Feeding the Movement: The Okra Project

By Louis Casanave

Last month, we celebrated both Juneteeth, the annual celebration of the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States, as well as Pride, the anniversary of the Stonewall riots that led to the queer rights movement. Marsha P. Johnson, a Black, HIV+ trans woman, sex worker and activist, as well as Storme DeLarverie, a butch Black woman, fashion and entertainment icon, were leaders at Stonewall; 51 years later, Black queer and trans lives are more important than ever.

It’s my delight to tell you about an organization called The Okra Project that has been doing important work to keep Black LGBTQA+ folks empowered and fed during the COVID-19 crisis and in the wake of the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and others.

The Okra Project, according to its mission statement, “is a collective that seeks to address the global crisis faced by Black Trans people by bringing home cooked, healthy, and culturally specific meals and resources to Black Trans People wherever we can reach them.” 

The project takes its name from the practice of enslaved Africans carrying okra with them during the Middle Passage in order to sustain themselves and plant in the New World.

The project is funded through donations that are used to pay for Black Trans chefs to go to the homes of Black Trans folks in need and prepare meals for them. The group’s International Grocery Fund provides $40 grants to Black Trans people anywhere in the world. And its Okra Outings initiative connects Black Trans youth with theater and arts projects. 

On March 17, two days before NYC’s lockdown began, The Okra Project teamed up with the Black Trans Travel Fund to deliver 28 giant bags of groceries to Black Trans folks in need, putting a special priority on Black trans folks who were immunocompromised or elders, making sure that there were vegan and vegetarian options available for those that preferred them. Additionally, it has been collecting money and redistributing among Black Trans folks in New York City, Philadelphia and around New Jersey. The mutual aid fund provides grants of at least $80.

Most recently, The Okra Project launched a pair of mental health funds in remembrance of Tony McDade — a Black Trans man who was killed in May by police in Tallahassee, Florida — and Nina Pop, a Black Trans woman who was stabbed to death just south of St. Louis, Missouri. Okra has committed to donating $15,000 through these two funds and is asking for matching funds from the community, which will go toward single-session therapy from licensed Black therapists for Black Trans community members.

Additionally, the project was one of the host organizations for the March for Black Trans Lives on June 14 that met outside the Brooklyn Museum and marched down to Grand Army Plaza before sweeping all the way to Fort Greene Park. Attendees of the March were counted at more than 15,000 people (more than twice as many as were at Trump’s most recent rally in Tulsa). They dressed in white, wore masks, practiced social distancing when possible, chanted and marched in silence; by sundown, they were dancing in the streets. The Okra Project feeds the revolution, providing nourishment in the kitchen and advocacy in the streets. The Okra Project, much like the Greene Hill Food Co-op, understands the value in being a good neighbor, in reflecting the community we live and work in, and in protecting the accessibility of healthy food options. 

Check out The Okra Project! And please consider celebrating Pride and Juneteenth and combating the corona crisis by contributing to its efforts. You can also follow the project on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.