BASED ON THE UNTOLD TRUE STORY OF BLACK FARMER JOHN BOYD JR. AND LAWYER JAMES FARRIN WHO WORKED TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE JUSTICE FOR BLACK FARMERS IN AMERICA

Los Angeles, CA, June 10, 2021 – Today, CMNTY Culture, a Black-owned entertainment and media enterprise founded by eight-time GRAMMY award-winning songwriter Philip Lawrence, announced its first film project, The Last Plantation, via its film/ TV vertical, CMNTY Culture Films. CMNTY Culture will be the lead production company on The Last Plantation, an untold true story chronicling one of the largest civil rights settlements in history. Hunt Lowry(A Time to Kill, Last of the Mohicans) of Roserock Films and Jesse Kennedy (Brooklyn’s Finest, Stolen) are signed on to produce the film, joined by Philip Lawrence, CMNTY Culture Chief Operating Officer/ Chief Legal Officer Miles Cooley, CMNTY Culture CEO Thomas St. John, and main character/ lawyerJames Farrin as executive producers. 

Written by Tyger Williams (Menace II Society, Self Made: Madam C.J. Walker), The Last Plantation follows Black soybean farmer, John Boyd Jr., and white car accident attorney, James Farrin, as they overcome long odds and Washington gridlock to obtain a $1.25 billion settlement for over 18,000 Black farmers who had been discriminated against by the U.S. government. For years, the USDA routinely treated Black farmers unjustly, earning it the unfortunate nickname “the last plantation.”

“With its underlying themes of racial justice and social equity, ‘The Last Plantation’ showcases everything that CMNTY Culture stands for. It’s an important story to tell, not only because of its historical context, but also because it points to how we can come together to address social issues and injustices, even in a polarized world,” said CMNTY Culture Founder and Chairman, Philip Lawrence. “We couldn’t be happier to launch our film/ TV vertical with such an inspiring project and hope that it helps shed some much-overdue light on the often-neglected plight of Black farmers in America.”

The premise of the film aligns closely with CMNTY Culture’s mission of promoting and advancing racial equity, social justice, and diversity/inclusion in all aspects of its business, which includes film/TV, music, music publishing, and real estate. Philip Lawrence founded the company in 2019 alongside a visionary group of accomplished leaders: Thomas St. John, Founder of Thomas St. John Group; Miles Cooley, formerly DLA Piper; Marlena Kaplan, formerly Blackstone; Malik Rasheed, formerly Epic Records; and Chief Johnson, formerly PUMA Group.

###

About CMNTY Culture: Launched in 2019, CMNTY Culture is a Black-owned, independent music and media enterprise founded by eight-time GRAMMY award-winning songwriter Philip Lawrence in partnership with Thomas St. John, founder of Thomas St. John Group, a leading international accounting and business management firm. The company has several portfolio entertainment verticals in the music, music publishing, film/ TV, and real estate spaces.  CMNTY Culture is dedicated to advocating for and empowering artists across disciplines, as well as promoting and advancing racial equity, social justice, and diversity/inclusion in all aspects of its business. To find out more, you can visit: https://cmntyculture.com/

Media Contacts:

Sunshine Sachs

Paula Witt/ Maggie Faircloth/ Samantha Stephens/ Daniella Colletti – CMNTYCulture@SunshineSachs.com