Black Queer Artists Reparations & Sacred Space
Greetings! We are D. Floyd and Jazmine Walker! We are two Black Queer & Nonbinary artists who are dedicated to stewarding a just and vibrant arts, farm and educational culture for Black Queer & Trans people in Mississippi. Specifically:
Our mission is to steward a sovereign art and education farm space to increase self-determination, food access, and creative expression to support the growth and expansiveness of healthy Black Queer and Trans people in Mississippi.
In December 2020, D and Jazmine started this campaign to access a vehicle and clear our credit history to secure safe and accommodative housing. However, we realized that the root of these systems of generational wealth inequalities were exasperated by our experiences with economic. workplace, and housing discrimination. And that deficit could persist without addressing systemic conditions and the impact it has on our lives.
To put it plainly, according to the 1920 Census 1920 Black farmers owned 14% of farmland in the U.S., compared to 1.6% today. We began to question, then, what percentage of that 1.6% is owned and operated by Black queer people?
Thereby, we insert ourselves in the omission of Black queer people in land stewardship culture and the kinds of homes and land we have access to. This is where you come in! We have a goal to transform our and our ancestors inequitable housing experiences due to the long history of economic and environmental injustice in this country. This is a reparations campaign.
Additionally, it is legal to discriminate against LGBTQIA+ openly in the state of Mississippi based on religion. The spaces where we convene and celebrate our lives are limited. We dream of stewarding place where Black Queer and Trans people have safe places to live as they get paid as artists in residence. We desire to create a hub where folks can eat and learn from the land with paid opportunities in agriculture. We desire a space where folks know they are safe to celebrate our lives and experience fun community events. We desire spaces where Black Trans & Queer people are at the center and forefront of this community rather than existing quietly on the margins of it. We have dreamed it so we know it is possible.
With $155,000, we will continue to create a quarterly celebration of fun, education creativity, and performances for and by local Black Queer & Trans artists and performers, dinner, and headlining special guests 2022-2023.
With $555,000, we make a down payment for a community farm & arts education center in MS.
With $2,555,000, we purchase community farm arts & education center in MS.
Inspired by Sonya Renee Taylor and #buybackBlackDebt, we have decided to get off the shame spiral and ask our community and beyond for help! It’s time to heal ourselves and our ancestors by acknowledging that we cant do any of this alone. There is a spiritual and financial debt.
Ways to support TODAY:
- Dedicate and contribute a percentage of your income weekly or monthly
- Contribute an inheritance
- Contribute property
- Uproot capitalism from your being and discover who you actually are when you canter relationship and community
Give and share this campaign if you believe in the power that is possible when Black queer people are able to thrive. Donate if you know that changing the society by practicing radical ways of reallocating and redistributing wealth. Share and donate if you know that we don’t have to wait! Thank you for joining this courageous journey we have embarked with you.
We bless all help, patrons, and shares generated from this life changing campaign. To find out how to be a long-term sustainer, contact us at: madamsofexcellence [@] gmail dot com
