142: The Stories of Each Generation Make the Land as Important as the Blood in Your Veins

Lillian "Ebonie" Alexander is the Executive Director of the Black Family Land Trust, one of the United States' only conservation land trusts dedicated to the conversation, preservation, and protection of African American and other historically underserved landowner assets. Ebonie and her team host regular workshops in the community to educate and share the importance of keeping land within the family. Find out more about Ebonie's important work on this week's show!   Key Takeaways: [1:40] A message from Leadership Nature. [2:20] A quick intro about Ebonie's background. [3:35] How did the Black Family Land Trust first get started? [5:35] What did Ebonie do before joining BFLT? [9:55] What does the BFLT do and how do they help African American landowners? [14:50] What is the definition of a land trust? [16:15] Ebonie explains who typically needs and uses their services. [19:50] What is "heirs' property"? [21:50] Why does Ebonie recommend against doing land petitions? [25:45] Many next-generation landowners don't want to own farmland due to its slavery ties. [30:40] How does Ebonie educate the community on the benefits of owning land? [33:10] Ebonie explains the important partnerships she has built over the years. [39:15] Ebonie shares a client success story! [46:45] Ebonie shares some final thoughts about the importance of keeping the land within the family.   Mentioned in This Episode: Website for the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities: Usendowment.org More information on the SFLR Program: Sustainable Forestry and African American Land Retention Program (SFLR) More information on USDA NRCS: Nrcs.usda.gov Bflt.org Ebonie on LinkedIn Dof.virginia.gov Vdacs.virginia.gov