As a testament to how Black people DO trust each other, work together, and thereby accomplish highly, 19 Black families recently purchased 97 acres of land in Toomsboro, Georgia. Building a safe community where Black people can live, grow, and breathe—unencumbered by racial terror—was their aim. Their efforts were prompted by increased and vivid exposure to racism, highlighted by continued police killings.
Distraught and filled with despair, realtor Ashley Scott sought racial trauma therapy. With renewed mind and spirit, she chose to remember how Black people have persevered through worse times than are being experienced today. She recalled when Black folks transformed open forests into thriving cities. Ashley Scott decided to form a partnership with investor and good friend Renee Walters. Together they spearheaded the collective purchase.
Their actions are real-life reminders of the more—beyond fear and despair—that is available in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder and other injustices. While the entire article is amazing, its last sentence warrants a mike-drop. With matter-of-fact clarity Scott states, “We just have to build it for ourselves!” Click here to learn more about community-development, born of Black self-love.