Black Lives Matter.
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

NC Council of Churches

Strength in Unity, Peace through Justice

  • Voices
  • About
    • Overview
    • Staff
    • Members
    • Covenant Partners
    • Issue Statements
    • Governing Board
  • Programs
    • Ecumenical Immigration Alliance
      • Ideas for Action
      • Sign Our Statement
      • The NC Sanctuary Coalition
      • Immigration Bible Study
      • Contact
    • NC Interfaith Power & Light
      • NCIPL Overview
      • Faith in Action NCIPL
      • NCIPL Articles
      • NCIPL Resources
      • Upcoming Events for NCIPL
      • Contact NCIPL
    • Partners in Health & Wholeness
      • PHW Staff
      • Mini-Grants
      • PHW Collaborative Pledge
      • The Overdose Crisis: The Faith Community Responds
      • PHW Articles
      • FAQs
  • Priorities
    • Racial Justice
    • The Overdose Crisis: The Faith Community Responds
    • Gun Violence Prevention
    • Public Education
    • NC Sanctuary Coalition
    • Farmworkers
    • Legislative Advocacy
    • Christian Unity
    • Peace
    • NC No Torture
  • COVID-19 Resources
  • Events
  • Resources
    • Publications & Reports
    • Raleigh Report
    • Lectionary
    • Sermons
  • Donate
  • Council Store
  • Show Search

Search NC Council of Churches

Hide Search

In the Media: The Moral Urgency of Farmworkers

Jennie Belle, Former Immigration and Farmworkers Director · May 29, 2014 · Leave a Comment

A few weeks ago, Human Rights Watch published a report on child labor in tobacco farming. Below, former NCCC intern John Zambenini comments on the large amount of media attention that this report has generated and how you can help children in the fields. This post was originally published on the Farmworker Advocacy Network blog.

The Moral Urgency of Farmworkers in the Media

By John Zambenini

Spring and summer herald the annual return of migrant workers to farms around the country, especially in North Carolina. So often, workers’ return to our home state means their resuming hard work for little pay, the constant risk of pesticide exposure, and, for their children, going to work in a dangerous environment. While workers’ situation in our economy remains dire, this spring is beginning differently in at least one respect: gradually, the media has begun to turn its attention to child labor issues and the pesticide exposure migrant farmworkers face.

CNN recounts the story of Jessica Rodriguez, who began working in tobacco fields in North Carolina at age 11. While she should have been in school, Jessica worked in the fields, encountering dehydration and green tobacco sickness, a potentially lethal illness related to tobacco exposure. Even worse, according to an alarming new Human Rights Watch (HRW) report, more than half of children in Jessica’s situation experience pesticides being applied to crops by growers as they continue to work in the fields.

Meanwhile, The Guardian picked up the story of Eddie Ramirez, who began work in the fields at age 12. Part of the tragedy of child labor in North Carolina is that children like Eddie and Jessica being forced to work is legal. Laws designed to allow children to work on family farms have become loopholes that allow underprotected migrant youth to be exposed to dangerous industrial agricultural environments. The U.S. now lags behind Brazil and India in the legal protections it offers children, according to the HRW report.

The groundswell of media attention in the days since the HRW report was released is a welcome development in the fight against child labor and injustice against migrant farmworkers. Dozens of media outlets from California to Connecticut have picked up the story of the fight for human dignity being waged in North Carolina and around the country, including an op-ed in the New York Times.

For the tide to turn, however, and for farmworkers’ dignity to be acknowledged, we cannot be satisfied with merely reading about issues in the news. The time to act is now.

FAN is dedicated to fighting for workers’ dignity and committed to seeing injustice eradicated, but we are counting on your support. Your help is needed at this pivotal time:

  • SIGN Human Rights Watch’s petition to end child labor in tobacco farming.
  • SUPPORT Toxic Free NC’s petition pertaining to proposed changes in the EPA’s Worker Protection Standard (WPS). Toxic Free’s petition calls for tightening rules concerning children being exposed to pesticides in the fields.
  • COMMENT on the EPA’s proposed WPS changes. For more information, and to see FAN’s statement on the changes, visit the FAN blog.
  • WRITE a letter to the editor or op-ed for your local newspaper bringing the plight of farmworkers to your paper’s attention. For resources, sample letters, and more, contact FAN. If there is agriculture, a supermarket, or a restaurant in your community, this is a newsworthy issue for your paper!
  • WATCH and share the Public Service Announcement produced with FAN to end child labor in North Carolina.

Photo credit: End Child Labor in NC Public Service Announcement

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Children & Youth, Farmworkers, Health, Rural Life

Jennie Belle, Former Immigration and Farmworkers Director

About Jennie Belle, Former Immigration and Farmworkers Director

Jennie was born and raised in Savannah, GA. She moved to Texas for her undergraduate education at Rice University, during which time she studied in Mexico, Peru and Argentina and participated in service projects in Central America. After graduation she moved to Spain for a year to teach English. Jennie then came to North Carolina for a dual degree MDiv/MSW graduate program at Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill where her work focused on advocating for farmworkers and organizing churches for social justice. Recently graduated, Jennie is excited to use these skills in her role at the Council of Churches as she works to help improve conditions for immigrants and farmworkers in the state.

