Lonnie Graham, "African American Garden Project," 1986-2009
Lonnie’s gardens are especially interesting, since he typically pairs a garden in one locale with a “sister” garden planted elsewhere (Kenya, Mexico). In 2011, he planted a garden in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania using African heirloom seeds obtained from Kenya’s Wote community seed exchange. Images shown here are from earlier projects, beginning with a 1986 image of his uncle’s farm, a 1994 image of Hilton Karioki’s family farm in Muguga, Kenya and several images from 1996 of Muguga farmers and urban gardeners from Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood.
In 2001, he worked with noted horticulturalist and health researcher Harry Noisette to plant an educational and healthy garden, grown from heritage seeds, for the Wilmot J. Fraser Elementary School on Charleston’s East Side. Nearly a decade later, he engaged Hungerford Middle School students in the creation of the Garden of Enlightenment, adjacent to the Zora Neal Hurston National Museum of Art in Eatonville, Florida.
In 2001, he worked with noted horticulturalist and health researcher Harry Noisette to plant an educational and healthy garden, grown from heritage seeds, for the Wilmot J. Fraser Elementary School on Charleston’s East Side. Nearly a decade later, he engaged Hungerford Middle School students in the creation of the Garden of Enlightenment, adjacent to the Zora Neal Hurston National Museum of Art in Eatonville, Florida.
Copyright 2017 Sue Spaid