Often we only see the border from the U.S. side, despite the fact that many more people live in the border region south of the wall than north of it. Despite the media fascination with the wall, people live their lives and organize vibrant social movements that are virtually invisible in the U.S. Yet they have a direct impact. From winter strawberries to flat panel televisions, people north of the border consume what’s produced just a few miles south of it. This presentation, with photographs, will probe more deeply into the lives of the people of the border itself, rather than simply see it as a wall, or a place people try to cross to enter the United States. It will pay particular attention to the rich history of the social movements in border communities, challenging often oppressive conditions. The presentation is based on the new book, More Than a Wall / Mas que un muro, a book of photographs and oral histories created during 30 years of covering the people and social movements of the Mexico/U.S. border.
Speaker: David Bacon, a photojournalist, author, political activist, and union organizer who has focused on labor issues, particularly those related to immigrant labor. He has written several books and numerous articles on the subject.
