“You can tell the coal operators bout’n dis,
You can tell the company we done quit,
Tell ’em what de non-union have done,
Tell ’em dat de panic have come
An’ it brought sorrows, ah ‘clare, unto mah home.”

Blair Pathways is now working with Aurora Lights to create the Blair Pathways Lesson Plan Project! We are excited to combine our efforts to bring lesson plans about Blair’s History into the curricula of school children from middle grades through high school! “Aurora Lights supports educational opportunities, locally-based projects and connections between academia and […]

And yet, “Which Side Are You On” is about dichotomy. A friend had pointed this out to me on the March itself, and my reply had been to justify the song in the context of Florence Reese’s experiences in Harlan County in 1932. But this isn’t 1930’s Harlan County, and this struggle is a multi-faceted one. It is not one of unionizing or not unionizing, pro-environment or anti-environment. Saving Blair is about making a place not merely survivable but flourishing for all of its inhabitants. I would not let myself fully embrace this idea for my love of Florence’s song. It was Florence’s conviction that I held onto more strongly than her words.

Storytelling is a survival strategy. When we talk about the violence made against us, to our land or identities we give ourselves time to process our feelings and reconfigure our perspectives. And when we make these stories into songs, we give these narratives an emotional quality that guarantees the long memory. When I sing Hick’s Farewell, I am granted a window into my Grandfather’s childhood. And someday when I am old and wild-eyed, perhaps with pieces of my identity slipping away, that song will never leave me, it is ingrained in my body. The Blair Pathways Project is an offering, a collection of memories we may immerse ourselves in. I hope you choose to take this gift, as best I can give it.

We have just launched our kickstarter campaign! Funding from this campaign will ensure completion of the first phase of our project. You can check it out and donate here or search for Blair Pathways on kickstarter.com. You can get hold of more information cialis prescription supplementprofessors.com through cialis using the web. An expert’s […]

From June 4th-11th over 1,000 marchers, union miners, organizers and musicians made history by marching on Blair Mountain, WV! The march received national media recognition and was supported by celebrities including Robert Kennedy Jr. Myself and several other people lead and learned a lot of new songs on the march, which are now being archived […]

We’ve got another wonderful benefit coming up in Asheville! Here are the details: Saturday, July 9th, 7:30pm, at Nourish and Flourish 347 Depot St. Suite 201, Asheville, NC. $10 at the door. We’ll be having a wonderful variety of performers including ballad singer Sheila Kay Adams and the old-time group The Doghobble String Band! Nourish […]

Hello there! We’ve got some fundraisers coming up in Asheville, NC in the next few months! The first is the “EarthSong Soiree,” on May 21st. We’ll have Ash Devine, Honey Holler and myself performing. We’ll also be having a cakewalk and be serving delicious alcoholic and non-alcoholic cordials such as Strawberry Rose Sake and Blueberry […]

Friends of Blair Mountain (FOBM) is leading the fight to preserve Blair Mountain, halt all strip mining on the site and create more jobs for West Virginia miners. FOBM is collaborating with Appalachia Rising to conduct a March on Blair Mountain, from June 5th-11th. Everyone is invited to come and march in support […]