These reflection pieces were written by participants of the first Lessons of Da Land cohort at the end of the program. Our discussions throughout the course continuously circled back to learning from two central beings, “da ancestors” and “da seeds”, which inspired the selected themes of their essays. In turn, their reflections inspired the expansion of our work into Seeds of Liberation.

Lessons of Da Ancestors

The Fire of Resistance and Being – Passed Down

By Dayana Velasco, Ameer Butler, Sara Francesconi

Where is your fire, the torch of life

full of Nzingha and Nat Turner and Garvey

and DuBois and Fannie Lou Hamer and Martin

and Malcolm and Mandela.

Sister/Sistah  Brother/Brotha  Come/Come

From “Catch the Fire” by Sonia Sanchez

—

The Fire of Resistance and Being – Passed Down

By Dayana Velasco, Ameer Butler, Sara Francesconi

Where is your fire, the torch of life

full of Nzingha and Nat Turner and Garvey

and DuBois and Fannie Lou Hamer and Martin

and Malcolm and Mandela.

Sister/Sistah  Brother/Brotha  Come/Come

From “Catch the Fire” by Sonia Sanchez

—

Where is your fire, your life source? Your burning desire to want better for the greater we? How was it passed to you, and from who? What is your life’s work?

Ancestors have passed their fire to us, and this fire is our resistance and being. The fire builds, loves, learns, teaches, sings, warms. Each of our fires joins with those of our ancestors before and those with us now – keeping the fire alive so that it may continue in our descendants.

“The fire  of living… not dying

The fire of loving… not killing” (Sonia Sanchez)

Resistance through food sovereignty and land sovereignty – as Fannie Lou Hamer said, “If you have a pig in your backyard, if you have some vegetables in your garden, you can feed yourself and your family and nobody can push you around… In order for any people or nation to survive, land is necessary.” 

Resistance through reclaiming education systems, with focus on holistic education for children, and also parents – there can be something for everyone! School for the people, by the people! As Booker T. Washington wrote, “From the first, I resolved to make the school a real part of the community in which it was located. I was determined that no one should have the feeling that it was a foreign institution, dropped down in the midst of the people.” – Booker T. Washington (pg 31 Freedom Farmers) 

From our ancestors, we have learned to be

Community-based – Land-based — Asset-Based — Love-Based – Courage-Based

That we must

Cooperate.

Sacrifice. Like Carver, living a life of privilege and wealth, but leaving it behind so easily to do what felt true. What are we willing to give up in order to do our life’s work?

Work as a community, at the pace of the community, if we’re going to find a solution. 

That

There is strength and wisdom here, now. 

There are resources here, now. 

Progress can be slow but there’s no point in pumping the breaks when you know there’s more good to be done.

The fear of backlash shouldn’t hold us back.

That we can’t get lost in the rejection and frustration of all the societal “no’s”

We are not working just to survive, but to THRIVE. 

What is your fire?

These reflection pieces were written by participants of the first Lessons of Da Land cohort at the end of the program. Our discussions throughout the course continuously circled back to learning from two central beings, “da ancestors” and “da seeds”, which inspired the selected themes of their essays. In turn, their reflections inspired the expansion of our work into Seeds of Liberation.

Where is your fire, your life source? Your burning desire to want better for the greater we? How was it passed to you, and from who? What is your life’s work?

Ancestors have passed their fire to us, and this fire is our resistance and being. The fire builds, loves, learns, teaches, sings, warms. Each of our fires joins with those of our ancestors before and those with us now – keeping the fire alive so that it may continue in our descendants.

“The fire  of living… not dying

The fire of loving… not killing” (Sonia Sanchez)

Resistance through food sovereignty and land sovereignty – as Fannie Lou Hamer said, “If you have a pig in your backyard, if you have some vegetables in your garden, you can feed yourself and your family and nobody can push you around… In order for any people or nation to survive, land is necessary.” 

Resistance through reclaiming education systems, with focus on holistic education for children, and also parents – there can be something for everyone! School for the people, by the people! As Booker T. Washington wrote, “From the first, I resolved to make the school a real part of the community in which it was located. I was determined that no one should have the feeling that it was a foreign institution, dropped down in the midst of the people.” – Booker T. Washington (pg 31 Freedom Farmers) 

From our ancestors, we have learned to be

Community-based – Land-based — Asset-Based — Love-Based – Courage-Based

That we must

Cooperate.

Sacrifice. Like Carver, living a life of privilege and wealth, but leaving it behind so easily to do what felt true. What are we willing to give up in order to do our life’s work?

Work as a community, at the pace of the community, if we’re going to find a solution. 

That

There is strength and wisdom here, now. 

There are resources here, now. 

Progress can be slow but there’s no point in pumping the breaks when you know there’s more good to be done.

The fear of backlash shouldn’t hold us back.

That we can’t get lost in the rejection and frustration of all the societal “no’s”

We are not working just to survive, but to THRIVE. 

What is your fire?

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