Gail P. Myers, Ph.D.

African-American Land Loss | This New World, article by Huffington Post Oct 2019

When we talk about resilience in agriculture, we often talk about biodiversity -- how growing many different types of plants and crops together makes a farming operation stronger. The same could be said of our entire food and agriculture system -- in who is farming our food, and how many people are growing food. Farmers of color in the United States, especially Black farmers, have historically experienced, and continue to experience less access to land, resources, and information than white farmers have. And because many farmers of color hold generations of farming knowledge, as well as use regenerative farming methods, putting them at the forefront of our food system is an investment in climate resiliency. Ultimately, when we have a greater diversity of people growing our food, and more people growing their own food, our food system, and our communities, are stronger, more adaptable, and more resilient.

Rhythms of the Land is the documentary feature film project by anthropologist/filmmaker Gail P. Myers, Ph.D. During the summer of 2012, Dr. Myers toured 10 southern states interviewing over 30 African American farmers, sharecroppers, and gardeners and one 6th generation coil basket weaver. This film is a valentine to generations of Black farmers from the enslavement period to present whose intense love of the land and dedication to community enabled them to survive against overwhelming odds. These farmers and sharecroppers struggled without either reward or recognition, and have been excluded out of dominant narratives of American agriculture.

"16 Seeds" (documentary short) examines the roles that people of color play in the struggle for food justice, from a community organizer's journey of increasing the visibility of black farmers to the groundwork of an elder seeking to preserve family traditions. Focused on three individuals - Gail, Mia, and Mickey, living in Oakland and San Francisco's Bayview district, this film positions them at the forefront of the movement in their communities to reclaim food and our connections to it. From harvesting beans to selling plants at farmer's markets, the work of reconnecting people to their food is never done, especially in black communities where food deserts, not choice, have been the rule for too many years.

From The Field to the Table Guest Interviews Session 2: Farms to Grow, Inc. Guest: Dr. Gail Myers Interviewer: Paloma McGregor DP/Editor: Rosa Lisbeth Navarrete