Blair March in Pictures: Day 1

We’ll be posting more as these come in.

Blair Mountain strikers were often referred to as “red necks” by the press, on account of the red scarves they wore around their necks to symbolize solidarity against the coal company police. Participants in the modern Blair March wear red scarves in memory.

A strong coalition of impacted residents, citizens opposed to strip-mining, conservationists, union members, historians, and progressive activists have come together to oppose the destruction of this historic mountain.

While what happened at Blair was historic in size, its important to remember that this anti-miner violence did not happen in a vacuum. The mine wars lasted intensely for decades, and their memory lives on in the intensity of those standing up to coal company abuses. Watch Harlan, USA or Matewan for other stunning examples of just how far the coal companies would go to keep miners and communities down.

Please see more at Appalachian Voices Flickr feed.

About JW Randolph

Raised on the banks of the Tennessee River, JW's work to create progress in his home state and throughout Appalachia has been featured on the Rachel Maddow Show, The Daily Kos and Grist. He served first as Appalachian Voices’ Legislative Associate and then Tennessee director until leaving to pursue a career in medicine in 2012.