I Want To Build A Better Garden

"We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men." – Herman Melville

There are lots of different ways to cultivate a garden. While you can toss some seeds on the ground and hope for the best, the best gardens are planted with effort and intention. Time is spent preparing the soil, picking out spots with enough sun and shade for the different kinds of plants, and consistent maintenance after everything has been planted to ensure that each plant is receiving the care and support it needs to thrive in that garden. Communities are cultivated the same way.

The bottom layer of this piece is made up of layer after layer of writing, about the injustices threatening and hurting our community. Layering the words until they are obscured and fade into the background, much like how speaking up about
injustices can often feel. And yet we will continue to speak up until we can ensure a spot with enough sun for everyone in the community to thrive.

On top of this field of writings, a garden sits. Made up of flora and fauna native to North Carolina, the home that Jocelyn has known her whole life and one of the many communities she would like to see thrive.