RADFORD – Radford University will host speaker Wesley W. Harris on Wednesday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. in the Bonnie Hurlburt Student Center combination room.  The event is free and open to the public.

He will discuss his book of William C. Blizzard’s account of the Battle of Blair Mountain in West Virginia, When Miners March. He will provide a historical overview of the mine wars, the resultant trials and how all these events continue to affect current day labor and mining. 

He’ll pose questions such as, “How does history impact us today?  How do these events that took place in the early 20^th century contribute to issues of mountaintop removal and global warming now?” 

Harris holds his BA from Ohio Northern University and an MA from the Ohio University in sociology.  He is a certified underground coal miner and was president of UMWA Local 1555.

The event is sponsored by New Student Programs’ RU Connections.  To learn more, contact Theresa Burriss at (540) 831-6857 or tburriss@radford.edu.