Africulture with Michael Carter Jr

In this otherGardens session, we’ll explore the intersection of American and African farming and history with Michael Carter, Jr., a fifth-generation family farmer and author of the new book Africulture, which weaves together history, culture, and the realities of African American farming.

Michael grows a wide variety of crops, including peanuts, okra, jute, and Nigerian spinach, on his own farm, and he runs an educational center to celebrate and share the rich contributions of people of African descent to agriculture, linking African crops, culture, and folklore to promote health, nutrition, and understanding. He understands how soil health — and societal and community health — is deeply connected to the ability of Black farmers and families to thrive. Well aware of the dramatic decline of Black farmers in the United States over the past century, Michael understands the cycles of progress and setback — what he calls “blacklash” — that continue to shape the African American experience. But through his farm, his activism, and his writing, Michael shows that the lessons, richness, and resilience of Africulture will continue to help us build a better future.

Join us for this conversation as Michael Carter, Jr. shares the story of Africulture, the lessons of his family farm, and his vision for an agricultural system rooted in cultural memory, ecological care, and collective thriving.