THIS VOLUME OF LAND, FOOD, AND FREEDOM JOURNAL INTERROGATES LAND AS PROPERTY. WE ASKED CONTRIBUTORS TO VENTURE ON A JOURNEY OF UNEARTHING THAT TRUTH AND MORE.‍

Across personal essays, poetry, cultural criticism, and deeply researched pieces, this issue explores how our freedom begins with land. The words in this journal flow with land not as an abstract concept, but as a spiritual foundation for self-determination. 

To ground this issue, I connected with Kenya Crumel, the Black Land and Power (BLP) Director of the National Black Food and Justice Alliance. Drawing from generations of ancestral land stewardship, political education, and spiritual practice, below you’ll find her invitation for readers of this issue to dive into praxis, where theory and organizing converge to make land-based liberation tangible and sustainable.

Ashia Aubourg: 

What paths, people, or moments led you to this role as director of BLP, and how do those experiences continue to shape the way you hold and lead this work?

Kenya Crumel:

I have no doubt that my journey to becoming BLP Director was absolutely divine. My father’s family has been stewarding about 100 acres of land in South Carolina for 150 years, and my formal education is in economics and public policy. My passion around food as medicine led me to becoming a certified health coach. My love for Black people around the globe stems from being a part of a family of disruptors and educators in both the U.S. and Grenada, the most visible person being Jacqueline Creft, a cousin via my mother’s lineage. [She] was one of the leaders of the revolutionary New Jewel Movement and Minister of Education in the People’s Revolutionary Government of Grenada. This combination of lineage and experiences prepared me to step into this space, and I hold my ancestors’ wisdom close to my heart, knowing that, in due time, the solutions and resources needed to carry out my responsibilities will materialize. 

Ashia Aubourg: 

How does Black self-determination inform BLP’s vision/strategy/freedom dreaming?

Kenya Crumel:

Self-determination is the root of our ability to not just survive, but to thrive as a collective. And in order for us to determine our futures, we must be able to operate and move freely and independently. Over and over, Brother Malcolm X reminded us that land is the basis of that independence. The goals and objectives of the BLP workgroup focus on accessing and defending Black land in order for our farmers and land stewards to maintain and grow their operations, while decreasing their dependence on unreliable sources of support such as the USDA. Additionally, the BLP workgroup supports peer training opportunities that enhance our land stewardship skills. And it’s important to note that the BLP work does not happen in a vacuum, members partake in political education and organizing activities so that we are not just working and learning in silos, but are collectively creating self-determining local and regional food economies. 

Ashia Aubourg: 

BLP brings together Black land stewards, farmers, institutions, and organizations across the U.S. How do you honor the specificity of the different communities involved while cultivating a shared movement for liberating and defending Black land?

Kenya Crumel:

Given the breadth of BLP activities, we absolutely need every single tool in the literal and figurative toolbox to achieve our goals. Rather than focus on our differences, we concentrate on our common needs that unite us in achieving food sovereignty. We value the wisdom of our members who are doing the work of planting and harvesting, aggregating, and distributing because only they know the factors that breed success in their communities. By mapping out assets across the country - e.g., who is growing what crops where, who has what types of equipment, and who has the skills or resources to help build out necessary land infrastructure - we can then organize to collectively achieve our goals regionally and nationally. In addition to finding mutually beneficial connections amongst members, in order to expand our reach and increase our impact, NBFJA works in solidarity with a range of organizations that have common goals related to land justice, food sovereignty, and land back. 

Ashia Aubourg: 

With the vision to grow and strengthen more Black land stewards, what does collective-strategizing look like inside the coalition, and what have you learned about building trust, accountability, and alignment across people and organizations with different capacities and legacies?

Kenya Crumel:

The Resource Commons, NBFJA’s non-extractive loan fund, is a great example of collective strategizing. Our general membership body elected a council of seven member representatives from across the country with different skills, genders, and orientations, and ranging in age from 25 years to 75 years, to work together to disburse necessary capital to farmers. The funds may be used to collectively secure land or farm equipment, or to engage in infrastructure projects. In doing this work, there are countless decision points that the Resource Commons Council encounters - from agreeing on the investment strategy to creating an application process to vetting applications - so excellent communication, patience, respect, and compassion are required. Working collectively to make decisions has taught me to slow down and appreciate the beauty of individuals becoming aligned and leveraging their unique experiences to provide opportunities for Black farmers and land stewards to strengthen their operations. 

Ashia Aubourg: 

In moments of challenge, what values anchor your decision-making? In your opinion, do cultural, spiritual, or ancestral relationships to land help sustain this work?

Kenya Crumel:

I cannot emphasize enough that this work is 100 percent spiritual for me. I know that it is no accident that my journey led me to this work and to these beautiful, brilliant members and comrades. So now that I’m here, why wouldn’t I continue to seek guidance from those elevated ancestors upon whose shoulders I stand? In the face of authoritarianism and white nationalism, who better to turn to than our ancestors who have faced this oppression and violence already? Discussing and reading about our African ancestors’ brilliance, determination, and courage gives me the inspiration to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Dropping the baton during my leg of this race is not an option. I owe it not just to the ancestors to give my all, but to my daughter and all the generations that come after hers. This is purpose-driven work and I’m honored to serve.