This week we have a virtual conversation with Dural Miller.
Dural is a West Virginia native & founder of Keep Your Faith Corporation based out of Charleston WV. For more information about Dural's work and Keep Your Faith, go to https://kyfc.org/.
We will be releasing new episodes bi-weekly, sometimes even more regularly, for the remainder of 2021!
https://coalfield-development.org/
This week we have a virtual conversation with Dural Miller.
Dural is a West Virginia native & founder of Keep Your Faith Corporation based out of Charleston WV. For more information about Dural's work and Keep Your Faith, go to https://kyfc.org/.
We will be releasing new episodes bi-weekly, sometimes even more regularly, for the remainder of 2021!
https://coalfield-development.org/
This is Change in the Coalfields, a podcast by Coalfield Development, all about change in Appalachia. What change has happened, what change is happening and what change still needs to happen. I'm your host, Brandon Dennison, founder and CEO of Coalfield Development. I'm really excited this week to be joined by Dural Miller. Dural is a community leader who I have a ton of respect for - truly a visionary, someone who holds a great deal of respect and esteem in his community and really in the state. He's the founder and CEO of Keep Your Faith Corp. and Dural, welcome to the podcast.
Dural Miller:Hey, thank you for having me, man. I appreciate it.
Brandon Dennison:Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where you grew up, and how you got into the work that you're doing now.
Dural Miller:I grew up in Charleston, on the west side of Charleston, been born and raised here, my whole life, you know. Visited other places, but I love, I love West Virginia. I started the Keeping Your Faith Corporation back in 2006. It all came from my problems with reading, I had reading problems growing up, I couldn't read it all really. It was hard to search for help for how to read. I played sports so you know, sometimes it was looked at as I just was trying to get over and not do my homework or things like that. It really was the fact that I couldn't understand what I was reading. I couldn't understand how to read let alone understand what I was reading. So this organization came out of that because I wanted to be able to help people to reach out and when they reach out that kind of need that they had someone that really took it seriously. And we ended up going into Crossroads Union Mission, which is a homeless shelter down here. And we started doing self esteem reading comprehension classes, well, self esteem, we just because we're dealing with men, you know, as a man, sometimes it's a little bit hard to swallow some things you can't do. So we started with self esteem. And we learned from doing self esteem, it was easier to... (the) communication was was a whole lot better once we started doing that. And from that I reached out to my old elementary school and start talking with the principals and the counselors there. And I was telling them what we were doing and asked them (if) we can get into this to do classroom behavior and check on kids reading, because kids were getting kicked out of class for disciplinary action. And that's what I used to do. I know it. When it was almost time for me to read something, I would do some kind of disruption for the teacher to either put me out of class or be like I'm not dealing with him today. You know, I'm what I'm saying? So we started doing that classroom behavior started with being a big thing in our elementary school for us.
Brandon Dennison:That's incredible. Your schools like your elementary, middle (and) high school?
Dural Miller:We started out with two elementary schools to end up combining them into one which was called Westside Elementary now and it was Glenwood and Chandler Elementary School. And they let us in and we started doing behavior and it was great and we ended up starting that way. But then we ended up doing nutrition and gardening to tie in with that(to help with) some motor skills and stuff for the kids. Took a Junior Master Gardener class down at West Virginia State and that was probably one of the best things for our organization. Myself and my partner took it and it opened up a lot of doors for us. We are still doing it, we're still doing it, we feed...(the) Nutrition Program is, one part of it is you get a token that is worth $1. And we work with local farmers, we pay local farmers to come in - basically we buy the groceries from them, we're investors for them. And the kids come in, come to the line and shop. And that's been a big thing because kids get to take extra food home.
Brandon Dennison:And do the kids like getting their hands dirty?
Dural Miller:Oh, do they! It was so funny was that it was the little girls jumping in here first! Roly polies was the biggest thing going for a little while. They loved them roly polies, so it's been, it's been fun.
Brandon Dennison:Where did the name "Keep Your Faith"? How did you come to that name for the organization?
