dirt. Jeffrey tells the overseer to take John to be sold before his father can shoot him. As he is leaving, John tells Sarny "when you lose one hand, the other gets stronger", meaning that she must forge the other note and teach other slaves how to read. John had written his name in the dirt. Sarny is then seen forging the second note for Outlaw and telling them to name their baby John if it was a boy. The next morning, Sarny tells the doctor she can no longer keep his secret. Clel interrupts the service saying that he has found two notes written and signed with his name in two different handwritings, meaning that another slave knows to write and threatens to shoot all of them. Sarny objects, saying that Clel would not shoot them because they are his only wealth. She tells Clel that she is worth the most to him because of what she knows. Callie, fearing this, ask Clel to just shoot her. The doctor intervenes, lying that he taught Egypt how to read simple things. Thinking everything has been solved, Sarny is finally sold, and as she narrates, she explains that the story is about her and Nightjohn and that there is a bit of John in all of the slaves. Cast Allison Jones as Sarny – taken care of by Delie after her mother was sold. Carl Lumbly as John – a slave bought by Clel who had escaped to the North, but had given freedom up so he can teach slaves how to read. Lorraine Toussaint as Delie – acts like a mother to Sarny and is initially against learning how to read. Bill Cobbs as Old Man – the oldest member of the slaves who is respected by everyone. Beau Bridges as Clel Waller – cold-hearted owner of the slaves and a cotton plantation. Kathleen York as Callie Waller – Clel's wife who has an affair with the doctor. She is seen as being kind and sympathetic to the slaves. Gabriel Casseus as Outlaw – a slave who had fallen in love with a girl from another plantation. Monica Ford as Egypt – Outlaw's love interest. John P. Ford III as Jeffrey Waller – Clel's oldest son who sees the slaves as friends. Damian and Auneccia Chatman as Baby Sarny Production Filmed on location in Gable, South Carolina at Rip Raps