Since 2023
Closing the Gap on Generational Wealth
Our History
I come from a large mid
I come from a large middle-class family where both of my parents are college-educated. They raised us to value education and wanted us to have access to opportunities that weren’t always available and afforded to most black families. By all accounts, we are a dynamic bunch. With our roots in music we have been able to create albums, tour the world, and perform to sold-out audiences. All of that being said, my parents will likely only pass on to us their debt and lack of financial literacy. There are still barriers that keep us from prospering like our friends and neighbors outside of our race. Even with our education and success in music and as accomplished, educated, and unique as my family was, we still find that we are part of a larger group who are systemically and economically disenfranchised. I knew that even though there are exceptions to the rule, I wanted to create a program that provides access to economic sustainability that can eventually close the wealth gap and enfranchise those otherwise historically disenfranchised.
My lineage has a long line of dreamers and those who chose to do it differently. My DNA profile tells me that the majority of my African descent comes from Mali, West Africa which holds a great deal of significance to me. Mail is the country where the historic city of Timbuktu existed. This was a flourishing ancient African civilization that gained its wealth from gold and salt mining. These people were enlightened, creative, innovators, and changemakers. It’s in my blood to be a part of a program that provides access to economic sustainability that can eventually close the wealth gap and enfranchise those otherwise historically disenfranchised.This region in the northeastern United States and the Adirondacks have and incredible history rooted in social justice. I knew that this was the place where I needed to recreate an opportunity similar to what the original land grants from Gerrit Smith and Timbuctoo tried to do back in the 1850s. For black and indigenous families, access to economic sustainability, land acquisition and retention, and even financial literacy continue to elude black and indigenous families in record numbers.
Families Served
Community Partners
Dollars Raised
Acres of land aquired
What Drives Us
Our Mission
Our mission is to economically empower and enfranchise Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities by increasing access to land and property ownership in the Adirondacks and Northeastern United States. Through education, outreach, and abolishing discriminatory gatekeeping policies, we aim to close the racial wealth gap by enabling historically marginalized populations to acquire, retain, and build sustainable livelihoods on their land and property. We envision thriving, resilient BIPOC-owned businesses, homes, and communities across the Adirondacks and Northeast region that exercise their full economic rights.
What Drives Us
Our Vision
Our vision is of an Adirondacks and Northeast region where people of color freely build and sustain thriving businesses, own homes, and steward their own properties and natural resources. We envision BIPOC families and communities experiencing the dignity of economic enfranchisement, living in a society that values their voices and removes barriers to inclusion. Through our vision, historically marginalized populations will rightfully gain access to land and capital, participating fully in the economy with agency, ownership, and sustainable livelihoods. We envision a future where eliminating the racial wealth gap translates into enduring social and economic justice for BIPOC people in the Adirondacks and beyond.
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This land is my land, this land is your land
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Our process
Through our unique approach, we are addressing the social issue of racial wealth inequality by empowering BIPOC communities to overcome barriers and achieve economic enfranchisement through land and property ownership. We believe that by creating pathways to ownership, we are not only addressing a need and gap in the market, but also creating a more just and equitable society. We do this in four phases: Engagement, Onboarding, Exploration, and Sustainability.
engagement
We foster enthusiasm, hope, and enlightenment, empowering individuals to believe in their ability to achieve land and property ownership. We aim to help them transition from being mere customers to becoming stewards of their own properties, finding a sense of family within our initiative.
onboarding
We provide financial literacy education and facilitate access to credit union resources. This empowers individuals to make informed decisions and enables them to secure the necessary financial support for property acquisition.
exploration
We facilitate a process of emotional connection by matching individuals with properties that align with their needs, aspirations, and cultural values. This ensures a sustainable and lasting connection to the land they acquire.
sustainability
We provide ongoing mentorship, partnering, and collaboration opportunities to support BIPOC property owners. This builds confidence, joy, and a sense of belonging, ensuring the long-term success and well-being of our community.
Team
Our Leaders
Yunga Webb
Founder
Mauli Bonner
Co Founder
Lizzie Ormiston
Lead Volunteer