Sarah’s Oil is the true story of an 11‑year‑old girl who became one of the first Black millionaires in history. Her wealth came after a divine revelation about oil on the land she inherited. And she had to fight to protect her hidden treasure. Efrem Graham went to Kansas City to talk with the cast about the story of faith, ambition, and courage.

Home is where the heart is. And here in Kansas City, this humble mansion sits at the heart of what was once a wealthy Black community. And it’s home to a rich and rarely shared chapter of American history. It’s where Sarah Rector settled. At 11 years old, Sarah became the youngest and first Black female millionaire in Kansas City after a divine discovery of oil underneath 160 acres of land she inherited in Oklahoma in the early 1900s.

“My name’s Sarah Rector. The state gave me 160 acres on account of my ancestors. And there’s oil on it.” “Well, how do you know that?” “God gave me the ears to hear it. Do you hear it, Blue? There’s oceans down there.”

Sarah’s moving story—”No wonder you never came up with nothing but dry holes.”—is now a major motion picture premiering here in Kansas City, where the film stars and Sarah’s real‑life family unite to watch it together. “I got oil on my land and I’m looking for a partner to help me drill it out.” “Perks and Byron Smith at your service. I look for oil and I drill for it.” “I was thinking 50/50.” “We should have our lawyers meet.” “That’s my lawyer. A Texas handshake. There ain’t nothing more binding.” “We’re in Oklahoma.” “It goes double for us. Here we go.”

Nia Desir Johnson plays Sarah alongside Sonequa Martin‑Green and Kendrick Green, real‑life husband and wife who play Sarah’s parents. “How would you describe Sarah and why did you want to play her?” “I wanted to play Sarah Rector because she’s amazing. I felt like there’s so much I could say about her—that she’s brave, she’s ambitious, and she still loved her family. And the best part about that is that they supported her. And I think it’s really important to have a family that will believe you, that trusts you.”

“Is he gonna do the right thing?” “We shook hands.” “You may have to speak to it.” “I don’t know what to say.” “God will give you the word.”

“You play Rose Rector, Sarah’s mom. So, you read the script for the first time or the book or you hear the story. What are your thoughts immediately following?” “I—you know, we’ve been talking a lot about just what a wonder it is that this story is not known. I had seen that picture that circulates, you know, which is actually not her, you know, we found that out, you know, from her descendants. I’d seen that picture, but I had never heard the story.”

“And there was so much about the origin of the state of Oklahoma that I didn’t know. There was so much about Natives and enslaved Black folks that I didn’t know. So that was the first thing, was like, I’m sorry, what—who did this happen to? And then, you know, being able to bring the Rectors to life. You know, Rose was really integral in Sarah’s life once they came into the wealth, once Sarah, you know, took possession, got the oil.”

“Her and Rose had a really fantastic relationship as mother and daughter, but also professional. And I don’t know if you are God‑center or hellbound, but that girl is the salt of my earth and the sun in my sky. Nothing happens to her.”

“Kendrick, you play Sarah’s dad. What do you think guides and bonds this family in such a fierce fight? I was just struck by the unity.” “Yes, I think in a word—faith. Faith is the glue. You know, I think without that, this story does not play out in the way that we’ve come to understand it.”

“And to get to walk that out in the Rector’s shoes, as, you know, with my real‑life wife and with our new surrogate daughter here, right? I love it. It was just a beautiful—it was a dream to be able to do that. And so there was the togetherness in the story and it really translated off camera in between takes. God was there with us in between takes, too.”

“I’m Sarah, Bert’s business partner. Has Bert properly presented our proposition?” “You said y’all need to put in your $1,000.” “We need 2,000 and we need it today. It’s a partnership.”

Zachary Levi is Bert Smith, Sarah’s unlikely business partner in a fierce fight to keep her land and her oil. “I’ll give you 20 bucks an acre.” “I ain’t selling.” “You want a war?”

“So, Zachary, I read that you described Sarah as intelligent, precocious, and spirit‑filled.” “Amen.” “How would you describe Bert? Does he match her spirit?” “Um, I mean, you know, in a lot of ways, yeah. I mean, he’s an intelligent man. And I guess you could also kind of call him a little precocious.”

“Not as spirit‑filled, certainly not in the beginning of the film, but I think that toward the end, you know, that’s a big impact that Sarah has on Bert, is to reflect God to him and to remind him that there is something bigger, larger, more important than the more, let’s say, selfish life that he had been living up to that point.”

“We’re dealing with some mighty and devious folks over here.” “Then we need to fight for what’s ours.” “Is that why I see dynamite?” “That’s my life.” “No, it ain’t. I would not do that if I was you. You took the liberty of wiring up your wells just in case you wanted to do something foolish.”

“What do you think it is that allows him to stand with this little Black girl at a time where everyone is mounting a fierce fight against her?” “Well, I mean, initially it’s opportunity. He grew up hard and worked hard in lots of different wildcatting capacities, you know, digging up earth and for many years as he talks about in the film, he digs for everything. But I do think that, you know, there’s something about Bert that—and you see it—that I think that Bert, particularly having worked in the oil fields and worked with Black men and Latin men and what, you know, they’re just men to him.”

“You told me things about my soul. Ain’t nobody ever done that for me. Ain’t nobody ever cared.”

“Why do we need this story right now?” “We need this story because there are many little Black girls right now who aren’t feeling empowered that they can do anything because society is purposely shutting them out and that isn’t okay. And I think it’s important when Black girls hear this story because then they’ll know that they can do anything and they’re amazing and they can do anything. And if the world tells them no, that’s just a reason to keep pushing and go forward.”

“And for Sarah Rector to be—to face these trials and hardships, I think it’ll just spark a light within them and more of them will stand up and speak for what they believe in. That’s why I think we need this story and many other people too. They feel like they can’t stand up and speak their mind. But I think it’s really important ’cause we need more people who aren’t afraid to speak up and I think this is a calling to those people. But yeah, I think this is why we need that story.”

“I love it. God called you to help tell it.” “That’s right.” “Amen.” “Thank you.”

Efrem Graham, CBN News, Kansas City, Missouri.

Well, may this movie inspire you that yes indeed, God speaks. He gives you direction. Then he gives you boldness and courage to see it through. Sarah’s Oil earned 1.7 million on its opening day Friday, came in at number four at the box office over the weekend, and it’s in theaters nationwide. I encourage you, go see it. A lens.