boone. With the growth of the university comes the need to house the students that attend. Junaluska sits just outside downtown Boone, a five minute walk to campus. What was once considered undesirable land has now become a gold mine for developers looking to rent housing to students and faculty. Despite this, Junaluska persists. Descendants of the original settlers of the hill still reside in the neighborhood, still go to church on Sunday, and still add to the narrative of life in Appalachia.
Brethren is a look at quiet perseverance in the face of a changing demographic and landscape.
