It is with great delight that I share two recent collective successes. We marked milestones that were the fruits of years of loving labor. The joy and impact of these shared accomplishments will continue to reverberate.
I am in awe of us.
Stumptown: Rooted in Legacy
On April 21, a screening of the STM Multimedia film, “Stumptown: Rooted in Legacy,” was held at Pack Memorial Library, followed by a panel discussion. The screening was in conjunction with the “Black Stories in Census Tract 2” exhibit in Buncombe County Special Collections (BCSC), and in partnership with the Historic Stumptown Neighborhood Association.
It was an exciting evening, with well over 100 people in attendance, filling the room. Delicious soul food was provided by Sistas on Montford and R&B music played as everyone gathered.
The film was beautiful and moving. The multigenerational panel discussion was as well. Facilitated by STM’s Elizabeth Lashay Garland, panelists were: Ms. Sophie Dixon, Leonard Jones, Rhonda Wynn, and Nyles Clark.
There were many powerful moments. One that has stuck with me was when Leonard Jones talked about why this film and exhibit (and the reunion events that informed them) are so important. “It’s history and storytelling by us and not about us,” he said.
If you missed the screening, stay tuned for future opportunities to see the film. And if you haven’t visited, the exhibit is still up at BCSC, and will be until sometime later this month. The Black Montford & Stumptown archival collection we’re creating will be available through BCSC in perpetuity.
An affirmation of the importance of this project, we were awarded the Historic Resources Champion award by the Historic Resources Commission at their May meeting.
Equally significant is the historical signage that will be installed by the Montford Neighborhood Association in Stumptown later this year.
I’m humbled to be a part of documenting a legacy that has and will last generations.
You can support STM Multimedia’s impressive ongoing projects here.
Stewarding Sanctuary
On April 30, “under a Taurus sun and Libra moon, we signed closing documents, and by Friday, May 1st we had a deed for a 34 acre farm in Western North Carolina with Tepeyac Mountain Sanctuary on it.” The following Saturday “we gathered there for our first big day of dream weaving—imagining a Sanctuary for those who believe that transformation is possible.”
It’s amazing that we are now land stewards! With a physical home for our work focused on healing justice, cultural organizing, liberation movement building, and resilience. Our hearts are full.
Thank you to everyone who has been a part of making this miracle manifest.
Follow Tepeyac Mountain Sanctuary on Instagram where we’ll be sharing gratitudes and updates. You can sign up for the TMS newsletter on our website. We are accepting financial donations here – any and all support is welcome in this crucial start up phase.
Honoring our teachers and ancestors, we keep planting seeds for the liberated future we know is possible.
Reflections on Collaboration
Building with others has given me courage to dream.
I wish everyone a life full of inspirational co-creators.
Here are a few reflections on my journey of joining…
The power of presence is profound. I’m grateful to have been able to show up over and over again in community spaces over the years. Reliably being in the room allowed me to connect with my current collaborators.
adrienne maree brown writes in Emergent Strategy of “moving at the speed of trust.” Like the energy of Taurus season, trust tends to move slowly. It takes shared experiences over time to build. Not that trust can’t be developed quickly. It is quite helpful, however, when members of a group have been building with each other for a long time, as is the case with the aforementioned successes. We know we can count on each other.
In collaborations, I’ve learned about myself. For example, I have witnessed my willingness to commit to the nuts and bolts of manifestation. The sexy and (some would say) less sexy aspects of making sh*t happen. Call me Capricorn.
Working with others provides meaningful opportunities for another Emergent Strategy practice: generative conflict. Compassionate disagreement is fecund. While uncomfortable, I love when I’m challenged and subsequently changed.
Successful collaborative projects are adaptable. They can fluidly respond to changing circumstances, and are able to adjust strategy and shift group members’ responsibilities as needed. The key, always, is communication.
Collaboration happens in all aspects of my life, of course, most intimately with family. Even while in the solitary practice of writing, I am collaborating with others, seen and unseen. Gardening, I collaborate with plants. Music, ah music, playing and listening are inherently collaborative. I breathe with the trees in the forest. In this web of life my heart also continues to lead me into hopeful community-based collaborations.
Collective action makes abundant ancient futures possible.
I’m here for it.
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Ami Worthen 