Maureen O’Connell and Charles “Boomer” Winfrey reflect on Bill Dow’s character and personal philosophy about community organizing. They describe him as an other-oriented person driven by creative, actionable service and mutually respectful relationships best illustrated by his perception of and interaction with the locals as his heroes. Recorded on May 20th, 2013. Full footage …
Biff Hollingsworth, archivist at UNC’s Wilson Special Collections Library’s Southern Historical Collection, comes across some highlights from JW Bradley’s recently donated collection of papers. The first is a newspaper clipping of JW, president of Save Our Cumberland Mountains (SOCM), with Ralph Nader. Together they overlook and discuss a strip mined area in Campbell County, TN. …
Highlights from JW Bradley’s collection of papers Read More »
Lewis Lefkowitz recalls what facilitated the Student Health Coalition’s success. He discusses the organization’s framework of community mobilization and agency, and furthermore highlights the leadership legacy of Kate and JW Bradley. Recorded December 1, 2015. Full footage of his recollection about the development of the Student Health Coalition in the 1960s and 1970s.
Emma Ruth “Kate” Hobbs Bradley was born 13 October 1932 in Petros, Tennessee, a small Appalachian coalfield community in the Cumberland Mountains. Kate was the sixth of seven surviving children in her family. Her father was a coalminer. Kate married Jacob “J.W.” Bradley in 1951. They were married for 67 years, until Kate’s death on …
I am a bit late in getting my bio in, best done in the earlier stages of pending dotage. I am originally from Laurinburg, N.C., a small farming and, then, textile community in the eastern part of the state. I attended Laurinburg HS and at one time was junior Rotarian of the month. Then to …
This interview with J.W. Bradley and Kate Bradley is a follow up to interview U-0803. J.W. Bradley was born in Petros, Tenn., a coalfield community in the Cumberlands. He served as deputy sheriff in Petros. He was one of the founding member of Save our Cumberland Mountains (SOCM) and the first president of the organization. …
Topics discussed in this interview with Kate Bradley and J.W. Bradley include: birth in Petros, Tenn.; life history overview; coal mining father; history of Save Our Cumberland Mountains (SOCM); women’s role in SOCM; relationship of Vanderbilt University medical students; Student Health Coalition in 1969; Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA); coal mining in Tennessee; foodways; fundraising; community …
Profile: SOCM began in 1971, under the leadership of J.W. Bradley who sought fair taxation of absentee land corporations. They appealed to the Tennessee government, and won their first battle. Bolstered by their success, the organization then hoped to help local communities with other issues they encountered. These prominently included fighting against strip mining in …
Records, correspondence, and printed material related to the involvement of J. W. Bradley with Save Our Cumberland Mountains (SOCM), an organization founded to support community issues arising from the increase in strip mining in Eastern Tennessee during the 1970s and 1980s. Materials in the collection include correspondence, legal documents, and printed material related to the …
J.W. and Kate Bradley Papers, Southern Historical Collection, UNC Chapel Hill Read More »
[Story contributed by Perry Steele, 15 May 2017] I was finishing my sophomore year at Vanderbilt. Nixon hadn’t drafted me. For some reason Professor Scott suggested I could be a community organizer. Having no other plans for the summer, I was lucky enough to work with Kathy Stanley and Irwin Venick. Someone lent Kathy and …