Overview

From the author of Queen Sugar--now a critically acclaimed series on OWN directed by Ava Duvernay--comes a beautiful exploration and celebration of black farming in America. In this impressive anthology, Natalie Baszile brings together essays, poems, quotes, conversations, and first-person stories to examine black people's connection to the American land from Emancipation to today. In the 1920s, there were over one million black farmers; today there are just 45,000. Baszile explores this crisis, through the farmers' personal experiences. In their own words, middle aged and elderly black farmers explain why they continue to farm despite systemic discrimination and land loss. The Returning Generation--young farmers, who are building upon the legacy of their ancestors, talk about the challenges they face as they seek to redress issues of food justice, food sovereignty, and reparations. These farmers are joined by other influential voices, including noted historians Analena Hope Hassberg and Pete Daniel, and award-winning author Clyde W. Ford, who considers the arrival of Africans to American shores; and James Beard Award-winning writers and Michael Twitty, reflects on black culinary tradition and its African roots. Poetry and inspirational quotes are woven into these diverse narratives, adding richness and texture. As Baszile reveals, black farming informs crucial aspects of American culture--the family, the way our national identity is bound up with the land, the pull of memory, the healing power of food, and race relations. She reminds us that the land, well-earned and fiercely protected, transcends history and signifies a home that can be tended, tilled, and passed to succeeding generations with pride. We Are Each Other's Harvest elevates the voices and stories of black farmers and people of color, celebrating their perseverance and resilience, while spotlighting the challenges they continue to face. Luminous and eye-opening, this eclectic collection helps people and communities of color today reimagine what it means to be dedicated to the soil.

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9781799950448

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Reviews

This inspirational survey is a fitting tribute to Black farmers throughout history. -- Publishers Weekly Essays, poems, first-person stories, and commentary from historians and James Beard Award winners alike to assay the history, struggles, and current resurgence of African American farmers. -- Library Journal

Essays, poems, first-person stories, and commentary from historians and James Beard Award winners alike to assay the history, struggles, and current resurgence of African American farmers. -- Library Journal This inspirational survey is a fitting tribute to Black farmers throughout history. -- Publishers Weekly

"""Baszile elevates the voices of Black farmers and ongoing conversations surrounding food justice, land stewardship, and intergenerational wealth."" -- ""Library Journal (starred review)"" ""This insightful, eye-opening collection helps to reimagine what it means to be dedicated to the land."" -- ""Alice Waters, California cuisine pioneer and New York Times bestselling author"" ""Weaves together powerful stories about farmers of color that focus on their survival, pride, and cultivation."" -- ""Washington Post"" [An] amazing collection of voices that reveal Black people's devotion to agriculture. Expressing our contributions to the world from ground up, it is a tribute to our ancestors and a gift for us and the future."" -- ""Ibram X. Kendi, New York Times bestselling author"" ""This inspirational survey is a fitting tribute to Black farmers throughout history."" -- ""Publishers Weekly"""

Author Information

Natalie Baszile is the author of the novel Queen Sugar, which was a San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of 2014, longlisted for the Crooks Corner Southern Book Prize, nominated for an NAACP Image Award, and adapted for television by writer/director Ava DuVernay and co-produced by Oprah Winfrey for OWN. Baszile holds a M.A. in Afro-American Studies from UCLA and is a graduate of Warren Wilson College's MFA Program for Writers. She lives in San Francisco. Tina Lifford began her acting career in 1983. Since then, the veteran Hollywood actress's multi-faceted career has left an imprint on audiences worldwide. She currently plays Aunt Vi on Queen Sugar, OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network's hit television show. She is also recognized playwright and CEO of The Inner Fitness Project, a personal development network that teaches individuals to focus more on thriving than on surviving. She desires to inspire people from all walks of life to invest in their emotional wellbeing and act on their dreams so that they can feel less stressed and respond to life with more personal power, insight, and wisdom.

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