Five years after Juneteenth was declared a federal holiday, a plethora of observances were announced every weekend in June: from Oakland to San Francisco, Berkeley to Antioch, Marin City to San Jose. Some were free, some ticketed. Omnira decided against holding the annual Ritual of Remembrance and instead agreed to support other efforts. Through Yu-Shuan Tarango-Sho of Sacred Roots, OI was invited to share space with young people organized under BAY-Peace and the Ella Baker Center to...

Omnira Institute’s Wanda Ravernell presents Charlene Eigen-Vazquez with a basket containing a watermelon, dried black-eyed peas, and ‘abamoda,’ known in Spanish as ‘siempre viva,’ all of which were originally cultivated in Africa. Courtesy photo. Although it’s high summer now, I am still amazed at our spring meeting with Juan and Bernard Gomez of MILPA at the end of April at the Ahimsa Collective Healing Space in Santa Cruz. The two-day retreat, “Carrying Drum,” is a transformative...

Wanda and Tobjaji, center, with Earthseed’s friends and staff. Earthseed Executive Director Pandora Thomas is to Tobaji’s right and Ras K Dee is to Wanda’s left. Courtesy photo. In giving, one receives. Members of Omnira Institute were asked to provide blessings of prayer on two occasions – both gifts for the givers. Tobaji and Wanda made a quick mid-winter visit to Earthseed, a 14-acre solar-powered farm in Sebastopol to support the blessing of their newest building: a 30-foot yurt....