- Directed by
- Smight, Jack, American, 1925 - 2003
- Subject of
- McNeil, Claudia, American, 1917 - 1993
- MacLachlan, Janet, American, 1933 - 2010
- Christian, Robert, American, 1939 - 1983
- Scott, Larry B., American, born 1961
- Freeman, Morgan, American, born 1937
- Ruffin, Lark, American
- Owned by
- D.C. Public Library, American, founded 1896
- Date
- 1978
- Medium
- acetate film
- Dimensions
- Duration (Reel 1): 37 Minutes
- Length (Film): 1300 Feet
- Duration (Reel 2): 35 Minutes
- Length (Film): 1250 Feet
- Duration (Reel 3): 33 Minutes
- Length (Film): 1200 Feet
- Caption
- This film was a part of the Washington D.C. Public Library's circulating 16mm film collection housed at the Martin Luther King Jr. Central Library. The collection is particularly noted for the wide variety of African American and African diaspora content.
- Description
- 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.
- Place used
- Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
- Place depicted
- Mississippi, United States, North and Central America
- Collection title
- DC Public Library Film Collection
- Classification
- Time-based Media - Moving Images
- Type
- sound films
- color films (visual works)
- feature films
- 16mm (photographic film size)
- Topic
- Actors
- American South
- Families
- Film
- Race discrimination
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2017.55.106.1abc
- Restrictions & Rights
- Restrictions likely apply. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.




