Deadly 1921 coal miner revolt in West Virginia remembered

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Fed up with the deadly work and poor wages and living conditions, thousands of coal miners marched to unionize in West Virginia a century ago, resulting in a deadly clash and the largest U.S. armed uprising since the Civil War.

On Friday, some of their descendants joined others in retracing the steps that led to the 12-day Battle of Blair Mountain. Multiple events are planned looking back at the fight, highlighted by the 45-mile march over three days.

“Every step you take, you just think about what kind of courage that took,” said United Mine Workers international President Cecil Roberts, whose great-uncle, Bill Blizzard, was a leader of the 1921 march as a union subdistrict state organizer.

The miners — whites, Blacks, and European immigrants — banded together, bent on doing something about their treatment by coal operators. They became known as the “Red Neck Army” for the distinctive bandannas around their necks.

Read more: https://www.post-gazette.com/local/region/2021/09/03/Deadly-1921-coal-miner-revolt-in-West-Virginia-remembered-1/stories/202109030167