Black ownership of farmland has dwindled to alarmingly low numbers. From Executive Producer Al Roker, Gaining Ground: The Fight for Black Land examines the causes, effects, and solutions to this issue.
In just a few decades after the end of enslavement, Black Americans were able to amass millions of acres of farmland. Today approximately 90% of that land is no longer in Black hands. Various factors have been employed to take Black land including violence, eminent domain and government discrimination. But it is a little-known issue, Heirs’ Property which has had a devastating effect on Black land ownership. Gaining Ground: The Fight for Black Land from Emmy Nominated Director Eternal Polk examines the causes, effects, and what is being done to fight the exploitation of this law and how landowners are reclaiming their agricultural legacy and creating paths to generational wealth.
What is Heirs' Property?
What is The LEAP Coalition?
Why is Black Land Ownership Important?
Connection to Land:
Why land is important for food, fuel and infrastructure?
News / Events
Gaining Ground To Be Showcased as FEATURE FILM Selection at Sundance BrandStorytelling Event!
Since 2016, BrandStorytelling has been gathering top brands and their storytelling partners to the Deer Valley Ski Resort for 4-days of networking, presentations, and screenings of brand-funded films. Gaining Ground is honored to kickoff this important industry event as a FEATURE FILM selection in January 2024. Click through to learn more.
BUMPER CROP: Gaining Ground Racks Up More Festival Wins!
Gaining Ground: The Fight For Black Land continues to garner accolades and awards, recently grabbing the Platinum MarCom Award for BEST DOCUMENTARY, and BEST TRAILER at the Carolina Film Festival. But wait, there's more! Since embarking on its festival screening schedule in June, Gaining Ground has been recognized with seven awards throughout its Summer festival run. Click through to read more and to check out the festival award laurels.
BOUNTIFUL HARVEST: Gaining Ground in the News!
From blogs to Black radio, Gaining Ground has inspired a good deal of coverage from those interested in not just the award-winning documentary, but also the issues the film spotlights regarding Black land loss. We are grateful for the various and varied coverage of this film and its journey as we continue to present it at Summer film festivals. Click through to link to the many ways Gaining Ground has been presented in the media and be sure to follow the film on Instagram for the latest news, events, and press links.
UPCOMING FILM FESTIVAL SCREENINGS
Click the festival name below for info & tickets
- That’s a wrap on 2023! Thank you for an amazing season of film festival screenings. We are currently working on the schedule of 2024 screenings and we’ll post these opportunities to view Gaining Ground here when available. In the meantime, have a safe and wonderful holiday season!
Are you an organization, non-profit, educational institution, or civic/community group interested in hosting a screening of Gaining Ground? Click to fill out our screening request form and we’ll get in touch> SCREENING REQUEST FORM
Need more info? Send an email to our team at info@gaininggroundthefilm.com and we will respond promptly. Be sure to follow us on Instagram for updates.
Film Participants
Danita Mason-Hogans
Civil Rights Historian / Educator / Activist
Dãnia Davy
Director of Land Retention & Advocacy at the Federation of Southern Cooperatives
Michael J. Robinson
Landowner
Dr. Debra Ely
Landowner
Prof. Thomas Mitchell
Professor Boston College
Dr. Jennie Stephens
CEO - Leadership Team
Preservation - Center For Heirs' Property Preservation
Natalie Baszile
Author / Filmmaker
Karen Washington
Rise & Root Farm
Phillip (PJ) Haynie III
Haynie Farms
COB/National Black Growers Council
Shirley Sherrod
Civil Rights Activist / Founder New Communities, Albany GA
Marc A. Howze
Group President, Lifecycle Solutions and Chief Administration Officer, John Deere
Film Participants
Danita Mason-Hogans
Civil Rights Historian / Educator / Activist
Dãnia Davy
Director of Land Retention & Advocacy at the Federation of Southern Cooperatives
Michael J. Robinson
Landowner
Debra Ely
Landowner
Prof. Thomas Mitchell
Professor Boston College
Dr. Jennie Stephens
CEO - Leadership Team
Preservation - Center For Heirs' Property Preservation
Natalie Baszile
Author / Filmmaker
Karen Washington
Rise & Root Farm
Phillip (PJ) Haynie III
Haynie Farms
COB/National Black Growers Council
Shirley Sherrod
Civil Rights Activist / Founder New Communities, Albany GA
Marc A. Howze
Group President, Lifecycle Solutions and Chief Administration Officer, John Deere
Partners
Do you need more information regarding Heirs’ Property? Contact one of the Partners above.
Meet the Filmmakers
Al Roker
In addition to being the iconic Emmy Award-winning weatherman and co-host of NBC’s Today Show, Mr. Roker is also an author of 13 books and is a multiple award-winning television producer. As owner/CEO of Al Roker Entertainment, Inc. (@alrokerent), Mr. Roker develops and produces television and film programming for broadcast, network, cable, streaming, and digital/social platforms. Al Roker Entertainment also creates trusted branded video content for the world’s leading corporations, brands, and nonprofits messaging the social impact activities and corporate give-back designed to help create a better world. Al Roker Entertainment is NY-based with offices in Los Angeles and Philadelphia. Connect with Al Roker on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Eternal Polk
Eternal Polk is a two-time Emmy-nominated director, writer, and segment producer with over 20 years of directing short and long-form projects including documentaries, music videos, branded content, & commercials. Intimate, nuanced, and intentional while placing subjects on a pedestal to display their humanity is how Eternal describes his directing style and mission. Eternal has served as a creative director participating in ideation and copywriting of client commercial and branded content spots, while earning Telly, Webby, Shorty, and Ooma awards. His work has been featured on HBO, FOX, ESPN, ABC, BET, VH1, and MTV. Gaining Ground: The Fight For Black Land is his first feature film as director and executive producer.