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Poster for Lay My Burden Down (1966)

Lay My Burden Down (1966)

1966 · Short film · 31 min · dir. Jack Willis

A Look at the Life of the Southern Rural Negro

  • Documentary
  • News

Synopsis

This documentary concentrates on the hardships of black tenant farmers and their families in the Selma, Alabama region. One family of ten survives on only $1,000 a year in a system that has changed little since the days of reconstruction after the Civil War. The sharecroppers work the land owned by white landowners as they struggle to make ends meet. One farmer explains that black people are never offered a loan of more than $50. Another man is evicted for not turning his check from the federal government over to his landlord. A mother's only wish is that her prayers are answered so she can feed and clothe her family.

Synopsis from OMDb

Details

Director
Jack Willis
Released
1966-01-02
Running time
31 minutes
Language
English
Collection
Educational Films, Ephemeral Films

Subjects on the Internet Archive

Cast & crew