Dural Miller:First we were called the Miller Foundation - but it ain't work, it didn't fit right to me. So then we ended up, I was sitting on the couch one day watching TV, you know, little thing come together and I'm still trying to figure out a name. And KYC came to my head I'm like KYC KYC and what's that mean? Then Keep Your Faith Corporation. Then as I kept thinking about it, like well, you gotta have faith to pursue anything you're doing. Especially the unknown part of you know.
Brandon Dennison:What was it like growing up on the west side? What was your childhood like?
Dural Miller:Man, I loved it. It was it was probably dysfunctional. To be honest, it probably was dysfunctional but I loved it. I loved every minute of it was a lot of guys over there and it was more of a family, a family atmosphere when you came outside.
Brandon Dennison:Very strong sense of community in that neighborhood.
Dural Miller:Yeah - know, sometimes you see people's grannies and aunties still live in one area, you know, and it was it was good, you know. It got bad, you know, towards when drugs hit the scene. It's still even then it still kept that sense of community for a while.
Brandon Dennison:The good didn't go away, but maybe got covered up a little bit?
Dural Miller:It kind of got where you would have to deal with other people trying to come, you know, we're a small country place and to other people, they think they could come here and take over and do different things. And you know, Charleston, we didn't allow that to happen, you know, other places they went out there and other groups from other towns came through and they made a big name for themselves by taking over there. Our city was a little bit different because it was so many guys here that, you know - but then a lot of those guys are still paying the price for those things.
Brandon Dennison:How have you seen, and you're alluding to this a little bit, but how has West Side - how have you seen it change? But then also, how do you see it starting to change now?
Dural Miller:That was one change just this making - the drug same is kind of not bad is like it used to be even though it you know. You see a lot of things now, but it's way different than it was when I was growing up.
Brandon Dennison:It's getting better.
Dural Miller:Yes, better. And the guys that are my age now, back then, they was encouraging you to do wrong more than now - not saying they encouraged you to do wrong - it was different different times. And now it's more like sports, sports and making sure your schooling is right, you know. And if you're outside and you ain't got no money, somebody's gonna do a couple of dollars, you know, get you cutting some grass or something. You know, I love growing up where I was, you know, what I did. But now I can see the people are more conscious of some of those things. So it's a little bit different, it's a lot different to tell you the truth, it's a lot different, it's a lot better.
Brandon Dennison:I feel like you have a very entrepreneurial mindset, you're just sort of entrepreneur at heart. What are some business ideas that you're seeing take off in the west side, or that you think could work in that community?
Dural Miller:We know we working together on that construction thing, and maybe being able to rehab some of these houses and put them back on the market and to build them. That is something I really am proud of because the neighborhood that we're working in now is a neighborhood I grew up in and played football on the streets in and everything. So those houses I've been in those houses a couple of times. So to be back, to build up that neighborhood again, I'm so happy to see that. And then dealing with some of the young guys in that program they want to venture out and do their own thing - they want, they want to continue (doing) construction and stuff like that. And I got, we've got a lot of kids that like to do art stuff. There was really young lady the other day, she started doing phone case covers and putting them out there and wanting to help sell them and then she does jackets. So another young lady that I know she does - they're young, young through high school, they started doing hair and nails just prior to going to school for that, they liked (did that) in the neighborhood, you know, they go and they do your nails. And like a young guy I just talked to just now like just called me - and just a nice day to day - and he asked me if the farm needed cut. We've got something going on Friday so he just wants to go over there and make sure that yard looks good. And he started his own mobile carwash business, but he started with us at the farm, just by working. He had a work ethic, but his attitude wasn't the best, you know what I'm saying, so he couldn't really keep a job. Like I tell them all the time that their attitude isn't bigger than mine. So we're gonna, we're gonna work together about it. And I had to tell them some of my head bumps when I came up, you know, just not listening or feeling like my way was the right way when the boss telling me one way to do it I'm trying to, you know...so that's been that's been good to see some of these young men and women turn their life around that way.
