This curricular unit on democracy and civic engagement provides students with an accessible way to learn more about this topic through the lens of personal narrative from a range of voices. These stories create a picture of democracy that goes beyond political parties or voting, making space for students to view it in relation to community power, voice, belonging, and resistance.
These lessons explore oral histories that examine the complexities of why people leave, why people stay, and and the systems that interact with individual choice. The curriculum is rooted in an Ethnic Studies framework that questions dominant narratives and promotes critical thinking around not only the Appalachian region, but migration and displacement in general.