The Black Farmers Project: Reclaiming Cotton
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THE BLACK FARMERS PROJECT – A New Chapter Begins
The Black Farmers Project, led by Dominique Drakeford and Timothy Smith, is a powerful cinematic documentary series celebrating Black and Afro-Indigenous farmers as visionary climate leaders. Through stunning visuals and ancestral storytelling, we’re building a living archive of Black land stewards who heal soil, nourish communities, and preserve cultural traditions. This is more than a film series — it’s a reclamation of land, legacy, liberation and a rubric for humanity and planetary healing. Join us in bringing these stories to life.
THE FOCUS OF EPISODE 3:
Following two self-funded pilot episodes—PREVIOUSLY supported in part by Fujifilm—Episode 3 expands the scope and social impact of The Black Farmers Project. This chapter centers Black cotton farmers, reframing cotton—long tied to forced labor and environmental harm—as a site of cultural memory, ecological repair, and community resilience.
This chapter features powerful interviews such as:
- Tameka Peoples of Seed2Shirt, whose vertically integrated supply chain uplifts Black cotton producers and circular textile systems and
- 5th generation cotton farmer Julius Tillery of Black Cotton, who grows cotton as an act of healing and economic sovereignty
The scope of your donation DIRECTLY supports and helps us fund:
- PRODUCTION: Access to quality equipment, post production editing, studio space, installation materials, travel and lodging for interviews
- EQUITY: Being able to equitably compensate all farmers and creative collaborators
- SPACIOUSNESS: Tools and time to make this project accessible and expansive
- EDUCATION: Building a free, universal digital toolkit rooted in Black agricultural preservation, sustainability, and liberation
- SCREENING & GALLERY: Community screening + gallery installation in NYC
- ZINE: A limited-edition print and digital collaborative zine — featuring portraits, quotes, and landscapes from the project
We are creatives and artists, pushing boundaries in storytelling, visual culture, and education! This is more than funding a film — it’s investing in a future where our stories are told on our terms.
ROOTED IN PURPOSE, BUILT TOGETHER:
This is an independent creative project with a bold vision: To center farmers and artists as educators, truth-tellers, and culture-shapers.
Your support helps us Build a body of work that reflects the complexity and beauty of Black agricultural legacy while creating tangible resources that outlive the screen.
WANT TO CONTRIBUTE YOUR SKILLS INSTEAD?
We’re accepting a limited number of Creative Collaborators for this project. We’re currently seeking:
- 4–5 Production Assistants
- 4 Creative Assistants (Art/Set/Style)
- 1 Camera Operator
- 1 Colorist
- 1 Sound Designer / Audio Mixer
- 1 Producer
If you’re an artist, organizer, educator, or creative professional with a strong portfolio and aligned values, we’d love to hear from you.
OTHER WAYS TO SUPPORT:
Can’t donate right now? No problem — you can still help us grow:
Share this campaign
- Follow our new Instagram handle: theblackfarmersproject
- Repost pilot videos and GoFundMe link
- Host a screening of our first 2 episodes + roundtable discussion / panel discussion
- Amplify the voices of the farmers and creatives featured
Every share, every conversation, every dollar matters.
theblackfarmersproject.com (Launching Soon)
Organizer
Timothy Smith
Organizer
Nutley, NJ