From July 16 2020 to the end of August, 2020, Sarah Fox (author of Downwind: A People’s History of the Nuclear West, board member of Consequences of Radiation Exposure -Hanford group) is hoping, with help from you and some dedicated volunteers, to compile a “digital story tour and art show” of communities in the West that have been impacted by the health and environmental effects of radiation exposure. If you are a Hibakusha or have connections to a nuclear site elsewhere in the world that has been impacted by nuclear testing uranium mining, we welcome your story also. During this time of pandemic, we hope this is a way to make these people and places visible without adding to anyone’s health risk. 

The goal is to release the “tour” to the public in the form of a digital video that individuals and organizations can share freely on social media to help highlight the issues faced by people and places impacted by radiation exposure. Details are below if you would be interested in sharing art, images, or story. We realize this is a precarious time for many and so we cannot promise a firm release date for this video, nor can we promise that every submission will be included. Updates will be posted here, on downwindhistory.com.

 Stay safe and healthy,

 Sarah.

 Steps to contribute to the People’s Digital Tour:

There are several ways to share your story:  

a) Record a short video (1-3 minutes) of yourself talking about the place you grew up or worked and how it affected you or your loved ones. What nuclear site was or is nearby? You can show us your neighborhood in the video, hold up some photographs of places or loved ones, or show us the location on a map while you share some of your story. If your file size is too large to email, use this link to get instructions to make it smaller.  https://resources.mojomedialabs.com/blog/3-ridiculously-easy-ways-you-can-email-a-large-file

b) Send us a photograph or several photographs (house you grew up in, loved ones, school building, landscape) that we can share as slides in the video, along with a short description (a few sentences or less) of the places and people they depict and why you are sharing them. 

c) if you are an artist and would like to share images of your art related to radiation exposure living or working  near uranium or nuclear sites (and/or a short video of you talking about your art and your story), we would be honored to share it. Please also share a website url where people can learn more about your art. 

Send us your materials in an email at downwindhistory@gmail.com,  and put “Digital Tour” in the subject heading.

We will send you a release form so that we can include your contribution in the tour; please fill it out and return it to the downwindhistory@gmail.com email with “Release Form” in the subject heading.