Bessie Lou Cornett Parker

Bessie Lou Cornett Parker

1948-06-01
61 (2010-02-17)
Pikeville, Kentucky, USA

Bessie Lou Cornett Parker (1948-2010) was an American organizer, known for her involvement in the UMW Bituminous coal strike of 1977-78.

Pikeville, Kentucky, USA

Bessie Lou Cornett Parker (1948-2010) was an American organizer, known for her involvement in the UMW Bituminous coal strike of 1977-78.

Most Known for...

Movie Picture

Harlan County U.S.A. 1977 (7.5)

This film documents the coal miners' strike against the Brookside Mine of the Eastover Mining Company in Harlan County, Kentucky in June, 1973. Eastovers refusal to sign a contract (when the miners joined with the United Mine Workers of America) led to the strike, which lasted more than a year and included violent battles between gun-toting company thugs/scabs and the picketing miners and their supportive women-folk. Director Barbara Kopple puts the strike into perspective by giving us some background on the historical plight of the miners and some history of the UMWA. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with New York Women in Film & Television in 2004.
Movie Picture

The Making of 'Harlan County U.S.A.' 2006 (6)

This documentary features new interviews with producer-director Barbara Kopple, cinematographers Hart Perry and Kevin Keating, associate director Anne Lewis, and three people featured in HARLAN COUNTY USA: United Mine Workers organizer Houston Elmore, miner Jerry Johnson, and strike activist Bessie Parker.