New online community dedicated to Black planters takes roots in Atlanta

ATLANTA — A relatively new online community, dedicated to Black planters, has taken on roots here in Atlanta.

Channel 2′s Lori Wilson spoke with one of the organization’s leaders about its mission to not only create a safe online space, but to encourage more Black people to plant and grow their own food.

Entrepreneur Robert Johnson said one of his passions is growing and selling rare plants.

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“My great-grandmother raised me along with my mother and she always kept plants. She taught me how to plant food in the garden and so when I got my first home, it didn’t feel like home without plants,” Johnson said.

During the pandemic, when everyone was stuck at home, Robert’s plant business, flourished and was his place of peace.

“It’s been therapy, particularly in times of COVID. I started collecting plants before COVID, but during COVID, this was a nice getaway. It’s also a nice side hustle,” Johnson said.

He’s not alone. During quarantine and after the death of George Floyd, his friend Ashley Nussbaum-Berry, created a group called Black Planters on Facebook.

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The page, now 50,000 strong, was created as a space for healing and a platform to encourage young Black people to plant and grow food.

The group hosted its first in-person conference in Atlanta this spring.

Johnson said since it began, several members have started their own nurseries and love has bloomed. A couple of members even got married.

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