The current protests in Madison, Wisconsin echo another mass demonstration in Springfield, Illinois held almost eighty years ago. On January 26, 1933, 10,000 members of the Women’s Auxiliary of the Progressive Miners of America assembled at the Illinois state capitol to protest the wanton violence in the coal fields and to demand the restoration of […]
I had the great fortune to interview Sean Burns this week. Sean is a descendant of Agnes Burns Wieck, the first president of the Illinois Women’s Auxiliary of the Progressive Miners of America. Agnes was a legendary organizer, gifted leader and political visionary. In addition to providing a thoughtful and heart-felt interview, Sean was kind […]