On January 25 in Nashville, Tennessee, Student Action with Farmworkers and Minnow Media, took home a Midsouth Regional EMMY for the documentary, Harvest of Dignity. The documentary was produced in 2010 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the broadcast of Edward R. Murrow's groundbreaking 1960 documentary, Harvest of Shame. Donna Campbell, a producer from Minnow Media in Carrboro, worked with Student Action with Farmworkers and the Farmworker Advocacy Network to interview farmworkers, religious leaders, advocates and government officials to reveal the story of how the lives of farmworkers have changed in the last 50 years.
Harvest of Dignity looks at housing conditions in migrant labor camps in Snow Hill and Benson, NC. Other stories in the program examine issues of pay, education, pesticide exposure and injuries.
"The Harvest of Dignity documentary has been instrumental in our efforts to raise the public's consciousness about the injustices in our agricultural system," says Melinda Wiggins, executive director of Student Action with Farmworkers. "With this powerful multi-faceted tool we have not only been able to engage the general public, but also facilitate dialogue among farmworkers about how to make change."
According to a press release by Student Action with Farmworkers, 50 years ago most farmworkers were African American. Today they are more likely to be Latino/Hispanic. Many have come to North Carolina as H2A workers. More have come without legal documentation, just looking for a better life.
Learn more about the documentary or view the 30-minute film: http://pic.tv/harvest/