#tanya fields

Watch this video of Tanya Denise Fields, an urban farmer in The #Bronx talk about the Black Joy Farm in Longwood.

Tanya Denise Fields, founder of Black Joy Farm in the Longwood neighborhood of The Bronx is making sure that her community doesn’t get left out when it comes to open spaces.

But Fields isn’t simply about just providing access to open spaces, which, now more than ever are more important to safely practice social distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic.

She’s also making it her mission to…

Brunch With Mama Tanya To Benefit ‘Libertad Urban Farm’, Sunday, March 15th

I already purchased my ticket, will YOU be there?!

If you know Tanya Fields, you know that she knows food and she knows how to throw down some good ol’ fashioned cooking.  If you REALLY know her then you know that she’s also an outstanding singer (rumor has it that she’ll be singing at this fundraising brunch). But if you REALLY, REALLY know Tanya, then you know that she walks the talk and is one…

"It took me 6 years, 2 children, an on-and-off history with welfare, a short stint of homelessness, and creative childcare arrangements, including the Early Learning Center at Baruch, to graduate. ...What you have done today is no easy feat. I walked across a stage much like this one in 2006, and let me tell you a little bit about what it took me to get across that stage and then actually end up here in front of you. I had my first child at 22 and my second at 23, both while trying to pursue my undergraduate degree at Baruch. I was pregnant so long that I bumped into professors on campus, confused, not entirely sure how one could be pregnant longer than 40 weeks." 

These words are spoken by an activist and mother named Tanya Fields, though sometimes she goes by "Mama Tanya." She's also the founder of The BLK ProjeK which is a non-profit that "seeks to address food justice and economic development by harnessing the local, good food movement and creating small business and career opportunities for underserved women and youth of color." 

I had the opportunity to meet Tanya Fields in September of 2013. We met at a weekend-long event hosted by some friends of mine that focused on solidarity and cooperative economics. She was one of our keynote speakers, and she was amazing - even beyond her formal talks that weekend. I remember specifically when she was conversing with another attendee about the struggles of being a poor, Black mother and activist and the incredible challenges between wanting to transform the world around us while also attempting to survive. I resonated with so much of what she was saying, because although I am not yet a mother, and though as a white person I will never understand what it is like to be a victim of racism and white supremacy, I am also trying to figure out how to drastically change capitalist-imperialist-patriarchy and what it means to be a poor person while doing it. Needless to say, it isn't easy. 

But what gives me the most hope is how dedicated Tanya is to her children. That weekend, she told us their names and silly stories about them. She told us about how smart they are, how they are thinking critically at such young ages, and how they like to dance sometimes when they walk around their neighborhood at her side. There was nothing but pure love and a will to fight for the lives of her children when she spoke of them. It was clear in this moment that she wasn't just out to change the world because it's what's right - she's out to change the world because her children deserve to live in a better world. Tanya Fields is the kind of mother that I hope I can one day become. 

Tanya moved forward in her speech by saying "I faced some insurmountable struggles during the time I was in school. Childcare was a constant struggle and parenting was even harder. Was I even parenting? I dropped my children off at 7 in the morning while they were sleeping, and picked them up at 9 or 10pm while they were sleeping. I missed their first steps, I didn't potty-train them, and I didn't hear them utter their first words. And it killed me every day. But in my bones, in the pit of stomach, I felt, no, I knew, that what I was doing was the right decision for both me and them." 

At this point in her speech, I thought about the Crittendon articles we read in class, and how mother's choices, no matter how difficult or painful, are said to be justified because they are choices - that mothers "don't have" to make them. That if mothers wanted "an easier way out" they have every right to take one, it's just that they "choose" not to. This is a form of victim-blaming, and it makes invisible all the struggles that mothers have to face in the wake of raising their children. Tanya Fields and mothers like her are who we must focus on when these arguments are made, specifically because of what they embody. During this speech, Tanya isn't making excuses, or complaining about having to work hard, as I'm sure many people would suggest. Instead, she is detailing her fight, and she is highlighting her struggles in an effort to let the world know that it doesn't have to be this way. 

