The Homecoming Project invites voices from the Black community, crosscity, all ages, all socio-economic status, all genders, spirituality practices, etc; to connect with the Everglades through the tradition of food sharing, discourse, and education. This program is an interactive/immersive approach to environmental studies and creating a space of belonging for the black body in the outdoors.
The Homecoming project builds a bridge between the Black communities across South Florida, with concentration on Miami-Dade residents, and the Everglades. According to the National Park Service data, 77 percent of visitors to the 419 national parks are White. People of color comprise 42 percent of the U.S. population, but according to the most recent survey, 23 percent of park visitors were people of color. Just six percent identified as Black. The U.S. population will be majority people of color by 2045.
(Washington Post 2020). National parks serve as resource for environmental education, mental and physical health, informed geo-political discourse, and cross cultural consciousness, which is necessary for the cultural health of a community. Parks have continued to fail in making th outdoors an inclusionary space to all. Intentional efforts must be made to address accessibility, inclusion, and representation as it stands now with National parks and create actions plans to evade an outcome of erasure. Homecoming invites predominantly Black schools (k-12) & collegiate institutions, with a concentration on HBCUs. It welcomes organizations and networks providing resources to disenfranchised communities; both domestic and international. Invited Participants include any POC organizer, student, researcher, educator, health & wellness practitioners, artists, interested in environmental and social justice.