The Dante Coal Miners’ Memorial is located in Russell County, Virginia. Discussions about this monument began in 1999 when members of the Dante Economic Renewal Project decided to focus on community projects. The PRIDE Organization, which descended from that initial renewal project, erected this memorial in 2000 to commemorate the men of Dante who worked in the mines. It includes a large memorial wall with several hundred names of miners who died while on the job.
Those who spoke at the dedication ceremony included politicians and former miners. One common theme came out of their speeches: Sacrifice. Don Wallace, who was the representative of the UMWA at the ceremony, said that the UMWA would not exist without people like the miners who were memorialized on the monument. Similarly, a Delegate named Jackie Stump explained that the memorial was a reminder of the immense sacrifice the miners made to make the nation more prosperous (Street).
This memorial was rededicated in 2001 when around 56 more names were added.
Further Readings:
The History of Dante
The Dante Community Association, “History,” in danteva.org.
Coal Miner’s Memorial Dedicated in Dante
by Shawn Street, “Coal Miner’s Memorial Dedicated in Dante,” The Lebanon News, 2001.