The March of the Amazon Army

Local playwright Linda Knoll brings the coal mining history of southeast Kansas to life with her play, "Army of Amazons: An Oral History of Southeast Kansas." On June 25, she will bring her knowledge to Presbyterian Village for a presentation on the women's march for justice that inspired her work.

Linda is an educator and historian who has worked in a variety of heritage preservation settings. Her play has been performed for numerous audiences, and provided the inspiration for the mural "Solidarity." 

Southeast Kansas has a rich and intense history heavily affected by coal mining. With the discovery of coal in the late 1860s, thousands came to work in the mines. At one time, the region produced a third of the nation's coal. 

The mix of nationalities that settled in the area coalfields created an ethnic geography unique to Kansas that came to be known as "The Little Balkans." 

In 1921, a commitment to achieving social justice was acted upon by thousands of women--wives and relatives of striking miners--who marched on the coal mines in protest of hazardous working conditions, poor pay and discrimination. It is the story of the men and women who not only toiled to extract coal from the earth, but also engaged in a courageous struggle for equity and justice that advanced the cause of human and civil rights in America.

Linda also assisted with the development of the Miners Hall Museum in Frankliln, Kan. Some of her research has been published in the Little Balkans Review. In 2005, she received a National Education Association award in Los Angeles for her work in local history. She has a website devoted to the Amazon Army and has given numerous presentations on the story of the women's march. 

RSVP to Becky Kellum at rkellum@pmma.org or 620-223-5550 by June 21.

Use our event page to invite your friends and help us spread the word: facebook.com/events/172886100076632

The presentation is part of Presbyterian Village's Just Ask series, a free, ongoing lifelong learning program featuring information from local, regional and national experts on topics of interest to older adults and their families.