John Kennedy describes monumental developments in black lung care during the summer of 1973, primarily as it pertains to the establishment of state and federally funded clinics. He details the complex effort in acquiring these funds, including the role key players had in placing pressure on the Tennessee State Health Department to monitor black lung (along with TB) as an issue of significance–Columbus McGhee chief among them. For more information on John Kennedy’s involvement with the East Tennessee Research Corporation (ETRC) and work related to black lung, follow this link for footage of the full-length interview.
Recorded June 2018.