To grow a new appreciation of history
St. Rose’s Alumni Assoc. to host virtual garden party
Caribbean Life, April 9-15, 2021 23
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
One little hole in the
ground.
That’s all it takes, as big
around as your little finger, a
pencil eraser, a coffee stirrer. A
tiny fissure in the Earth, that’s
what you need to grow dinner
next week or next winter, flowers
for your table, sustenance
for your animals or, as in the
new book “We Are Each Other’s
Harvest” by Natalie Baszile, a
tie to your past.
Years ago, while taking weekly
provisions to an elderly relative,
Natalie Baszile learned
that the presence of food in a
neighborhood (or its lack) could
be a racial issue. Shortly afterward,
she discovered that her
ancestors had been involved in
farming, long before she was
born. That’s not unusual: as we
learn in the introduction here,
nearly all African Americans
today can claim that farming is
in their genes.
It’s never been a smooth
thing, though.
Over and over in previous
decades, Black farmers paid
faithfully each month to buy
farms from white landowners,
only to ultimately, cruelly be
denied ownership. Others persevered,
and then lost their land
through lack of financial literacy,
or problems with banks,
the USDA or the Farm Service
Administration (FSA), the latter
which, suggested one farmer,
seemed to have been created to
make problems.
And yet, there were bright
spots: like folks a century ago,
Black farmers know that sticking
together is best for all. They’re
speaking up and persevering, in
planting and paperwork. Black
farmers have learned to think
around bigger issues by forming
Black-owned co-ops, teaching
new farmers, making sure the
next generation wants ownership
of the business, and ignoring
old myths that say women
don’t farm. Black farmers are
mentoring. They’re redefining
the word “farm.” They’re doing
what it takes to keep possession
of their land because for them,
there just isn’t any better way
to live.
So you know where your food
comes from. Bonus points if
you grew it yourself. Even better,
when you read “We Are
Each Other’s Harvest” after
you’re done weeding.
Using a little of this (fiction
excerpts, poetry, and quotations),
along with a little of that
(essays, interviews, first-person
tales, and history), author
Natalie Baszile gives praise to
Black farmers and ranchers,
showing that what may seem
like a newly-discovered connectedness
to the land goes way
back. It is, in fact, a slice of the
past that’s rich as a fertile field,
but also loaded with rocks that
crushed many dreams.
And yet, while the stories
Baszile lets loose need a wider
audience today – they can’t be
silent anymore – anger at the
past isn’t the reason for this
book. No, this is much more
of a prayer for the Black stewards
of the land, and for those
who’ve listened to their hearts
and stood, one hand filled with
dirt and the other with seeds.
Whether you are a farmer,
know one, or accept the fruits
of one’s labor, this book is the
perfect meditation. Lush as a
spring morning but sharp as
barbed wire, “We Are Each Other’s
Harvest” is a book for the
well-grounded.
“We Are Each Other’s
Harvest: Celebrating
African American Farmers,
Land, and Legacy” by
Natalie Baszile
c.2021, Amistad
$29.99 / $36.99 Canada
368 pages
Natalie Baszile, author of “We Are Each Other’s Harvest.”
Book cover of “We Are Each Other’s Harvest: Celebrating
African American Farmers, Land, and Legacy” by Natalie
Baszile.
By Tangerine Clarke
A virtual Garden Party, set
for Saturday, April 17, from 4
pm – 5:30 pm, will give patrons
an opportunity to enjoy the
spring season while donating to
the Scholarship Fund of the St.
Rose’s High School in Georgetown,
Guyana.
A donation of $25, and early
bird privilege of $20, on April
11, gives patrons access to win
exciting prizes for Best Spring
Décor, and Best Spring Attire
for Ladies, Gents and Kids.
Tickets could be purchased via
www.rosesgardenparty.eventbrite.
com. Email- virtualevents@
strosesalumni.org for
more information.
Host, St. Rose’s Alumni
Association USA Inc. said it was
pleased to announce the afternoon
of entertainment, competitions
and opportunities to win
great prizes at the event that
Andrea Bradshaw and Raymond
McMillan will emcee.
The 501(3) C not-for-profit,
whose main objective is to
support the principal, faculty,
staff, and students at St. Rose’s
High, one of the top secondary
schools in Georgetown, will
present an exciting afternoon of
singing, dancing, door prizes,
and a raffle with three monetary
prizes.
The interactive online extravaganza,
will also judge the Best
Spring Décor contest. Patrons
are asked to submit a photo
with their name and telephone
number, by (1pm EST) on April
17. Each photo must match the
display on the day of the event.
Ladies, gents and children (13
and under) are asked to make a
fashion statement and enter the
Spring Fashion Splash Contest
to win a prize.
For submissions go to virtualevents@
strosesalumni.org.
The organization, through
its fund raising and support
from loyal donors and supporters,
said it was proud to have
contributed US$22,053.00 to
its alma mater during 2020.
This includes annual monetary
scholarship to students who
excel at the CSEC and CAPE
examinations.
Additionally, the association
funded wash troughs with liquid
soap and dispensers to cope
with COVID mandates at the
school. The Class of 1979 sponsored
40 laptops and 60 tablets
to facilitate remote learning for
both teachers and students due
to COVID, and the purchase of a
freezer and water cooler for the
Home Management Room.
In 2019, one of the major
donors sponsored a state-ofthe
art computer lab equipped
with smart boards, one of the
first among the secondary
schools.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic
the, 2020 Brunch Honoring
Males and Anniversary
Gala scheduled for Sept. 2, 2020
were cancelled.
The executive board members
are President: Vice President:
Treasurer: Assistant Secretary/
Treasurer: Desiree Wharton
Board Members: Claire Moseley
Taylor, Michelle Matthews.
Lorraine Croft-Farnell is an exofficio
member.
/strosesalumni.org
/strosesalumni.org
