Sustainability Series: FARMING WHILE BLACK with Tony Noble

Watch Trailer Director: Mark Decena
Cast: Leah Penniman, Blain Snipstal, Karen Washington

At the turn of the 20th century in America, the proportion of Black-owned farms was roughly 1-in-7. Today, however, that number has fallen precipitously to about 1-in-50. In 2018, author Leah Penniman, an educator, food-sovereignty activist, and co-founder of the Soul Fire Farm, penned a book called Farming While Black that examines this trend and reflects on the plight of Black farmers in the US. Through her efforts to educate, her activism, and now through this documentary from filmmaker Mark Decena (Dopamine, Watershed), Leah and others seek to inspire a new generation of Black farmers with a deeper understanding of the legacy of African agrarianism — and how this legacy may hold the key to saving the planet.

About the Speaker

Anthony Noble is a manager at the OHIO Student Farm where he integrates his love of teaching, nature and healthy living. He has studied engineering, urban planning, permaculture, conflict resolution, herbs and many other things that have peaked his curiosity. Tony believes play and creativity are essential to understanding and pursuing regenerative agriculture.

Check out the rest of our line-up of Sustainability Films

The series is made possible thanks to the support of: University Libraries, Honors Tutorial College, Office of Sustainability, and The Voinovich School’s Environmental Studies Program.