Valuing the Time for Rest, Resistance, & Reclamation
This summer offers the perfect backdrop for the continued exploration of our values through our partnerships, projects, and initiatives. Between Juneteenth and National Black Business Month in August, we are intentionally incorporating rituals and practices into our work that will encourage us to sustain our efforts throughout the year. By determining our collective values, we honor our personal and community needs for Rest, Resistance, and Reclamation during this season and invite you to join us.
We continue the work that is needed to mobilize our food spaces and our communities toward sovereignty. For me, this means maintaining my commitment to authentic leadership and sustainable decision-making by directly addressing societal challenges with precision and offering innovative and sustainable solutions informed directly by the people most impacted. I want to highlight the Farm Bill, one of the most noteworthy pieces of legislation in the agricultural industry, which reflects the gaps that are apparent in the current leadership and decision-making structures in our country. The farm bill is a clear representation of the problems that arise when solutions fail to prioritize the needs of the disadvantaged. The history of Black land dispossession and the sustained racial divides between Black and non-Black farmers has led to intertwined debates on racial equality, workers' protections, and food accessibility, especially in the context of resistance to an equity-based reformed farm bill.
This challenge underlines the importance of our commitment to universal design which symbolizes the pursuit of freedom and equality, reminding us that true liberation involves creating solutions that impact those who need it the most and is attainable without having to navigate barriers of inequity and exclusion. It is about ensuring that every member of our community has the opportunity to be represented and to have their needs met fully in all aspects of life, from education and employment to recreation. By embracing universal design, we are honoring the legacy of Juneteenth and committing to a future where inclusivity and equality are the norms, not the exceptions.
Central to our community-building efforts during this time is the value of collective work and responsibility. Encapsulated by my personal commitment to fostering actions around sisterhood and mutual aid, this involves providing extra support to one another, reinforcing our collective strength, and ensuring that we are not left standing alone. This month, our commitment to these values manifests in creating an environment where everyone feels valued and empowered to pursue their goals.
This season we are reminded of the power of community and the necessity of standing together in solidarity. The honoring of freedom, resilience, and collective strength aligns perfectly with our summer focus on the three R’s (Rest, Resistance, and Reclamation). It highlights our ongoing struggle for justice and the importance of ensuring that no one is left behind. By integrating these principles, we honor these legacies and commit to moving forward together, reinforcing our Collective’s dedication to uplift and support each other unwaveringly.
To uplift each other is to make joy a part of our foundation. The significance of joy takes on a deep meaning this time of year, not merely as a historical milestone but as a testament to the resilience, liberation, and enduring spirit of our ancestors. It is a reminder of the struggles overcome and the victories won in Black history. Joy is not simply an emotion but an act of resistance and a declaration of our right to exist fully and freely. Therefore, we must acknowledge that joy is a form of liberation as much as it is care. Through this value, we reclaim our narratives, honor our heritage, and find happiness despite the challenges that we face as a people. Joy is a radical act of self-love and community care, as well as the creation of a space where we can thrive authentically.
Finally, we want to recognize the fact that rooted liberation is more than a concept, it is a value upon which our foundation is built, our community is cultivated, and our intention is grown. We honor the lessons of the past, understanding that our liberation is rooted in the stories, struggles, and triumphs of those who came before us. In the same way that our inherited recipes nourish the bodies of our children, this wisdom sustains our spirit and fortifies our resolve, reminding us that our efforts are part of a larger call.
In honoring the work of our community members, we embrace the profound importance of our values. By intertwining these principles, we commit to a future where our community can flourish, free from the barriers of inequity and exclusion. We honor our ancestors by continuing to build a Collective where every voice is heard, every individual is valued, and joy is both a right and a form of resistance. Walk with us as we sustain our heritage, empower our community, and ensure that we all move upwards together.
