“Black Diamonds,” “Civil Up and Rising” | Crystal Good | TEDxCorbin
The speaker uses two poems to connect the immense pressure that forms diamonds with the human suffering and violence in coal mining history, arguing that the true "black diamonds" are formed from the tears, blood, and love of those exploited. The first poem, "Black Diamonds," links the geological formation of diamonds to the deaths of 29 miners in a 2010 mine disaster, framing their wives' grief as the pressure that creates priceless, unsellable jewels. The second, a spoken-word piece referencing James Brown and the 1921 Battle of Blair Mountain, highlights the violent struggle between miners and the Baldwin-Felts detective agency, questioning the audience's allegiance.
## Speakers & Context
- Unnamed speaker, likely a poet or activist.
- Presents two poems: "Black Diamonds for Mrs. Sweet Jenny Lynch" and a spoken-word piece referencing James Brown and the Battle of Blair Mountain.
- The talk is framed as sharing personally meaningful works.
## Theses & Positions
- The immense pressure that forms geological diamonds is analogous to the human suffering and exploitation that creates "black diamonds" of historical significance.
- The true value of these "black diamonds" lies in their connection to human sacrifice, love, and struggle, making them priceless and unsellable by corporations.
- Historical events of worker oppression and rebellion, like the 1921 Battle of Blair Mountain, are often overlooked or misrepresented, and it is crucial to understand which "side" one stands on.
## Concepts & Definitions
- **Black Diamonds:** Used metaphorically to represent the human cost of industries like coal mining, formed from blood, sweat, love, and the tears of those exploited and grieving. Contrasted with geological diamonds formed by millions of years of earth pressure.
- **Industrial Homicide:** A term used to describe the deaths of 29 miners in a 2010 mine disaster, implying culpability beyond mere accident.
- **Company Store:** A historical feature of company towns where miners were forced to buy goods on credit, often at inflated prices, contributing to debt and control.
- **Baldwin-Felts:** A private detective agency employed by coal companies to suppress labor organizing and intimidate miners.
- **Scabs:** Workers hired to replace striking workers.
## Mechanisms & Processes
- **Diamond Formation (Geological):** Millions of years of pressure from the earth turning soil to coal.
- **"Black Diamond" Formation (Metaphorical):**
- Pressure of earth falling in on miners.
- Blood, sweat, love, and slaves buried in unmarked graves.
- Tears of coal miners' wives, compacted and forming priceless jewels.
- **Historical Rebellion:** Miners resorting to force and fighting back against intimidation and brutality from agencies like Baldwin-Felts.
## Timeline & Sequence
- **Millions and millions of years:** Pressure forms geological diamonds.
- **April 5th, 2010:** A mine disaster where 29 men died; described as the day that started "just like all the other days" but resulted in "industrial homicide."
- **34 years:** Length of marriage for Mrs. Jenny Lynch and her husband, a coal miner.
- **4:00 a.m.:** Time when Mrs. Lynch would receive "three kisses" from her husband.
- **1921:** Year of the miners' march and protest, leading to the Battle of Blair Mountain.
- **Five days / Six nights:** Duration of battles during the 1921 conflict.
- **1 million shots fired:** Indicative of the scale of violence in the 1921 conflict.
- **2015:** A year mentioned in relation to "teens," possibly indicating a contemporary connection or a later reflection on these historical events.
## Named Entities
- **Mrs. Sweet Jenny Lynch:** Wife of a coal miner who died in the 2010 disaster.
- **Lukes:** (This entity appears in Example 1, not the provided transcript. It is omitted here.)
- **James Brown:** Referenced for his song "I Don't Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing (Open the Door I'll Get It Myself)," used to frame the idea of self-reliance and taking action.
- **Baltimore:** Mentioned as a location on "the one," suggesting a point of reference or a starting place in a rhythm or chant.
- **Blair Mountain:** Site of a major armed rebellion by coal miners in 1921, mentioned as "on the two."
- **Baldwin-Felts:** The detective agency employed by coal companies.
- **Sid Hatfield and Freddie Gray:** Individuals mentioned in the context of the 1921 conflict, contrasted with the luxury of their children's education versus the speaker's children being "almost wild."
- **Logan County:** Mentioned in relation to misery and despair.
## Numbers & Data
- **Two:** Number of poems shared.
- **Millions and millions:** Years for geological diamond formation.
- **29:** Number of men who died in the April 5th, 2010 mine disaster.
- **34:** Years of marriage for Mrs. Lynch and her husband.
- **4:00 a.m.:** Time for "three kisses."
- **1921:** Year of the miners' march and protest.
- **1:** Reference point for "Baltimore on the one."
- **2:** Reference point for "Blair Mountain on the two."
- **6/9:** Appears in relation to "Baltimore on the one."
- **5:** Number of days associated with "Blair Mountain on the two."
- **100:** People who died in the week of rage during the 1921 conflict.
- **1,000:** People arrested during the 1921 conflict.
- **10,000:** Miners involved in the 1921 conflict.
- **1 million:** Shots fired during the 1921 conflict.
- **1921:** Year of the Battle of Blair Mountain.
- **2015:** Year mentioned in relation to "teens."
## Examples & Cases
- **"Black Diamonds" Poem:**
- **Geological Diamonds:** Formed by millions of years of pressure.
