Here’s some highlights of Black people in horticulture as well as a snapshot of current industry statistics for farming and landscaping in the United States. Happy Black History Month!
George Washington Carver
George W. Carver was an internationally recognized scientist who lived from 1864 to 1943. He was dedicated to finding practical solutions for farmers to improve their lives and their farms. In 1896 he was hired to run the Department of Agriculture at the Tuskegee Institute and went on to accumulate many accolades and awards during his lifetime. He is particularly well known for his interest in peanuts due to the plant’s versatility and ability to fix nitrogen in the soil, something that was much needed in places that had been over-farmed with heavy nitrogen feeders (such as cotton). His work resulted in over 300 different products that made use of peanuts.
Learn more about him here:
The Invincible Garden Ladies with Abra Lee
Abra Lee is a horticulturist who has spent a lot of time looking into the history of Black gardeners in U.S. history. I highly recommend checking out this lecture she did, with the Cummer Museum, that focuses on Black women in ornamental horticulture: Culture and Conversation: The Invincible Garden Ladies with Abra Lee
She also has a forthcoming book called Conquer the Soil: Black America and the Untold Stories of Our Country’s Gardeners, Farmers, and Growers.
You can check out her website here: https://conquerthesoil.com/
Current Statistics
Despite the contributions of Black people to U.S. agriculture and gardening, they are often shut out of these industries. In 2017 the Census of Agriculture reported that 95.4% of farmers in the U.S. were white, and only 1.3% were Black. In a study done in 2021, The National Association of Landscape Professionals found that 93% of landscape company owners were white compared to 3% who were Black. A lot of this has to do with access to land and resources which historically Black people have been denied.
One organization that you can support that is working to help Black farmers is the National Black Farmers Association, whose website can be found here: www.blackfarmers.org
Links
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