Yes, Tanya Fields made the choice to continue going to school, to graduate, and to continue her hard work in her community in NYC. But no, Tanya Fields didn't choose to live in an economic climate that exploits the people within it in order to make more profit, instead of making people's lives worth living. But she is choosing to do something about that climate. She's choosing to "actualize the potential of [her] best self" and change the world she's living in. As of now, society is set up in a way that gives certain people power over others. This means that non-mothers get to make decisions that negatively affect the lives of mothers while blaming women for becoming mothers in the first place. The good news is, however, there are mothers in the world like Tanya Fields, who are standing up, getting their hands dirty, and changing the world in their own way.

Tanya Fields from the BLK Projek lead a cooking workshop with organic produce.

“On Her Hustle” is a monthly series of interviews with women of color artists, entrepreneurs, healers and activists who hustle hard for our communities. Colored Girls Hustle uses this series to amplify the work, talent, and passions of other women and girls of color. Click here to read more about our series and to nominate someone to be interviewed.

This month we're featuring Tanya Fields, fierce mama of four and the founder and Executive Director of the BLK Projek. Read her full interview below to learn how she hustles hard for food access, economic justice, and herself.

Colored Girls Hustle: Tell us a about The BLK Projek. When and why did you start this organization? Why the name “The BLK Projek”?

Tanya Fields: The BLK Projek is an organization that looks to harness the power of the local, good food movement to create economic development opportunities for marginalized women and youth while simultaneously supporting local growers and creating an alternative food system in low-income communities.

In layman’s terms that means we get poor women and youth the tools to create food business that will create income for their families and better food options for the community. I started this organization as a low-income mother who started doing environmental work and found myself frustrated by my community’s tendency to stay stuck in reactive mode. I wanted to fight FOR something not always against something. I also had a child who was asthmatic developing food allergies and watched my own waistline expand and I couldn’t find decent food for either of us. Combine these things with an abundance of undeveloped land -- food and urban agriculture seemed like right direction. I decided in 2009 that I wanted to concentrate my efforts on creating alternatives that could empower people as well as solve a relevant issue. I left my day job. It was the right time, it was a toxic environment and I could only concentrate on innovation, creation and justice from a place of love. It seemed like the perfect time. I started the incorporation process shortly after.

  Colored Girls Hustle: What is the current programming of the The BLK Projek? What communities participate and benefit from this work?

Tanya Fields: The BLK ProjeK has two overarching programs: “Holistic Hood” which concentrates on base building, safe spaces where folks can come to engage and heal. I realized awhile ago that no matter how many hard skills you teach low-income, marginalized folks if you don’t take the time and care to address the trauma they have faced on a daily basis (and, mostly likely, generationally) then folks won’t be able to move on from the place they are in or even acknowledge that moving on is a possibility. Programs under that umbrella were Mommy and Me Yoga, Bronx Grub Meals, Free Acupuncture and community meetings.

“Healthy Hoods” is the economic development piece where we concentrate on incubating initiatives that will provide healthy food, support local growers and construct alternative food systems that put the people and the planet over profit and greed. Our two current campaigns are our South Bronx Mobile Market and the Libertad Urban Farm Proposal. The Libertad Urban Farm Proposal is a campaign to get an urban farm in the Longwood/Hunts Point section of the Bronx. The urban farm would serve as a safe, green, community space; a workforce development platform; and as an alternative way for community members to receive fresh, organic produce. We are working with another community group and the local councilwoman to negotiate a piece of city owned property in the community.  Our other campaign and by far our biggest is our South Bronx Mobile Market.

  Guerrilla farming in the South Bronx

Colored Girls Hustle: You just launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise money for a Veggie Mobile Market. How exciting! Tell us more about the Veggie Mobile and why this is important for the communities you serve.

