Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

A dramatic film with the title Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. It consists of three (3) reels of color 16mm acetate film with optical sound. Set in Mississippi in 1933, the film follows Cassie Logan (Lark Ruffin) who tells the story of the racial discrimination her family faced during the Great Depression and their attempts to retain the land that has been in their family for three generations. In the opening scenes, Cassie narrates some of the Logans’ family history, including her grandfather purchasing their land which was previously part of the Granger plantation and Mr. Granger's desire to buy the land back from the Logans. She also describes her mother convincing other African Americans in the neighborhood to boycott a store owned by the Wallaces, a hostile white family, and the Wallaces’ violent retaliation.

Explore Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture ↗