There are some songs that stand at the core of the labor movement.
Year after year these songs ring out on picket lines, at labor rallies, and in union halls around the world.
These Songs inspire and build solidarity between workers.
Undoubtedly, “Which Side are You on?” is one of those songs.
On this day in Labor History, the year was 1900.
Today we celebrate the birthday of Florence Reese, the author of “Which Side are You on?” iconic labor lyrics.
She was born in Tennessee, the daughter of a coal miner.
During the 1930's her husband Sam was an organizer for the United Mine Workers in Harland County, Kentucky.
In what came to be known as the “Harlan County Wars” the battle for union recognition waged on for nearly a decade.
Often violent skirmishes broke out between striking miners and federal troops and the mine owner’s hired guns.
Legend has it that one fateful day in 1931 deputies were dispatched to kill Sam Reese.
He escaped just in the nick of time.
But Florence and her children were terrorized as the deputies illegally searched and ransacked their home.
When the deputies left, an angry Florence ripped the calendar off the kitchen wall and on it wrote the lyrics to “Which side are You on?”
Folk singer Pete Singer heard the song and in 1941 he recorded it with his group the Almanac Singers.
It entered into the lexicon of labor anthems.
Then in 1976 Florence appeared in the Oscar winning documentary Harlan County USA.
The documentary told the story of a 1970's coal strike.
In it Florence sang her song, and the lyrics provided a powerful addition to the film.
Since then many more artists have covered versions of the song, including Ani DiFranco, Natalie Merchant and the Drop Kick Murphys
Labor History in 2:00 brought to you by the Illinois Labor History Society and The Rick Smith Show