From the Editor

Of all the scenes from our 25^th Anniversary party this past January (which you can catch a glimpse of on pp 12-16 — the closest you’ll ever get to a celebrity spread in Southern Exposure), the most intriguing — and moving — for me was hearing from the old-timers.

Intriguing, because I’m a history buff, and hearing about Southern Exposure “back in the day” from Leah Wise, Len Stanley, Ron Nixon and Bob Hall gave me the long view I crave, bringing me closer to the good people on whose shoulders I stand. And I wasn’t the only person in the room moved by the still-burning passion these SE veterans showed for the magazine’s guiding values — speaking truth to power, and weaving analysis and action together to create lasting change.

Celebrating SE’s rich heritage was more than a nostalgia trip. It was a reminder that anniversaries are as much about where you’re going, as they are about where you’ve been. We came together in January to honor our past, and also to carry that history forward, setting our sights on the next 25 years of publishing for change.

That’s why, when we asked 25 “change-makers” to write for this issue, we asked them to look forward as well as back; to reflect on how far we’ve come over the last 25 years, but to also predict what’s needed for us to live closer to our ideals in the next quarter century. Particularly inspiring are the voices of the next generation, such as editorial board member Kim Diehl, who feels “a strengthening of spirits . . . in the face of incarceration and oppression,” and SE fiction editor Jordan Green, who commits his energy to Southern Exposure because “it is a vessel of struggle, a ragged band of true believers.”

As we wrap up our anniversary season, we’re hoping you’ll be part of the next 25 years of Southern Exposure. If you don’t subscribe, now’s a good time to join (we’ll even throw in a free copy of our new investigative report on farmworkers, “Uprooting Injustice”). If you’re already a member, keep subscribing — we can promise that Southern Exposure will continue to inform and inspire you about prospects for a better South.

For those of you who want to “expose” others to SE, there’s something in it for you, too. Sign up a friend (or more), and we’ll cut your subscription rate to $16. And if you make a contribution to our 25 More Years Campaign — a bold initiative to bring SE to 1,000 more readers by next year — we guarantee you’ll enjoy your special-edition Southern Exposure poster, as well as the good feeling of helping to increase the reach and impact of the South’s leading voice for change.

The fact that Southern Exposure has lasted all this time is quite an accomplishment. What better way to celebrate, than to make sure SE thrives for another 25 years. Happy birthday, Southern Exposure!