Caravan of Hope is a feature-length documentary that tells the powerful story of how a radio station and a small Mississippi town joined forces to save a symbol of Black resilience. Founded in 1887 by formerly enslaved people, Mound Bayou, Mississippi, became one of the most successful all-Black towns in America, a thriving center of business, education, and community pride. But as the Great Migration drew residents away and structural racism deepened economic hardship, the town faced decline. By the mid-20th century, Mound Bayou was on the brink of collapse, its city buildings locked and its charter at risk.
In an extraordinary act of Black solidarity, the mayor reached out to WDIA, the Memphis-based station known as the first Black-programmed radio station in the United States. What followed was a remarkable movement led not by politicians or celebrities, but by everyday people who refused to let the spirit of Mound Bayou die. WDIA’s radio hosts and listeners across the Mid-South came together to raise money, spread the word, and organize a caravan of cars that traveled 100 miles from Memphis to Mound Bayou to deliver the funds in person. Their collective effort revived the town, reopened its doors, and reaffirmed Mound Bayou’s place as a living symbol of Black resilience and self-determination.
Through archival footage, photographs, and interviews with community leaders, radio personalities, and historians, Caravan of Hope revisits this pivotal event as a testament to what can happen when ordinary people take extraordinary action. The film situates Mound Bayou’s story within today’s landscape, asking what Black solidarity looks like now and how communities can continue to preserve and sustain their cultural institutions in the face of systemic challenges.
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