Interview with John Rosenberg, June 9, 1992

Partial Transcript: --in a concentration camp for a week and was able to get out with the help of some local authorities...

Segment Synopsis: John Rosenberg discusses what it was like to be Jewish during World War II in Holland.

Keywords: America; Boats; Concentration camps; Family; Holland; Internment camps; Nazis; WW2; WWII; World War II

Subjects: Anti-Semitism; Antisemitism; Childhood; Emigration and immigration.; Families.; Family histories.; Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945); Immigrants; Jewish children; Jewish families.; Jews--Identity.; Judaism.; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: I had a lot of other family members that didn't make it over.

Segment Synopsis: Rosenberg discusses the hard adjustment to American life. He shares what his parents had to do in order to survive.

Keywords: Automatic washers; Bilingual; Concentration camps; Economy; Education; Internment camps; New York; North Carolina; Poverty; Sponsors; Work

Subjects: Anti-Semitism; Antisemitism; Emigration and immigration.; Families.; Family histories.; Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945); Immigrants; Jewish children; Jewish families.; Jews--Identity.; Judaism.; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: Worked for a Chemical company for a year as a sale rep.

Segment Synopsis: Rosenberg discusses how he joined the air force. After serving, it inspired and paid for him to go to law school in order to join the civil rights movement.

Keywords: Air Force; Civil Rights Movement; G.I. Bill; Law schools; Married; Sales; Segregation; University of North Carolina

Subjects: African Americans--Civil rights; African Americans--Segregation; African Americans--Social conditions.; African Americans--Southern States.; Civil rights demonstrations; Civil rights movements--United States; Civil rights--Law and legislation; College students.; Education, Higher; Integration; Lawyers; Military life.; Race discrimination.; Racism; United States--Race relations.; United States. Army Air Forces; Universities and colleges.

Partial Transcript: Do you remember, um, what you thought of, uh--well, during that time, like '60 to '70, do you remember being aware of the War on Poverty...

Segment Synopsis: The interviewer asks if Rosenberg was aware of the social movements dealing with the War on Poverty and the mountains, but he says that at that time he was focusing on the extreme oppression and segregation in the South.

Keywords: African Americans; Lawyers; Oppression; Racism; Segregation; South; War on Poverty

Subjects: African Americans--Civil rights; African Americans--Segregation; African Americans--Social conditions.; African Americans--Southern States.; Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Civil rights demonstrations; Civil rights movements--United States; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky; Environmental protection; Environmental protection--Kentucky; Environmentalism.; Integration; Kentucky--Social conditions; Lawyers; Protest movements; Race discrimination.; Racism; Social movements.; United States--Race relations.

Partial Transcript: And it was really Terry who contacted me to come to look at the beginning of this program.

Segment Synopsis: Rosenberg discusses how he became involved in the legal fight against coal-related issues in the Appalachian area.

Keywords: Appalachian poverty; Black lung disease; Coal-related environmental issues; Legal assistance; Paul Coffman; Public interest law firms; Strip mining; Worker's rights groups

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Coal miners; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky; Environmental law.; Environmental protection; Environmental protection--Kentucky; Environmentalism.; Kentucky--Social conditions; Lawyers; Protest movements; Social movements.

Partial Transcript: How about, um, the, uh, the child or the--I guess you were more like a teenager growing up in Gastonia, do you remember what impressions you had about the mountainous part of the region?

Segment Synopsis: This section goes into more detail about the teenage years of John Rosenberg. He explains that he does not remember anything memorable about his childhood years other than his fondness of the mountains and how he enjoyed being a counselor for a boy scout camp.

Keywords: Boy scouts; Civil rights; College life; Cub scouts; Growing up in the mountains; Mississippi; Mountains; North Carolina; Teenagers; Traveling; Twentieth century; University

Subjects: Childhood; College students.; Education, Higher; Recreation; Universities and colleges.

Partial Transcript: When I was in law school, University of North Carolina I had a number of class mates from the western part of the state...

Segment Synopsis: This segment goes more in depth about Rosenberg's time working with civil rights issues and when he began to become affiliated with coal issues, as well as an overview of his early career.

Keywords: 1960s; Alabama; Civil rights; Coal; Law schools; Laws; Mountains; North Carolina; South; Strip mining; Vietnam era

Subjects: African Americans--Civil rights; African Americans--Segregation; African Americans--Social conditions.; African Americans--Southern States.; Civil rights demonstrations; Civil rights movements--United States; Civil rights--Law and legislation; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky; College students.; Education, Higher; Environmental protection; Environmental protection--Kentucky; Environmentalism.; Integration; Lawyers; Protest movements; Race discrimination.; Racism; Social movements.; United States--Race relations.; Universities and colleges.

