My grandmother. My aunt. My son.
The lineage of Black ancestors before me and the generations of Black people to come.
When we hosted a delegation of Black leaders from the Canadian Network of Community Land Trusts this month, we started the day with the question: “What brought you to the CLT movement?” While the stories were distinct, the essential catalyst was the same. From Vancouver to Nova Scotia, all 16 participants had been moved by a fierce love of Black people and commitment to reclaim and steward land for Black community.
“My grandmother had been dispossessed of our family land, and for 30 years was quietly trying to get it back,” Shekara Grant, a leader with the Weymouth Falls Community Land Trust, shared. “Once I heard her story, I found the people who owned it and sent them a letter. This is our family legacy, I wrote. Would you consider selling it to us? They said they would. I personally bought it in February with the intent for it to become part of the land trust because this wasn’t unique to my family. There’s a bigger picture here.”
