Exhibit: Cotton

Date: 2113

Place: Philadelphia

It’s the year 2100, and America is in $80 trillion of debt; to combat the debt, they bring back cash crops. The government imposed forced labor on inmates, resulting in a rise in arrests targeting people of color. The main cash crop America resorted to was cotton, creating cotton farms/plantations across various states, notably Pennsylvania. Despite the booming production of cotton, it was not used for the typical clothes. Instead, many richer individuals often used it as a cheaper form of hunger suppressant. With this growing trend, cotton became more popular than ever; slowly advertising cash crop labor within low-income neighborhoods and cities with a particular emphasis on young Black males.

In 2113, during a live press conference, the current President at the time had a slip of the tongue, and accidentally mentioned the conditions of these cotton plantations. While these farms claimed to offer things such as good work hours, great healthcare, proper compensation for your time, and affordable housing, this was all actually a ploy. Once entering the farms, the individual would be stripped of their ID, any form of currency, and forced into a uniform, where they then had to work strenuous work hours with little to no downtime. The affordable houses were built on the farm, in rows, where workers were forced to reside. 

After being presented with this information, people within Philadelphia were outraged, as many parts of the Northeast and West of the city were targeted due to their worse conditions. This outrage caused a group of Philadelphians to create a plan of retaliation, where they had a good portion of the city come together to free workers, raid and burn down the plantations.

Contributors: Iyana Brooks, Amora Williams-Batchelor, Destiny Barnett