Manuel Rodriguez Muro: Souls Behind the Coal
Illinois Latina Chamber of Commerce Presents: El Rostro Del Carbon (Souls Behind the Coal) Photography Exhibit by Manuel Rodriguez Muro.
April 9 – 22nd
Casa De La Cultura Mestizarte
1440 W. 18th St.
The Souls Behind the Coal is a tribute to the men that risk their lives trying to provide food and shelter for their families. The daily necessities and lack of better opportunities has kept them strong. The fact is that every person that works in these coal mines are exposed to poor working and unhealthy conditions. There is no certainty that these brave men will return home to their families. Day to day the elders guide the young, looking out after each other, taking the necessary precautions to help prevent any accidents. Being buried under tons of earth or drowned inside the dug wells are only a couple of the endless possibilities that may occur inside these coal mines.
In spite of the lack of equipment, these men take the journey day by day to fulfill a work day that will provide their children with the opportunities that have not been given to them. There are many stories filled with sadness and tragedies. In most cases, it seems like the authorities don’t have anything to say or any explanation to give as to why this is happening. The individuals that have lost their lives take with them the truth behind the occurrences in these disasters.
