Nairobi Hilaire
Rising Earth Immersion, 2022
I am Nairobi Hilaire. I am born and raised in Los Angeles, California, while my matrilineal ancestors are rooted in Guadeloupe and the Mende tribe of Sierra Leone.
I began researching ecological programs so I could better learn the practical skills necessary to nourish the land and feed those who are historically food insecure. Between lessons in community building and ecological stewardship, the Rising Earth Immersion program has afforded me time. Living in this society’s capitalistic structure, our time is commodified. We are socialized to spend eight hours a day at school and fifty years working to amass wealth for those at the top. We witness the earth being ravaged as a resource and are baptized into believing we don’t have the time to address it. The community here at the Eco-Institute tells us differently.
There is always time for the right work.
This directive has been a guiding principle for the 2022 Fall Cohort and comes from adrienne maree brown as shared in their book, Emergent Strategies. Frankly, it hit me upside the head when I heard it read aloud in our first session. While I feel called to fight for ecological and social justice, climate fatalism and media messaging have told me repeatedly that I don’t have time to continue the legacy of my ancestors, to nourish the land or to care for my community. So when I first got accepted into this program with a full scholarship, I recognized that this space was uniquely able to offer me more than just a curriculum. Here I could concretize the me who exists beyond these society-prescribed limitations.
Best believe, I was challenged by reckonings deep within my body and within this space. I took time to grieve. I wrote the stories of my ancestors. I challenged conceptions of gender and other internalized beliefs. I even recognized how well-intentioned nonprofits aren’t always free of regurgitating societal norms. Mainly, I took time to rest and learned how to harvest food crops while I did it. Anytime we’re diving deep into the syrup-like apathy we see in the world and asked to disrupt it, things can get messy. But in that mess, I have also gained a clearer view into the fullness of who I am. I am Nairobi and my perspective and contribution to a future I envision is valuable; a future where food autonomy is real and accessible, where the water runs clean even in black neighborhoods like Flint, Michigan and Jackson, Mississippi, where time to be is no longer a luxury, but a birthright.
Now, I write to those who have been brought to this organization on the other end of a google search looking for something tangible. Know that the future you envision can begin here and be held. Know that, although nothing is perfect, some things are worth it and know that you can honor your desires and ask that they be supported.
I believe we all hold a different puzzle piece of personal freedom that, when put together, can create a tangible vision. If you need time to shape your puzzle piece and practice it in motion, then the Rising Earth Immersion is here for you. I have a deep respect for the people here at the Eco-Institute and their willingness to call themselves in and rise to the task of creating a safe space. Please know that they are creating it for you and for me. Take them up on their offering and allow yourself the time to practice the liberation that has been intimately informed by your perspective. We need you so we all can see the full picture.