Last Saturday, Watu Moja hosted a green event commemorating Earth Day in Camden, where the community connected over music, food, and beautifying green spaces.
The celebration, which was held at Imani Fellowship Church in East Camden, provided tools, plants, and soil for the cultivation of several flower beds and beautification of this corner in the community.
Reet Starwind, Creative Director of Watu Moja characterized this day as “a chance for us to get out and give back to the people and the land.”
When asked about the impact of events like these Starwind told us “You see it all over the city, whether it’s an event or a mural or a green space, the investment into the community is a reminder to those we share it with that life lives here, that love lives here. If we can continue to unite and pour into this effort the more beauty we will see growing in our future.”
The festivity included live music, food, and family fun activities that provided an opportunity for friends, family, and community members to make connections through cultivation.
“Our local work just as much as our global work has shown us how sacred connection between a people and their land is. Getting to tap into that with community, music, is good for the soul. Seeing the double dutch ropes out took me back to somewhere nostalgic,” Starwind said.
As a host for martial arts, drum and dance lessons, and bible study, Imani Fellowship Church has become a community convening point for various cultures on Westfield Avenue in East Camden.
The corridor is known for its Dominican bakeries, leaders of Black thought, and its connection to Pennsauken. The value of green events like this at cultural connective points in communities lies in the growth shared by residents and local businesses alike, organizers said.
This story was produced as part of the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University’s South Jersey Information Equity Project fellowship and supported with funding from the Independence Public Media Foundation, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, and the NJ Civic Information Consortium.