Juneteenth is nearly here!
Juneteenth, June 19th, marks the day that slavery finally ended in the United States as the Union Army marched onto plantations in the final state (Texas) to free the last people held in bondage there. The date was June 19th, 1865, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.
Juneteenth is the celebration of chains being lifted, challenging us to lift our own & to lift each other’s today & all days, knowing slavery doesn’t end — it evolves — and so can we.
Farming, food and freedom are deeply intertwined & Friends, in celebration of Juneteenth, Fruition is sharing 50% of our sales now through Sunday at midnight with our local black & women-led food-farm-community organization, Food for the Spirit! Cultivating seeds as well as stories, Food for the Spirit is a cornerstone in both rural and urban communities, nourishing intersections across all generations. Last year this Juneteenth ‘seed money’ made their Black Girls Retreat possible. And Friends, thanks to you, this love & solidarity has become a tradition! From Rebekah Williams, Food for the Spirit founder:
“In 2020, the literal seed money from Fruition Seeds made it possible for eight Black women from Buffalo to retreat together in the beautiful Finger Lakes providing for food, accommodations, travel costs, and a day-trip to participate in a walking tour of Harriet Tubman’s home and final resting place in Auburn, NY. Over the course of two days and two nights, the retreat allowed us to nurture ourselves, deepening our relationships with ourselves and each other, and take time to breathe in the beautiful scenery.”
One retreat participant said: “The Black Girls’ Retreat was necessary. It came at a crucial time when a lot of things were happening in the Black community; we needed that down time. It was intergenerational, it was great to be together, what a worthy cause.”
Friends, as you sow seeds, know you are sowing so much more than seeds🧡
Sow Seeds & Sing Songs,
& the whole Fruition crew
ps
If you’d love to contribute to Food for the Spirit now or in the future, reach out to them here
Thank you for the beautiful story and for Fruition Seeds to make it possible for Black women to connect and refresh on a retreat in the beautiful FingerLakes.
Thank both of you so much for the wonderful reading! Fannie Lou Hamer is a powerful inspiration to justice seekers everywhere.