Freedom farmers

In 1965, Lowndes County was 80% African American, yet not one citizen had the right to vote. The author's interest in researching the critical role of Black farmers in the civil rights movement sprang in part from observing African Americans in her native Detroit returning to their agricultural roots as a strategy for food security and food sovereignty. Yet many researchers who came before depicted the story of Black farmers as saturated with privation and suffering. Black landowners played a critical role in their communities throughout the South through social and political institutions. They shared resources and bought land together, shared tools, and planted on the moon cycle to get the biggest harvest for the highest profit. Agricultural cooperatives helped Black farmers care for their families and build their communities.