Randolph Gail Political Consciousness 1

Born in Unicoi County, Tennessee, in 1947, Gail Randolph became involved in protests to stop toxic waste dumping in the Bumpus Cove, TN community in 1976. She and other community members established the Bumpass Cove Citizens Group, a community organization to close the landfill and to bring attention to health problems caused by the toxic dump. She went on to become a fellow of the Southern Appalachian Leadership Training Program in the early 1980s. She was also a central figure in the documentary ‘You Got To Move’ directed by Lucy Massie Phenix, a film that followed three social justice campaigns (including the Bumpus Cove struggle) that had been supported by the Highlander Research and Education Center. In this interview Randolph describes her childhood and the barriers she faced as a girl and young woman without financial security. A very spiritual person, Randolph describes how she has overcome tragedies and injustices in her life.