Black earth wisdom - Leah Penniman

"Soulful, spirited, and often joyful, Black Earth Wisdom is sustained by a deep reverence for the Earth and its 'symbiotic living ecosystems.' The result is a potent look at the overlap between the environmental and racial justice movements."-Publishers Weekly

A soulful collection of illuminating essays and interviews that explore Black people's spiritual and scientific connection to the land, waters, and climate, curated by the acclaimed author of Farming While Black

Author of Farming While Black and co-founder of Soul Fire Farm, Leah Penniman reminds us that ecological humility is an intrinsic part of Black cultural heritage. While racial capitalism has attempted to sever our connection to the sacred earth for 400 years, Black people have long seen the land and water as family and understood the intrinsic value of nature.

This thought-provoking anthology brings together today's most respected and influential Black environmentalist voices -leaders who have cultivated the skill of listening to the Earth -to share the lessons they have learned. These varied and distinguished experts include Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning author Alice Walker; the first Queen Mother and official spokesperson for the Gullah/Geechee Nation, Queen Quet; marine biologist, policy expert, and founder and president of Ocean Collectiv, Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson; and the Executive Director of the North Carolina Association of Black Lawyers, Land Loss Prevention Project, Savi Horne. In Black Earth Wisdom, they address the essential connection between nature and our survival and how runaway consumption and corporate insatiability are harming the earth and every facet of American society, engendering racial violence, food apartheid, and climate injustice.

Those whose skin is the color of soil are reviving their ancestral and ancient practice of listening to the earth for guidance. Penniman makes clear that the fight for racial and environmental justice demands that people put our planet first and defer to nature as our ultimate teacher.

Contributors include:

Alice Walker adrienne maree brown
Dr. Ross Gay
Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson
Rue Mapp
Dr. Carolyn Finney
Audrey Peterman
Awise Agbaye Wande Abimbola
Ibrahim Abdul-Matin
Kendra Pierre-Louis
Latria Graham
Dr. Lauret Savoy Ira Wallace
Savi Horne
Dr. Claudia Ford
Dr. J. Drew Lanham
Dr. Leni Sorensen
Queen Quet
Toshi Reagon
Yeye Luisah Teish
Yonnette Fleming
Naima Penniman
Angelou Ezeilo
James Edward Mills
Teresa Baker
Pandora Thomas
Toi Scott
Aleya Fraser
Chris Bolden-Newsome
Dr. Joshua Bennett
B. Anderson
Chris Hill
Greg Watson
T. Morgan Dixon
Dr. Dorceta Taylor
Colette Pichon Battle
Dillon Bernard
Sharon Lavigne
Steve Curwood
and Babalawo Enroue Halfkenny