Nia McAllister is the editorial lead at Earth in Color and senior editor of Radicle Magazine, where this essay originally appeared. In this excerpt, which has been lightly edited for clarity, McAllister interviews friend and scholar Maria Pettis about her relationship with land.
This conversation is the first chapter of “Unearthed” — a series created by Earth in Color that archives Black history, celebrating our historical and contemporary connections to place with a focus on the natural environment. In Radicle Magazine, we bring you written interviews highlighting our land histories — memories, family stories, inherited recipes, and personal connections that shape the character and legacy of a specific place. These stories illustrate the routines, rituals, and practices that connect us to our natural environments. “Unearthed” is a joyful call to action that encourages us to remember our roots, share our stories, celebrate our heritage, and renew our kinship with the natural world.
We begin the “Unearthed” series by featuring Maria Pettis, an ecologist, storyteller, plant nerd, and PhD student in geography at the... Read more