Farmworkers and "Fed Up" Author at Tampa History Center and Seminole State College

Farmworkers Linda Lee and Betty Dubose joined Fed Up author Dale Slongwhite for a presentation at the beautiful Tampa Bay History Center in Tampa, FL on the evening of Wednesday, February 11th.

 After showing the video "Out of the Muck" and sharing information on the background of environmental problems on Lake Apopka, Ms. Lee and Ms. Dubose talked about their personal experiences as farmworkers in the vegetable fields of Lake Apopka.  Ms. Slongwhite then shared how hearing the farmworkers' stories for the first time at an environmental justice summit at Barry University Law School over five years ago changed her life forever...and was the catalyst that led to her writing the book.  Following the presentation was a question and answer period and station TBAE filmed the event.  Plus, the ride home was fun, too!

A little over a week later, on February 19th, the Red Quilt as well as Linda Lee, Betty Dubose and Dale Finley Slongwhite visited with Professor Anne Riecken's English class at Seminole State College in Altamonte Springs, FL. The students watched "Out of the Muck" as an introduction and then Ms. Lee and Ms. Dubose again spoke about their experiences in the fields. Ms. Slongwhite discussed the process of writing her book as well as her techniques for oral histories and the interviews that make up the book. Farmworker Association of Florida staff member, Jeannie Economos, gave background history on the Lake Apopka farms and the environmental destruction they wrought. It was a great day, and 55 new people got to hear the story of the Lake Apopka Farmworkers.