the manor and the cottage
Will you join us in the sharing of this dream and a future that connects family to land and space? A space that allows Black- and brown-bodied people to just Be within their Being.
where we are / centering us / dreaming together
Black Ivy Collective has two places that we share with folks in our community who are in need of gathering spaces, spaces to rest and relax, and spaces to be creative and to generate.
Creating spaces for community is especially meaningful because, historically, folks of color didn’t have access to these kinds of “luxuries.” Black folks, in particular, were unable to own land for generations in this country. Even when we were legally able to own land, we suffered decades of restriction, theft, and loss.
Black Ivy Collective wants to provide folks of color the luxury of not just laboring, of not just working, and of not just surviving.
Black Ivy Manor and Black Ivy Cottage also represent our self-created liberation. They represent the optimism and the strength that we’ve held all of these years. Inspired by the salons organized by the artists and poets of the Harlem Renaissance, we model the Manor and the Cottage as these informal, casual, loving, and warm places of comfort, where folks of color can gather, be together, and organize.
Where memories are made, dreams become detailed, and legacies live on.
The Manor
Black Ivy Manor is our home in Michigan that we open up to guests, colleagues, and visitors.
While house-hunting in the Detroit area, the moment we walked into this home, we knew this was it — we felt it — this was gonna be Black Ivy Manor. In the time since, as friends and family came out to visit from Seattle and felt what we feel, our surety has only gotten more firmed up, There is such warmth in this home, radiating from the inside out, with its dark paneled walls that hold together the important heart-to-heart conversations that happen here.
The twisting ivy that climbs the side and back walls of the house gives way to the reminder that we are strong like the ivy, and we will not be moved (even if you try). The Manor has been a place of rest for friends and family alike. We have hosted many salon talks and events to bring the community together to plan action.
The Cottage
Built in the 1970s, Black Ivy Cottage sits on Martha’s Vineyard Island and the town of Oak Bluffs, and not only holds a special place in my heart and as our big family’s heart, it occupies a special place as the Heart of many Black folks for generations. For years, Black folks have been coming to Oak Bluffs.
Oak Bluffs is a place and space that wraps a community in an atmosphere of pride, a tangible sense of belonging, and a palpable feeling of freedom in a way that Black folks have not always been allowed to capture and hold. I’m glad that, here, we can continue to write history with Black Ivy Cottage.
Fun fact: Guess who stayed at Black Ivy Cottage (before it was Black Ivy Cottage)! Forever First Lady Michelle Obama and her husband, President Barack Obama!
These spaces are meant for …
- BIPOC artists of all types, not just visual artists, but also writers, poets, performers, all sorts of creators
- BIPOC-centered and -led organizations wanting retreat space
- Social justice organizations and activists
- BIPOC families wanting party space, such as for family reunions and weddings
- BIPOC folks — friends, families, couples — looking for a weekend getaway
Cost
We charge based on a sliding scale. Reach out to me to start the convo.
FYI on event coordination …
In some specific circumstances, I do offer event coordination. If your work is social and racial justice oriented, if you’re a BIPOC-led and BIPOC-centered entity, please reach out and ask me!