This month we're shining our spotlight on Sister Barbara LaRonde, cannabis consultant and educator, community activist, entertainment manager and producer, radio personality, and one of the most persistent voices behind the Virgin Islands' hemp and cannabis movement. Her mission is simple to state and hard to execute: make sure local people aren't shut out of an industry that's about to change the territory's economy. Sister B spent a decade campaigning for the legislation th

July 27, 2026 Atlanta, GA Picture a room full of Atlanta residents on graduation day, not in caps and gowns, but in the safety vests and hard hats they've spent weeks learning to wear on real job sites. They've spent evenings and weekends studying panel wattage and racking systems, sitting through First Aid/CPR/AED + OSHA 10 certification, and picturing what a solar career could look like for their families. On July 31, this room will fill again -- for the second time! The Co

For JoAnna M. Powell, solar training is the newest tool in a toolbox she's been building for years on Atlanta's Westside. A native Atlanta resident and proud resident of "the BEST side, the Westside," JoAnna serves as President of the Lincoln Homes Neighborhood Association and Program Manager for NPU-G. Her life's work centers on environmental stewardship, equitable community development, and building the kind of long-term neighborhood resilience that means families never hav

We recently wrapped up our virtual learning series on AfroIndigenous Farming and NRCS Practices which concluded on July 16. This series was an incredible opportunity to connect ancestral agricultural wisdom with modern conservation programs. Over the course of the sessions we explored how traditional land care matches up with formal federal conservation standards. The goal was to give growers the knowledge needed to access resources while staying true to ecological traditions

July 10, 11, and 12, 2026 There's a particular kind of quiet that settles over a farm early in the morning, before the work begins, when the dew is still on the leaves and everyone is just arriving, tools in hand, unsure yet of exactly how the day will unfold. That's how our farm brigade weekend at Upendo Estate Farms started. By the time we left, that quiet had turned into something else entirely: the satisfaction of a community that had shown up for the land, and for each

There are those who work within systems, and then there are those who work to reimagine them entirely. This July, we are honored to spotlight Mike Tekh Strode, a community strategist, educator, and organizer whose work is rooted in reshaping how we understand value, exchange, and collective care. Based in Chicago, Mike Strode is deeply embedded in the city’s solidarity economy movement, an ecosystem built on cooperation, mutual aid, and shared prosperity. His work challenges

On May 31, 2026, Black Sustainability, Inc., iiwii Farms and Eco-PARADIGM partnered to host an AfroIndigenous Rice Cultivation workshop and NRCS conservation field day at G4 Farms for growers and farmers interested in various irrigation practices. The event was sponsored by Winston County Self Help Cooperative. This workshop was a testament to the range of crops that can be grown on irrigation, looking at NRCS CPS 441 - Microirrigation. Water conservation and rice planting a

On August 16 & 17, 2025, Black Sustainability, Inc. and Eco-PARADIGM hosted another successful AfroEcology Series workshop at the historic Florida A&M University (FAMU) in Tallahassee, Florida. This was a hands-on workshop focused on high-tunnel installation with FAMU's Lola Hampton - Frank Pinder Center for Agroecology (LHFPCA). Alpha Phi Alpha represented! Amongst other attendees, we want to give a shout out to the Alphas who showed up to give us a strength on Saturday! USD

Charles Greenlea, III is the Founder and Director of Greenspace Management at Eco-PARADIGM. Eco-PARADIGM, LLC is a social enterprise that specializes in helping people, farmers and communities grow by providing a variety of agricultural services. As a multigenerational resident of Atlanta, GA and the descendant of a long line of growers, educators, entrepreneurs, and organizers, Charles was cultivated to serve his community in a unique way. Since he began nurturing his intere

Earlier this month, on February 12, 2025, we hosted our third SRA in partnership with Winston County Self Help Cooperative for...

Festival Founder, Dr. Mama Nobantu Ankoanda On October 26, 2024 the Black Sustainability, Inc. (BSI) team hosted the Sustainability...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 20, 2024 (Snellville, GA) – Black Sustainability, Inc. is hosting the Sustainability Pavilion at The...

Steven McDonnough; Photo Credit: ProFarms.org We are delighted to share our member spotlight for July - Steven McDonnough! Steven is a Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP) with more than 15 years of experience in financial planning and international business management. In addition, he is the co-founder of ProFarms Gateway, a US-based international trade and project development company with clients ranging from U.S. government contractors to emerging market developer

This month we are spotlighting Brother Adrian for his leadership and entrepreneurship as a true pollinator!! ​ Adrian Watson is a Jamaican nature lover by default, a beekeeper, geographer, zoologist and conservator by profession, a climate advocate by concern and the brain behind Honai Beez Apiary – a sustainable tropical beekeeping social enterprise that combats climate change using CNC-Routers to make eco-friendly bamboo beehives. They also offer beekeeping training to yo

There is a DEEP need to repair our relationship with the earth, ourselves and connection to the land after the MAAFA*. There is also a...

FEBRUARY 10-12, 2023 Black History. Black Land. Black Love. Black Hands. Join Black Sustainability and G4 Farms for a Learning Journey in...

FEBRUARY 10-12, 2023 Black History. Black Land. Black Love. Black Hands. Join Black Sustainability and G4 Farms for a Learning Journey in...

JANUARY 18 AT 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM Calling All Georgia & southeast US farmers, land owners & aspiring growers! Join Black Sustainability,...

Our team is excited to announce we are GR4 recipients!! We are honored to expand food access in Black communities Investing these funds...