Celebrating Black History

TODAY AND EVERY DAY

Author

LaShauna Austria
February 15, 2024

Anyone who is invested in anti-racism work knows that it is not enough to celebrate Black History only one month a year. It is woven into the fabric of our lives, into the fabric of our work, and into the fabric of our relationships. We invite our communities to find ways to deepen their understanding of how Black History is all of our HISTORY; of how it is our present; of how it is our future. Today and every day.

CONTINUING EDUCATION

The Origin of Black History Month—And Why it Still Matters

While the roots of Black History Month began 94 years ago, there is still much inspiration and guidance to be gleaned from the past, says the Secretary of the Smithsonian.

Erased by White Supremacy: The Untold Story of the Radical Abolitionist Benjamin Lay

Firstly, I want to thank my extraordinary patrons for holding this newsletter down! Your support is crucial, and it's paving the way for me to be able to write and organize full-time. I need as many supporters as possible to elevate this work; please become a Patron.


Note: This article was published in February 2023. The 66th Grammy Awards took place on Sunday, February 4th and no Black performers were added to this list of talent.

The History of Black Winners at the Grammys | 1956 Magazine


The 65th annual Grammy Awards take place this Sunday, Feb. 5th. Since its inception, only 11 Black performers have won album of the year, and many have accused the ceremony of racism for its lack of recognition towards Black artists.  

Despite the controversy surrounding the awards, there are several Black artists that broke barriers at the Grammys and continue to inspire others to do the same.

How Octavia Butler Told the Future

We need her conception of “histofuturism” now more than ever.

Currency Flow | Kim Pevia

Yes, it is about money and so much more!

Feb 20, 2024, 1:00 PM EST – Mar 26, 2024, 3:00 PM EST
6 week virtual course

Course Description
Currency is an exchange of energy. It is a current and therefore, has an ebb and flow. This 6 week course is designed for us to engage with the energies that we have around currency, around the money and the activation of it. I have heard many of my friends say things like, “I don't care about money.” I felt them carry the energy of money as the root of all evil. This space is an opportunity for us to explore our own money blueprint. As we do so, we begin to enter into the dance and flow of abundance with all things that appear. From that space, we can see how the currency and flow of our lives can be enhanced.

IN THE MEDIA

About — Wilmington On Fire (Official Movie Site)

The Wilmington Massacre was a bloody attack on the African-American community by a heavily armed white mob with the support of the North Carolina Democratic Party on November 10, 1898 in the port city of Wilmington, North Carolina. It is considered one of the only successful examples of a coup d'éta

Gospel | PBS

About the Show
Premieres February 12 & 13, 2024 @ 9/8c or watch now with Passport.

From the blues to hip hop, African Americans have been the driving force of sonic innovation for over a century. Musical styles come and go, but there's one sound that has been a constant source of strength, courage and wisdom on any given Sunday. GOSPEL, the latest history series from Henry Louis Gates, Jr., digs deep into the origin story of Black spirituality through sermon and song.

Upcoming Events

Hosted by Alamance County Public Libraries

The grande dame of African American cookbooks and winner of the James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award stakes her claim as a culinary historian with a narrative history of African American cuisine.

Event date: 
Thursday, March 7, 2024 - 7:00pm to 8:00pm
Event address: 
304 S. Elm St.
Greensboro, NC 27401

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

Culture Mill

We believe that culture is an investment in civil society, and such an investment benefits from the existence of open, dynamic and fluid enclaves fostered by artists and other creative people. We believe that gathering together and sharing knowledge and resources within these enclaves will improve both our artworks and our communities. We believe in the commingling of different ideas, energies and initiatives as a means of sparking innovation and radical possibilities in art and society. We believe in culture as an ongoing creative process, and we seek to support and feed that process through our various programs and initiatives.

Barn Church

PHOTO BY IXIMCHE MEDIA

A creative placemaking initiative facilitated by Culture Mill and Kindred Seedlings Farm.

Barn Church, a creative placemaking initiative facilitated by Culture Mill and Kindred Seedlings Farm, is a liberatory and anti-racist project which combines original performance, the sharing of food, and work on the land as a social practice of community care that centers BIPOC voices and embodied imagination. Barn Church, taking place at one of few Black-owned farms in rural Alamance County, addresses racism of the individual and communal bodies, explores intentional relationship with the land, reclaims church, and activates socially-engaged art as a vehicle for human connection. Performances will feature Crystal Cavalier-Keck and Jason Crazy Bear Keck, Jeghetto, Murielle Elizéon and Shana Tucker, the Barn Church Chaplain CJ Suitt, and more. A winter workshop series with Jasmine Powell and workdays at the farm sustain embodied communal practice. Barn Church is catered by baker and chef Malik Walker.

BARN CHURCH IS A CULTURE MILL AND KINDRED SEEDLINGS FARM PRODUCTION, SUPPORTED IN PART BY THE ROBERT AND MERCEDES EICHHOLZ FOUNDATION.
Content credit: Culture Mill Lab

THE MOCHA GARDENER

Meet Ashlie Thomas, also known as The Mocha Gardner! Alamance County is very fortunate to have Ashlie’s advocacy and expertise in our community.

Ashlie’s Book, How to Become a Gardner, can be purchased here. 

The Mocha Gardener

Ashlie Thomas is an author, food security, and home gardening advocate and entrepreneur known on social media as The Mocha Gardener. Her blog has been featured on popular sites and magazines such as Better Homes & Gardens, NBC, NPR, Taste of Home, and MindBodyGreen.

Several years ago, Ashlie began her gardening journey with her husband on their one-acre North Carolina homestead, and through this, she became more conscientious of local food systems and its implication on human health.

With a background in biological sciences and research management, Ashlie is currently pursuing her graduate studies in food and nutritional science, and practices as a health and wellness coach.

Outside of her work and academic training, will also find Ashlie working with local nutrition and community health-based initiatives to help bridge the gap between food security and chronic diseases in rural and underrepresented communities.

WHAT WE ARE READING

"In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist. We must be anti-racist."
Angela Davis

Seeds of Change Consulting

Our firm is comprised of sector experts and rising stars — a diverse community of professionals with shared values and a deep commitment to social and economic justice.