BRIGHTWOOD (B. E. D. Z.)Permaculture farm

The Other America Movement (OAM) is a grassroots organization inspired by the “Other America” speech given by Martin Luther King, Jr. before his assassination.  Our mission is to enable black communities to have complete control over their health and economic prosperity.  This fundraiser will support the development of a model community-business ecosystem that integrates majority black-owned businesses into a “tiny-home” village with communal gardens, marketplace and education centers.  We met the critical milestone of securing four acres of land in Durham County and your donations will support the three-year development plan outlined below, focusing first of the restoration of a 3,000 square-foot barn that will become our community center and marketplace. OUR CURRENT GOAL: $10k for a septic system

TO SUMMARIZE THE VISION: WITH YOUR HELP, WE HOPE TO ESTABLISH AN UPSCALE, SELF SUSTAINING, BLACK COMMUNITY THAT FOCUSES ON FINANCIAL FREEDOM, OUTREACH AND HEALTH FOR ITS BLACK RESIDENTS! 

for more details on how we hope to achieve that read below!

The public health epidemic of police violence in the United States has been condemned by the United Nations, it has been condemned by organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch; it has even compelled foreign dictators to trash the US for human rights abuse. Police brutality is one part of a three pronged attack on our African American citizens –combined witheconomic hardships and extreme gentrification, this triple-threat has riddled the black population here in Durham, North Carolina, and beyond.


Since the post-civil war America and the walk back of the “40 acres and a mule” promise and the shameful, often violent attacks on “Black Wall Streets” across the nation,we have been searching for true economic independence!


Today, we are caught in a trap where the people in power benefit from our culture but don’t value our lives. Black people live in an economy that doesn’t value our work, devalues our dollar and will do anything to keep us from achieving our goals of being “equal”.  The false belief that gains by black communities will come at the expense of the majority white citizens and their associated businesspolitical interests is embedded in the systemic racism that weaves through the fabric of this nation.  We are at a critical time in our country where black communities across this nation have an opportunity to take control of our health, education and prosperity.


We know we can do this:  We’ve seen time and time again that black people CAN achieve COMPLETE AUTONOMY (it happened right here in NC, twice) but only until white people decided to burn it all down. NOW IS OUR TIME! Angry white mobs can’t run into a black community with torches and shotguns anymore! America knows that we are under a microscope and are vulnerable. Not to an enemy, but vulnerable in the sense that black people can unite and defeat that economic bully system. The patriarchal, old white hand manipulating systemic racismis vulnerable to the prying eye of the G7, United Nations and other coalitions from whom they seek acceptance, support AND MONEY.


This heightened situation of racial tension and economic downturn has left America vulnerable to the demons it created. America is under massive amounts of scrutiny and that is our protection! Our savior! They care about the optics, not our lives and that should be a welcomed protection! For hundreds of years we’ve waited for an opportunity to TRULY be free. They can’t burn our black oasis, our VILLAGE down to the ground because the world won’t let them do it anymore! The world is watching and BRIGHTWOOD WANTS TO Lead the way forward.


OAM’s Goal: CREATE A SMALL BLACK COLONY – a community-based ecosystem that supports sustainable opportunities for black-owned businesses and majority black communities.

Year 1/Phase 1: infrastructure development and agricultural commerce. Compound lifestyle where we work, play and outreach. We create our anchor business, “THE BRIGHTWOOD MARKET” a large farmers market made from an existing structure on the property; a huge chicken barn. OAM will Invite black, local entrepreneurs and businesses to fellowship and sell their goods. In phase 1 We will establish and cultivate our community crops, a minimum amount of land is being cleared and our energy, water/waste systems are installed and maintained for stress tests and improvement. Initially, Half an acre of land will be distributed evenly for the individual lease and occupancy of 6 residents. Estimated time: we will start from the center and work our way out. We plan to spend 8 months in our communal resource center (kitchen, recreation/fitnessarea, lounge, and sleeping quarters) while we clear land, create paths, pave roads, cultivate the garden and secure our communication, energy, water and waste systems. It sounds like a lot of work and IT IS. But think of the stories, bonds and framework we will be leaving for the people who will come after us! Fortunately with fundraising and alliances, we will have bobcats and contractors for most of the heavy duty development..

