The Earthseed Speaker and Skillshare honoring Octavia E. Butler at BCC is an inspiring, accessible, and engaging event that brings experts from a
variety of fields and experiences who provide unique insights into overcoming local
and global challenges. Earthseed recognizes that imagining a better world and taking
action requires the equitable inclusion of diverse voices and the sharing of deep-rooted
wisdom and skills often ignored by broader society. Each session allows attendees
to connect with speakers and probe deeper into specific areas of interest, fostering
a collaborative environment that invites meaningful dialogue and interaction. The
event aims to cultivate a community of learners, equipping them with insights and
hard skills to enable us to adapt to inevitable change by making big ideas accessible,
bridging knowledge gaps and providing attendees with actionable insights that can
empower them both personally and as members of the greater community.
Earthseed Speaker events are open to students, staff, faculty, alumni, OLLI members
and the public. The Skillshare is offered to students first as participation is limited
to eight to 15 participants for hands-on learning, depending on the topic and modality.
Lecture: Some of our most cherished sustainable farming practices — from organic agriculture
to the CSA — have roots in African wisdom. Yet, discrimination and violence have deprived
the Black community of farmland, capital, and healthy food access. Soul Fire Farm
is part of a national network working toward food sovereignty and land justice. Learn
how we can build upon Afro-Indigenous wisdom in reshaping the food system to be based
on equity and abundance rather than exploitation and deprivation.
Dialogue: How can each of us be part of the movement for food sovereignty and help build a
food system based on justice, dignity, and abundance for all members of our community?
Building on Octavia Butler’s Earthseed vision, this dialogue will explore the world
we can create together in the face of societal collapse.
