written by Scott Alsleben, Lower Adolescent science guide
Happy Fall to all Great River School Students and Families!
This past spring a group of adolescent BIPoC students had an opportunity to work with Juxtaposition Arts on a collaborative mural project for our urban farm. The project was completed at the very end of the 2020-2021 school year and we are excited to finally show the community the finished product! Come on by to GRS at Harvest Fest and see the mural at its new home in the garden.
In May 2021 students worked with resident Juxtaposition Arts artist Hawwa Youngmark to create an absolutely stunning mural that will live in our garden as a reminder that all are welcome here.
The summer of 2020 triggered lots of emotions and revealed many ways that our society is unjust and inequitable in regards to race and culture. In a white supremacist culture, inequalitites run deep, specifically in access to land and agriculture. Black, Indigenous, people of color land matters. As a response to this, a collaboration project was born. One of the goal of this collaboration was to make a mural that represents culture, food, traditions, heritage, history, science, and peoples’ connections to the land. Another goal was to provide an opportunity for our students that identify as BiPoC to connect with the land and work in the urban farm program.
Love the Land, Love Yourself.
Revolution is based on land. Land is the basis of all independence. Land is the basis of freedom, justice, and equality.
-Malcolm X