Brandon Dennison:Would you care to tell listeners about the partnership that we have a little bit more detail on that?
Dural Miller:The first time we tried to work together, we tried to get a house and try to, you know, rehab and put it in our gardening program. But then we ended up doing fiber optic wiring, low voltage, high voltage switch with Bridge Valley. That program was successful, we, I think out of the seven, six (workers they) got paid internships and the 7th one went out of state. That was a beautiful thing and also been able to adapt a little bit of y'alls model, the personal development piece is important with some of the younger generation. Just with their cell phones for one thing, the cell phones...put your cell phone away while you at work.
Brandon Dennison:Your approach is so tangible. Keep Your Faith does projects that are hands on. You know, nobody wants to get preached at about having a better attitude. But I feel like when it, when it's an actual job and there's responsibilities and tasks that have to be completed that helps an attitude almost more than anything, just being a part of a team and having to show up for your team.
Dural Miller:Yeah, I think so, too - be in it for your co-workers or your teammates, keep you accountable. I've seen that change a lot from guys when when they first come in (and then) into the middle towards the end, you know, it's a different attitude. And now we're doing a bit of the construction part of workforce development and it's right in the neighborhood. I mean, that is awesome it's right in the neighborhood. We still do personal development days. I ran into one of the guys, the younger guy's mom in Kroger's and she was just telling me how her son has been able to fix stuff around their house, it blows her mind and his attitude towards taking direction like pick up the trash or clean your room - his attitude has changed towards that. And that was an unseen positive and not just with him, a couple of other young men's parents have talked to me and they're out attitude about taking directions is changed. And I think that's because of how we've been able to work with them.
Brandon Dennison:That's fantastic. Yeah, I think a lot of times in economic development, you know, it's all about jobs, how many jobs did you create? How many businesses did you create? And that's good, we want to do that. But the change we're trying to inspire is so much deeper. And just as human beings trying to realize our potential as human beings trying to become active, responsible citizens in our community. And that little anecdote at the grocery store, you know, that's strong evidence that because of your leadership and our collaboration, that that it's happening, and that gives people hope, right?
Dural Miller:It really does. We get a call, like every other day, like, are y'all still doing that? You got any open spots right now? I'm like, not right now, not right now, but just give (me) a minute, you know. So it's a positive outlook, people are looking for that. And it's beautiful.
Brandon Dennison:You're a very trusted leader on the West Side Community Dural, can you talk about just the importance of trust in your life, and in your work?
Dural Miller:Oh, it's big, you know? Yeah, I think because I kind of try to respect people where they are, you know, I don't try to push them into what I think they could be, or what I'm seeing, you know, but I feel like, being able to be honest in my communication with people and putting in work, I live here, I come through, I walk around with the my dog - I used to have a dog and he passed away, you know, that's my boy. But, you know, just stuff like tha and being able to show that my actions and my words, they match up, you know what I'm saying.(I'm not gonna) tell you one thing, and then you see me, and I'm not doing none of that. It just don't work over here at all.
Brandon Dennison:I feel like, you know, on the west side, because of the disinvestment, and some of the challenges, you know that you've alluded to, there are a lot of sort of, like, "do gooders," you know, sort of like myself from outside that (are) very well intentioned, want to be helpful, but it's hard, you know, coming from the outside, there's a trust breakdown. And is there, is there like a resentment in the community? Like, there's so many initiatives on the West Side, but not a lot of them actually get done? Right. So there's got to be some resentment of that.
Dural Miller:I think it is, I think it is in the sense like - okay, here we go again, y'all going to make some money off of us, but not really going to do anything to help us at all, you know. And whether (it's) they don't take the suggestions like if you're saying I need a light pole up here on Seventh Avenue, but it's bright over Seventh Avenue, but dark over all Sixth, but you can go ahead and still put the light up on Seventh for no reason. So that's something I think, there's definitely a resentment in that way of, obviously . I've seen it man, I've seen projects posted - I've been in meetings where people get funding for this so we excited about it, and it never comes to be. And that's that's disappointing in a way.
