Our Movement Starts Here (82 mins, 2024)
Producers / Co-directors: John Rash & Melanie Ho
Team: Allison Friday, Raeghan Buchanan, Rex Jones, Sandip Rai, Bethany Fitts, and Lillian Slaughter
Documenting the History and Global Urgency of Environmental Justice
In 1982, a rural, predominately Black community in North Carolina mobilized and fought the state’s plan to site a toxic PCB landfill in their county. This landmark action, the first to articulate the concepts of environmental racism and environmental justice,brought together civil rights activists and environmentalist for the first time to fight for common goals. 40 years later, the citizens of Warren County commemorate the anniversary by inspiring a new generation of environmental justice activists to push the movement into a future that grapples with the inequities of climate change, continued environmental atrocities that target poor communities of color, and a system that continues to dump on those with the least power to fight.
Through contemporary interviews with the original protesters who inspired the environmental justice movement in 1982, this feature documentary tells the story of a rural community fighting the state of North Carolina’s plan to construct a toxic landfill near their homes.
Celebrating 40 Years of Environmental Justice
Warren County, NC
Sept 18, 2022
Filmed by John Rash, Melanie Ho, Rex Jones, Sandip Rai, Lillian Slaughter, and Bethany Fitts
Edited by Lillian Slaughter
40 years after the original PCB protests that launched the movement in Warren County, North Carolina, the original protesters return along with current members of their community to pass the torch to the next generation of environmental justice activists.
*Thanks to Rev. Bill Kearney for helping to provide access to film this event.
Exhibition Opening Event
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Sept 15, 2022
Filmed by John Rash and Melanie Ho
Edited by John Rash
The North Carolina Collection at the Wilson Special Collections Library at the University of North Carolina held an exhibition opening program on Sept 15, 2022 titled “We Birthed the Movement: The Warren County PCB Landfill Protests, 1978-1982.” The event featured a video presentation highlighting the stories of five images from the exhibition and comments by members of the Warren County Environmental Action Team (WCEAT), who co-curated the exhibition with Wilson Library staff.
*Thanks to Biff Hollingsworth, and Stephen Fletcher for helping to provide access to film this event.
Rev. Dr. Benjamin Chavis Jr. Lecture
Duke Chapel, Duke University, Durham, NC
Sept 15, 2022
Filmed by John Rash and Melanie Ho
Edited by Sandip Rai
Rev. Dr. Ben Chavis Jr. commemorating 40 years of the environmental justice movement in conversation with Catherine Coleman Flowers and moderator Cameron Oglesby at Duke Chapel, Duke University, Durham, NC on Sept 15, 2022.
*Thanks to Cameron Oglesby for helping to provide access to film this event.
Panel: Recalling Warren County
Panel Discussion, Duke University, Durham, NC
Sept 14, 2022
Filmed by John Rash and Melanie Ho
Edited by Bethany Fitts
Panel discussion hosted by the Nicholas School for the Environment at Duke University to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the birth of the environmental justice movement in Warren County, North Carolina. Professor La’Meshia Whittington moderates the panel that includes original activists Rev. Dr. Ben Chavis, Jr., Dollie Burwell, Wayne Moseley, and Former Rep. Eva Clayton as well as photographer Jenny Labalme and Rev. William Kearney.
*Thanks to Cameron Oglesby for helping to provide access to film this event.