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Martyr: The Lynching of Jim Press Merriweather

This documentary explores the history of lynching of African Americans. This specific story is about my great great uncle, Jim Press Merriweather and his death on August 22nd, 1935 in which he was hunted, beaten, questioned about the Union, shot 100 times, and the lynched. He was killed in Lowndes County, Alabama for helping organize a cotton pickers strike in 1935. He was an organizer and leader of the Share Croppers Union. His wife Annie Mae Merriweather survived and told the story. She was photographed by Consuelo Kanaga in 1935.

  • Mya Saree' Gray
    Director
    Flowers
  • Mya Saree' Gray
    Writer
    Flowers
  • Mya Saree' Gray
    Producer
    Flowers
  • Mya Saree' Gray
    Key Cast
    "Narrorator"
    Flowers
  • Leslie Johnson
    Key Cast
    "Annie Mae Merriweather"
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Experimental, Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    18 minutes 59 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 16, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    0 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.9:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Mya Saree' Gray

Mya Saree' Gray was born on July 21, 1998 to a Black man and a White woman, in Waterbury, Connecticut. As a musician, filmmaker, photographer, and artist, she feels like a jackie of all trades. She loves to travel and make films. She is a mother of two amazing sons, Ozzie and Camden. In the Spring of 2021 she will graduate from Central Connecticut State University with a BA in Digital Filmmaking and minor in Anthropology.

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Director Statement

I am to make my films speak what I see in the world with no drop of bias or selfish motives.