Friday Mar 13, 2026

Farming Freedom: a Documentary Discussion with Kayla Turner Thomas

On this episode of Black in the stacks, Marquita chats with Kayla Turner Thomas about her film debut, "Framing Freedom: The Inspiring True Story of Black Landownership in Mississippi. It's a gripping feature length documentary told through the lens of Thomas’ grandfather, Henry Harris, a retired second-generation farmer whose father, John Harris, managed to buy and keep farmland while Jim Crow laws were still in effect.

The film combines interviews from historians that give insight into what factors and events contributed to massive Black land loss like mob violence, federal loan discrimination, and the impact of the Great Migration. Aiming to enlighten and inspire, Farming Freedom also looks ahead to the opportunities for closing the wealth gap between non-Black and Black landowners today.

Kayla Turner Thomas, a producer and 2x Emmy-nominated creative services professional, has worked in local television for nearly 15 years. Raised on family land in the Mississippi Delta, Thomas is a proud product of Bolivar County public schools. She studied Media and Communication Arts at Pace University, Westchester, and is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.