Reece, Florence, 1900-1986
Biography:
Reece was a writer and social activist whose song ''Which Side Are You On?'' became an anthem for the labor movement. Borrowing from the melody of the old hymn ''Lay the Lily Low,'' Mrs. Reece wrote the union song in the 1930's to describe the plight of mine workers who were organizing a strike in Harlan County, Ky. Mrs. Reece's husband, Sam, who died in 1978, was one of those workers. Pete Seeger, the folk singer, recorded the song in 1941. It has since been used worldwide by groups espousing labor and social issues. -- New York Times Obituaries, August 6, 1986.
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Archival Collections and Reference Resources
- Highlander Folk School: A Photographic History (Highlander Research and Education Center)
- Photograph of Florence Reece (Black-and-white photographs)
- Photograph of Florence Reece and Hazel Dickens seated together in during Reece's eighty-fifth birthday celebration, Highlander Research and Education Center, Knoxville, Tennessee, 1985 (Black-and-white photographs)
- Photograph of Florence Reece and Pete Seeger of the Highlander Research and Education Center singing on stage during Solidarity Day in Washington D.C., 1981 (Black-and-white photographs)
- Photograph of Florence Reece during her eighty-fifth birthday celebration, Highlander Research and Education Center, Knoxville, Tennessee, 1985 (Black-and-white photographs)
- Photograph of Florence Reece, during her eighty-fifth birthday celebration, seated in a chair alongside Candie Carawan, Highlander Research and Education Center, Knoxville, Tennessee, 1985 (Black-and-white photographs)
- Photograph of Florence Reece in conversation with others during a Communications Workshop, Highlander Research and Education Center, Knoxville, Tennessee, 1971 (Black-and-white photographs)
- Photograph of Florence Reece, Myles Horton, Carol Cuyer, and Lois Short seated in a living room laughing during the Music and Coalmining workshop, Highlander Research and Education Center, Knoxville, Tennessee, 1981 (Black-and-white photographs)
- Photograph of Florence Reece seated in a chair alongside Bill Murrah and Brenda Bill during her eighty-fifth birthday celebration, Highlander Research and Education Center, Knoxville, Tennessee, 1985 (Black-and-white photographs)
- Photograph of Florence Reece seated in a chair during her eighty-fifth birthday celebration, Highlander Research and Education Center, Knoxville, Tennessee, 1985 (Black-and-white photographs)
- Photograph of Florence Reece singing on stage during a workshop on Music and Coalmining at the Highlander Research and Education Center, Knoxville, Tennessee, 1978 October (Black-and-white photographs)
- Photograph of Florence Reece singing on stage with Pete Seeger at a Highlander Benefit Concert at the Bijou Theater in Knoxville, Tennessee, 1982 October (Black-and-white photographs)
- Photograph of members of the board of directors standing outside in various groups, including B.R. Brazeal, A. Liveright, Septima Clark, Guy and Candie Carawan, Lewis Sinclair, Myles Horton, Charles Gonallion [Gomillion], Esau Jenkins, and Florence Reese [sic], Highlander Research and Education Center, Knoxville, Tennessee, (Black-and-white photographs)
- Photograph of Sam Reece and Florence Reece standing together (Black-and-white photographs)