Private Project

Farming Freedom

The ups and downs of one Bolivar County farm family tell the story of Black land ownership in Mississippi.

With more than 90% of Black land ultimately lost or dispossessed over time, the experiences of this Mississippi Delta family, combined with interviews from historians, give insight into what contributed to this massive Black land loss – history pointing to mob violence and federal loan discrimination, but also the impact of the Great Migration. Aiming to enlighten and inspire, Farming Freedom also looks ahead to the opportunities for closing the wealth gap between non-Black and Black landowners today.

  • Kayla Turner Thomas
    Director
  • Kayla Turner Thomas
    Writer
  • Kayla Turner Thomas
    Producer
  • Roslin Harris
    Associate Producer
  • James F. Thomas
    Associate Producer
  • Kayla Turner Thomas
    Editor
  • Kayla Turner Thomas
    Videographer
  • Rene Michel
    Assistant Videographer and Editor
  • Dr. Albert Dorsey, Jr
    Key Cast
    "Himself"
  • Dr. Cassie Sade Turnipseed
    Key Cast
    "Himself"
  • Otis Wright, Jr
    Key Cast
    "Himself"
  • Henry Lee Harris
    Key Cast
    "Himself"
  • Jessie Lee Harris
    Key Cast
    "Himself"
  • James F. Thomas
    Narration
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 25 minutes 35 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 20, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    14,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • Juke Joint Festival "Related Event"
    Clarksdale, MS
    April 9, 2026
    5:30PM Crossroads Cultural Arts Center
    https://www.jukejointfestival.com/day_schedule.php?event_date=2026-04-9
  • University of South Carolina Upstate Screening
    Spartanburg, SC
    February 28, 2026
    4:30PM, Campus Life Center
  • Southeastern Louisiana University Screening
    Hammond, LA
    February 24, 2026
    2:00PM, Student Union Theater
Distribution Information
  • Collective Eye Films
    Distributor
    Country: Worldwide
Director Biography - Kayla Turner Thomas

Kayla Turner Thomas, a producer and 2x Emmy-nominated creative services professional, has worked in local television for nearly 15 years. Raised on family land in the Mississippi Delta, Thomas is a proud product of Bolivar County public schools. She studied Media and Communication Arts at Pace University, Westchester, and is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

This film began as just me getting an interview with my granddaddy to record our family history. However, as he spoke, what I heard was a story I imagined many Black farm families could relate to. With each account he’d give, I’d find there was a major historic event tied to his experience – working in levee camps in the off-season on the Mississippi River, federal loan discrimination, and winning his claim in what turned out to be one of the largest civil rights settlements in history. I also heard the power of land ownership in his father’s story - a sharecropper turned landowner who could now provide his family with dignified burials and build homes for his children, made possible through landownership.

When we look at the wealth gap between non-Black and Black landowners today, it’s important to know the history of obstructions that challenged landownership for America’s formerly enslaved for more than a century. This kind of education brings with it a needed support. This documentary is not only for classrooms, but also to help today’s Black landowners grow by learning from the past, and is for anyone with an interest in American history, the Southern Black experience, and the humanities.