Gaining Ground: The Fight for Black Land

In just a few decades after the end of slavery, Black Americans were able to amass millions of acres of farmland. Today approximately 90% of that land is no longer in Black hands. Various tactics have been employed to take Black land including violence, eminent domain and government discrimination. But it is a little-known law, Heirs’ Property which has had a devastating effect on Black land ownership. Gaining Ground: The Fight for Black Land is a stirring documentary from Executive Producer Al Roker and Emmy-nominated Director Eternal Polk that explores the legacy of black farming in America, land use and loss, and how landowners are reclaiming their agricultural rights and creating paths to generational wealth. This project debuts privately at the National Museum of African American History and Culture: Smithsonian in June 2023 and publicly at film festivals during the Summer.