Raoul Peck’s Silver Dollar Road is the type of documentary I wish there were more of. It often seems like any story of American injustice must rise to a federal or even international level in order to garner a well-produced, widely-released documentary. But for as local and insular as this story could seem, Peck also does a terrific job balancing that kind of detail with a broader historical perspective on the disenfranchisement of African Americans.
The film recounts the story of the Reels family tree and its various branches, a North Carolina family whose decades-long ownership of a waterfront property has been aggressively contested by land developers. This includes a history of violent harassment by those intent on taking the land for themselves, along with ridiculously trumped-up trespassing charges which sent two members of the family to jail for eight years.
The dispute between the Reels and the company that claims to own the land has gone on so long that there are now multiple generations who do not remember a time before the dispute began. The Reels suggest that any other claims to the property were made completely unbeknownst to them. But regardless, and even as a matter of practicality, it seems that there was no logical reason to accuse anyone of trespassing in their own house. As both Anita Earls, a Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court and the Reels’ former attorney, and James Hairston, another of the Reels’ attorneys, make clear, there were several alternative ways around the problem from the start.
As we’re taken through the various legal battles involved, we’re also given a tour of the property. We come to understand why this land is so vitally important to this family, not only for the monetary security it provides — being on the water and allowing for independent shrimping and fishing operations — but also for the memories it holds. Melvin Davis and Licurtis Reels, the two men who were jailed for “trespassing,” recount their life of building on the land and fishing in the water. Besides the many homes belonging to the Reels and their adjacent families, there was a nightclub and a thriving fishing business.
In perhaps the most moving portion of the film, we also come to understand the impact Melvin and Licurtis’ imprisonment had on the entire family. The exorbitant sentence alone was ludicrous, and it put their aging mother in what seemed like a constant state of worry and depression. A few family members rallied to get the men released, and their work eventually paid off, but not before costing them hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees.
From corporations and our justice system alike, there often seems to be an extra level of spite directed at racial and ethnic minorities, as well as at poor and working-class people in general in this country. The Reels’ case exposes this in a rather shocking way. Instead of handling the issue in a more civil manner, the company which covets the land adjacent to the road of the film’s title decided to needlessly inflict more harm and trauma on this family. The dispute has still not been resolved, but this film is worth watching because it not only deeply explores this individual story, but it also has an eye to how these kinds of issues writ large impact our country’s history and present. | George Napper
Silver Dollar Road is now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video
