The South

It’s been a long time since an update! The TOTB tour has visited an entire quadrant of the country, and we met a lot of amazing folks and learned a lot on the way. Highlights:

West Jefferson Permaculture Farm: we stayed with Elizabeth & Deborah, amazing women who firmly root permaculture into a social and environmental justice framework. They have been active in the anti-globalization movement, and currently use their farm as a way to bring their neighbors and community closer to politics and points of view that are perhaps not the norm in Boone County, NC. While working with the land and transforming their own relationship with the earth, these ladies work to politically and socially transform the guests that join them for work days and pot lucks.

Aiken, SC: We got networked with a bunch of youth groups in Aiken and surrounding communities in the south at our SC stop. Aiken, SC is home to the Savannah River Site, a 300 square mile nuclear facility that, among other things, produces the tritium gas used in hydrogen bombs. A big thanks to David Matos for bringing in so many amazing young organizers!

Pensacola, FL was my first opportunity to swim in the gulf of mexico. We watched ships in the distance, ostensibly surveying the area for signs of oil floating in from the Deepwater Horizon spill. Mixed feelings of deep sorrow and anger. From there we headed to New Orleans, where the oil hadn’t yet moved up the river, but the outrage of yet another disaster was in the air and on the tips of people’s tongues.

Then we drove to Texas, and drove, and drove, and drove and drove. We stopped in San Antonio, Austin, and Amarillo. Here is a video from our Austin stop. (Will hopefully get this embedded soon, as this link may not work.)