Is Inequality Making Us Sick?

2009 Unnatural Causes Program Series

This spring the Russell Library and partners from the University of Georgia and the Athens community will host screenings of the film Unnatural Causes, a seven-part documentary that examines how social determinants contribute to health inequities in the United States. The goal of this program series is to begin a community dialogue on the critical public health issues presented in the film.

Over the course of nine weeks (March 22 - May 10, 2009), the event series will be hosted alternately at the Athens Clarke County Public Library and the Paul D. Coverdell Building on UGA's South Campus (home to the College of Public Health) on Sunday afternoons. Each event will pair the screening of one episode from the documentary (29-30 minutes in length) with a panel of speakers whose professional interests complement the topics addressed. After the screening, a moderator will collaborate with panelists to facilitate a dialogue with the audience.

All events are free and open to the public. For more information on this exciting event series, contact jlevinso@uga.edu or (706) 542-5788. Mark your calendars! More info coming soon to the Russell Library homepage.

Sunday, March 22, 2009, Episode 1: In Sickness and in Wealth
Location: Athens-Clarke County Public Library
Time: 3:00 – 5:30 PM

Sunday March 29, 2009, Episode 2: When the Bough Breaks
Location: Athens-Clarke County Public Library
Time: 3:00 – 5:00 PM

Sunday, April 5, 2009, Episode 3: Becoming American
Location: Coverdell Building, UGA
Time: 3:00 – 5:00 PM

Sunday, April 19, 2009, Episode 4: Bad Sugar
Location: Athens-Clarke County Public Library
Time: 3:00 – 5:00 PM

Sunday April 26, 2009, Episode 5: Place Matters
Location: Athens-Clarke County Public Library
Time: 3:00 – 5:00 PM

Sunday, May 3, 2009, Episode 6: Collateral Damage
Location: Coverdell Building, UGA
Time: 3:00 – 5:00 PM

Sunday, May 10, 2009, Episode 7: Not Just a Paycheck
Location: Athens-Clarke County Public Library
Time: 3:00 – 5:00 PM

Introducing "Outside the Box"

This post marks the announcement of a new segment on the Russell Library's blog, "Outside the Box" - our version of a spotlight on collections. This is a chance, each month, for our archivists to illuminate fascinating items from our collections that visitors and researchers don't often have a chance to see. Beginning in February, we'll post images and information about the featured item here, and put the real version on display in our lobby gallery. This is an opportunity for you, the public, to view seldom seen treasures from the Russell archives -- online and on site! We welcome your comments and questions and hope this will inspire new interest and research ideas! Tune in Feb. 1st!

Russell Library Celebrates MLK

The Russell Library is proud to participate as a partner in the 2009 University of Georgia celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Throughout January, Russell Library staff will serve on panels, moderate forums, and host screenings in honor of Dr. King and his legacy. If you are in the Athens area this January, please join us in commemorating this remarkable man's life by attending any or all of the events listed here. For more information about all of the events, please contact Jill Severn at 706-542-5766 or jsevern@uga.edu

In memoriam, Griffin B. Bell, 1918-2009

The Russell Library mourns the loss of Griffin Bell, one of Georgia's most respected, influential, and beloved legal and political figures.

Griffin Boyette Bell was born October 31, 1918, in Sumter County, Georgia. After attending Georgia Southwestern College for a time, Bell left to work in his father's tire store in Americus. He was drafted in 1942, serving in the Army Quartermaster Corps and the Transportation Corps at Fort Lee, Virginia. Upon his discharge in 1946, he enrolled in Mercer University Law School, and became city attorney of Warner Robins before graduating or passing the Georgia bar exam. Following his graduation he worked in Savannah and Rome before joining in 1953 what would become King and Spalding in Atlanta. His interest in politics led to his appointment to chief of staff for Governor Ernest Vandiver and his subsequent involvement with the Sibley Commission, organized to oversee desegregation of Georgia's public schools. In 1961 President John F. Kennedy appointed Bell to the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and he spent 14 years on the bench, returning to King and Spalding only to be nominated U.S. Attorney General by Jimmy Carter in 1976. He served in that position from 1977 to 1979, returning to Atlanta to practice law. He led investigations of E.F. Hutton in 1985 and the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989, and also served on the Commission of Federal Ethics Law Reform at the request of President George H.W. Bush. Griffin Bell died January 5, 2009. He was ninety years old.

In 2004 the Russell Library asked political writer Bill Shipp to
interview Griffin Bell. Click here to view this interview.
Article by Craig Breaden