Most educational and training spaces in America are still dominated by white culture, and often also by white-bodied instructors. This is particularly true in the food and farming sector.
Unlivable wages, gender and race bias, harmful work cultures, and exploitative apprenticeships are just a few of the barriers to entry for beginner BIPOC, queer and trans farmers, especially in rural spaces.
Join CFF to hear from three educational programs that are intentionally rooted in community and culture to flip this dynamic on its head. Food and economic sovereignty is necessary to address the systemic inequities their communities suffer — the Akwesasne Mohawk community for Akwesasne Freedom School; low-income BIPOC communities for Farm School NYC; and the queer community for Rock Steady Farm. These organizations share an insistence on curricula defined, developed and taught for their communities, by their communities. They are committed to increasing their communities’ autonomy, agency and representation in farming and land stewardship, and they know the harm that can happen when those efforts are led by organizations and individuals who don’t share their culture or relate to their lived experiences.
Explore
- How Indigenous communities can resource their own educational institutions, rich with their own language and wisdom, given the lack of access to resources, infrastructure and land
- What systemic issues prevent the education and inclusion of marginalized people within the farming sector, and how to resist them
- How our stories influence our approaches to land, language and culture as touchstones in the learning spaces we create
Speakers
- Onika Abraham, Executive Director, Farm School NYC
- Maggie Cheney, Founder and Co-Owner, Rock Steady Farm
- Frances A. Pérez-Rodríguez, Manager, Farm School NYC
- D Rooney, Co-Owner, Rock Steady Farm
- Elvera Sargeant, Manager, Akwesasne Freedom School
- Amara Ullauri, Food Justice Educator, Rock Steady Farm
Who should attend?
All interested funders. What to expect: this session will reflect the participatory, relational exchange that all three organizations center in their educational approach.
Registration
Registration is required by November 30th.
Members and Non-Member Funders: Please click on the "Register Now" link above. Dial-in and webinar information will be emailed to you before the webinar.
Please email register@philanthropynewyork.org with any questions.
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