Sarah Marie Franzen

Quiet Revolution provides experiential observations of on-the-ground stories of and practices enacted by of a network of farmers, cooperatives, and organizers belonging to the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/ Land Assistance Fund (Federation). Founded in 1967 by a group of African American cooperatives, the Federation facilitates independent land-based economic development, organized through cooperative structures, as a necessary component to ensuring civil and social rights for African Americans. Quiet Revolution brings viewers into the daily activities, experiences, and stories of the farmers and organizers who struggle to realize the Federation’s vision. Alongside efforts to enact political change and economic growth, these farmers are reclaiming and promoting a uniquely Black agrarian culture. Through a series of films organized within a digital gallery, Quiet Revolution gives viewers a chance to perceive and experience the people, places, and actions that produce both the institution of the Federation and incrementally transform the US Southern rural landscape.