On the morning of my journey to Arizona, my mind raced with what the "New World" would bring. Would I find new friends? A partner? See amazing things I never dreamed of? I was a fresh faced, Afro-toting Afrikan man from Atlanta, Ga unaware of how amazing the next four years my life would be. I chose Prescott College because as an institution it has a strong reputation for creating sustainable pathways for lasting communal change. Each of its constituents has dedicated their lives to building a world that is equitable for all life on Earth. I struggled with finding my niche, knowing where I fit in social scenes, and with developing a strong work ethic while balancing stress relief. With a courageous heart and a family that has supported me through it all, I have been able to elevate higher than I thought possible. The friends and comrades I've met along the way inspire me to continue to learn and grow, and share my light with the world. I remember the drip of ice in the Arizonan dawn, the whistle of desert winds through river valleys of canyons, the warble of numerous songbirds in Tuscon saguaro forests, and the farmer's markets where the music of community filled my heart. Being a student of the desert reminded me that the love within each of us grows as we persist in our chosen communities and further unite with the natural environment we've been systematically removed from. Justice, truth, balance, order, reciprocity, harmony, and righteousness are nice words, but their meanings and power are fueled by our passion to embody them in our everyday actions. I am beyond grateful to my teammates who helped to develop this project, and every stream and share of the song. Please share your stories and continue your important work. With each of us, Love is truly All Around Us.

From a Speech by Grace Lee Boggs: I’m a very old woman. I was born in 1915 in what was later known as the First World War, two years before the Russian Revolution. And because I was born to Chinese immigrant parents and because I was born female—I learned very quickly that the world needed changing. But what I also learned as I grew older was that how we change the world and how we think about changing the world has to change. The time has come for us to reimagine everything. We have to reimagine work and go away from labor. We have to reimagine revolution and get beyond protest. We have to think not only about change in our institutions, but changes in ourselves. We are at the stage where the people in charge of the government and industry are running around like chickens with their heads cut off. It’s up to us to reimagine the alternatives and not just protest against them and expect them to do better. We are at the point of a cultural revolution in ourselves and in our institutions that is as far-reaching as the transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture 11,000 years ago, and from agriculture to industry a few hundred years ago. How do we reimagine education? How do we reimagine community? How do we reimagine family? How do we reimagine sexual identity? How do we reimagine everything in the light of a change that is so far reaching and is our responsibility to make? We have to think beyond capitalist categories. We can’t expect them to make it. We have to do the reimagining ourselves. How Do We Reimagine? We reimagine by combining activism with philosophy. We have to do what I call visionary organizing. We have to see every crisis as both a danger and an opportunity. It’s a danger because it does so much damage to our lives, to our institutions, to all that we have expected. But it’s also an opportunity for us to become creative; to become the new kind of people that are needed at such a huge period of transition. That’s why it’s so wonderful to be here today—that we dare to talk about revolution in such fundamental terms.

Nikki-Rosa childhood remembrances are always a drag if you’re Black you always remember things like living in Woodlawn with no inside toilet and if you become famous or something they never talk about how happy you were to have your mother all to yourself and how good the water felt when you got your bath from one of those big tubs that folk in chicago barbecue in and somehow when you talk about home it never gets across how much you understood their feelings as the whole family attended meetings about Hollydale and even though you remember your biographers never understand your father’s pain as he sells his stock and another dream goes And though you’re poor it isn’t poverty that concerns you and though they fought a lot it isn’t your father’s drinking that makes any difference but only that everybody is together and you and your sister have happy birthdays and very good Christmases and I really hope no white person ever has cause to write about me because they never understand Black love is Black wealth and they’ll probably talk about my hard childhood and never understand that all the while I was quite happy

To build a sustainable and anti-racist world, we need to recognise that the two things work together. Racism and climate change share the same roots. The harm that is done to the planet is directly linked to colonialism / capitalism. And it is often people most affected by colonialism that experience the worst of climate change. Of course we do not learn about this in school because it tends to uphold this system (because really it is the system). But I do feel the more we know, the better we can organise and work against these issues as a collective.

