40 Acres

and a

Lie

It’s often thought of as a promise that was never kept. But “40 acres and a mule” was more than that. It was real. This three-part series from Reveal and the Center for Public Integrity tells the history of an often-misunderstood government program that gave more than 1,200 formerly enslaved people land titles, only to take the land back, fueling a wealth gap that remains today.

Listen to the trailer:

40 Acres and a Lie Part 1

After Jim Hutchinson was freed from slavery in 1865, the federal government gave him a land title: 40 acres on Edisto Island, South Carolina. Soon after, that land was taken back.Through his descendants and the descendants of a former slaveholder, we reveal the truth about “40 acres and a mule.”

40 Acres and a Lie Part 2

In 1865, Skidaway Island, Georgia, was becoming a Black utopia. Former cotton plantations gave way to a self-governing Black community. That is, until the federal government revoked 40 acres for tens of thousands of formerly enslaved people and returned the land to former slaveholders. Today, much of Skidaway Island belongs to The Landings, a wealthy, mostly White gated community.

40 Acres and a Lie Part 3: Coming June 29

Forty acres and a mule has come to represent an unpaid debt, and it’s served as a rallying cry for generations of Black citizens demanding reparations. The final episode in this series explores how the debate around reparations has moved from the fringes to the mainstream, as a rising number of states, cities and even one county in the South are actively exploring making amends.