Partial Transcript: And, uh, we went through some growing pains initially.

Segment Synopsis: Rosenberg discusses why he decided to stay in the mountains. He describes what he calls the "mountain people's rights" and securing funding for the future of mountain people's civil rights. He discusses the various issues affecting the locals at this time and gives details on how they are being addressed.

Keywords: Appalachia research; Coal mining; Controversial issues; Domestic life; Funding; Goldberg v. Kelly; Legal service funding; Medical card regulations; Mountain people's rights; Mountains; Paintsville Housing Authority; Research and defense funds; Settling down; Supreme Court; Welfare benefits denial

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Coal miners; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky; Environmental law.; Environmental protection; Environmental protection--Kentucky; Environmentalism.; Kentucky--Social conditions; Lawyers; Protest movements; Social movements.

Partial Transcript: Uh, yeah, if you could just say something about the Robinson Forest Case...

Segment Synopsis: Rosenberg discusses coal-related petitions, violations, and other circumstances he has been involved with. He also shares his experiences within the judicial system fighting for human rights and a safer environment.

Keywords: Companies; Deep mining; Environmental damage; Mine safety; Petitions; State courts; Strip mining; Surface effects; Violations

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Coal miners; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky; Environmental law.; Environmental protection; Environmental protection--Kentucky; Environmentalism.; Kentucky--Social conditions; Lawyers; Pollution.; Protest movements; Social movements.

Partial Transcript: People who were--citizens who were interested in environmental protection for strip mining were aware of what we were doing.

Segment Synopsis: Rosenberg shares a story from Pike County, Kentucky. A case he was involved in halted future mining operations in the area because the strip mining could cross paths with an area that had already been deep mined. Rosenberg was able to demonstrate evidence that the area had been mined out and was full of water. He potentially saved hundreds of lives in the area.

Keywords: Citizens protesting successfully; Deep mining; Intersection of mines; Mine safety; Pike County (Ky.); State courts; Strip mining

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Coal miners; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky; Environmental law.; Environmental protection; Environmental protection--Kentucky; Environmentalism.; Kentucky--Social conditions; Lawyers; Protest movements; Social movements.

Partial Transcript: Um, well, the last thing that we said that had a date was the Robinson Forest case.

Segment Synopsis: Rosenberg says that the Bar Association was very worried about what he was there to do. They frowned upon petitions and use of class actions, and did not want them working on larger impact type cases that involved powerful coal companies and disrupted traditional ways of life and order in Appalachia. They did not want competition for clients. Outsiders coming into Appalachia was the main concern.

Keywords: Bar Association; Class action lawsuits; Hostilities; Hostility; Outsiders in Appalachia; Petitions; Philosophical issues

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Coal miners; Coal mines and mining--Kentucky; Environmental law.; Environmental protection; Environmental protection--Kentucky; Environmentalism.; Kentucky--Social conditions; Lawyers; Protest movements; Social movements.

Partial Transcript: How long did you receive funding from OEO for...

Segment Synopsis: Lawyers in 1972 were on half salaries because of issues of funding. The funding issues derived from state lawyers trying to defund the cause that Rosenberg was representing. He discusses judicare, which means funding private attorneys to do cases similar to the one that Rosenberg was working on, since most citizens could not pay for lawyer fees.

Keywords: Defunding; Half salaries; Judicare; Legal aid; Legal costs; Legal fees; Legal services; Politicians

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Environmental law.; Environmental protection; Environmental protection--Kentucky; Environmentalism.; Kentucky--Social conditions; Lawyers; Protest movements; Social movements.

Partial Transcript: The federal court in Washington at the time declared a number of Phillips' actions illegal.

Segment Synopsis: A separate board of directors of Legal Services Corporation is established in Kentucky. Prior to 1973, the organization was West Virginia-based. The organization begins to see an increase in funding and begins establishing several chapters around the state. Rosenberg wanted four lawyers in every office to begin.

Keywords: 1973; 1974; Board of directors in Kentucky; Congress; Failure to refund legal services; Increase in funding; Lexington (Ky.); Lexington office

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Environmental law.; Environmental protection; Environmental protection--Kentucky; Environmentalism.; Kentucky--Social conditions; Lawyers; Protest movements; Social movements.