"Uprooted: Life After the Mines" - Published September 2021 - The Bitter Southerner


This project documents Kentucky coal miners impacted by recent coal bankruptcies, their environments and the mines where they labored. It was completed in the Spring of 2021 as part of a 2020 Galloway for Reporting in Appalachia fellowship with The GroundTruth Project and was further supported by the Kentucky Documentary Photographic Project. 

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"Uprooted: Life After the Mines" - Published September 2021 - The Bitter SouthernerThis project documents Kentucky coal miners impacted by recent coal bankruptcies, their environments and the mines where they labored. It was...

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The mountainside is illuminated by the setting sun over homes in Lynch, Harlan County, Kentucky on March 6, 2021.
An old belt line is folder over onto itself at the Cloverlick #3 mine, formerly owned and operated by Blackjewel who had gone bankrupt in 2019, in Cumberland, Harlan County, Kentucky on March 3, 2021.
Sherd Cuadill Jr., a former coal miner with Cambrian Coal, at his mother in-laws home in Jackhorn, Letcher County, Kentucky on March 4, 2021. Sherd is still unemployed following the lay-offs from Cambrian and often turns to woodworking to make money. He h
A mining belt owned by Sherd Cuadill Jr., a former coal miner with Cambrian Coal, at his mother in-laws home in Jackhorn, Letcher County, Kentucky on March 4, 2021. Sherd is still unemployed following the lay-offs from Cambrian and often turns to woodwork
Fog makes its way up an embankment as seen from a small roadway bridge after heavy rains and flooding in nearby counties in Whitesburg, Letcher County, Kentucky on February, 27, 2021.
An illustration of a former coal mining community known as Hemphill sits on the front porch of Sherd Cuadill Jr.’s mother in-laws home in Jackhorn, Letcher County, Kentucky on March 4, 2021.
Joshua Slone, 42, a former miner laid off from Cambrian Coal, at his home in Virgie, Pike County, Kentucky on February, 27, 2021. Slone had been a coal miner for nearly 15 years before being laid off. He had spent most of his time as a roof bolter. After
A belt is illuminated by sunlight at the closed Daniels Creek mine, formerly owned by Cambrian Coal before their bankruptcy in Millard, Pike County, Kentucky on March 2, 2021.
Fog hangs over a waterfall making it’s way through trees as seen from US-23 in Jenkins, Letcher County, Kentucky after heavy rains on February, 27, 2021.
A section of coal taken from the train tracks where former Blackjewel miners protested following the company’s mass layoffs is seen on May 10, 2021.
David Pratt Sr. and David Pratt Jr., both formerly miners for Blackjewel who went bankrupt in 2019, stand along a river nearby their driveway in Linefork, Letcher County, Kentucky on February, 27, 2021. The pair were among a small coalition of miners that
A processing plant formerly owned and operated by Blackjewel, who had gone bankrupt in 2019, in Cumberland, Harlan County, Kentucky on March 3, 2021.
David Pratt Jr., shows his coal mining tattoo while standing in his driveway in Linefork, Letcher County, Kentucky on February, 27, 2021. After being laid off from Blackjewel in 2019, Pratt Jr. decided to attend school for nursing.
A sign for the L&N Historical Society is seen along the quiet Main Street in downtown Cumberland, Harlan County, Kentucky on March 3, 2021.
Chris Sexton, a former miner laid off from Blackjewel Mining following their bankruptcy in 2019, at his home in Gordon, Letcher County, Kentucky on February, 26, 2021. Following the company’s bankruptcy, Chris and a small coalition of miners protested by
Adam Ratliff, formerly a miner for Cambrian Coal before the company declared bankruptcy, at his new home in Salt Lick, Bath County, Kentucky on March 7, 2021. Ratliff, whose father was also laid off from the mines, chose to move nearly 3 hours away from w
Coal sits outside of a home, ready to be burned for heat, next door to the home of former Blackjewel Miner Chris Sexton in Gordon, Letcher County, Kentucky on February, 27, 2021.
A processing facility owned by Virgie Clean Mining, formerly owned by Cambrian Coal, is seen in Shelby Creek, Myra, Pike County, Kentucky on Marcy, 2, 2021.
Crosses sit along the roadside outside of a processing plant formerly owned and operated by Blackjewel, who had gone bankrupt in 2019, in Cumberland, Harlan County, Kentucky on March 3, 2021.
Chris Rowe, a former miner for Blackjewel who went bankrupt in 2019, with his son CJ before CJ was set to go to Karate lessons outside of his home in Loyall, Harlan County, Kentucky on February, 27, 2021. Rowe was among a small coalition of miners that le
A section of coal taken from the Daniel Creek Mine formerly owned by Cambrian Coal is seen on May 10, 2021.
Water flows down a rock wall at a processing facility owned by Virgie Clean Mining, formerly Cambrian Coal is seen in Shelby Creek, Myra, Pike County, Kentucky on Marcy, 2, 2021.
John Howard, a former Blackjewel miner in his workshop where he is self-employed as an electrical repairman outside of his home in Baxter, Harlan County, Kentucky on March 2, 2021. Howard opened the shop making repairs locally and has been successful at m
Dormant foliage is illuminated in Linefork, Letcher County, Kentucky on March 1, 2021.
Leroy Harris, formerly a Blackjewel Miner, with his wife Nancy Harris at his home in Delphia, Perry County, Kentucky on March 6, 2021. Harris started in the mines at 15 years old. He worked his way from shoveling raw material at the face of the mine to wo
Homes are illuminated by the setting sun in Lynch, Harlan County, Kentucky on March 6, 2021.
A strip mine is seen from an outlook at the highest point of Black Mountain in Harlan County, Kentucky on March 6, 2021.
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