Every so often, a story comes along that quietly takes hold of your heart, the kind that reminds you why storytelling matters at all. That’s how I felt the first time I learned about Sarah Rector, a young Black girl from Indian Territory, now Oklahoma, who became one of the richest children in America in the early 1900s. Her life was extraordinary, not only because of the oil discovered on her land, but because of what she endured and who she became in a world determined to overlook her.
This fall, a new film titled Sarah’s Oil brings Sarah’s story to the screen with beauty, honesty, and faith. Directed by Cyrus Nowrasteh and starring Naya Desir-Johnson, Sonequa Martin-Green, and Kenric Green, the movie reveals how one family’s courage and devotion illuminated a dark chapter of American history. It is inspired by Tonya Bolden’s wonderful young adult book Searching for Sarah Rector: The Richest Black Girl in America and it shines a light on the strength, dignity, and resilience of a family navigating both injustice and grace.
I had the opportunity to sit down with the actors who portray Sarah and her parents for an interview featured on Beliefnet. Our conversation left me thinking deeply about faith under pressure, the sacred responsibility of family, and how God often uses the least likely people to accomplish extraordinary things.
When I asked Naya what surprised her most about playing Sarah, she said it was realizing how little people knew about the story of Sarah Rector. That struck me. How many stories like Sarah’s have been buried by time or by indifference? How many bright lives have flickered unseen because history decided they didn’t belong in the spotlight?
That is what makes this film, and the chance to tell Sarah’s story again, so powerful. It is not just about history; it is about legacy. It is about faith that endures when the world seems cruel and the kind of hope that keeps showing up generation after generation.
If you’ve followed me for a while, you know how deeply I believe in the importance of recovering forgotten stories, especially those of Black girls and women who lived with quiet courage and blazing strength. Sarah’s Oil offers a rare opportunity to see that kind of story portrayed with honesty and reverence.
I would love for you to read my full article on Beliefnet, where I share more about the film, the actors’ reflections, and the spiritual truths that run through Sarah’s remarkable journey.
You can read the full review here: Sarah’s Oil: Faith and Courage in a Forgotten American Story on Beliefnet
May Sarah’s story remind us all that light never really disappears; it simply waits to be remembered.
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