Rednecks Rising

“The great corporation which employed you lied to you, and lied to the whole country—from top to bottom it was nothing but one gigantic lie.” ― Upton Sinclair, The Jungle In this bonus episode we hear from Matt, who was recently fired from an Amazon Warehouse in Campbellsville, KY for attempting to organize a union with his coworkers in response to brutal working conditions that involve walking mo...

“I would fight God Almighty Himself if He didn't play square with me” -- Mother Jones In this episode, I sit down with all three of the co-hosts of Dixieland of the Proletariat to do a Deep Dive into Mother Jones' life and legacy in the labor movement. Did you know Mother Jones was the ONLY WOMAN IN THE ROOM for the conversations when the IWW was being founded? The episode takes us from Ireland to...

Appalachians forgive me, for bringing a bougie planter class Italian Yankee onto the show, but I think you’ll enjoy it regardless. Things we touch on in this episode: How are politics & white supremacy at the root of the boundaries, economies, cultures, commonalities and differences between the Deep South, the Rim South, and Appalachia? What does the Civil War have to do with it? (Spoiler alert: E...

TW: This week's episode discusses violent events. Listener caution/discretion is advised. In today's episode, I thought I would explore the history of Labor Day, given that the holiday in the USA is approaching. Little did I know, I would end up in yet another rabbit hole of events related to May Day (AKA International Worker's Day) and the USA's intentional suppression of worker organizing all th...

In episode 12, I talk with another Appalachian podcaster! TJ - host of Appalachian Firesides - is based out of Kentucky, and gearing up for law school. We have a fun conversation that digs into the art of story telling and how integral it is to our region. We bond on our shared goal of our podcasts to amplify the various stories and voices of our region, and we talk about how we got started on our...

ALL HANDS ON DECK, WE NEED YOU TO STAND FOR APPALACHIA, NOW! Sign up for POWHR’s newsletter to learn how you can act in solidarity against the MVP: https://powhr.org/sign-up-for-powhrs-newsletter/ We’re taking the Redneck Resistance to DC! Climate deals can’t afford to cut corners. This side deal that’s on the table in climate negotiations happening behind closed doors in congress greenlights Joe...

Be on the lookout for a surprise bonus episode later this week!!! Today's episode is all about the Marion Massacre, which took place in Western North Carolina. What started with exploring a story of labor organizing that ended in tragedy that's close to home for yours truly, ended with reflections on how the police state is inherently designed to benefit systems of oppression. A well-kept mountain...

TW: Coming out to religious family, homelessness In today’s episode I sit down with Clover-Lynn, aka HillbillyGothic, a traditional bluegrass banjo musician with deep roots in Virginia. We explore a few different questions during our conversation: Who defines Appalachia? What are the differences in the Appalachian dialect throughout the region? Why are we taught to be embarrassed by our Appalachia...

Hint: it's way more than you think. In today's episode, we let ourselves spin off into the web of race & labor and bring together pieces of history a little bit more clearly — taking us on a journey from today all the way back to the Virginia Slave Codes and then we even manage to bounce back to Joe Manchin before we wrap things up. Just call me the Miss Frizzle of Appalachian History because we'r...

In today's episode, I sit down with Sierra Kennedy - an Indigenous Appalachian single mom of three that's going to law school determined to get past the classist barriers and into the belly of the beast. In this episode we touch on how the legal system was shaped to protect profit and power by keeping poor folks & POC in check, we consider the dual reality of Appalachia's deep majesty contrasted w...

In the 7th episode, we finally touch on The Battle of Blair Mountain that I set out to cover in episode 3, but not without first covering the events leading up to the Battle from 1919-1921. This episode is definitely not an in-depth summary of the Mine Wars, but touches on the events including: The Battle of the Tug, the Matewan Massacre, the assassination of Sid Hatfield, the March on Logan Count...

In this episode, I interview Cody from the Chattanooga Free store in Tennessee while he is on duty at the store. We talk about everything from leftist theory to praxis and how there is no role too small in the movement... except talking shit on social media, that role is too small. Cody talks about growing into a leftist after being raised the son of a chicken farmer in a town with no stop lights...

“I was born in revolution.” - Mother Jones In this episode, I skip over the Revolutionary War era and get straight to the good stuff connected to the labor uprisings at the end of the 19th century. But first! We introduce a new segment: TRIVIA QUESTIONS with CHRISTOPHER! Once Christopher asks the first official trivia question of the Rednecks Rising universe, then I talk a little bit about our con...

I feel like today's episode needs to be titled something different to mark the era that we have entered since Ep. 3 dropped. Today's interview was recorded before the Supreme Court decision became official, but it feels quite relevant considering the escalating action and mutual aid networks that might carry risk of criminalization for those who are associated with them in the coming days, weeks,...

In this 3rd episode, the side effects of having a podcast host with ADHD show up: I started with covering The Battle of Blair Mountain, but that led me to historical labor uprisings that had happened the century before the Battle, which then led me to learning about multiracial organizing by indentured servants prior to the formalization of the Virginia Slave Codes. I decided it's best to start at...

In today's episode, I sit down with Hazel Wines, AKA Zoo - a working class Mama based out of Southwest Virginia who helped to start a Free Store in her hometown. We get real fired up about the conditions of public schools in poor Appalachian communities, the military state's efforts to bust up Appalachia and keep the working class from coming together, and Zoo's work to advocate for her local publ...

We are officially LIVE!!! In our first ever full-length episode, I introduce myself as your host and dive into the history behind the term "redneck," where it comes from, how its meaning has changed over time, and how it gets used today. Hint: the personal is always political. Get full access to Rednecks Rising Media at rednecksrising.substack.com/subscribe

Coming Soon! This is Rednecks Rising Podcast hosted by two loud-mouthed Appalachian women who are excited to bring you along on this journey as we dive into the rich history behind the evolution of revolution across Appalachia and sit down for interviews with all of the best hillbilly hellraisers that call these hollers their home. Starting June 14th, every Tuesday morning we will drop a new episo...