- **"Black Diamonds" from Human Suffering:** Formed from blood, sweat, love, and slaves buried in unmarked graves.
- **April 5th, 2010 Disaster:** 29 men died, described as "industrial homicide."
- **Mrs. Jenny Lynch's Grief:** Her husband's death, the loss of "I love yous," "three kisses at 4:00 a.m.," and "be on the stove by your bucket honey." Her tears and those of other coal miners' wives form "priceless black diamonds" that "no coal company can never sell."
- **Spoken-Word Piece (James Brown & Blair Mountain):**
- **James Brown's Quote:** *"I don't want nobody to give me nothing open the door I'll get it myself."*
- **The Question:** *"Which side are you on now? Which side are you on?"*
- **1921 Miners' March:** Protest against intimidation, blood, and brutality.
- **Baldwin-Felts Violence:** Bloodying women, children, and miners' heads.
- **Miners' Response:** Taking to force, fighting back, shooting at the detective agency.
- **Battle of Blair Mountain:** Described as the "largest armed American rebellion since the Civil War."
- **Misrepresentation:** *"But you ain't never heard of this."*
- **Visuals of Rebellion:** Red bandanas around necks, ordinary citizens and miners versus Baldwin-Felts police and scabs.
- **Scale of Violence:** Week of rage, 100 people died, 1,000 arrested, 10,000 miners, 1 million shots fired.
- **Contrast in Outcomes:** Sid Hatfield and Freddie Gray educating their children in luxury, while "our children almost wild."
- **Call to Action:** *"Poor folks haven't got a chance unless we organize."*
## Verbatim Moments
- *"Black diamonds black diamonds black diamonds hey hey what you know about so what you know about Co what you know about the pressure of the earth turning soil to cold turning colder diamonds they say they say one day millions and millions of years of pressure or pressure of pressure form diamonds in colors black pink yellow green today this pressure forms black diamonds from blood from sweat from love from slaves buried in unmarked graves black diamonds form on days like April 5th 2010 the day that started just like all the other days just like the other days the hundreds of days that the earth fell in on miners trapping them underground with nothing but their prayers this time on April 5th 2010 29 men died and what they call a mine disaster others industrial homicide homicide homicide dead 29 miners what you know about black diamonds black diamonds black diamonds"*
- *"you see when mrs. Lynch wins sweet mrs. Jenny Lynch heard the news that her husband would not be coming home she knew there would be no more I love yous no more three kisses at 4:00 a.m. no more be on the stove by your bucket honey her high school sweetheart her husband of 34 years her Rosie would not be coming home when sweet Ginny sheds a tear when every coal miners wife sheds a tear there comes the pressure compacted compacted compacted and every time mrs. Lynch misses sweet Jenny cries her tears hit the earth they're there in the mountains of West Virginia and form a priceless black diamond no coal company can never sell these jewels of Appalachia these women who love their men deep into the earth this special this diamond forming diamonds compacted compacted compacted of tears of love of human slavery of the company's store of we're sorry for your loss a black black this our history is scattered you have to find it in poems called thang diamonds black diamonds and pages were blacking fades until somebody digs in some brave heart will always hear the call and dig deep inside so the millions and millions of years from now they will hold up and marvel at our diamonds and wonder at their timeless love formed by the pressure and pressure and pressure and the salt of her tears what you know about diamonds what you know about so what you know about coal"*
- *"James Brown said I don't want nobody to give me nothing open the door I'll get it myself"*
- *"Baltimore on the one Blair Mountain on the two which side are you on now which side are you on can I count it off Baltimore on the one 6/9 Blair Mountain on the two five days which side are you on say it loud"*
- *"1921 the miners marched and protested they had had all the intimidation they could endure blood and brutality blood and brutality then baldwin-felts bloody and women and children and miners heads then baldwin-felts bloodying women and children and miners heads then then miners took to force then miners took the fight then miners took to shootin that miners took to f the detective agency but you ain't never heard of this boom pop but you ain't never heard of this say it loud the largest armed American armed rebellion since the Civil War but she ain't never heard of this you ain't never heard of this which side are you no say it proud Baltimore up and rising but you only heard riot riot riot red bandanas red around their necks on the one red bandanas red around their necks on the two ordinary citizens and miners verse the baldwin-felts police and scabs on the one week of rage 100 people died 1000 arrested ten thousand miners 1 million shots fired and you ain't never heard of this you ain't never heard of this say it loud on the one six nights to every battles one on the to five days to every battles through they say in Baltimore County there are no neutral there six nights they say in Logan County there's too much misery and despair five days Sid Hatfield and Freddie gray they say they have to God us to educate their child their children live in luxury our children almost wild one Sid Hatfield and Freddie gray they say they have to guard us to educate their children their children live in luxury our children almost wild too gentlemen can you stand it Oh tell me how you can will they call you a thug and say you're not a man on the one or will you be a gun thug and say you're not a man on the - stand down stand down on the one bombs and martial law 1,000 arrested on the - coal companies prosecute on the 1000s March on the to us poor folks haven't got a chance on the one unless we organize on the - which side are you on 1921 boom pop 2015 teens boom pop say it loud Baltimore on the one say a proud Blair mountain on the - which side are you on now which side are you"*