In this fourth and final episode of BRAIDEd Season 1, host Keionna Thomas sits down with Cicely Garrett, co-executive director of the National Black Food and Justice Alliance, to examine the intersection of policy, racial justice, and economic opportunity in agriculture. They discuss the shortcomings of the Inflation Reduction Act, the historical parallels between current farm bill debates and 1968 civil rights legislation, and the critical shift from "coming to get our check" to building sovereign food systems rooted in black self-determination. Garrett emphasizes the importance of coupling policy demands with institution building co-ops, land trusts, and legal defense infrastructure, while highlighting that 70% of the world's land stewards are women, making black women central to any vision of agricultural liberation and climate resilience.

In this summer episode of BRAIDEd, host Keionna Thomas speaks with Nia Kiara Cole, a fifth-generation farmer who transitioned from film to rebuilding her family farm in North Carolina. Nia's journey from Howard University graduate to land steward demonstrates how young Black farmers are weaving together creative skills with agricultural restoration on land with 200 years of family history. EcoWomanist Institute Southeast co-founder Valerie Hill Rawls addresses the narrative erasure that overlooks Southern Black families who held onto their land, emphasizing why the organization champions "restorative" rather than "regenerative" agriculture. Through Nia's story of navigating family expectations, building intergenerational partnerships, and managing the Southern Black Farmers Community-Led Fund, this episode shows how modern farming is an interdisciplinary field where art, storytelling, and land stewardship flourish together. The episode also announces that BRAID program applications have officially closed and the review process has begun.

#BlackFarmers #LandJustice #RestorativeAgriculture #IntergenerationalWealth #EcoWomanism

In this Memorial Day episode of BRAIDEd, host Keionna Thomas welcomes Dr. Catherine Meeks for a powerful conversation about generational wisdom and healing historical wounds in Black agricultural heritage. As we honor Memorial Day, this episode connects themes of remembrance with the resilience and knowledge passed down from sharecropper generations. Dr. Meeks and Keionna explore how ancestral agricultural wisdom can inform new models of land stewardship, moving from the weight of historical trauma toward hope and collective action. The episode also provides updates on The EcoWomanist Institute Southeasts BRAID cohort program, with applications now officially open for Black women seeking to reclaim their place in agriculture. Through stories of perseverance and practical pathways forward, this episode demonstrates how honoring the past can build the foundation for sustainable agricultural futures.

Applications are open now! Apply to BRAID at the link below.

https://www.ewise.org/braid/applyforbraid

In this Earth Day premiere of the BRAIDEd podcast, host Keionna Thomas, Program Coordinator for BRAID with The EcoWomanist Institute Southeast, explores the rich yet challenging history of Black land ownership in America and pathways toward agricultural restoration. She examines how 98% of Black-owned farmland was lost through discriminatory policies and introduces listeners to The EcoWomanist Institute's groundbreaking BRAID (Black Restorative Agriculture Incubation & Development) cohort program. This episode connects historical context with Valerie Hill Rawls' vision for collective land stewardship and practical solutions for moving beyond systemic inequities in agriculture.

BRAIDEd explores the intersections of Black women's agricultural history, food sovereignty, and environmental justice. Each episode weaves together the voices of Black women farmers, historians, and food justice advocates to illuminate pathways toward collective land stewardship and climate resilience. From historical exploration of Black land ownership to innovative farming practices, BRAIDEd nurtures critical conversations that seed transformation in our relationship with land, food systems, and community economics. Join us as we unearth stories of resistance, restoration, and reimagining a future where Black women's agricultural wisdom leads the way toward healing our communities and our planet. This podcast is a production of the EcoWomanist Institute Southeast.