BRAIDEd Season 1, Episode 4

Sowing Justice

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About This Episode

In this fourth and final episode of BRAIDEd Season 1, host Keionna Thomas sits down with Cicely Garrett, co-executive director of the National Black Food and Justice Alliance, to examine the intersection of policy, racial justice, and economic opportunity in agriculture. They discuss the shortcomings of the Inflation Reduction Act, the historical parallels between current farm bill debates and 1968 civil rights legislation, and the critical shift from "coming to get our check" to building sovereign food systems rooted in black self-determination. Garrett emphasizes the importance of coupling policy demands with institution building co-ops, land trusts, and legal defense infrastructure, while highlighting that 70% of the world's land stewards are women, making black women central to any vision of agricultural liberation and climate resilience.

About Our Guest

Pictured: Cicely Garrett

Cicely Garrett is the Co-Executive Director for National Black Food and Justice Alliance; a coalition of Black-led organizations working towards cultivating and advancing Black leadership, building self-determination, institution building and organizing for food sovereignty, land and justice. She also is a Creative Strategist and Social Entrepreneur adept at providing thought leadership and consulting on strategy, design thinking, racial equity, environmental justice, food sovereignty, and community wealth building. She was previously the Deputy Chief Resilience Officer for City of Atlanta's Mayor's Office of Resilience and Food Systems Innovation Manager at the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Cicely holds a B.S.B.A. degree with a concentration in Finance and New & Small Business Management from Georgetown University and a Master of Public Policy degree with a concentration in Nonprofit Management from The George Washington University.