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.
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
Horizon Media NOIR CORE – Black History Month Panel
Over 100 invited guests of Horizon Media attended this virtual Black History Month Event with Gaining Ground Writer/Director, Eternal Polk and moderated by Horizon Media’s NOIR CORE members, Alysha Carson and Kyla Nwede. After viewing a clip from the Gaining Ground documentary, the panel explored the history and modern-day realities of Black soil, agriculture, and gardening with each offering how we can continue to progress not only as a society via opportunities but also as individuals, by tending to healing our own internal gardens.
Gaining Ground Producer/Director Eternal Polk and John Deere’s Johane Domersant featured speakers at Charting Your Own Course Conference (CYOC)
Johane Domersant, Head of Global Talent Supply, and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion/John Deere, and Gaining Ground Producer/Director Eternal Polk offer inspirational advice to career-minded attendees using their personal stories as motivation. This event took place in Orlando December 2022.
Al Roker Hosts John Deere Execs and Producer / Director Eternal Polk at Advertising Week New York
In this packed discussion at Advertising Week NYC, Al Roker moderated a conversation with Mara Downing, Vice President, Global Brand Management and Corporate Communications/John Deere, Johane Domersant, Head of Global Talent Supply, and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion/John Deere, and Gaining Ground Producer/Director Eternal Polk on how brands can effectively craft storytelling to communicate solutions to social issues. This event also teased the documentary Gaining Ground - The Fight For Black Land with clips and discussion. The complete talk is presented above.
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
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.