Brandon Dennison:I think there's a dirty secret in grant writing, you know that if you're serving a certain census tract, that if there's poverty numbers, or minority numbers, you get more points on the grant application. So I do think oftentimes, there's not a real intention to do good work, right? It's just trying to get points on the grant application.
Dural Miller:That's it - saying, I'm gonna do this for this particular people and...you don't. You know, that's why with some of our projects...we just talked to the other guy we worked with Murphy, I was talking to him about this, allow me to come with him so they can see. And I was telling, I'm not saying this to say that we don't have no flaws in our organization, but I'm trying to tell them that the neighborhood's see us with him, they're going to trust a little bit more what he's doing, or what we're doing. Then to have somebody else just come through and they are thinking this is another one these scams and not supported. But we want this to be supported. And then by the young men going home, showing their worth to the parents and the parents coming out or going today workplaces and being able to talk about that workforce program or whatever now that's pretty good. This is the second round. They are there. They are being right by these guys and right by this neighborhood. So let's give them a chance. And I think that is what's happening with us.
Brandon Dennison:It's good to hear. Yeah, but in that trust, it's so important. It's so hard to earn and yet it can go away so fast. It's fragile, right?
Dural Miller:Right.
Brandon Dennison:When you look at the West Side, say like 10 years from now, what do you see?
Dural Miller:Well through our programs and some other stuff(others) are doing, I can envison our neighborhoods built back up, more job opportunities for people. And for me, I want to farm I got a small farm now but I want it bigger and so we can continue to grow our own food, show people how to grow your their own food and give it to folks that need it. But I definitely see a neighborhood built back up.
Brandon Dennison:Is farming and gardening, is that is that something that sort of nourishing for your soul? Just personally, is that something you do at home even aside from your job?
Dural Miller:I do. I like to garden, I like to plant stuff and watch them grow and nurture them. You know sometimes they make and sometimes they don't, that's part of it. You know, I like that. I just started probably about a couple of months ago yoga training because I'm going to be a yoga teacher. I mean, yoga and gardening. Yes it's all part of our healthy mind, healthy body approach.
Brandon Dennison:Sure. So you're gonna do, you're gonna lead yoga classes in your urban garden?
Dural Miller:Yeah, I'm gonna do yoga in the garden.
Brandon Dennison:That is cool. That is very, that is a very unique mix of services.
Dural Miller:You know, they laughed at me, like, what are you doing going to yoga class? I'm like, I'm serious about it, though. I like the way it feels. And I like the conversations that I've been getting out of just telling somebody I'm taking a yoga teacher training (class) and just to have somebody beside me of like, you know - what? And then we just build a conversation, you know, fellowship without even really having a point of like, at the beginning like - No, no, I don't know and you don't know me, but we have a common interest or even a common thought. Like, I've thought about yoga before, but it's not for me I'm like 230 pounds. But I'm like so (what)? Come on out here. I'm 235, let's go get some yoga in.
Brandon Dennison:I love it. You clearly, you love to learn, right? Try new things, grow as a person. Talk me through...I mean, you talk (about) school was sort of tough, like did that, was school hard all the way through high school for you? Or like, what was the turning point where you were like, your learning went into high gear and you started to become this amazing leader?
Dural Miller:I'm gonna tell you it probably, the understanding of myself probably started as I was learning and trying to learn to read and learning how to read. Reading is so special to me. Because, you know, reading can take you anywhere. You can be sitting right here in Charleston and be in a book and you're in Paris, somewhere in mind gone, you know, confident. So to be honest, if I'm being honest, didn't really get comfortable to me until I got out of school. I started going to state I was at West Virginia State. And I just went to State to see if I can I do it? You know, can I keep up with the learning process, but high school was tough. Junior High was probably the toughest, you know, high school was kind of you floating through, you do your work or you don't, get somebody to do your work, you know. I had dreadlocks when I was in high school and early in life, and people didn't have dreads around here like that. And my basketball coach didn't like them and he told me I had to get a haircut I wouldn't be able to play and I was pretty good ballplayer at the time. And so you know, I had an attitude, I was like man, whatever at first. Then when I cut my hair and he started let me play in that tournament even more.
