A Hamlin native, Purkey's musical style, shaped by her church and family, became a tool for social change. Her activism, ignited in the 1980s, was closely tied to her marriage to coal miner and union leader Bethel Purkey. During the 1989 Pittston Coal strike, her labor song "America, Our Union" became an anthem, and she continued her advocacy during the Ravenswood Aluminum Lockout, writing "One Day More."

Purkey supported her family while her husband was on strike and later organized for the UMWA. She also taught traditional music to children and advocated for the performing arts in schools. Her community involvement included work on water regulations, miners' benefits, and environmental justice.