DISTANT ECHOES: Black Farmers in America

Photograph:  Marcus Frank

Co-curators Nona Martin (left) and Margaret Hutto (right) confer with photographer John Ficara on the final stages of the photographic installation.

Distant Echoes: Black Farmers in America is comprised of 60 photographic images taken by John Ficara which capture signs of adversity and endurance, poverty and self-determination. Ficara’s photographic documentary includes African American farmers from Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana and Michigan that chronicle a battle with economics and discrimination. 

Commenting on the significance of the exhibit Margaret Hutto remarks, "Land ownership has been a cornerstone for the advancement of the Black Farmer and the Black Family as a whole. It is vital that we as a nation find a way to preserve this heritage for generations to come." Nona R. Martin, Co-curator for the exhibition states, “Upon seeing John Ficara’s beautiful images of African American farmers, I was convinced that these photographs had to be seen by the American public."

Traveling Exhibition Venues

The Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture, Baltimore, MD

Albany Civil Rights Movement Museum, Georgia

Hayti Heritage Center, North Carolina

DuSable Museum, Chicago, Illinois

W.K. Kellog Foundation, Michigan

Charlotte Museum of History, North Carolina

Harrison Museum of African American Culture, Virginia

The Museum of the Albemarie, North Carolina

Caldwell County Public Library, North Carolina