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Searching for Justice in Appalachia
Since leaving the mining industry six years ago, I’ve gone in search of justice for Appalachia. It has been a hard journey coping with the deepening realities of…
4 min read
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Coal is not what raised me…
A few years ago, I had a few family members tell me “Coal is what raised you!” It was a phrase I’d also heard from the angry wives…
4 min read
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On “In the Black” by Gary Bentley
In January, I came across the first of a new series on the Daily Yonder titled “In the Black.” It is an accurate and gritty portrayal of coal…
4 min read
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The Scotia Mine Disaster – 40 years later
Today marks the 40th anniversary of the Scotia Mine Disaster that took the lives of 15 miners on March 9th, 1976, and a second explosion that took the…
4 min read
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Broken Promises
There is an unspoken promise that has been made by politicians and coal companies in Appalachia. It states that if people fight against the “War on Coal” companies…
4 min read
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Blood on the Mountain
If you haven’t heard about the new documentary Blood on the Mountain—you should. No other film has taken such a broad view of the political corruption and exploitative…
4 min read
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Mining, Diesel Particulate Matter, & Cancer
We didn’t have rail at Alpha Natural Resources’ Paramont Deep Mine 26, even though it was Southwest Virginia’s second largest mine at the time. Entry in and out…
4 min read
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The Problem with Environmental Activism in Appalachia
June 5, 2025: I wrote this not longer after defending my undergraduate thesis on negative environmentalist stereotypes in Appalachia. I later continued this course of study at Virginia…
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Christmas at the Mines
Right after Thanksgiving, everyone at the mines would start getting into the Christmas spirit. Even though we knew it was a month away, we couldn’t wait for the…
4 min read
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Obama Has Killed Coal
When it comes to money and power, nothing is cut and dry, and it never seems to be in the interest of the working people. After seeing more…
4 min read