They'll Cut Off Your Project: A Mingo County Chronicle - West Virginia

In this review of They'll Cut Off Your Project: A Mingo County Chronicle, the reviewer finds a vivid, locally rooted account for readers who care about Appalachian history and community activism. Huey Perry and Jeff Biggers deliver a narrative that reads like both memoir and social study, tracing the Mingo County Economic Opportunity Commission during the 1960s war on poverty and the violent political context that met it. The book is best appreciated for its close-up portrait of grassroots organizing and the political backlash in southern West Virginia, making it a strong pick for readers seeking a human-centered history of reform and resistance.

Key Features

• Local perspective: The book centers on Huey Perry's leadership of the Mingo County Economic Opportunity Commission, providing a first-hand view of community organizing in rural West Virginia.
• Historical context: It situates the program within the Johnson Administration's war on poverty, helping readers understand federal policy impacts on small communities.
• Political drama: The narrative explains how shifts toward self-sufficiency threatened local power structures and generated opposition, giving the story dramatic tension.
• Regional focus: Readers get detailed portraits of Mingo County life, including references to Bloody Mingo County, violent labor movements, and the Hatfield-McCoy cultural backdrop.
• Community outcomes: The account shows how vulnerable and low-income residents collaborated to improve conditions, illustrating practical models of grassroots change.

Who It's For

This chronicle will appeal to readers of state and local history, students of Appalachia, and anyone interested in civil rights-era social programs applied at the county level. It is especially useful for community organizers, regional historians, and readers who appreciate narrative non fiction rooted in place.

It is less suited to those seeking a broad national overview of the war on poverty or a technical policy manual; readers wanting academic, heavily footnoted scholarship may prefer more densely referenced works. This is a narrative-driven, local case study rather than an exhaustive policy textbook.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Strong, personal perspective from a local history teacher turned program director that brings the Mingo County story to life.
• Clear connection between federal policy and local consequences, useful for readers studying how national programs play out on the ground.
• Vivid depiction of regional tensions and resistance, providing dramatic and cultural context to the story.

Cons

• The focus on one county means the narrative is narrow in scope and may not satisfy readers seeking nationwide analysis.

Specifications

Title	They'll Cut Off Your Project: A Mingo County Chronicle
Region	West Virginia, Appalachia
Subject	Local history, community organizing, war on poverty
Authors	Huey Perry, Jeff Biggers
Setting	Mingo County, 1960s

Our Verdict

This chronicle is a valuable, human-centered account for readers who want an intimate look at how the war on poverty played out in southern West Virginia. Its detailed local perspective and dramatic political conflict make it good value for anyone interested in Appalachian history, community activism, or the social dynamics of reform on a county level.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this book focused on policy or personal story?
The book blends personal narrative with policy context, emphasizing Huey Perry's local leadership and community responses rather than technical policy analysis.

Does it cover the broader history of Appalachia?
It concentrates on Mingo County and its specific conflicts, using regional context like the Hatfield-McCoy backdrop to illuminate local events rather than offering an extensive Appalachian overview.

Who wrote the chronicle?
Huey Perry, with Jeff Biggers, authored the account, combining Perry's local experience with broader narrative shaping.