On April 5, 2010, a massive explosion at the Upper Big Branch coal mine in Raleigh County, West Virginia, killed 29 miners due to methane ignition and poor ventilation. Owned by Massey Energy, it was the worst U.S. coal disaster in 40 years. Investigations revealed systemic safety violations. The event occurred in the heart of Appalachian coal country.

This disaster revitalized Appalachian protest poetry and songs, similar to earlier mine tragedies, influencing writers documenting environmental and labor injustices. It fed into 21st-century narratives on corporate greed and working-class struggles in American verse and memoir.