Brandon Dennison:So that was a key moment.
Dural Miller:Yeah, that was like you know, my granny passed away and I was comfortable playing ball and then when I got that taken away, my life turned a different direction for a little while.
Brandon Dennison:So did you teach yourself (to read)? Like how did you end up learning how to read, if you're okay to share.
Dural Miller:This amazing too, I love the Lord. If I stayed true to what I was telling the Lord I was gonna do, I kept getting blessed with people around me. She's on my board now but Mrs. Lawson was my fifth grade teacher. I remember going to her and my mom and telling both of them my mom was you know, she knew and she was trying to do her thing. But Mrs. Lawson was so special because she would have me come over to her house and she would sit down and she would give me little techniques and stuff. Like if you are outside just, try to read the signs, the stop signs and different signs on the thing or grab a magazine or book and just try it, you know. Just keep trying, the more you try, the better you get and then words you can't bring out circle them, bring them to me, and we're going to work on them. And that's what I did, even to this day. I still do that.
Brandon Dennison:You read with a pen in your hand?
Dural Miller:Yeah, bro. Yeah, yeah, man, for real.
Brandon Dennison:I do, too. I do, too.
Dural Miller:Because that's something that keeps me humble because of that, that part of it- just knowing that I got to slow down before I read this out loud to somebody, you know>
Brandon Dennison:Part of Keep Your Faith - you work with men who are coming out of the prison system, is that right?
Dural Miller:I do. I deal with guys coming off in prison and women really, but most guys.
Brandon Dennison:Can you talk about that work and sort of what goes into that?
Dural Miller:Especially guys with mental health and substance abuse problems coming home from prison and getting put right back into neighborhoods. Without a support system, it doesn't work you know, you can lean on yourself, you can be a changed person, but when times get hard and (he doesn't have) nobody to put your head on their shoulder and try to tell you it's gonna be alright or show you a way to do something different in the way you know how to survive. So with this program, the Liberty Center has been up since - we've been going for a little while now. And we've been able to help people. First thing you come home - we're gonna get you into- find your local NA group, if it's your choice to go to one of those. (Help you) get all of your identification back. If you don't work for like, it depends, in three weeks, two months, sometimes we provide food, clothing, get your medication if you take medication. And then from when you get your ID and all that stuff back going to employment. Then employment, full-time employment, to savings and all that comes with savings and stuff. And then we work on your housing try to find you affordable housing where you won't just get a place and keep it for a day or keep it for a month and you can't afford, it so we work on housing. And then after that, we have got a six-month aftercare piece where we make sure to check on the person, come see their apartment, make sure it was clean and they didn't put any holes in the wall and they got food in a frigerator. In (this) field a person they can tell you on the phone they doing good but when you sit there face-to-face with a person, and if you know that person from them living in your program, transitional home six months to a year program...so if you see a person in-person, you just seen him for the month, you kind of can tell when something isn't right. And it's been a good program, we've had a lot of success. We've had some guys that haven't gotten it, but we have more good and bad though.
Brandon Dennison:I feel like a lot of times in the nonprofit world, we talk about creating opportunities for someone. But at Coalfield, we try and talk about cultivating opportunities. Because to your point, like if you just create an opportunity and plop somebody in it without the support and the encouragement, it's just it's not going to stick.
Dural Miller:It's not. That support is big.
Brandon Dennison:It's a very smart approach that you have there. You're a part of a lot of positive change. You know, you've seen your community change, sort of ups and downs and sort of back on the upswing now. What do you feel passionate about as far as West Virginia and Charleston? What still needs to change?
Dural Miller:You know what I think sometimes I feel that we don't work enough together as we could and we should. Because you know, (if you) were out of town, you out of town and no matter where you were (if) you see somebody out they might see your license plate. You might have a hat on or something West Virginia, you together. West Virginia, no matter what, you know, we were down, you know, it'd be a whole room everybody else you started watching the game...
