by Inshira Bediako, Emerson National Hunger Fellow
Forty acres and a mule. That was the promise made by General William Sherman to former enslaved Africans during the Civil War as a form of reparations for their centuries of forced labor. This promise was soon rescinded by President Andrew Johnson. However, just as Black people had emancipated themselves from slavery, they took the fate of their free futures into their own hands. No group emphasized this liberatory spirit more than the Black people who raced to Oklahoma to claim land after the Civil War, built strong communities in this new land, and blazed a path forward for Black economic and political autonomy, including the freedom to feed themselves.
At one point in time, Oklahoma had more than 50 all-Black towns, more than anywhere in the country. Today, only 13 are still in existence. When I first came to Tulsa, I was fascinated by the existence of these towns and by the existence of numerous Black farmers in general. My work with lived experts at Hunger Free Oklahoma also spurred my curiosity about the experiences of Black farmers in dealing with the high rates of food insecurity among the Black demographic in Oklahoma. I reached out to Willard Tillman at the Oklahoma Black Historical Project Research Inc. to learn more about the contemporary advances and plights of Black farmers in Oklahoma. Mr. Tillman was gracious enough to invite my co-fellow and I to his hometown of Wewoka to get a glimpse at the life of rural Black Oklahomans. Although Wewoka was not a historically Black town, it was settled by free Black people who had been formerly enslaved by the Seminole tribe. Eventually, when the Seminoles tried to re-enslave many of the settlers, half of the town fled to Mexico, yet the other half stayed in their segregated part of Wewoka. In Wewoka, we met the descendants of those who stayed, many of whom still owned and worked the lands their ancestors had procured post-slavery. It was a beautiful thing to be in the presence of such history and witness their legacies preserved. Unfortunately, we also learned that these lands that had provided sustenance for Black families and a sense of liberation for generations were in severe danger of disappearing from Black hands.
Mr. Tillman has been leading diligent efforts to save small Black farms across the state. Hunger Free Oklahoma was a witness to these efforts at the 25th annual Small Farms Conference, where the national and regional USDA officials along with other organizations presented funding information and programs that would economically benefit small independent farms. HFO handed out numerous resources on federal nutrition programs, including SNAP, and presented on how producers could benefit from participating in the Double Up Oklahoma program. It was an eye-opening experience as several people were unaware of the reach and benefits of these programs. It was also enriching to be surrounded by Black people who had such different life experiences from me. I was able to learn so much about the state of the agricultural industry in America, including how the focus on growing cash crops prevents people from growing food to eat and heightens the rate of food insecurity among Black Oklahomans. I also learned about the predatory maneuvers of investors and companies to swindle land older Black people and their descendants.
In Wewoka, we met a resident of the historical Black town of Lima who lamented diminishing Black land ownership. And yes, the number of Black farms keeps falling, the sizes of these farms keep shrinking, and the towns continue to struggle. However, after riding horses led by Black cowboys and watching both the young and old play a scintillating game of cards, I became deeply emotional. The scene before me was not one of despair, but one of extreme resilience, constant re-invention, and hope. Many Black Oklahomans never saw those 40 acres and a mule, but collectively, they made their own way. Despite the onslaught of racial terror and the struggles to maintain liberation, Black Oklahomans survived, and for a period, thrived. It is my belief that they will continue to remain on this land and will thrive again. My experience with Black farmers here in Oklahoma has reinforced in me a deep appreciation of Black agricultural practices and has been a stark reminder that Black food and economic insecurity will never be abolished without Black liberation.