Allensworth Rising: A Fight for Water is a 21-minute documentary that follows Sherry Hunter, a lifelong resident and community leader, in her tireless effort to secure safe, clean water for the historic town of Allensworth, California. Founded in 1908 by Lt. Colonel Allen Allensworth, a formerly enslaved man turned visionary, the city was created as a self-governed utopia for Black families, a place where African Americans could thrive, free from systemic oppression.
Over a century later, Allensworth’s residents still fight for that original vision in the face of an arsenic water crisis that threatens their health, dignity, and future.
Adding a spark of hope is Ashok Gadgil, a University of California, Berkeley, environmental engineer who has developed an innovative piece of equipment capable of removing arsenic from groundwater.