Brandon Dennison:Started singing country roads, right?
Dural Miller:Started singing country roads and when you get back home and it ain't the same sometimes. It's more division a little bit like - hey, man, we're just in the airport and we were cool, but then we get down to the streets and it's kind of like, I don't know, you don't know me type situation. I don't know what that is, you know, it's getting a little bit better. We tried to work with youth about speaking, you know, if you acknowledge somebody with your eyes, at least nod your head or something, you know, and because sometimes they look right at you and keep it moving, right. You don't have to speak to everybody. But also that opens up yourself to be a little bit more friendlier. That to me sometimes, especially where I'm at right here, is being able to work a little bit better together. Our relationship just it clicked. You know, we've been able to push it and keep doing it, I meet some other people like that. But that's something that I wonder why is it like that.
Brandon Dennison:Yeah, I wonder that too. It's like everybody talks about, well, you know, nobody talks with each other anymore. Nobody sits on the front porch anymore. Like we all know, we miss that sense of connection. But yet, we can't seem to do anything about it. I feel like to on the West Side, you know, some people look down on it, let's be honest.
Dural Miller:Yeah.
Brandon Dennison:The strengths of that sense of community. And that sense of togetherness that even if there are some hard times we're going to help each other through that, you know. No matter what changes for the good, I hope there's lots of jobs and businesses and new houses. But I hope that sense of community never gets lost, too.
Dural Miller:That's one of the things you know, claiming you were from the West Side used to be the thing. And it was real, you know, West Side - even grannies, old men, ladies, they would say it was so much pride in it, you know what I'm saying. I still do and some people still do, but the way it is looked at as is not as much. But that is something that I hope never leaves because no matter where you from - "You from the west side? Yep." It's just the pride you say that with. And to be honest, I know a lot of our sports teams have been gone. There was a group came in here been everybody that I've known and know played for, they got rid of that and named it something else and try to - I don't know what they tried to do. But that was like, that was something, you know. I'm saying it meant something to say you play for (the team), everybody will come to a Western General football game, and they take that away and it kind of, it kind of hurt a little bit.
Brandon Dennison:(It was) something to rally around. Do you worry about gentrification?
Dural Miller:A little bit, but then also I know they're not gonna come into what I'd call the guts of our neighborhood. All around us they might do all that, but in the middle of it is not going to do that. So that's why I feel our organization does gotta keep helping that part of the neighborhood too. Because they're all around us they want to call them different names, but it's still always West Side to me. And I'm not mad at that though. You know, you got to bring some stuff but the middle of it doesn't get help, those people in there, that's been there - or their kids and students growing up in that - we can't get the sidewalks done. You know, I mean, when it when it snows, you know what parts of the West Side not to drive to because they're not going to they're not going to come through with the salt trucks. You know, it's just the way it is. No matter how much we complain about it. It hasn't changed. So I don't worry about it too much.
Brandon Dennison:Well Dural thank you for taking some time on Change in the Coal Fields. You are a part of some big, big change. I just really enjoy working with you. I hope we have many, many years of collaboration ahead of us. I think that we do and I've really enjoyed our conversation today.
Dural Miller:Thank you Brandon. Man, I appreciate you brother. You've inspired me in a lot of ways man to keep pushing forward and with my organization. So I look forward to many more years working with you.
Brandon Dennison:Sounds good. Thank you again. Take care.
Dural Miller:Thank you, brother. You too.
Brandon Dennison:Change in the Coalfields is a podcast created by Coalfield Development at the West Edge factory in Huntington, West Virginia. This episode was hosted by Brandon Dennison, and produced and edited by JJN Multimedia. Become a part of our mission to rebuild the Appalachian economy by going to our website Coalfield-Development.org to make a donation. You can email us anytime at info@Coalfield-Development.org and subscribe to our newsletter for up-to-date information on the podcast. You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn by searching for Coalfield Development. Check back soon for more episodes.