VIDEO: HOBO Films Releases CRAWFORD: THE MAN THE SOUTH FORGOT

The Man The South Forgot Trailer-FINAL3 from HOBO on Vimeo.

HOBO Films, the original content development arm of HOBO Audio, is releasing the new documentary Crawford: The Man The South Forgot, a powerful exposé revealing the hidden tragic fate of a prosperous and successful African American farmer in South Carolina in the early 20th Century. The new program will be available for streaming on kweli.tv starting November 3.

Watch the trailer below.

The story follows Illinois native Doria Dee Johnson as she journeys to her ancestors' hometown in South Carolina to retrace the last days in the life of her great-great-grandfather, Anthony Crawford. Anthony Crawford was an African American businessman and community leader who owned a thriving 427-acre cotton farm in Abbeville, South Carolina. Crawford's success generated anger, envy and hatred among some of the white citizens of the town, culminating in his horrific demise that had ripple effects on his family for generations.

Doria must fight an uphill battle to properly memorialize her great-great-grandfather and, in the process, shed light on a chapter in American history that has been largely buried. Doria's relentless, multi-year quest is the story of Crawford: The Man The South Forgot.

"Racial violence in America is pervasive and well documented. Yet the importance of land as a motive has not been fully examined or exposed," said Bowler, "If you want to understand the history of land stolen from Black Americans, follow the lynching trail. They are inexorably - and tragically - linked."

Crawford: The Man The South Forgot is executive produced by HOBO founder Howard Bowler. The director of the film is Caroline DeVoe and the editor is Tiffany Jackman.

Caroline DeVoe traveled to Abbeville with Doria Dee Johnson on numerous occasions to uncover the hidden threads and severed family ties of her ancestor's story. Driven in part by her own family's history of being ushered from their land following the death of her grandfather, DeVoe worked with Johnson for more than a decade combing the archives of the NAACP and the South Carolina Historical Society, and recording the footsteps and memories of descendants of eye-witnesses and others connected to the story.

Crawford: The Man The South Forgot is the latest in a series of related cross-platform content being produced by HOBO Films. Through interconnected stories and characters, these productions originate in pre-Civil War Abbeville, with a related narrative arc leading up to the present day.

Earlier this year, the company released the podcast The Trial of Jeff David, a dramatic retelling of the true story of a freed slave's exoneration after five trials and convictions for murder. HOBO Films has also released The System, a dramatic series about the real-world effects of the drug war on a present-day New Jersey middle-class family. The System and The Trial of Jeff David are both available for streaming on kweli.tv, a new platform celebrating black stories from around the world by curating content that is a true reflection of the global black experience.

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