I read about the burnt neck origins as well and also that slaves in the Southern cotton fields named the poor whites who worked alongside them for pittance 'rednecks' because they got sunburnt.

Miners seem to have often had a rough ride. It's been the same in the UK especially in the 1970's when the miners went on strike followed by Margaret Thatcher essentially destroying the industry and thousands of jobs, livelihoods and families with it. I've heard of the Brookside Strike but will look into it more now you've mentioned it.

How shocking that a teacher would speak that way to your daughter!

Thank you for the prompt, I very much enjoyed researching and writing this piece :)