Southern Exposure in JCLC 2023

New Southern Exposure DVDs donated to all 40 Jefferson County Library locations

For Immediate Release: October 11, 2023

Contact:
Tobin Cataldo, executive director, Jefferson County Library Cooperative: [email protected], (205) 226-3615
Cindy Lowry, executive director, Alabama Rivers Alliance: [email protected], (205) 322-6395
Charles Scribner, executive director, Black Warrior Riverkeeper: [email protected], (205) 458-0095

HOMEWOOD, Ala.—Alabama Rivers Alliance and Black Warrior Riverkeeper have partnered to donate to the Jefferson County Library Cooperative (JCLC) 22 copies of the latest editions of Southern Exposure, an award-winning film series dedicated to educating the public about Alabama’s natural resources.

Each of JCLC’s 40 locations will now have a DVD copy of the 2022 edition of Southern Exposure, a series of documentaries on various Alabama environmental topics by independent filmmakers. 18 of the JCLC’s 40 locations are part of the Birmingham Public Library (BPL) system. In August, Black Warrior Riverkeeper brought BPL 18 copies of the 2022 DVDs. Copies of previous Southern Exposure editions are available at all JCLC locations due to Alabama Rivers Alliance and Black Warrior Riverkeeper’s donations in past years.

“On behalf of library directors in Jefferson County, I would like to thank Alabama Rivers Alliance and Black Warrior Riverkeeper for this generous donation. Now every library can help educate the public about Alabama’s natural resources,” said Lindsy Gardner, President of the Jefferson County Library Cooperative. “These creative and informative short films are an important addition to library collections in the county. We invite the public to visit a local library to check out these beautifully captured films.”

Created in six weeks during the summer, the 2022 Southern Exposure films celebrate special people and places in Alabama while exploring complex issues and solutions. In this collection, audiences will learn who is winning at the game of electric utility monopoly and how simple legislation and more civic engagement could create more renewable energy choices for Alabamians. Viewers will take a visually stunning journey through climate-induced extreme flooding events and learn how they are compounding the historic challenges of racism and underinvestment in two communities. Audiences will also meet some Black environmentalists shaping the modern movement in Alabama and providing long overdue awareness of the roots of the work, and they will understand the critical importance of protecting our drinking water sources through the lens of community advocates as they hold their water utility accountable.

“We are once again so excited to work with Black Warrior Riverkeeper to make sure the 2022 Southern Exposure films are available for free throughout Jefferson County,” Cindy Lowry, executive director of the Alabama Rivers Alliance, said. “This collaboration helps amplify the stories and issues within our communities, and spotlights the trailblazers working to defend rivers in Alabama, enriching the heart of the Black Warrior River watershed, season after season!”

These films have been traveling around the country appearing at dozens of film festivals and at local community screenings. In addition to screening at the prestigious Sidewalk Film Festival in August, they have also been featured at EarthX, Wild & Scenic Film Festival, Better Cities Film Festival, Human Rights Film Festival, World Water Film Festival, American Documentary and Animation Film Festival, Maine Outdoor Film Festival, Colorado Environmental Film Festival, DC Black Film Festival, and many more. The films were recognized with several awards including Best Advocacy Film at the World Water Film Festival, hosted by Columbia Climate School, Columbia Water Center at Columbia University.

“In addition to informing and entertaining their widespread audiences, Southern Exposure films have often catalyzed key outcomes for Alabama’s environment,” said Charles Scribner, executive director of Black Warrior Riverkeeper. “I love collaborating with the Jefferson County Library Cooperative and Alabama Rivers Alliance to share these films in so many communities.”

To view the Homewood Public Library’s photograph of JCLC Board members and Charles Scribner holding the new DVDs, click here.

To view the 2022 Southern Exposure DVD cover, click here.

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Public Libraries in Jefferson County present 40 Libraries, 1 County, 1 Card. Discover this feature and the collaborative work of the public libraries through the Jefferson County Library Cooperative at jclc.org.

Alabama Rivers Alliance is a statewide network of groups working to protect and restore all of Alabama’s water resources through building partnerships, empowering citizens, and advocating for sound water policy and its enforcement.

Black Warrior Riverkeeper’s mission is to protect and restore the Black Warrior River and its tributaries. The nonprofit organization promotes clean water for improved public health, recreation, and wildlife habitat throughout the Black Warrior River watershed.

JCLC Board members and Charles Scribner holding the new Southern Exposure DVDs. Photo by Homewood Public Library.