Faith, farming, and agriculture have played a central role in the development of past social justice movements. Join us for a conversation about the Black Church’s contemporary relationship with agriculture, and how both farming and faith continue to serve as pillars of personal and collective narrative-making in our communities.
Guiding our conversation will be Executive Director of Word Tabernacle’s REACH Center and Come to the Table Rural Fellow Trishonda Roberson, alongside Durham historian and activist Georie Bryant. Farmer and founder of Conetoe Family Life Center Rev. Richard Joyner will be featured as well.
Date/Time: Wednesday, July 29, 2020 2:00pm – 3:30pm
Location: Virtual
Trishonda Roberson serves as the Executive Director of The REACH Center in Rocky Mount, North Carolina which focuses on providing a holistic approach to human, economic, and community development. She holds a certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University and is a member of the NC Rural Economic Development Institute and the Christian Community Development Association’s Emerging Leaders Cohort 5. Trishonda received both her practical nursing diploma and Associate’s Degree in Nursing from Edgecombe Community College. She previously worked as a nurse in the area of mental health and substance abuse for more than 15 years. Trishonda is also a graduate of Fruitland Bible College where she received a certificate in Christian Ministry and serves as a licensed minister at Word Tabernacle Church in Rocky Mount under the leadership of Pastor James D. Gailliard. Trishonda is passionate about social justice issues such as homelessness, poverty, and violence against women.
Georie Bryant is a native of Durham and a community activist who holds collaboration, equity, and reciprocity very close to his ethic. As a descendant of Stagville and a chef, Georie has roots that tie him closely to agriculture and the food industry, his work often centering around addressing injustice in the ways that Black and Brown people interact with food and food systems. Georie attended school at Alamance Community College, earning his associate’s degree in the Culinary Arts. With extensive experience working in the food and hospitality industries, having cooked everywhere from fast food to fine dining, Georie has a wide view of the food industry. His work with local organizations such as Communities in Partnership, or his own company SymBodied, see him frequently working both cross-culturally and intergenerationally in order to better understand, and ultimately address, the problems of our communities.
