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Land Justice: A Green Future for All

Rooted in Black & Indigenous Land Ownership

2025-05-15 13:00:00 2025-05-15 14:00:00 America/New_York Land Justice: A Green Future for All Join author Brea Baker for a discussion on land justice and her book, Rooted: The American Legacy of Land Theft and the Modern Movement for Black Land Ownership. Registration required. Virtual -

Thursday, May 15
1:00pm - 2:00pm

Add to Calendar 2025-05-15 13:00:00 2025-05-15 14:00:00 America/New_York Land Justice: A Green Future for All Join author Brea Baker for a discussion on land justice and her book, Rooted: The American Legacy of Land Theft and the Modern Movement for Black Land Ownership. Registration required. Virtual -

Join author Brea Baker for a discussion on land justice and her book, Rooted: The American Legacy of Land Theft and the Modern Movement for Black Land Ownership. Registration required.

Brea Baker is the author of Rooted: The American Legacy of Land Theft and the Modern Movement for Black Land Ownership

"Why is less than 1% of rural land in the U.S. owned by Black people? An acclaimed writer and activist explores the impact of land theft and violent displacement on racial wealth gaps, arguing that justice stems form the literal roots of the earth.

To understand the contemporary racial wealth gap, we must first unpack the historic attacks on Indigenous and Black land ownership. From the moment that colonizers set foot on Virginian soil, a centuries-long war was waged, resulting in an existential dilemma: Who owns what on stolen land? Who owns what with stolen labor? To answer these questions, we must confront one of this nation’s first sins: stealing, hoarding, and commodifying the land.

Research suggests that between 1910 and 1997, Black Americans lost about 90% of their farmland. Land theft widened the racial wealth gap, privatized natural resources, and created a permanent barrier to access that should be a birthright for Black and Indigenous communities. Rooted traces the experiences of Brea Baker’s family history of devastating land loss in Kentucky and North Carolina, identifying such violence as the root of persistent inequality in this country. Ultimately, her grandparents’ commitment to Black land ownership resulted in the Bakers Acres—a haven for the family where they are sustained by the land, surrounded by love, and wholly free.

A testament to the Black farmers who dreamed of feeding, housing, and tending to their communities, Rooted bears witness to their commitment to freedom and reciprocal care for the land. By returning equity to a dispossessed people, we can heal both the land and our nation’s soul."

This program is co-sponsored by the American Library Association's Sustainability Roundtable's Education and Programming Committee.

Virtual


Hours
Mon, May 05 9:00AM to 8:00PM
Tue, May 06 9:00AM to 8:00PM
Wed, May 07 9:00AM to 8:00PM
Thu, May 08 9:00AM to 8:00PM
Fri, May 09 9:00AM to 5:00PM
Sat, May 10 9:00AM to 5:00PM
Sun, May 11 9:00AM to 5:00PM

About the branch

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Wed, May 14, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
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Ready to take sustainability beyond your household? Hear how people in your community are having a positive influence in the places they work and live. Register

Thu, May 15, 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Join author Brea Baker for a discussion on land justice and her book, Rooted: The American Legacy of Land Theft and the Modern Movement for Black Land Ownership. Registration required.Register

Thu, May 15, 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Zoom
Join us on Zoom the third Thursday of each month! We are currently discussing selections from "Even Deadlier: A Sequel to The 7 Deadly Sins Sampler". Click on the event title for more info! Register