Fade to Black: How Ryan Coogler’s Hit film “Sinners” Speaks on the Economic Racism of Sharecropping 

By Caleb Davy

It is no surprise that the community and critics everywhere are calling Ryan Coogler’s new hit film “Sinners” a cultural masterpiece. With it hitting streaming on  Max this past weekend , the film made about $48 million in the North American Box Office; and as of right now, has made about $350 million worldwide. The plot is set in 1930’s Jim Crow Mississippi and follows identical twin gangsters “Smoke” and “Stack” along with  aspiring Blues musician “Preacher Boy”. Together they must fight to make a name for themselves in an American South that seeks to destroy them, while also defending against an  ancient evil that wishes to rob them of their individuality. “Sinners” is largely praised for its unapologetic authenticity in its portrayal of racism and  the rarely touched on elements of Black culture, providing commentary on elements such as African spiritualism and religion, the roots of the blues, and black entrepreneurship in the deep south. Although topics like these are tackled in ways both big and small over the course of the film, there is one element from black history that serves as a strong undercurrent and driving force throughout the film, and it’s something the black community and black investors can learn from.  

Sharecropping and its Underlying presence in “Sinners”

For those uninformed, Sharecropping is defined by PBS.org as “ a system where the landlord/planter allows a tenant to use the land in exchange for a share of the crop.” (PBS, 2021) As early as the end of  the Civil War well into the 1930’s Jim Crow era, many Black people  sought a way to earn financial gain and employment. Unfortunately, it was found in buying a fraction of land from former white slave owners who often charged unfairly. This real-world historical connection makes its presence known in “Sinners” by serving as a backdrop and world building tool for the film’s story and is even semi-integral to the plot. The twins in “Smoke” and “Stack” try to purchase a section of a plantation from a Klan member to build and profit from their very own Juke Joint in the first 5-10 minutes of the film, and fairly accurately portrays the land owner as a racist manipulative man seeking to take advantage of young Black Americans. Throughout the film, the twins along with “Preacher Boy” must fight to keep their land their own from the sinister racist antics of their time.   

Why it Matters

The sinister, economically racist antics used and abused by the one percent may not be as overt as they were, but make no mistake they have evolved and are very much in full effect. What was once known as sharecropping, shares similar DNA with modern issues like redlining and gentrification. Black Millennials and the community as a whole must fight to maintain financial freedom and prosperity from those who wish to take it. Sinners may be a film about vampires on the surface, but it serves as a wake up call for those seeking financial freedom and a reminder of the tactics used to keep us in debt.