https://linktr.ee/40acresproject

40 Acres Project, P. O. Box 1058, La Crosse, WI (2026)

02/17/2026

We honor the life and legacy of Jesse Jackson, civil rights leader who helped carry forward the vision and work of Martin Luther King Jr. and the broader movement for justice, dignity, and equal opportunity.

Rev. Jackson stood at the crossroads of faith, justice, and action. As a close collaborator of Martin Luther King Jr., he was present in some of the most defining moments of the movement, not just as a witness, but as an organizer, strategist, and moral force. He helped carry forward Dr. King’s call for economic justice, voting rights, labor dignity, and human equality long after the headlines faded and the cameras left.

From the front lines of the Civil Rights Movement to building national coalitions for political and economic inclusion, Rev. Jackson reminded us that progress requires both courage and participation. His voice pushed doors open and called people in.

Honoring his legacy means investing in the future, protecting civil rights, expanding access, building multiracial coalitions, and preparing the next generation to lead. The movement did not end with one era. It continues through what we choose to build next.
Rest in power Rev. Jesse Jackson

02/14/2026

The culinary world lost a giant with the passing of Joe Randall . He was a chef, teacher, historian, and cultural steward whose life’s work ensured that Southern and African American foodways were preserved, honored, and taught with dignity and depth.

Chef Randall was more than a celebrated cook. He was a keeper of stories, a translator of tradition, and a patient, generous educator who understood that recipes are archives and kitchens are classrooms. Through his decades of teaching and mentoring, he shaped generations of chefs and home cooks alike, grounding them in the roots, techniques, and cultural meaning behind the food.

His commitment to legacy work was profound. He was a founding force behind the Edna Lewis Foundation, helping establish an institution dedicated to preserving and advancing the contributions of Edna Lewis and the broader canon of African American culinary heritage. That act alone reflects his vision: he knew that culinary excellence is not only about innovation, but also about protection, attribution, and continuity.

We honor his life not only by remembering him, but by continuing the work teaching truth, cooking with care, naming our sources, and protecting the heritage he helped safeguard.

Rest well, Chef Randall. 🕊️

02/06/2026

We are so proud of the chefs and leaders developing .heritage to preserve Black foodways and agriculture.

The work we do begins with recognizing the need. We came together because we saw both the need and the desire for something greater. We are building a space where our stories, our influences, and our work are honored, preserved, and carried forward. Muloma means we are together, and together is exactly how this vision lives and grows.

Those who have joined in this effort believe in something larger than themselves. They are committed to creating a lasting legacy, a place where future generations can learn, gather, and be grounded in history, food, and agriculture, and understand their value and contribution to society.

🔁
🍽️ On every plate in the South, there’s a story that needs to be told.
That’s the driving force behind the Muloma Heritage Center .heritage , a one-of-a-kind kitchen in St. Helena Island, South Carolina.

Thank you to and their team for the support.

📸: and me 😁

food

01/23/2026

is introducing a new Barbie doll that honors pioneering activist Opal Lee, known as the “grandmother” of the Juneteenth movement as part of the

Order yours while you can.

01/19/2026

MLK Day reminds me that Dr. King’s strength wasn’t just in his words. It was in his ability to keep choosing love while carrying the weight of a nation on his back.
To stay committed when it would’ve been easier to disappear and lead with courage, even when the cost was high.

But his power was never meant to be a solo story.
It was always about community, people locked arm in arm, neighbors becoming protectors, and organizers becoming family.
A movement built on everyday folks deciding that we’re not doing this alone.

And I love seeing the photos where he’s smiling because it reminds us of something important:
Joy was part of the resistance, the strategy and that they still believed in what was possible.

Today, we honor Dr. King by remembering the full picture of him in the strength, the faith, the people, and the joy that kept the dream alive.

Happy Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

01/15/2026

“As long as there is poverty in the world, I can never be rich… As long as diseases are rampant, I can never be totally healthy… I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be.” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Today we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 🖤
His life reminds me that courage doesn’t always look loud it looks consistent.

Keep showing up.
Keep building.
Keep feeding people.
Keep fighting for what’s right even when it’s hard.

Happy Birthday, Dr. King.

01/14/2026

Rest in peace Claudette Colvin.

Washington, DC-It is with profound sadness that the Claudette Colvin Foundation and family announce the passing of Claudette Colvin, a beloved mother, grandmother, and civil rights pioneer. She leaves behind a legacy of courage that helped change the course of American history.

At age 15, Ms. Colvin was arrested on March 2, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, for violating bus segregation ordinances, nine months before Rosa Parks. Ms. Colvin was made a ward of the State and placed on indefinite probation.

