Green Heart Beloved Community #BlackHistoryMonth

It is the unique smiles and green-hearted passion of our volunteers, sponsors, partners, and students that make the Green Heart Project so special. Without a range of colors, herbs, and flavors, no garden would be as full and vibrant as our school gardens and community have grown to be! We really are lucky to foster such an interconnected and diverse community, in which we honor the words of Martin Luther King Jr., in that ‘all people can share in the wealth of the earth.’

In light of #BlackHistoryMonth, we’re honored to share this powerful exit essay by our former Intern, Caleb Scruggs, on what the Green Heart means to him.

What Green Heart Means to Me

According to the King Center, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s notion of the Beloved Community “is a global vision in which all people can share in the wealth of the earth. In the Beloved Community, poverty, hunger and homelessness will not be tolerated because international standards of human decency will not allow it. Racism and all forms of discrimination, bigotry and prejudice will be replaced by an all-inclusive spirit of sisterhood and brotherhood.” To me, the Green Heart Project is one of the many manifestations of Dr. King’s Beloved Community.

I got involved with the Green Heart Project because of a passion for food justice and the environment. I learned that my colleagues and friends were all involved for similar, but not all the same, reasons and motivations. Ultimately, what unified us as an organization and a team, was a devotion to the education, enjoyment, and inclusion of children and families of all creeds, codes, colors, and communities. From Green Heart Buddy, to Garden Champion, to Volunteer Coordinator, my various roles allowed me to play a small part in shaping the health and well-being of the Lowcountry. In the same way, the community lifted me up as well by affirming my efforts, validating my importance, and mirroring the love and care that I showed. Whether it was slobbery kisses from Frank the pug, a bone crushing handshake matched with a toothy grin, or a heartfelt “thank you,” each day I felt the spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood that Dr. King described.

With that in mind, I’m sincerely thankful for the experiences I’ve had in the past year and a half with Green Heart and I’m genuinely hopeful for what the future may hold for myself, the organization, and the Beloved Community we are building.

From the bottom of my big green heart,

Caleb Scruggs

Caleb, we thank you for sharing your meaningful insight of what the Green Heart Project means to you. We are so thankful for your love and care as a member of our GH family, and for celebrating the diversity we value as the Green Heart Project.