Too often miners are painted almost as caricatures - as conservative, ignorant, poor, depressed, and selfish. The reality is that miners often go unheard. Coming from families of multi-generational coal miners is a core part of who Danny, Terry, and Charles are. But what they’re most proud of is being in a union.

From their childhoods spent playing in the Appalachian mountains, to their first day inside the mines, to a career-defining strike, they paint us a picture of their lives over decades. Today, they continue to fight to be seen in their community, and by our nation at large. In our interview, they each get candid about regrets they’ve had, lessons they’ve learned, and hopes they hold onto for the future of West Virginia. I went into this conversation hoping to find working class solidarity, and came away feeling even more empowered than I had imagined.