Ms. Colvin is one of the two survivors of the Browder v. Gayle United States Supreme Court Case. She is known for her significant role in desegregating buses in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1956. She is one of the four black female plaintiffs, along with Aurelia Browder, Susie McDonald, and Mary Louise Smith, who filed a lawsuit challenging segregated bus seating in Montgomery, Alabama. Their attorney was Fred D. Gray. The case was successful, thus impacting public transportation throughout the United States, including trains, airplanes, and taxis.

To us, she was more than a historical figure. She was the heart of our family, wise, resilient, and grounded in faith. We will remember her laughter, her sharp wit, and her unwavering belief in justice and human dignity.

We are grateful for the love and respect shown to her throughout her life. Details for memorial arrangements will be shared at a later time by the Claudette Colvin Foundation and Roseboro Holdings.

01/06/2026

Happy Birthday to Chef Leah Chase.

Although she is with the ancestors her food and work still impacts us today.

A James Beard award-winning chef and an inspiration for a Disney princess, the late Leah Chase spent seven decades stirring, chopping, spooning, basting and, in general, creating countless delicious meals in her establishment, the famed Dooky Chase’s Restaurant in the Treme-Lafitte neighborhood.

Chef Chase first began cooking in 1946. Although she passed in 2019, her restaurant continues her traditions into the present day, offering her informal lunch buffet and more formal dinner of classic New Orleans cuisine such as Shrimp Clemenceau, red beans and Chicken Creole.

Frequently called the “Queen of Creole Cuisine,” Chef Chase became the inspiration for Princess Tiana in Disney’s animated 2009 classic The Princess and the Frog. Her honors have been many: Chef Chase received the 2016 James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award, the Lafcadio Hearn Hall of Honor at Nicholls State University’s John Folse Culinary Institute, the Candace Award, the Freedom Foundation Award, the NAACP Human Understanding and A.P. Tureaud Awards, the Times-Picayune Loving Cup and the Weiss Award from The National Conference of Christians and Jews- to name a few. In 2025, the Chase family was awarded a James Beard America’s Classics: South Award. She is the author of the Dooky Chase Cookbook.

01/05/2026

Today, we honor the indomitable Fannie Lou Hamer.

Last year on this day, former President Biden posthumously awarded her the Medal of Freedom, recognizing her extraordinary contributions to justice, equality, and the enduring fight for liberation.

A beacon of hope and justice, Hamer dedicated her life to the fight for civil rights, voting rights, and equity. Beyond her fearless advocacy for voting rights through the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, she also championed economic empowerment for Black communities.

Through her Freedom Farm Cooperative, Hamer tackled food insecurity and systemic poverty by helping Black farmers regain access to land, grow their own food, and build community wealth. Her innovative pig banking program provided livestock to struggling families, creating sustainable resources for food and income. These efforts were a revolutionary model of self-sufficiency and collective care, empowering marginalized communities to thrive in the face of oppression.

Let us carry forward her legacy in every field tilled, every ballot cast, and every step toward justice.

12/31/2025

On the night of December 31, 1862, enslaved and free African Americans gathered, many in secret, to ring in the new year and await news that the Emancipation Proclamation had taken effect. Just a few months earlier, on September 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issued the executive order that declared enslaved people in the rebelling Confederate States legally free. However, the decree would not take effect until the clock struck midnight at the start of the new year. The occasion, known as Watch Night or “Freedom’s Eve,” marks when African Americans across the country watched and waited for the news of freedom. Today, Watch Night is an annual New Year’s Eve tradition that includes the memory of slavery and freedom, reflections on faith, and celebration of community and strength.

Source: nmaahc

12/27/2025

Happy Kwanzaa.
May these days call us back to unity, self-determination, collective work, and responsibility.
May we honor our ancestors not just in word, but in action by building, protecting, and sustaining our communities with intention.
Culture is resistance. Care is power. The work continues.

12/21/2025

Sending condolences to Betty Reid Soskin family and community at this time.

This morning on the Winter Solstice, our mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, Betty Reid Soskin, passed away peacefully at her home in Richmond, CA at 104 years old. She was attended by family. She led a fully packed life and was ready to leave.

We understand the public nature of Betty’s life, however we ask that you please respect the family’s privacy at this time. There will be a public memorial at a time and place to be announced.

In lieu of flowers we suggest two ways that you can express your love and respect for Betty. You might send donations to Betty Reid Soskin Middle School (link to follow) and to support the finishing of her film, “Sign My Name To Freedom”.
https://signmynametofreedom.allyrafundraising.com

There will be more information to follow soon.

Thank you all for your love and respect for Betty!

40 Acres Project