Year 2/Phase 2: once our infrastructure is established, we expand the compound to include customized BUT TASTEFUL AND FUNCTIONING tiny homes, adu’s, mobile homes or cargo dwellings. Only the people who work there or participate in our co-op structure can live in BRIGHTWOOD. Every member of the community will be required to devote 10 hours a week in labor to community services and community function of their choice.

During this time we focus on the concept of BUSINESS SYMBIOSIS
Symbiosis is a biological concept — roughly defined as a partnership between organisms — that has helped living creatures innovate and expand into new niches for billions of years. Symbiosis has allowed organisms to defend themselves from predators, to lure prey into their mouths, to produce energy from the sun, and to produce energy in places where the sun never shines, among other things. Every organism on Earth is engaged in many symbioses with other organisms.

Symbiosis is a powerful force in business too.
Simply put: if we have an anchor business like agriculture, CBD and holistic herbs, plants and ingredients: we can supply smaller businesses (of whom we’ve built trust with in the BRIGHTWOOD MARKET) who use that product and in turn hire other business to label, package and distribute those products. If we can provide our own store or distribution system we are even more self sufficient. The proceeds from that will give us the overhead to expand our village and grow the model beyond....
We add additional structural amenities such as a library and emotional wellness/medical center. Convert the initial communal resource building into a distribution center or marketplace to generate more revenue to help with our organization’s self sustainability. We increase our production as well as symbiotic business relationships with other cities or communities like ours. Our outreach goes up a level to include after school programs and financial literacy seminars and the push of legislation to benefit our people still living in substandard conditions. In order to be heard on a city level— to make change or liberate our people we will need resources, influence and respect.

Year 3/Phase 3:
A period of self sustainability and major growth. A BLACK ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ZONE
20 like minded individuals willing to work together in mutualism and community.
Black people willing to live a holistic/natural life of farming, homesteading and entrepreneurship! A place of peace and harmony, community accountability and crisis response. During this phase in our development we want to implement the Non profit
BRIGHTWOOD CRISIS/CARE RESPONSE Or BCCR. A team of highly trained, qualified and experienced CIVILIAN professionals tasked with providing crisis response for the residents of Durham affected with social issues like homelessness and mental illness. This team will have a headquarters in the expanded emotional wellness and medical center here in BRIGHTWOOD.
We also want to establish a small charter school for TRUE education and empowerment of our children in the old community resource center.

OAM AND THE RESIDENTS OF BRIGHTWOOD WILL BE COMMITTED TO ACHIEVING BLACK ECONOMIC AUTONOMY WHILE BUILDING CHARACTER, YOUTH ENGAGEMENT AND COMMITMENT TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF BLACK COMMUNITY.

WE CAN NEVER TURN OUR BACKS OR FORGET THE ONES WHO CANT JOIN US YET! this community is a self sustaining, grassroots organization committed to public works, outreach and the reintegration of our people into the working, middle class. We vow to give back to our brothers and sisters stuck in urban areas with financial literacy seminars, outreach initiatives, afterschool programs, fundraising and legislative push.
EVERY RESIDENT OF OUR VILLAGE HAS THE MOST VALUABLE CURRENCY: ENERGY AND SELF WORTH! every resident will be required to dedicate 10hrs a week to any of our many outreach departments. In return they will receive their fair share of our community agricultural exports as well as access to the amenities on the compound.
To encourage business to engage with us; we are offering a number of perks including super affordable rates to lease land for tiny homes or dwellings if your business is within the economic development zone!

BRIGHTWOOD will have a thorough vetting process to ensure the safety of our residents, partners and their assets! A village system of accountability but freedom!
To ensure that we leave a small ecological footprint; we will encourage the use of solar power, rain collection and filtration as well as state of the art waste disposal techniques!
BRIGHTWOOD will be a shining example of what BLACK SELF WORTH AND DETERMINATION can accomplish. This is History in the making and we want you to be a part of it! Black autonomy and control of OUR OWN DESTINY!

https://www.cbs17.com/news/local-news/durham-county-news/little-piece-of-heaven-durham-activists-create-plan-for-black-economic-zone/