We are presenting and in community while residing on the original homelands of the Yokuts and Mono Nations. The Yokuts and Mono have stewarded these lands since time immemorial. The practice of acknowledging the land of the sovereign Nations brings to the forefront their enduring connection to these lands regardless of historical and current colonization practices. We acknowledge that all inhabitants benefit from this land.

 

We acknowledge that the foundations of the U.S. were built by the free and forced labor of Black people of Africa, the African diaspora, and Black people indigenous to this land. This foundation has generational and exponential effects that continue to negatively impact Black communities today and remain uncompensated. The historical and contemporary contributions of the Black diaspora continue to shape American culture and benefit all inhabitants of this land.