Black Land & Liberation Initiative (BLLI) is a program of the Center for Third World Organizing that coordinates land-based reparations experiments and supports the growth of Black land relations and models of land-based collective governance. BLLI incubates and amplifies Black land movement through storytelling and through land-based infrastructure support. BLLI supports the creation of Black land infrastructure in three ways:
(1) Creating and piloting models and for wealth redistribution and waging bold Reparations experiments.
(2) Incubating Black land networks for 3-5 years, to support the creation of Black land infrastructure and models of collective governance. BLLI resources these incubated networks through our wealth redistribution models. BLLI’s current incubated land network is Drinking Gourd.
(3) Offering project incubation, programming and/or containers that support Black land projects including: connect to fiscal sponsorship, infrastructure consulting, administrative support, and general operating funding.
BLLI incubation is guided by these values:
- Cooperation and Interdependence – We strive to cultivate stronger relationships, greater coordination, and more unity amongst organizing and amongst all people. Relationships are key, and are our most powerful currency.
- Self-determination, Autonomy and Sovereignty with Accountability to the collective
- Whole beingness – We invite the whole of each person – all identities and all relationships they are accountable to, to be represented rather than asking folks to choose.
- Healing with Land, showing up to support and be in fellowship and collaboration across land spaces and being led by people and beings on the ground.
- Valuing Land Stewardship – In working with land stewards, land stewards must be resourced in part for their time on the land.
- Decolonization, which requires deep relationships, practice, healing, and learning from the land, youth and elders.
- Re-indigenization which includes celebration, grieving, rituals and practices rooted in ancestral wisdom and land wisdom, reciprocity and valuing each other and all beings.
- Healing, slowing down, restoration, combating burnout
- We are in a process of unlearning the oppressive elements of dominant culture and are committed to a practice of eliminating them from ourselves, organizing spaces, and communities.
We are an aligned ecosystem weaving our values, and strategies to reclaim our sacred bond to wholly exist with land, community, and organic solidarity economies.
We span of acres and geographies but are mostly in the South. We are many beloved communities. We are organizing together to create new governance and build self-sustaining power. We are Black, brilliant, and ready to forge harmonious pathways for a liberated future.
We are elders still learning, grappling with contradictions and looking to bring the next generation home to the land. We are young radical queer folks innovating and holding space with elders to co-create and remember our culture.
We are builders of new maps, new paradigms, and self-determining economies.
Follow BLLI on social media for real time updates on the projects we are part of weaving and incubating, learn more and help us spread the word about Reparations Summer!