And I’ve been waiting long
For an earth song.
- Langston Hughes
WELCOME!
You have reached the entrance of our Black Nature Walk and we are excited to have you! We are a group of students taking a course on Black Ecologies offered by Professor Bénédicte Boisseron in the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies.
Black ecology is the study of Black people in relation to their environment and nature. In 2022, poet and scholar Joshua Bennett curated an outdoor exhibit at the New York Botanical Garden guided by the work of Black poets. Two years later, we are recreating a similar experience in the beautiful Nichols Arboretum with a selection of poems from Camille T. Dungy’s anthology, Black Nature. The Arb has seen many visitors, students, and Ann Arbor families. What many don’t know, however, is that the some of the trails were created in the 1930s by African American men under the Works Progress Administration. Those men worked in segregated crews to create beautiful paths for the public to enjoy, allowing us to take walks and to run in harmony with nature.
Our guided walk honors the ancestors who came before us, as we seek to shine light on the history hidden behind every tree and bush. Our selection of poems comes with a wide variety of interpretations and themes, including slavery, racism, capitalism, discrimination, oppression, but also beauty and joy. We invite you to offer your own interpretation. Our hope is that more scholars and students will be inspired to create their own exhibits or to host ours in their communities to spread awareness about the Black community’s relationship to nature. Please, take your time and enjoy!
Art by Niyi Adeogun