Ninth International Conference on Communication & Media Studies

Abstract

“Stepping Into the Shade” is a 6-part documentary series which tells the story of the workers, past and present, who labored to produce shade tobacco in the Connecticut River valley of New England. Connecticut shade tobacco is prized around the world as the premium wrapper for cigars. Since the early 1900s, workers from around the region labored alongside workers from Europe, Caribbean countries, and Asia to produce this rare crop. Black Americans migrated north to work shade tobacco, escaping the oppression of the South, and encountering freedom along with a different version of the plantation system. Students were recruited by tobacco farmers from Historically Black Colleges and Universities to work in exchange for tuition money, including a young Martin Luther King, Jr. Laborers from Jamaica and Puerto Rico stayed and changed the culture of the Connecticut Valley, making Hartford and the surrounding region a vibrant and diverse area. We discuss the genesis of our documentary series, our journey to eight different states with host June Archer to interview those connected to our story, as well as the process of editing and distributing the series. Portions of the documentary will be screened and discussed.