I was born a curious child of the 90's; never really accepting the reality of the society we lived in. I was politicized to be a warrior for social justice; mentored by the youth of the Black Panther Movement, and shaped by my experiences as a student leader in my community. Throughout this journey I organized for spaces and places that centered black healing, black identity and black futurism. I rallied and recycled too many posters for those who joined the ancestral realm too soon. I learned new languages, I traveled to new countries. I joined new communities, I connected generational trauma to existing injustice. This journey went on for 10 years. 10 years of fighting, 10 years of proving my black skin in white spaces. 10 years of feeling useless. 10 years of feeling empowered. 10 years of not-giving-a-fuck. 10 years of pushing back and pushing through; and with all of this I have developed a work ethic that led to burn-out and breakdown. In learning that this "work" is a marathon not a sprint. In witnessing, the same issues that I tirelessly fought for 10 years ago, become present today. I see the need for sustaining myself not only for the longevity of this "work" but for the longevity of my mental stability. So when you ask the question, " How do you envision a sustainable world/community" I envision taking breaks, I envision living your truth, I envision saying "no" I envision doing the "parts" of the work that leave you fulfilled not drained. I envision no longer asking for a seat at the table but instead creating the table yourself. I envision "self-determination" and "co-operative economics" so no-one person is left to carry a burden that has the world's name on it. I envision moving in a way that is more sustainable for self which in return will lead to a stronger and healthier community. I understand that this conversation is very nuanced. I, myself, have yet to master living this sort of life where I do not feel guilty for taking a "break" or setting boundaries so I can sustain my own energy; but it is necessary. Currently, I am uplifting this message through my latest book. Where I speak candidly about the interconnectedness of my personal trauma, healing and social justice work. I candidly share my own path to burnout and how the system we live in can romanticize being a workaholic or fear of failure for being a hard-worker or my favorite trope "The Strong Black Woman". For this project, I choose to share an audio track called "Rest". A poem to the social justice warrior, to the workaholic, to myself; reminding me to live a more sustainable lifestyle when doing this "work". You cant drink or share from an empty cup.

Dirt, seeds, planting, rainwater, sunshine, loving and caring from grandma’s hands. My grandmother had a garden every summer. From her garden we had fresh string beans, red, yellow, green, and hot peppers, cucumbers, collard greens, cabbage, squash, rhubarb, peppermint and tomatoes just to name a few. From the fruit trees that grew in our backyard and the grapevine that ran across our fence she would can our winter reserves. Nearing the end of summer my grandmother began canning our favorite jellies, jams and preserves from peaches, plums, grapes, and watermelon rind, fresh peppermint for tea and the family’s all-time favorite, Chow-Chow. The way of sustainability has been passed down from my grandmother to my mother, myself, my daughters, my grandchildren and my great grandchildren, “The gift of hands to sustain our lives”.

Greetings from Innerpeacefarm school🍅🍑🍍🍌🍐🍏🍎🍓🥒🍉🍠

“HAND ME DOWNS” Coming from a working class Black family we have always practiced sustainability. Surprisingly, just by passing clothing down from sibling to sibling, and generation to generation. Surprisingly, because this practical and necessary act, which was not always appreciated at the time became cherished heirlooms and shared memories from sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles, mothers and fathers and grandmothers and grandfathers. These hand me downs, ranging from wearable clothing, bed linen, kitchen ware, home appliances, tools, recipes and etc., became artwork, craftwork, tapestries, and stories (Real and imagined, historical and mythological). They maintain their existence through need and use. Tools Of Life.

Grow Where You Are

As an accountant I follow the numbers. For hundreds of years people of African decent were enslaved and used to build the foundation of this nation. Oppression of Blacks exists to this day in many forms. The imperial forces will not volunteer to give up the resources they have stolen. There is a growing movement working to change things. We are waking up to reclaim our rights and human dignity. We are unifying in our Black communities to make our financial, spiritual and cultural freedom a reality. As the original builders, farmers and great thinkers we have an innate ability to overcome any obstacle placed upon us. Sustainability is our tool. Black educators, politicians, doctors and farmers are coming together on one accord. The unity is unstoppable. The mission is clear. This is a grassroots effort. The effects of racism has bent but not broken us. Through the practice of accounting I have learned to use numbers to our advantage. I teach and assist my people in investing, giving them the information needed to move forward economically. Exponential gains are being made as we learn the value of how we spend our resources. Our people are industrious, resilient and powerful beyond measure. I work to empower Blacks to save and spend wisely in preparation for the future. What we do today is laying the foundation for tomorrow.

I became pescatarian, I am recycling, using less plastic, car pooling, learning how to grow my own food, and bring reusable bags when I go shopping. I am also learning how to invest so I can invest in renewable energy. Then there’s this electric vehicle I’ve got my eye on. My bank account just hasn’t reached that level of ability yet.

