Summary: In Pennsylvania farmland that was the first stop on the Underground Railroad, a strike by Mexican mushroom pickers polarizes a Quaker community.
This is a very good piece to listen to and contemplate on Labor Day. The people in this essay live a hard life. I like the historical back narratives and how they reflect the situations that many people find themselves in today. Modern day indentured servitude is alive and well in the 21st century.
Wow, what an amazing work! This piece covers so many different facets, from mushroom farming, to the Underground Railroad of Pennsylvania in the mid-1800's. Some very interesting perspectives about slavery, abolition, and slave treatment, adapting to cultural environments. And it's all tied to modern times and those who labor under difficult conditions today, under rules possibly described as whatever "Jim Crow" might translate into in Spanish. They weren't allowed in some otherwise public areas. It's difficult to totally discount the farmer owner's side, that's one of the great things about this piece. It's fair to both sides.
This is _SO_ PR. Polished, professional, engaging, interesting. This could play on any station.
Another great piece from Helen Borten. I'm very impressed with her whole series this comes from her series - A Sense Of Place. This tale of the once oppressed now oppressing is universal and gives thought. Nightfall takes you to may sides of the clash of Quaker farmers and the migrant workforce that attempts to unionize. It's great to hear a documentary with so much sound material of events actually happening - a "you are there" rather than a "I'm telling you what happened" approach. My only question is does this piece need to be updated with an outro? I'm not sure how long ago this piece was made and it might help if the producer could put an outro that would let stations know if this is still an ongoing problem in Chester County or somehow give an update to the piece. Otherwise, stations would do well to look at running this piece with other A Sense of Place pieces to create a great one-hour special during the summer.
Comments for Nightfall in Chester County
This piece belongs to the series "A Sense of Place"
Produced by Helen Borten
Other pieces by Helen Borten
Rating Summary
3 comments
vikki dolan
Posted on August 04, 2005 at 09:28 PM | Permalink
Review of Nightfall in Chester County
This is a very good piece to listen to and contemplate on Labor Day. The people in this essay live a hard life. I like the historical back narratives and how they reflect the situations that many people find themselves in today. Modern day indentured servitude is alive and well in the 21st century.
Hans Anderson
Posted on June 18, 2004 at 12:24 PM | Permalink
Review of Nightfall in Chester County
Wow, what an amazing work! This piece covers so many different facets, from mushroom farming, to the Underground Railroad of Pennsylvania in the mid-1800's. Some very interesting perspectives about slavery, abolition, and slave treatment, adapting to cultural environments. And it's all tied to modern times and those who labor under difficult conditions today, under rules possibly described as whatever "Jim Crow" might translate into in Spanish. They weren't allowed in some otherwise public areas. It's difficult to totally discount the farmer owner's side, that's one of the great things about this piece. It's fair to both sides.
This is _SO_ PR. Polished, professional, engaging, interesting. This could play on any station.
Dmae Lo Roberts
Posted on June 05, 2004 at 08:53 AM | Permalink
Review of Nightfall in Chester County
Another great piece from Helen Borten. I'm very impressed with her whole series this comes from her series - A Sense Of Place. This tale of the once oppressed now oppressing is universal and gives thought. Nightfall takes you to may sides of the clash of Quaker farmers and the migrant workforce that attempts to unionize. It's great to hear a documentary with so much sound material of events actually happening - a "you are there" rather than a "I'm telling you what happened" approach. My only question is does this piece need to be updated with an outro? I'm not sure how long ago this piece was made and it might help if the producer could put an outro that would let stations know if this is still an ongoing problem in Chester County or somehow give an update to the piece. Otherwise, stations would do well to look at running this piece with other A Sense of Place pieces to create a great one-hour special during the summer.