Through the voices of Black cowgirls, Daughters of the Soil reclaims the story of the West, asking: who gets to belong, and who gets to be remembered?
DAUGHTERS OF THE SOIL is a vérité documentary that reclaims the untold story of Black cowgirls whose legacy has been largely erased from the mythology of the American West. Set across rural Texas and beyond, the film follows a new generation of women who embody strength, sisterhood, and self-determination as they ride, compete, and build community in spaces that were never designed for them.
Through intimate storytelling and lyrical cinematography, DAUGHTERS OF THE SOIL reveals how these women challenge both historical and contemporary narratives about race, gender, and belonging. The film weaves together personal stories — of mothers and daughters, ranchers and rodeo riders — to uncover a lineage of resilience rooted in land, labor, and love.
At its heart, DAUGHTERS OF THE SOIL is a meditation on visibility and inheritance. It reframes what it means to be American, asking viewers to see the West not as a myth of exclusion, but as a landscape of reclamation. By centering Black women who have long lived and labored on the margins, the film invites a new understanding of freedom — one born not from conquest, but from connection.
Candace Bellamy is a filmmaker, physician, musician, and emerging executive coach whose work sits at the intersection of storytelling, service, and care. Drawing from her experience as a civilian physician in the U.S. military system, she approaches each project with a commitment to empathy, clarity, and honoring lived experience.
Her first documentary, Healer: The Dr. Joycelyn Elders Story—broadcast on San Antonio PBS and screened in classrooms across the country—follows the remarkable journey of the first African American U.S. Surgeon General. Through Candace’s lens, Dr. Elders’ story becomes an accessible portrait of leadership, perseverance, and impact.
Candace’s current film, Daughters of the Soil: The Story of Black Cowgirls, explores the long-overlooked contributions of Black women to the American West. While the film is rooted in history, it is told through the lives of modern cowgirls, whose daily work, challenges, and triumphs help illuminate a legacy that has too often gone unrecognized. Filmed in a vérité style, the project brings audiences into intimate moments that show not only who these women are today, but how their stories help us understand the past more fully.
Candace Bellamy creates films that open doors—to understanding, to reflection, and to a richer, more complete picture of our shared history.
