Enslaved and brought to Boston in 1761 when she was about seven years old, the New World’s first published black woman poet’s only recollection of Africa was that every morning her mother would “pour out water before the rising sun.” (G. Herbert Renfro, Life and works of Phillis Wheatley; Washington: Robert L.Pendleton, 1916)
When she was in her 80s, my Aunt Daisy (b. 1910 - d. 2008) told me about her morning ritual. She liked to take her cup of coffee to her back yard in Hope, Arkansas, sip the coffee, and “bless the flowers” (her exact words), implying that the blessing of this meditative state went both ways. On good mornings, my praise ritual begins with the sun salutation asana of yoga and then flows into other stretches like the one shown by the model in the photo below. I'm too bedragged from crawling from bed to yoga mat to show you myself!
“Don’t roll in the shit!,” said my neighbor to her young pup, Sonny.
I was here at my computer but could hear her out the window.
“Don’t roll in the poo-poo!” she repeated in translation for her toddler daughter.
Sonny knew it was strong stuff, and very familiar.
But why would that feel so … maybe … ecstatic (?)
Why did Sonny want to roll in the shit?!
How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us, Random House 2022. Author Ed Yong coaxes us beyond the confines of our own senses, allowing us to perceive what bees see in flowers, what songbirds hear in their tunes, what dogs smell on the street and other forms of animal sentience.
The Dennis Farm in Pennsylvania has been continuously owned by a black family since 1793.
Bordering Virginia and North Carolina, enslaved people escaped by fleeing to the Dismal Swamp. The swamp should be a historic landmark and also protected for the environmental reasons explained in this article.:
Swamps Can Protect Against Climate Change, If We Only Let Them
Born into slavery in Georgia, she learned agricultural skills, herbal medicine and midwifery taught to her by other enslaved women. She was so proficient in these areas that her owner was totally dependent on her and exploited her every way he could. He was so terrified of losing Mason that he fled with her, her sister, his wife and his children across the country. But Mason finally escaped this brutal captivity, used her great skills to amass a fortune and was a generous philanthropist in the early black community in Los Angeles. (Photo: Wikipedia Commons)
Dorsey encourages people to become attuned to the earth and its healing powers. Her work encompasses herbal medicine, midwifery and yoga. She facilitates two courses at the Denver Permaculture Guild. Permaculture is regenerative land management based on sustainable practices including those developed by traditional farmers and indigenous people. In this article, she relates the yellow dock herb to personal and collective trauma.
In Search of Thoreau’s Flowers: An Exploration of Change and Loss is an immersive multidisciplinary experience that marries art and science through a modern artistic interpretation of Henry David Thoreau’s preserved plants.
Details here.
Matthews is a Nigerian-American inventor who founded Uncharted Power, a company that provides sustainable infrastructure solutions. She has demonstrated more than 10 years of thought leadership in the future of smart cities, climate resiliency, and improving equitable access to infrastructure resources.
Paige Parker is a former natural foods store owner and Ted was the national sales director of the Vibrant Health company which developed a leading green super foods powder. In 2007, the Parkers saw the opportunity to buy Vibrant Health as a perfect fit for their shared passion in helping people achieve health and wellness. With their science director, a microbiome specialist, they continued to evolve the company’s initial product which now includes 25 million probiotics. The company’s public service includes supporting mothers and children under five at risk of malnutrition and the first non-profit foundation for autism to emerge from the natural foods industry.
Baird is a climate tech specialist who worked in the Obama administration and is now actually “building green.” He does so by making buildings healthier, smarter, more climate-friendly and valuable and also in the sense of building community wealth in underserved communities where good money traditionally was called “long green.” In this interview, he explains decarbonization, his climate journey, his big vision, and relations between environmental and social justice.
Listen to the podcast here.