August 7th: Which Side Are You On?

Florence Reece

My partner Lisa and I have been reading aloud 𝐻𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑦 π‘Šπ‘œπ‘šπ‘’π‘›, the incredible stories of the mountain women of Appalachia in the 1930s who were determined to create a world based upon what we say against the mine-owners who would stop at nothing to make those workers and their families do what they say. Call it the democratic spirit on one side, and voter suppression backed by violent thugs on the other.

This week marks the anniversary of the death of one of those women, the amazing Florence Reece of Ellistown, Tennessee, who one night in 1931 responded to the violent anti-union threats against her and her husband and children by doing the only thing she could do, write a song:

𝐼 π‘€π‘Žπ‘  π‘‘β„Žπ‘–π‘Ÿπ‘‘π‘¦ π‘€β„Žπ‘’π‘› 𝐼 π‘€π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘‘π‘’ β€œπ‘Šβ„Žπ‘–π‘β„Ž 𝑆𝑖𝑑𝑒 π΄π‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘Œπ‘œπ‘’ 𝑂𝑛?” π‘Šπ‘’ π‘π‘œπ‘’π‘™π‘‘π‘›β€™π‘‘ 𝑔𝑒𝑑 π‘€π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘‘ π‘œπ‘’π‘‘ π‘Žπ‘›π‘¦ π‘€π‘Žπ‘¦. π‘†π‘œ 𝐼 𝑗𝑒𝑠𝑑 β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ π‘‘π‘œ π‘‘π‘œ π‘ π‘œπ‘šπ‘’π‘‘β„Žπ‘–π‘›π‘”. 𝐼𝑑 π‘€π‘Žπ‘  π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘›π‘–π‘”β„Žπ‘‘ π‘†π‘Žπ‘š β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ π‘ π‘›π‘’π‘Žπ‘˜π‘’π‘‘ 𝑖𝑛 π‘‘β„Žπ‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘’π‘”β„Ž π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘›π‘“π‘–π‘’π‘™π‘‘π‘  π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ 𝐼 π‘€π‘Žπ‘  𝑒𝑝 π‘Ž-π‘€π‘Žπ‘‘π‘β„Žπ‘–π‘›β€™ π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘”π‘  π‘‘π‘œ π‘π‘œπ‘šπ‘’ π‘Žπ‘“π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿ β„Žπ‘–π‘š. π‘‡β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘β€™π‘  π‘€β„Žπ‘’π‘› 𝐼 π‘€π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘‘π‘’ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘ π‘œπ‘›π‘”. π‘Šπ‘’ 𝑑𝑖𝑑𝑛’𝑑 β„Žπ‘Žπ‘£π‘’ π‘Žπ‘›π‘¦ π‘ π‘‘π‘Žπ‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘›π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘¦ π‘π‘Žπ‘’π‘ π‘’ 𝑀𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑑𝑛’𝑑 𝑔𝑒𝑑 π‘›π‘œπ‘‘β„Žπ‘–π‘›π‘”, 𝑀𝑒 π‘€π‘Žπ‘  π‘‘π‘œπ‘–π‘›π‘” π‘”π‘œπ‘œπ‘‘ π‘‘π‘œ 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒. π‘†π‘œ 𝐼 𝑗𝑒𝑠𝑑 π‘‘π‘œπ‘œπ‘˜ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘π‘Žπ‘™π‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘Žπ‘Ÿ π‘œπ‘“π‘“ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘€π‘Žπ‘™π‘™ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘€π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘‘π‘’ π‘‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ π‘ π‘œπ‘›π‘”, β€œπ‘Šβ„Žπ‘–π‘β„Ž 𝑆𝑖𝑑𝑒 π΄π‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘Œπ‘œπ‘’ 𝑂𝑛?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nzudto-FA5Y

Peter Gabel