Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Thompson.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jennifer. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Growing up, I spent every summer with my grandparents in New York. My grandfather has a garden in his backyard that I would help him out with whenever he let me, and he never said no. In that garden, I learned the basics of growing food and how satisfying it could be. The simplicity of it all only came with practice.
In college, I was an Africana Studies major with a concentration in Public Health. Every time I had the opportunity to perform my own studies outside of the institution, my focus was on food in Black and brown communities. I have studied the informal ways that women in Cuba participate in backyard, countertop, windowsill, or rooftop gardening. I also had the opportunity to shadow Amberly Alene (IG: @amberlyalene @reglasoulcuba), and through her, I met a multitude of people who were also practicing the revolutionary act of growing food. I have also been able to start a community farm initiative on Sapelo Island, in the Hogg Hammock Community with Maurice Bailey, a descendant on the island, and Victor-Alan Weeks (IG: @notimehere), a former classmate of mine. The summer after my sophomore year of college, VA and myself were awarded three different grants, totaling about $25,000 to help start the project. That summer in 2018, we cleared 4-6 acres and built several box beds that have since become the home of sugar cane and red peas, which are native to the island.
For me, being from the southwest side of Atlanta and being a first-generation Caribbean American, I know that food and access to it is a luxury that some people are not aware of. I am creating something that will allow Black and brown people to have access to luxurious lifestyle choices that sometimes center around food. I often think about the life-changing experiences that I have and how food has played a role in those experiences. Greene Clothe for me is a little of what I would like to give to the world. While it started off as just me, it has since become a collective of young Black folxs who are dedicated to making this world a little more joyous for ourselves and for whoever would like to take part. Below is the mission statement I started with to define what I wanted out of this organization and below that is the revised statement on behalf of the collective.
“The most intricate details of my life woven together, Greene Clothe is the fabric of my skin. From the soil where I was birthed to the oceans through which I have traveled, these are my gifts to the world. A lifestyle, most definitely, a community no doubt. From the rainforest of Guyana to the beaches of the Bahamas to the sidewalks of Georgia, we are Greene Clothe.
What’s the fabric of your tribe?”
“Greene Clothe is a black feminist collective established by young black femmes in response to food insecurity in the southern United States. Greene Clothe represents our lives woven together, Greene Clothe is the fabric of our skin. From the soil where we are born to the oceans through which we travel, these are our gifts to the world. A lifestyle, most definitely, a community undoubtedly. From the rainforest of Guyana to the beaches of the Bahamas to the sidewalks of Georgia, we are Greene Clothe. Our work is expansive yet rooted in brilliant understandings of black feminist theory and practice. Together we co-create imaginative black radical futures without the harmful violences of carceral systems, patriarchal violence, and food apartheid.”
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Anything worth fighting for has challenges. Being young and Black, the biggest challenge we’re facing right now is funding. We are in the midst of a pandemic, and people don’t necessarily have the funds or sometimes even the space for our immediate products. Our audience, as of right now, are younger people in the metro Atlanta area, and that too can be limiting. We have only been up and running for a couple of months, so it is hard to put a sticker on challenges that might be perceived as so because I try to allow myself some grace for the progress or lack thereof that we have made thus far.
Greene Clothe – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
“Greene Clothe is a black feminist collective established by young black femmes in response to food insecurity in the southern United States. Greene Clothe represents our lives woven together, Greene Clothe is the fabric of our skin. From the soil where we are born to the oceans through which we travel, these are our gifts to the world. A lifestyle, most definitely, a community undoubtedly. From the rainforest of Guyana to the beaches of the Bahamas to the sidewalks of Georgia, we are Greene Clothe. Our work is expansive yet rooted in brilliant understandings of black feminist theory and practice. Together we co-create imaginative black radical futures without the harmful violences of carceral systems, patriarchal violence, and food apartheid.”
Greene Clothe Collective aims to provide Black and brown people with affordable, luxurious, and economically friendly experiences and lifestyle alternatives. We offer Box bed services, where we will come out and build a bed for a family, and throughout the process, we teach people about the basics and importance of growing their own food. We also provide maintenance services for families or individuals who might need extra care. Passion Fruit Picnics is a subsidiary of Greene Clothe that provides quality and luxurious picnics for people in Atlanta. This initiative was started by collective member Eva Dickerson (IG: @evadickerson @passionfruit_farms) after she and I were talking about alternatives to going out and experiencing luxury at a time like COVID.
Many of our other members are currently in the process of developing their own talents that we hope to display shortly. One thing that really sets us apart from other businesses and organizations is our willingness and dedication to imagining alternatives that are inclusive of Black and brown people. We believe in the power of imagination and it is through our beliefs that most of what we have been able to offer the world this far has come to fruition. I’m most proud of the commitment that I have received from other collective members. Their joy, excitement and dedication are things that keep me going! It is so easy to just be right now, and they have shown me that just existing and creating more of what you want to see in the world is very much possible, with the right support!
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success in this line of business would be the number of people I am able to interact with AND leave a positive impression/impact on. I’m not trying to get rich and become a capitalist per se, but I am trying to leave a positive impact on people’s lives.
It would be really cool if box beds became more of a normal thing in Atlanta, especially amongst people who might not have the knowledge or access and even time to tend and develop these projects.
There are so many things that I want Greene Clothe to do in the future, but I definitely do not want to get ahead of myself, lol.
As far as criteria, I always go into any new situation with a positive attitude. I let the joy that I had when thinking of my ideas flow into bringing them to life. I expect the same from all collective members as we are one unit. Modern-day professionalism is at the forefront of all that we do, but we also remind ourselves that mistakes happen and life will go on.
Pricing:
- 8×8 Bod bed $300 ($150 start on sliding scale, different sizes available)
- Picnic $125-$300 (different packages available)
Contact Info:
- Email: greeneclothe@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greene.clothe/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/GreeneClothe
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