We must first overcome denialism, and affirm that which is manifesting perilously at an exponential rate, and begin an unbiased forensic deconstruction and analysis of what we have succumbed to that is now totally antithetical to all previously-lived life-sustaining societal constructs. A comprehensive investigation will have us realizing that a complete paradigm shift from the grassroots upwards is the only solution; it is imperative, yet doable. It is unquestionable that an unprecedented day of reckoning is upon us. We need to begin asking the right questions, not merely seeking “pat answers,” but responses to stimulating questions that can become a catalyst towards beginning an invocation of workable and viable solutions. The decolonization of our thinking and lifestyles must be the core of sustainable communities. This would entail a rejection of furthering hegemonic intervention and assimilation, and supplicating before plutocracies and centralized authority. We must begin moving towards the formulation of egalitarian socialization and intentional communities both urban and rural; this includes combining constructive intentionality with innovating upon fostering and solidifying what we have in common in every aspect of relationships, family structures, child-rearing, education, food production and so forth. Simply, people need to come together and strategize, for their lives, more than ever is depended upon this. Holistic living must now be actually “holistic” by practice and design in every way. Families and love were originally valued substantively, reflective of and directly addressable to the dynamics of a community's social, political, economic and spiritual needs, which facilitated intent within a community or society as a whole, and relationships were not construed in isolation merely between two or more infatuated individuals. Individuality, more at hyper-individuality is antithetical to sustainable living. Sustainable societies are only practicable if exemplifying conducive symbiotic relationships. References to brotherhood, sisterhood, solidarity or unity articulated in all forms need to be more than merely impressive language intermingled within prescribed salutations at short-term social events, forums, or festive gatherings. We are truly our Brother's and Sister's keepers. The imaginative must become real. Our culture and ideological beliefs must directly address any and all needs that will reconstitute and sustain holistic life, civility, and security within the environment in which we are attempting to thrive and evolve, again with an intent that is conducive to promoting healthiness and well-being. So I'm suggesting rejecting all former individualized living arrangements towards re-perpetuating self-manageable communities, either urban or rural with the intent of actualizing a more sustainable way of life that can be replicated or propagated city, state and/or nationwide. I'm promoting reimagining the realization of family and community structures based on workable indigenous and futuristic designs, applicable skilled-based learning, acculturating agrarianism back into family structures and communities, yet, byway of implementing permaculture and ways of growing and foraging nutritional sustenance and medicinals that don't upset the ecosystem any further towards restructuring and regenerating a more natural environment. Such communities will also implement more self-reliance and low-impact self-sustainable energy strategies, be it off-grid and/or alternate and layered green technology. We, “the people” need to become more self-reliant and agrarian-centric. We must begin "working to live" rather than merely "living to work" (i.e., servile societies, wage laboring.) I'm also promoting reimagining the realization of various aspects of utilitarianism within all forms of education, science and the arts. Everyone should have hands-on practical skills, tools and/or capabilities (trade, craft or hobby) which will supplant the present constraints and servitude that has tethered us to globalist and exploitative industries that have destroyed the environment and enslaved citizens within a number of nation states. People are part of the ecology. Yet, we must be pragmatist as we approach our transformation goals, which is a realization based on the most conservative scientific data, this society has pushed the natural environment beyond the Rubicon of no immediate return, whereas, all perceived governmental proposals addressable to climate will be futile and mere political theater, so adaptability, which has always been core to evolutionary sustainability must be included in all ongoing and future social and ecological designs. We must confront this runaway climate apocalypse with adaptability, for the climate, a “clear and present” danger has already exemplified a high degree of unpredictability. Flexibility applied wisely will be greater than our strengths alone. We must began countering capitalism with other viable economic substructures. It is not merely incidental that both economy and ecology derive from the same etymological root. Economics and the contrived monetary system are not eternally fixed as one inseparable paradigm. We have given money and other materialistic consumer goods far more worth than they have in intrinsic value, both having zero relevance when it comes to promoting or sustaining the viability of our lives (biologically.) Money, which can be printed ad infinitum has yet to prevent poverty, starvation, crime, homelessness or war. We must realize that sustainability and the overall well-being of the earth and it's inhabitants is not a “one trick pony.” For amongst almost every culture, philosophers and now today's academicians have realized that every aspect of our thinking, life habits, socialization, and governance are related to the whole of our successes or failures. This climate changing phenomenon is not a natural cycle, but the earth being assaulted and responding to sadistic kleptocratic abuse that has been ongoing for decades, the evidence of an endgame of what has been imposed upon the earth and its inhabitants by sociopathic imperialists for centuries. Let me offer this in conclusion, South African activist Steve Biko once observed, “the most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed,” which resonate the words of scholar and historian, Dr Carter G. Woodson, “when you control a man's (or woman's) thinking you do not have to worry about his (or her) actions.” We need to rethink everything, for we cannot free or change the earth's environment until we, collectively, free and change our own way of thinking.

My mother was an exceptional early childhood educator at our neighborhood YMCA in West Philly. Subsequently this opened up a new world for my older sister and I. We along with a large number of our peers and cousins were the beneficiaries of a village that provided space for learning and teaching. They protected us and molded us. They nurtured us and scolded us. They loved us through swimming, gymnastics, entrepreneurship, leadership, crafting, running an office and community building. Those were just a few of the lifelong skills and abilities passed down to us. The children of the Y staff were known as Y Brats. Keeping us busy with tasks, jobs, responsibilities and fun was a form of protection and love for our present and our future. Those experiences set a solid foundation for developing the creative, forward thinking sustainable individuals we've all grown up to be. That foundation, that way of thinking and moving about the world has been passed down from me to my children. The adults that helped nurture the younger me, recognized a need for our community, aligned funding for most of our activities, which included traveling, and met our needs. Another generation of young Black children not only survived because of their ingenuity but we thrived and our children are thriving. Some of our children have grown up to have their own children and they too are thriving.

Greetings! See attached video.