Festival was a Blast!!

Stepping into the garden at 8:30am (Saturday July 31) you could already smell El Cucuy (our chingon (really big) bbq pit) firing up the mesquite. The greenhouse, just watered, smelled delightful like morning dew; the seedlings basking in the glory of the sun. Busy workers shuffled through chairs, tables and garden beds carrying the items that were needed for successful day.

The Graduation ceremony honors summer interns who dedicated there time and were committed to social change through popular education, block walking, training, and direct hands on organizing. Project for this summer included participating and co organizing the Peoples Freedom Caravan to the United States Social Forum, developing the garden as an educational space by using recycled material, rebuilding the solidarity house, meeting with elected officials and creating partnerships among each other to keep organizing in our different schools and neighborhoods.

Sandra Garcia (the summer high school Youth Coordinator) and I started the graduation ceremony with an introduction and welcome. Speakers included Tommy Atkinson (County Commissioner) and Ivy Taylor (Dist. 2 Council Woman) who showed there support by speaking about solidarity, peace and youth presence in our communities. Another supporting organization were San Anto Cultural Arts Center who spoke about the murals and solidarity work that will be done that day, Peace Initiative who led a exercise about the importance of speaking about issues/ problems and letting go of the anger and bringing peace into our bodies and around us.

One by one our high school interns passionately spoke about there favorite moment this summer and more passionately eyed there $400 checks and gift certificate to their favorite restaurant. The training on Domestic Violence, conducted by the Peace Initiative, was mentioned more than once as an eye opening experience.

Next up were the College Interns, aka Think Green Avengers, who worked on the garden as well as around the office helping other organizers with their work. Highlights included building the greenhouse, the shade garden (caladium patch), the Peoples Freedom Caravan and helping families apply for weatherization programs.As a mentor for these students i felt proud to have taught them what i was once taught when i was an intern and it was so good to hear and see them passing on that knowledge.

Once the ceremony was over it was time to get working on the different projects and to eat some delicious Texas BBQ. Before the program started some volunteers and I were able to get a few beds cultivated and ready for planting. Ivy Taylor also donated a trailer full of mulch to use on our beds and within the community.

Plants and workers dancing to the music of Aniceto Molina. This was one of the highlights of the day, everything was in sync and “the now was in place”.

Over 50 people including elected officials, religious groups and social justice organizations came together to support the building of safe, violence free space. The Solidarity House was creatively painted, a healing garden was built, garden beds mulched, aluminum metal art created and over 20 seedlings given away. All in hope of turning the space and surrounding communities into one that will not be mistaken again and instead promote a violence free, healthy space for education and liberation.

Here are a few pictures of the art work we did that day: