William H. Turner, PhD, a scholar born in the coal mining town of Lynch, Kentucky, and Dwight Lewis, an award-winning 40-year journalist, editor, and columnist, seek donations to complete Coal Dust Chronicles: Portraits of Black Gold in Appalachia. This book tells a largely untold story through the oral histories and photographs of the men and women who survived the often-tough life created by the culture of coal mining. In vivid detail, it will illuminate the lives and legacy of Blacks in Appalachia, thereby filling a void in America's understanding of its history.

The University Press of Kentucky (UPK) has contracted us to publish this important work, provided that we "secure a $25,000 publishing subvention one year before publication to cover the printing and photography costs. We now seek donations to complete "this outstanding" book that will fill a void in America's understanding of its history.