Since the early 2000s, there has been a dramatic increase in the rates of black lung disease in the United States, despite federal regulations to decrease dust exposure and improve workplace safety. There is a disconnect between the data which shows that coal mines have never been safer and that miners have the worst disease outcomes in all of US mining history. Generations of coal miners in central Appalachia are dying prematurely and living with a severe and debilitating disease. Over the last two years, I’ve interviewed miners throughout central Appalachia about this disconnect. I wanted to hear their side of the story.This project was funded in 2018 by the Central Appalachian Education and Research Center at The University of Kentucky. I started this project as part of a graduate certificate program in Appalachian Studies at Radford University. My Faculty Advisor for this project is Theresa Burriss, Chair of Appalachian Studies at Radford University. Along with Theresa, the project team includes Rion Caldwell and Lesly Marie Buer. Music for this series was provided by Tyler Hughes.
