Rhythms of the Land is a valentine to generations of Black farmers in the United States from the enslavement period to the present, whose intense love of the land and dedication to community enabled them to survive against overwhelming odds.  They struggled from the beginning without support or recognition, and have been written out of the dominant narratives of US agriculture.

 

In 1920, there were over 920,000 Black families farming in the United States, although the majority were sharecroppers and tenant farmers.  Today there are just over 48,697, a 95% decrease in 100 years. Black farming families have lost their land and their stories are quickly disappearing and should be preserved so that we may understand the history and nature of lives on the farms. 

 

The goal of this documentary is to preserve their stories and honor their lives and agrarian legacies.