Bonus Episode: Dr. Gail Myer
Dr. Gail Myers is a cultural anthropologist who earned the Doctorate in Anthropology from Ohio State University, the Masters in Applied Anthropology from Georgia State University, and the Bachelors in English from Florida State University. She is also the Co-founder of Farms to Grow, Inc, and has been advocating for African American farmers for more than 20 years. Dr. Myers began researching African American farmers while at Ohio State University in 1997. Her passion for Black farmers developed as a result of hearing stories of their loss and struggles without recognition for their contributions. Myers is considered an expert in the anthropology of African American farming. In 1920, there were 920,000 black farmers in the United States, although many of those were sharecroppers and tenant farmers. Today there are 42,000. Dr. Myers' overarching goal is to preserve the stories and honor the legacy and the lives of African American farmers.
Rhythms of the Land
Rhythms of the Land is a multimedia documentary project by cultural anthropologist/filmmaker Gail P. Myers, Ph.D. In the Summer of 2012, Dr. Myers, drove 10,000 miles in four weeks to cover 10 southern states (South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Florida) interviewing over 30 African American sharecroppers, tenant farmers, and 3rd to 5th generation farmers. Each interview represents generations of cultural traditions, family farming, and a farming philosophy that honors farming land, sustainability, their communities, and unimaginable perseverance despite predatory lending practices and policies levied against them. Hearing their stories will honor these US farmers, sharecroppers, and gardeners and spotlight the connection between biological and cultural diversity that connect us to our roots, especially our future farmers, and youth. The film will spotlight an array of farmers, rice growers, hog ranchers, dairy ranchers, barefoot farmers, sharecroppers, basket-weavers, shrimp farmers, vegetable farmers, and gardeners, each sharing their memorable stories with us for the first time.
