Interview with Darrell Campbell, July 31, 1987

Interview Summary

Darrell Campbell, a native of Hazard, Kentucky, discusses in detail the roving pickets' movement of the early 1960s in Perry County, Kentucky. He talks about Charlie Combs, the High Sheriff of Perry County, who he believes mistreated the Roving Pickets, and Berman Gibson, the leader of the Roving Pickets. Campbell sees Gibson as a charismatic man who could evoke feeling from his audience. He also discusses the role of women on the picket lines and maintains that women were sometimes more effective on the picket lines than the men.

Campbell recalls the discussion to make a trip to Washington, D.C. in January of 1963. He states that miners met with several prominent governmental officials while in Washington, including Albert Gore, Sr., Carl D. Perkins, and Jennings Randolph. Campbell believes that federal programs to bring relief to the unemployed in Perry County resulted from the Roving Pickets trip to Washington including the Unemployed Fathers Program ("Happy Pappy").

Campbell explains the background of the roving pickets' movement. He states that the United Mine Workers of American (UMWA) decided to close the miners' hospitals it operated throughout eastern Kentucky, which left miners without health insurance and created feelings of outrage. Another important topic Campbell discusses deals with the charges of communism leveled against Roving Pickets by coal operators and newspapers. He explains that he knew no communists in the roving pickets' movement.

Interview Keyword

Berman Gibson Charlie Combs coal mining and mechanization communism in eastern Kentucky Roving Pickets trip to Washington United Mine Workers of America

Interview LC Subject

Appalachian Region Campbell, Darrell Campbell, Darrell--Interviews Coal miners Coal mines and mining Coal mines and mining--Appalachian Region Coal mines and mining--Kentucky--History

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Interview Usage

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