What is Black Like Water?
Our Mission
Black Like Water identifies, amplifies, and analyzes narratives and practices that highlight the significance of honoring Black relationships to the natural world.
Through our research and practice Black Like Water seeks to promote healing, restoration, and sovereignty in ways that do the liberatory work of not only combating anti-blackness and interrupting structural racism, but in manners that also celebrate the Black diaspora, acknowledge ancestral practices and knowledge, and imagine Black futures.
Our Ethos
We remember that, at UC San Diego, we are on the unceded traditional lands of the Kumeyaay people and we recognize its ongoing settlement and occupation. We also acknowledge that Turtle Island--what we call Canada and the U.S.--has been inhabited for well over 10,000 years by indigenous communities and we recognize the continued and future thrivance and presence of indigenous peoples.
Though a scholarly endeavor, we attempt to engage in Black relations with land and water with our mind-heart-body.
We strive to be in good relation to the land, water, and the people around us.
We respect differences across race, gender, sexuality, and religious beliefs.
Our Practice
Our work to identify, amplify, and analyze narratives and practices that honor Black relationships to the natural world takes many forms. These pursuits include facilitating Black Surf Weeks, Black Ski Weekends, symposiums and conferences, and hosting Residencies and Fellowships.
Our work is collaborative. We partner with the UC San Diego Black Resource Center, African-American Studies, UCSD Recreation, and the UCSD Colleges and look to further community partnerships.
We practice, across all of our work, participatory methods that include listening and speaking with respect for diversity in thoughts, experiences, and knowledges.