After funding fell through, Octavia Spencer offered to forgo her salary to help Ryan Coogler keep to his budget.
Oscar Grant's real mom Wanda Johnson makes a small cameo appearance in the film. She plays Mrs. Stacy at Tatiana's preschool.
As co-executive producer, Octavia Spencer had to find investors. One of the first investors she found was Kathryn Stockett, her friend since they met in Los Angeles in the early 2000s. Stockett wrote the Oscar-winning role of Minnie in La Couleur des sentiments (2011) specifically for Spencer. Stockett was the only investor to receive a "Very Special Thanks" credit at the end of this film.
Footage of a gathering featuring Oscar Grant's daughter, Tatiana, was shot on New Years Day 2013. It was added a few weeks before its premiere at Sundance.