Earth, I Thank You: The Garden and Legacy of Anne Spencer

On May 4, 2025 the Garden Conservancy premiered a documentary film exploring the historic sanctuary of Harlem Renaissance poet, civil rights advocate, and passionate gardener Anne Spencer. Earth, I Thank You: The Garden and Legacy of Anne Spencer celebrates the cultural and historical significance of the Anne Spencer House and Garden Museum in Lynchburg, VA.

The 35-minute film traces the evolution of Spencer's beloved garden from a personal retreat to a nationally significant cultural landscape. The garden was an oasis where she wrote much of her poetry, drawing inspiration and insights from the natural beauty surrounding her. It was also a vibrant gathering place, welcoming luminaries and civil rights leaders including Langston Hughes, James Weldon Johnson, Zora Neale Hurston, Thurgood Marshall, George Washington Carver, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The home and garden are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register.

Attendees were welcomed to the event by the museum's Deputy Director Michelle Commander and Garden Conservancy Board Chairman Robert Balentine. American Society of Landscape Architects CEO Torey Carter-Conneen provided opening comments. Following the film screening, Pamela Governale, the Garden Conservancy's Director of Preservation and Producer of the film, introduced a panel of speakers. Dr. Carlyn Ferrari, author, Spencer scholar and Assistant Professor of English at Seattle University, moderated a discussion with Brent Leggs, Executive Director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund and Senior Vice President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation; Shaun Spencer-Hester, Spencer's granddaughter and Executive Director of the Anne Spencer House and Garden Museum in Lynchburg, VA; Evie Shockley, Zora Neale Hurston Distinguished Professor of English/Director of Creative Writing & Writers House, Rutgers University; David and Michael Udris, filmmakers; and James Brayton Hall, President and CEO of the Garden Conservancy.

The documentary is made possible by the Suzanne and Frederic Rheinstein Fund for Documentary Films, a groundbreaking Garden Conservancy initiative envisioned by the late Suzanne Rheinstein to use film to capture the essence of gardens and their historical significance. Garden Conservancy Board of Directors Member Kate Cordsen is Executive Producer of the documentary.

Spencer's garden is one of the most significant examples of a preserved African American garden in the United States. A modest and deeply personal space, the garden is imbued with stories of civil rights advocacy, literary genius, and the many historic figures who walked its paths. The garden features a sculpture given to Spencer by W.E.B. Du Bois.

The garden's design blends original plants and sculptures with found objects that reflect both Anne and Edward Spencer's artistry and creative spirit. In the 1980s, the garden underwent a thoughtful restoration, initiated by Anne Spencer's son, Chauncey Spencer, led by the Hillside Garden Club, which worked to preserve its unique character and connection to Spencer's literary legacy. The second began in 2008, with the Garden Conservancy advising on preservation planning, including the rehabilitation of the pergola and pond, and a detailed study of the garden's history, condition and plantings.