Interview with Darrell McGraw, May 21, 1987

Partial Transcript: What is your recollection of why Governor Smith decided to appoint a task force on surface mining and get changes in the state law in the year nineteen sixty six?

Segment Synopsis: Darrell McGraw talks about the beginning of the Citizens' Task Force on Surface Mining and discusses the work done by the group. He talks about their decision to focus on particular families and show the human aspects of the effects of strip mining. He talks about the role VISTA workers played in the organization.

Keywords: Citizens' Task Force on Surface Mining; Destruction; Focus; Governor Hulett Smith; Human aspect; Quality of life; Strip mining regulation; Surface mining task force; VISTA; Visibility

Subjects: Lobbying; Strip mining--Law and legislation--Appalachian Region; Volunteers in Service to America

Partial Transcript: I notice, I was--interviewed, uh, Don Marsh yesterday morning and then went through
some of the Gazette back files...

Segment Synopsis: McGraw talks about the conflict between the poverty programs and aspects of local government. He talks about his perceptions of many people in the community feeling dispossessed and how the poverty programs encouraged their participation in local politics which permeated every aspect of the community.

Keywords: Dispossessed; Dissent; Political force; Political structures; Poverty programs

Subjects: Politics and government

Partial Transcript: To what extent do you think that, say, for example, in the, the situation in Mingo County where, I guess the, the conflict sort of reached a real peak...

Segment Synopsis: McGraw talks about how people in Mingo County felt about the political corruption and whether those opinions were at odds with the opinions of the VISTA workers.

Keywords: Community organizing; Cultural clashes; Local culture; Locals; Outsiders; Power; VISTA

Subjects: Elections--Corrupt practices; Mingo County (W. Va.); Political corruption; Volunteers in Service to America; Voter registration--Corrupt practices

Partial Transcript: In the, the, say, '66 period--'65--'66 period, um, the Smith administration seemed that it
was very much supportive of the poverty program.

Segment Synopsis: McGraw discusses Governor Hulett Smith's views on the poverty programs and the need to give control of them to local governments. He talks about how this system was meant to operate and whether it was successful.

Keywords: Empowerment; Governor Hulett Smith; Poverty programs; Traditional political system

Subjects: Local government.; Smith, Hulett C. (Hulett Carlson), 1918-2012

Partial Transcript: Do you think that that period had--the, the, that period of ferment, had any impact on
the way that politics operated in West Virginia?

Segment Synopsis: McGraw discusses whether the War on Poverty had an effect on the politics in West Virginia. He talks about whether the VISTA program and community action were connected to the black lung movement.

Keywords: American labor movement; Black lung movement; Empowerment; Impact; Organizing; Poverty programs; Reform; UMWA; VISTA

Subjects: Community action; Politics and government; Strip mining--Law and legislation--Appalachian Region; United Mine Workers of America; Volunteers in Service to America

Partial Transcript: What do you think the prospects are for another reform period happening in West Virginia politics anytime in the near future?

Segment Synopsis: McGraw discusses whether he believes there is any possibility for reform in West Virginia in the near future. He discusses the economic upswing that occurred in West Virginia due to the coal industry. He discusses whether he knows anything about voter fraud in Mingo County in 1968. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Coal industry; Economic upsurges; Income; Mingo County (W. Va.); Political corruption; Reform period; Voter registration; War on Poverty; West Virginia; Young people

Subjects: Politics and government; Reform