Florence Reece (born April 12, 1900, Sharps Chapel, Tennessee – died August 3, 1986, Knoxville, Tennessee) was an American social activist, poet, and folksong writer. The daughter and wife of coal miners, she is best known for the song, "Which Side Are You On?" written in 1931 during a strike by the United Mine Workers of America in which her husband, Sam Reece, was an organizer. is the 102nd day of the year (103rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Äž: For the film, see: 1900 (film). ... Official language(s) English Capital Nashville Largest city Memphis Largest metro area Nashville Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 36th  - Total 42,169 sq mi (109,247 km²)  - Width 120 miles (195 km)  - Length 440 miles (710 km)  - % water 2. ... is the 215th day of the year (216th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Alternate uses: Knoxville (disambiguation) Knoxville is a city located in Knox County, Tennessee, United States. ... The poor poet A poet is a person who writes poetry. ... American folk music, also known as Americana, is a broad category of music including Native American music, Bluegrass, country music, gospel, old time music, jug bands, Appalachian folk, blues, Tejano and Cajun. ... Surface coal mining in Wyoming. ... United Mine Workers of America seal The United Mine Workers (UMW or UMWA) is a United States labor union that represents workers in mining. ...

Pete Seeger, collecting labor union songs, learned "Which Side Are You On" in 1940. The following year, it was recorded by the Almanac Singers in a version that gained a wide audience. The song also has be covered by Billy Bragg and Dropkick Murphys. Peter Seeger (born May 3, 1919), almost universally known as Pete Seeger, is a folk singer, political activist, and author. ... A trade union or labor union is an organization of workers. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... The Almanac Singers were a group of folk musicians who achieved brief popularity in the early 1940s. ... Stephen William Bragg (born December 20, 1957), known as Billy Bragg, is an English musician renowned for his blend of folk, punk-rock, and protest music, and his poetic lyrics dealing with political as well as romantic themes. ... “DKM” redirects here. ...

Florence Reece appeared in the Academy Award-winning documentary film, Harlan County, USA, singing her anthem to rally the striking miners. Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to document reality. ... Harlan County, USA is a 1976 documentary film documenting the efforts of 180 coal miners on strike in Harlan County, Kentucky in 1974. ...

Florence and Sam Reece were married for 64 years, till his death from pneumoconiosis (black lung) in 1978. After a lifetime of speaking out on behalf of unions and social welfare issues, Florence Reece died of a heart attack in 1986 at the age of 86. Pneumoconiosis, also known as coal workers pneumoconiosis, miners asthma, or black lung disease, is a lung condition caused by the inhalation of dust, characterized by formation of nodular fibrotic changes in lungs. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ...

Bibliography

• Against the Current: Poems and Stories (1981), Knoxville: private imprint

Discography

• Coal Mining Women (no date indicated), Rounder Records CD

Rounder Records, originally of Cambridge, Massachusetts but now based in Burlington, is an independent record label founded in 1970 by Ken Irwin, Bill Nowlin and Marian Leighton-Levy, while all three were still university students. ...

References

• Biography of Florence Reece on the Appalachian Protest Songwriters Web page

It has been suggested that Poverty in Appalachia be merged into this article or section. ...

External links

• "Which Side Are You On" lyrics, link to MIDI music