Farmer, author, educator, and activist Leah Penniman’s 2018 book is an essential addition to the bookshelves of educators, farmers, food and racial justice activists, and anyone interested in the history of food and farming in the US. With chapters on topics ranging from Planning Your Farm Business and Feeding the Soil to Honoring the Spirits of the Land, Healing From Trauma, and Movement Building, Farming While Black provides practical farming education, spiritual nourishment, an honest reckoning with the painful history of generations of BIPOC people in the food system, and plenty of inspiration and resources. As a progressive, educated white woman with a keen interest in food systems reading this book, I was humbled by how many of the details of this history were unknown to me and I am inspired by the work of Penniman and other BIPOC people working towards liberation through food sovereignty. I also learned tips on practical skills like seed saving and sheet composting that I can use in my own garden.
In the words of Karen Washington in the book’s foreword, “Confronting everything from the destruction of the continent’s original populace to the tyranny of colonialism, this masterpiece of indigenous sovereignty sheds light on the richness of Black culture permeating throughout agriculture.”
In this book, the reader learns how many of the practices currently in use by organic and sustainable farmers in the U.S. have their roots in African and Indigenous farming techniques. Starting with a grounded historical account of the systemic political and economic racism that resulted in 90% of Black-owned farmland being lost in the past 100 years in our country, Penniman’s well-researched work provides a strong foundation for any food justice curriculum. Specific examples illustrate the many acts of resistance undertaken to preserve African food sovereignty, like the African women who, after being kidnapped in West Africa, braided rice and other seeds into their hair and brought them to the Americas. Each chapter also contains several “Uplift” sections that share inspiring and hopeful success stories from African Diasporic farmers to illustrate the concepts presented in the chapter.
This book would make a wonderful gift for any educators, farmers, or activists in your life, and all profits from book sales are donated to Black farmers. Pick up a copy today as a holiday gift or for yourself.
For more information about Penniman and her inspiring work connecting food sovereignty and racial justice, check out this recent article in Vogue Magazine. Leah Penniman is the Co-Director and Farm Manager of Soul Fire Farm in Grafton, NY.