colored queer waters

marshmallowmegamama:

Support youth media makers in Detroit! Donate here!

The thing I love most about Earthworks is how dedicated they are to transformation. The program is a part of Capuchin Soup Kitchen in Detroit, which spent most of it’s time in Detroit as a charity organization. That is: they provided food for hungry people. It made sense—they’re a branch of Franciscan monks that have made all the traditional pledges to serve the poor.

But recently, they shifted their goals. Through conversations in the community, they decided that they no longer wanted to serve the poor—they wanted to eradicate poverty all together. They no longer wanted to provide food for hungry people, they wanted to deal with the reasons that people are hungry to begin with.

They’ve been working since then to shift the dynamics of the program to reflect the change in their values. They aren’t just talking about the changes, they’re doing it.

Earthworks is a part of those changes. Their youth programs specifically focus on food and environmental justice rather than advocacy. Not only do youth take the lead in planting, growing and harvesting food (seriously, i went on tour of their gardens with two youth leading the tour—and those two knew EVERYTHING. from how long it takes to harvest asparagus to how to work mulch to the difference between different types of hot houses, it was SO educational), but they are also learning how to distribute food in ways that are justice centered: Locally, fairly, as a community. They can be seen at farmers markets and local community centers on any given day talking about what “quality food” means and setting prices/collecting money.

They also make videos and documentaries like this one in an effort to reach out to community and preserve valuable community knowledge—including interviews with Detroit elders whose families brought their farming knowledge up to Detroit during the great migration.

This amazing group of youth is also fundraising to get to the Allied Media Conference! They are not only important leaders in the food justice/environmental justice world, they are integral innovators in the Detroit media landscape. The AMC will allow them the opportunity to network with other community driven social justice media makers AND influence the national and international understanding of Detroit.

PLEASE SUPPORT HOWEVER YOU CAN!