Humans of Central Appalachia
Our Mission
Launched in 2015 by Letcher County photographer, Malcolm J. Wilson, Humans of Central Appalachia (HOCA) is a social media photography/oral history project in the tradition of, while standing apart from, Humans of New York. HOCA is the third largest “Humans of…” project in the United States. Based upon percentages of Facebook page likes, HOCA is also the fastest growing project of its kind in the world. This popularity has redefined Humans of Central Appalachia as an important repository for preserving the dignity and significance of the Appalachian culture. HOCA profiles Appalachians via recorded interviews and black and white photographs and presents them on the HOCA Facebook page, as well as other social media platforms and media outlets.
The mantra of HOCA is, “To hear the honest story of Appalachia, ask an Appalachian. Mountain stories told by those that live them.”