Dr John Barimo will speak at the Spirit of Mother Jones Festival and summer school on Wednesday evening 1st August at 4pm at the Cathedral Visitor Centre, Roman Street, Cork.
Dr. John Barimo
He will address the following topic:
“Understanding the Rise of Trumpism among the ‘Great-Grand Children of Mother Jones”
This lecture will focus the role played by many of Mother Jones “Progeny” in Appalachian coal country that became staunch supporters of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign even though it appeared in many ways to work against their own self interests. These so-called great-grandchildren are current miners or other manual workers and their extended families, many of whom are still bound by the cycle of poverty. There will be a background brief on a few quarks of the US electoral process and an examination of the socioeconomic profile of the people of Appalachia.
We will also explore effects, influences and scope of social media and misinformation campaigns, and the use of effective branding and marketing campaigns. Lastly, we will look at the shifts in public sentiments during the campaign and voter sentiment in Pennsylvania which was the key swing state with struggling coal and steel industries. A few film clips will be embedded in the presentation which will highlight public sentiments in Appalachia along with the struggles encountered by these individuals.
Dr Barimo is an educator, coastal ecologist, writer, advocate of social justice and adventurer. He earned a doctorate in Marine Biology and subsequently lectured at socially disadvantaged third level institutions in the US Virgin Islands and Miami. He has recently come to Cork and lives in the Shandon Historic Quarter.
John will speak at 4pm at the Cathedral Visitor Centre on Wednesday 1st August.
All welcome.
The Spirit of Mother Jones Festival 
I wish I could have heard this lecture. I was in West Virginia in May doing research and to witness a re-enactment of a famous gun battle over coal company gun thugs trying to evict miners from their homes. I went seeing sites, nearby towns and the countryside and I was aghast at the political signs promoting Don Blankenship for US senator. He is the mine owner bastard who had mine safety equipment off and lied about the safety of the mine on government forms and to officials. He actions caused an explosion and many miners died. He received a mere 1 year sentence from the court he bought and paid for. As I recall, he still got 29% of the vote in the primary election to be the Republican party nominee. That is absolutely incredible! Mother Jones would have had lots to say about that. In addition, Don Chafin street signs were everywhere. He was a crooked lawman who harassed and caused the death of many miners who were only seeking fairness and justice. To see his name displayed like that made me ill. There is something strange going on when people love those who abuse them like Chafin and Blankenship. This lecture by Dr. Barimo would have been fascinating to me.