Blaine and Diane Smith are determined to protect their family’s 600-acre property in Sparta, Georgia, as Sandersville Railroad Co. moves forward with plans to seize portions of their land through eminent domain. Despite a recent superior court ruling favoring the railroad company, the Smiths remain steadfast, asserting that their fight is about preserving their family’s…
Sarah Rector, a Black girl of Muscogee Creek descent, became one of the wealthiest Black children in the United States after oil was discovered on her land in 1913. However, her wealth also subjected her to legal guardianship restrictions, racial reclassification, and scrutiny from civil rights organizations. Born in 1902 in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma),…