Our meeting with Jenga was interesting. Her drive/passion to revitalize New Orleans is more than apparent and I could tell from what she shared with us that she was open to any suggestions we might have for the Backyard Gardeners Network. What I found most enjoyable was actually being in the 9th Ward. Coming from Boston I don’t often see places that look much like New Orleans.
New Orleans possesses so much unique architecture and culture, which is something that is always so amazing to me. I also enjoyed the sense of community Jenga described. I grew up grounded in my community, I attended camp and afterschool programs at my neighborhood community center, I played basketball on my community centers team, and participated in a host of other things so I know what it means to for ones community to have sentimental value. I also know what it means to have some sort of crisis almost tear your community apart. My community didn’t experience a hurricane but it is however experiencing a large amount of violence and there are people like Jenga in my community fighting to make changes.
My mother is a member in my community’s garden. My sister and I often tease her for spending so much time there but hearing someone else say things similar to what she says regarding their garden allowed me to know that Black people do garden everywhere and have been for centuries. All in all I enjoyed our visit to the garden as well as the 9th Ward and getting to know New Orleans even more in my last months here.
New Orleans possesses so much unique architecture and culture, which is something that is always so amazing to me. I also enjoyed the sense of community Jenga described. I grew up grounded in my community, I attended camp and afterschool programs at my neighborhood community center, I played basketball on my community centers team, and participated in a host of other things so I know what it means to for ones community to have sentimental value. I also know what it means to have some sort of crisis almost tear your community apart. My community didn’t experience a hurricane but it is however experiencing a large amount of violence and there are people like Jenga in my community fighting to make changes.
My mother is a member in my community’s garden. My sister and I often tease her for spending so much time there but hearing someone else say things similar to what she says regarding their garden allowed me to know that Black people do garden everywhere and have been for centuries. All in all I enjoyed our visit to the garden as well as the 9th Ward and getting to know New Orleans even more in my last months here.