‘Sarah’s Oil’ and the 11-Year-Old Who Trusted God’s Plan| National Catholic Register
Based on the real-life journey of Sarah Rector, ‘Sarah’s Oil’ highlights the courage of a young girl who believed God had a plan for her life.
Sarah Rector was only 11 years old, but she was determined to stand up for herself. Her mission was a simple one: “Don’t sell my land!”
Sarah was a “Creek Freedman” — that is, a descendant of African Americans who had been enslaved by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. In 1866, following the Emancipation Proclamation and the end of the Civil War, the United States had finalized a treaty granting full citizenship rights to Creek Freedmen.
Later, the Dawes Act broke up Native American tribal lands into individual plots, to encourage assimilation into mainstream society by promoting farming. Like other Creek Freedmen, Sarah was awarded a land grant — in her case, a 160-acre allotment in Oklahoma.
The land was barren and not conducive to farming, but there was a surprise: far below the surface of Sarah’s parcel, there was a steady stream of oil. Once Sarah found a way to bring that oil to the surface for sale, she became the “richest Black girl in America.”
The true story of Sarah Rector’s life is recounted in the 2014 book Searching for Sarah Rector: The Richest Black Girl in America by award-winning author Tonya Bolden.
And on Nov. 7, Amazon MGM Studios released the story on the big screen in Sarah’s Oil.
Hollywood producer John Shepherd, producer of Sarah’s Oil, talked recently with the Register about Sarah Rector (played by Naya Desir-Johnson) and about the film that brings her story to life. “She had a mission,” Shepherd said, “and it was a very simple mission: Just don’t sell my land! Don’t give away my dreams! Don’t give it to thieves!”
“We didn’t set out to make a fast-paced movie!” Shepherd added. “We set out to make a movie about a little entrepreneur, an American who achieved the American dream!”
Sarah believed that she had truly heard the voice of God. As she leaned, her ear pressed against the earth, she heard the rush of oil passing under her land, and she believed that she heard God talking to her. She believed that God had a purpose and plan for her.
According to John Shepherd, Sarah wasn’t a “genius intellect” — she was simply someone who heard, who responded in obedience, and who then would not be discouraged, would not be despondent, would not be dismissed or take “no” for an answer.
Indeed, there is a lesson to be learned from Sarah’s response to those who tried to rob her of her dream. It was her birthright, she believed, and some of us give in, selling our birthright for nothing. We sell our dreams, Shepherd thought, because we don’t really believe that they have value.
Shepherd saw Sarah’s bravery, as she refused to believe the lies of people around her and determined, instead, to believe the “good book.” Shepherd asked, then answered his own question: “Where’s the hope for our nation? It’s not in the ballot box; it’s not in programming. You know what? The hope for our nation is in human hearts.”
Sarah’s Oil is currently playing in theaters across America.
