
Kenan Professor, Berea College
2024-2026



Kenan Professor, Berea College
2024-2026
The William R. Kenan, Jr. Professorship is a prestigious faculty position funded by the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust. These professorships are awarded to distinguished scholars and educators at various institutions, particularly those who demonstrate excellence in both teaching and research.

Erasing Black Appalachia: 60 Minutes Missed the Full Story in McDowell County, Black by God,The West Virginian
By Dr. William H. Turner
February 25, 2026

March 2026
Turner to give keynote address for Appalachian Studies Conference

“Bill Turner knows more about black life and culture in the mountains of the American South than anybody in the world.”
— Alex Haley || Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Roots & The Autobiography of Malcolm X
“Bill has been an inspiration to me in going deeper into our history...our shared stories.”
— bell hooks


