In Search of Octavia's Garden

This time of year always reminds me of the depth of joy that exists within community and the ways Black Liberation helps us to create more spaciousness for ourselves, our children, and our future. As we head into warmer months and the summer, we are offered so many spaces to celebrate the acts of courageous, bold, freedom efforts. Over the last week as a team, we have been exploring manifestations of Octavia Butler's Earthseed and other manifestations of Black Joy throughout Durham and the surrounding counties.  Through visiting our land partners, we have seen the healing that is possible when communities of color and those who have experienced harm have the ability to return to the land and reconnect. This practice of personal and communal liberation moves us closer to dreams of collective freedom and continues in the heritage of freedom work celebrated on Juneteenth.

In alignment with our commitment and practice of Black Liberation, we are excited to invite you to apply to the 2021 WATO“In the People We Trust” Cycle. Through collaborative funding from Durham City Council and other philanthropic partners, WATO represents a step towards a more equitable future where we fund community-led and developed projects instead of police and a surveillance state. In alignment with our own praxis of leaning into the wisdom of communities, we are excited to continue our work with local design partners who will be leading the decision-making process for the mini-grants. We are also excited to begin a blog series focused on the ways Black Liberation is helping to guide and shape our grantmaking. Manzoor Cheema, Movement Committee member, kicks off this series with a beautiful piece on global solidarity through Black Liberation.

We are proud to be a part of a larger collective effort that moves us towards Octavia's abolitionist dreams and a more connected future that sees the Earth as one of our partners.  As we move through this warm season, I hope you are creating space for yourself to pause, rest, dream, and organize in community and within yourself. Liberation is a lifelong practice and I am grateful to be on this journey with you.