Interview with Estle Phillips, Mary Phillips, September 18, 1986
Project: Women and Collective Protest Oral History Project
Interview Summary
Estle and Mary Phillips, a couple who participated together in the Brookside strike, begin the interview by articulating the effects of the strike on their lives. Subsequently, Estle Phillips explains what life is like in a coal camp for a non-coal miner. Estle Phillips also reveals the impact of the movie "Harlan County, USA" on his life. Estle's work in the mines is then described. Additionally, both interviewees talk of the picket line, unions, the organizers of the strike, and the Brookside Women's Club. The father of Estle Phillips is also mentioned. Sheriff Billy G. Williams and his reaction to the strike are explored. The participation of Estle Phillips in the RJ Corman strike is then detailed. Mary Phillips also recalls her arrest due to her participation in the strike. How the public reacted to the strike is discussed. Lessons from the strike, and expectations from the strike are then shared. How the Phillips felt about the strike is examined. The Phillips household during the strike, as well as their recent health are explored. The possibility of moving away from Harlan County is also articulated. The background of Estle and Mary Phillips is then illustrated. Mary Phillips tells of her favorite place she has lived, and Estle recalls the end of the strike. The Phillips end the interview by reflecting upon how Harlan County has been impacted by the strike, as well as a brief description of the jobs they had following the strike.Interview Accession
Interviewee Name
Mary Phillips
Interviewer Name
Interview Date
Interview Rights
All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.Interview Usage
Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.Restriction
Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.
All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.
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Phillips, Estle Interview by Sally Ward Maggard. 18 Sep. 1986. Lexington, KY: Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
Phillips, E. (1986, September 18). Interview by S. W. Maggard. Women and Collective Protest Oral History Project. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington.
Phillips, Estle, interview by Sally Ward Maggard. September 18, 1986, Women and Collective Protest Oral History Project, Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
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Persistent Link for this Record: https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt776h4cr880