Ross Ballard II e-mailed me the two photos posted below of William C. Blizzard in 2008 at his last public event. Blizzard was a guest on September 20th, 2008 at the rededication of the restored Charles Town Jail where his father and other coal miners were held during their trail for “treason” after the 1921 Battle of Blair Mountain. Ballard has been working with Charleston filmmaker Kelley Thompson on a feature documentary about the amazing life and times of  Mr. Blizzard which ended last December. Thompson will introduce his new film, “Remembering William C. Blizzard” on May 9th, La Belle Theater in South Charleston, WV, 7 PM after music by Elaine Purkey that starts at 6:30 PM. ( Purkey sang at the WV Cultural Center when Blizzard gave a presentation. She also sang at the Memorial Service for Blizzard in January 2009 after he passed in late December 2008.)

 William C. Blizzard in front of the restored Old Jefferson Jail, Charles Town, September 20, 2008 Photo by Martinsburg Journal

The event is co-sponsored by The South Charleston Museum and West Virginia Labor History Association as part of its 2009 WV Labor History Night.

 William C. Blizzard shaking the hand of WV labor leader Warren McGraw at the re-dedication of the Old Jefferson County Jail in Charles Town, September 20, 2008. Photo by Martinsburg Journal.

Thompson interviewed William C. Blizzard extensively for his 2008 film called “The Widen Project” since his father, Bill Blizzard, was active in the 1952 Widen Strike. He also filmed the January 2009 Memorial Service that was held at The Cultural Center. Working with Wess Harris, the publisher of “When Miners March,” and Ross Ballard II, the creator of the awesome audio book version of “March,” Thompson promises to deliver a film that will honor the Blizzard clan which has roots back to their activism in the very first coal miner strikes in WV in Fayette County i n the 1870s. Three generations of Blizzards have sacrificed their lives to fighting for the coal miners of Appalachia.

Two more films will be shown if time permits, starting with “Black Lung – A History,” a new MSHA documentary about the WV Black Lung Movement that led to the federal law that finally regulated coal dust, Ken Hechler’s 1969 Federal Coal Mine Health & Safety Law, signed in December 1969. If time permits, the new OSHA film, “Faces of Black Lung” will also be shown, running 13.5 minutes.

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