Amelia Milka Sablich
Encyclopedia
Amelia "Mildred" Milka Sablich (born 11 Jun 1908 in Trinidad
, Colorado
, died 7 Oct 1994 in Helper, Utah) also known as Flaming Milka, was 19 years old when she became a leader in the 1927 coal
strike
in that state. Her family emigrated to Trinidad from Volosko
, Croatia (then part of Austria) in 1907. Her father, Anton Sablich, worked as a coal miner in Colorado.
during the months of November and December in 1927. The strike in Colorado was conducted by the Industrial Workers of the World
; she took an active part in it, speaking out for the cause of the miners. She wore bright red and engaged in physical fights with men (including a mine guard). Her older sister, Santa Benash, was also heavily involved in the strike.
Union organizers were locked up and/or deported whenever they could be identified; thus Sablich and other women took over the responsibility for organizing the strike.
Milka spent approximately five weeks in jail spread over at least two occasions. According to the Denver Morning Post, at one point Milka was offered her freedom if she promised not to attend any more meetings of the strikers. She refused to accept such a requirement, and she was kept in jail.
The 1927 coal strike in Colorado is best remembered as the strike in which the "first Columbine Massacre
" occurred.
After the massacre and Milka's release, she toured the country giving speeches to raise money for the miners. When the strike was concluded, she enrolled in Work People's College
in Duluth, Minnesota
.
Trinidad, Colorado
The historic City of Trinidad is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Las Animas County, Colorado, United States...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, died 7 Oct 1994 in Helper, Utah) also known as Flaming Milka, was 19 years old when she became a leader in the 1927 coal
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
strike
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
in that state. Her family emigrated to Trinidad from Volosko
Volosko
Volosko is a part of the city of Opatija, located in the Kvarner Gulf in western Croatia. It is located in the north of Opatija, on the road towards Kastav and Rijeka.-People:* Amelia Milka Sablich, born there...
, Croatia (then part of Austria) in 1907. Her father, Anton Sablich, worked as a coal miner in Colorado.
Life
Sablich became a familiar personality throughout the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during the months of November and December in 1927. The strike in Colorado was conducted by the Industrial Workers of the World
Industrial Workers of the World
The Industrial Workers of the World is an international union. At its peak in 1923, the organization claimed some 100,000 members in good standing, and could marshal the support of perhaps 300,000 workers. Its membership declined dramatically after a 1924 split brought on by internal conflict...
; she took an active part in it, speaking out for the cause of the miners. She wore bright red and engaged in physical fights with men (including a mine guard). Her older sister, Santa Benash, was also heavily involved in the strike.
Union organizers were locked up and/or deported whenever they could be identified; thus Sablich and other women took over the responsibility for organizing the strike.
Milka spent approximately five weeks in jail spread over at least two occasions. According to the Denver Morning Post, at one point Milka was offered her freedom if she promised not to attend any more meetings of the strikers. She refused to accept such a requirement, and she was kept in jail.
The 1927 coal strike in Colorado is best remembered as the strike in which the "first Columbine Massacre
Columbine Mine massacre
The first Columbine Massacre, sometimes called the Columbine Mine massacre to distinguish it from the Columbine High School massacre, occurred in 1927, in the town of Serene, Colorado. A fight broke out between Colorado state police and a group of striking coal miners, during which the unarmed...
" occurred.
After the massacre and Milka's release, she toured the country giving speeches to raise money for the miners. When the strike was concluded, she enrolled in Work People's College
Work People's College
A Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church of America folk school founded, September 1903, in Minneapolis, Minnesota served as a predecessor for Work People's College...
in Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
.
External links
- "Flaming Milka" from rebelgraphics
- "Slaughter in Serene" from rebelgraphics
- Wobbling, Time magazine, December 5, 1927 (on the Time Magazine Archive, University of Phoenix).
Further reading
- Slaughter in Serene: the Columbine Coal Strike Reader by Eric Margolis, Joanna Sampson, Phil Goodstein, and Richard Myers (Published by the Industrial Workers of the World)
- Break Their Haughty Power, Joe Murphy in the Heyday of the Wobblies a non-fiction novel by Eugene Nelson, chapters 33-34 (Published (c) 1993 by "ism press, inc")