Jennie lives in Durham and attends First Presbyterian Church. In her free time she enjoys dancing, distance running, traveling, walking her dog, and planning her upcoming wedding. Jennie can be reached at: jennie@ncchurches.org.

Reader Interactions

More Like This

Because of Jesus
The Perfect Gift for Mother’s Day
PHW Faith and Health Summit: Thank You

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Anonymous comments or comments that target individuals will not be posted (please include your first and last name). All comments must be on topic and respectful. Comments will not be posted until they have been reviewed by a moderator. Comments do not reflect the positions of the NC Council of Churches.

Footer

Contact

NC Council of Churches
27 Horne St.
Raleigh, NC 27607
(919) 828-6501
info@ncchurches.org

Facebook

Partners in Health and Wholeness

Featured

In the Media: The Moral Urgency of Farmworkers

Latest Tweets

Just last week, our Governing Board adopted a resolution calling for the removal of Confederate symbols in public squares. As people of faith & conscience, we believe such monuments are a constant reminder of prejudice against black and brown people. >> ncchurches.org/2021/… pic.twitter.com/iGCX…

About a day ago

"Amanda Gorman in her inauguration poem 'The Hill We Climb' begins with the lines: 'When day comes we ask ourselves where can we find light in this never-ending shade?'" Read more of this 2nd Sunday lenten reflection from Elizabeth Brewington >> ncchurches.org/2021/… pic.twitter.com/pgge…

About a day ago

"Perhaps it’s the pandemic that offers a fitting analogy to the condition of our politics as Americans try to recover from the trauma of Jan. 6 – when we came dangerously close to the onset of an anti-democratic Trump-ocracy." Read more from Steve Ford >> ncchurches.org/2021/…

About a day ago

FACT: Countries where maternal mortality rates have significantly dropped (~ -50%) in the past few decades (e.g., France, Germany, Sweden), have generous paid leave laws. #BlackHistoryMonth #Paidleave #BlackHealth pic.twitter.com/PgWW…

About 2 days ago

Call your Member of Congress and tell them paid leave is crucial to public health and economic recovery. Text paidleave (one word) to 844-955-2880 or visit bit.ly/39PWQde to begin. #AmericanRescuePlan #PaidLeave #BlackHealth

About 2 days ago

Follow @ncchurches

Latest Tweets

Dr. Satcher questioned the structures that have upheld health disparities in our communities. By laying the foundation for this work, we can continue taking meaningful action towards promoting a society where we can all thrive. #BlackHistoryMonth @HHSGov @Surgeon_General pic.twitter.com/zrw2…

About a day ago

Amen! #MindfulTogether twitter.com/cornerpr…

About 2 days ago

RT @MAHECwnc There has never been a better time to quit smoking and vaping. Protect your health by keeping your lungs healthy! #quitlinenc #covid19 #asheville pic.twitter.com/bKlC…

About 2 days ago

Check out this new resource from @DrugPolicyOrg challenging us to dig deeper and work together to uproot the drug war. uprootingthedrugwar.… #harmreduction #mindfultogether

About 2 days ago

Dr. Julian's work was instrumental to the public health community. We carry his passion as we continue reckoning with our past so that we may continue building the beloved community. Learn more about Dr. Julian's legacy at pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ju…. #BlackHistoryMonth @novapbs pic.twitter.com/JJsm…

About 3 days ago

Follow @healthandfaith

Latest Tweets

RT @greenthechurch Be sure to read Green The Church's COO Kim Noble's op ed, "#EnvironmentalJustice in Focus this #BlackHistoryMonth", in the Texas Metro News! @Kimrenay22 #Austin #DFW #Houston #Texas #SanAntonio #EJ ow.ly/mOtw50DGQnN pic.twitter.com/IPOO…

About 2 days ago

RT @ActionAidUSA To build a truly just, equitable & sustainable world, we need to fight for a new #socialcontract. That means: ✔️ Defending democracy ✔️ Fighting for climate justice ✔️ Building equitable food systems ✔️ Supporting women’s leadership. Learn more: bit.ly/2M8xT40 pic.twitter.com/fEWv…

About 2 days ago

RT @interfaithpower IPL is proud to be a signer on this letter. The U.S. must provide bold and socially just leadership to protect our communities from the impacts of climate change, including the threats to our economy- @sbhendershot twitter.com/RealBank…

About 2 days ago

RT @interfaithpower "This is all of our country, this is our mother. It's difficult to not feel obligated to protect this land" - @DebHaalandNM with a powerful reminder of what she believes in. Her passion is exactly what we need right now; the Senate must #ConfirmHaaland! #ConfirmClimate

About 2 days ago

RT @EPA EPA is proud to join our agency partners as we tackle the climate crisis and build a healthier, cleaner, more equitable future for all. Let’s do this! whitehouse.gov/brief…

About 4 days ago

Follow @ncipl

Latest Tweets

Copyright © 2021 NC Council of Churches · All Rights Reserved · Website by Tomatillo Design · Hosted by WP Engine