"Hillbilly is a pejorative, the same as any other derogatory descriptor assigned to a racial, ethnic or cultural group. It doesn’t matter that it was used in the title of a television show and on bread wrappers. It’s offensive, hurtful and intended to belittle. Anyone who has been the target of the word knows its sting.

That Vance chose to mainstream the smear on his book cover says a lot about how he views his own people."

~ Nolan Finley

#JDVance #hillbillies

https://web.archive.org/web/20240716012724/https://eu.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/columnists/nolan-finley/2024/07/15/finley-my-beef-with-j-d-vance/74414965007/

Finley: My beef with J.D. Vance

I just can't get past the damage Vance did in perpetuating the worst stereotypes about his people, and mine.

The Detroit News

@wdlindsy

This may be an unpopular opinion but there are many who do consider themselves hillbillies and not ashamed of it. This is a cultural topic and to quote Dolly...

...."when somebody says we can call ourselves hillbillies, but you better know what you're saying if you're going to call it hillbillies. To me that's an endearing term.”