Tanya Fields: I am so geeked for this mobile market. We have a beautifully painted former school bus that already has a great history. It was a tour bus for Climbing Poetree before it was donated to the VROOM Bus Collective. It is tricked out to run on used veggie oil. We are raising funds to take this bus and put solar panels on her, get her a transmission “transplant,” shelving and storage, appliances and additional equipment. Shoot, if we have enough we might put some rims on that joint! We will procure almost all of our produce from local growers both urban and rural. We will then sell in South Bronx communities accepting EBT and WIC as well. We will then work with folks like Wholeshare to create an online platform and procure nutritious value-added food not available in the hood. The first phase is to hustle up this money to do the bus retrofits and we are running an Indiegogo campaign for that. http://igg.me/at/southbronxmobilemarket/x/2793004

  Colored Girls Hustle: In your video for your Indiegogo campaign you talk about the connection between community development and economic development. Your programming for the BLK ProjeK also exists at this intersection. Tell us more about why you believe these things are connected and can transform our communities.

Tanya Fields: I am not doing work with affluent folks, or ivy league folks or folks with tons of education. Many of the folks I am working with are like me: they are survivors and they are constantly overwhelmed with dueling and contradictory messages of excessive consumption and scarcity. “You don’t have enough that’s why your streets aren’t safe; BUY NEW JORDANS AND DR. JAYS!” Folks ain’t about to start spending time on things that they feel are not of priority. And in the minds of many of the folks here: as long as you have food you are good. Many of my folks are also on SNAP/food stamps so if folks are struggling, and if they are overwhelmed, then when we are organize, advocate and activate we also better be thinking about how to create initiatives or hook folks into initiatives that are going to help them thrive financially. If you working with low-income folks and you are not developing long-term economic strategies then you are just doing charity. I’m not about that life. The life I am about is empowerment and self-sufficiency.

Colored Girls Hustle: Tell us a bit about your hustle philosophy: What does the word “hustle” mean to you and how does it apply to your life and professional practice?

Tanya Fields: Hustle is about understanding that if opportunity doesn’t knock, fuck it and build your own house, walk through your own damned door. Hustle is resiliency and grinding. Understanding  that success is many times defined by who is wiling to take the most calculated risk the longest. For me my hustle is to be bold and courageous, to push others to be bold and courageous, and to work smart and hard. I also understand the hustle doesn’t mean I have to know everything and that I can’t do it alone. A successful hustle has a good network and a team of resourceful, supportive folks. When it comes to me personally, I constantly push myself outside of my comfort zones and try to be introspective. I want to remind myself even when I “fail” that there was a lesson to be learned and that tomorrow, if I am so blessed, is another opportunity for me to be a better version of who I was the day before.

Colored Girls Hustle: Describe yourself in 3 words.

Tanya Fields: Assertive. Resilient.Compassionate.

  Colored Girls Hustle: You were recently disinvited from a TEDx Manhattan’s Changing the Way We Eat conference. We were absolutely INSPIRED by how you chose to handle that situation publicly and transparently; and used that as an opportunity to create your own space. Tell us about how the situation transpired and about your independent event “Not Just Talk: Food in the South Bronx.”

Tanya Fields: Wow, that situation was BA-NEE-NEES! I have a link her to the EBONY.com article that covered what my friends are now calling “TanyaGate.” For more information about how the situation went down, folks can read my open letter. We have pictures up on our Facebook page documenting the Not Just Talk event.

  Colored Girls Hustle: A lot of us on the grind and doing work on the ground in our communities often feel left out of larger, “mainstream” conversations and movement building work. What are some key lessons that you learned from the TEDx experience that you can share with others about how to handle rejection and marginalization?

Tanya Fields: That’s tough. I don’t know if I am still able to really “handle” it and I am not sure I want to. When I become desensitized to it is when I think it might be time for me to do something else because I don't have it in me to fight anymore.

I think for me, it’s more about how not to operate from that place of pain and triggers and rage. I often seek to understand why I am being rejected and why I am being marginalized and to speak on it every time I see it. That doesn’t mean I have to have the process publicly but it means I acknowledge it, call out the oppression and then tap into my love for myself, for my children and their generation; acknowledge the sacrifices of the elders and fight from a place of love. It is also about knowing when to “surrender”, like when to say “fuck this” and realize every space don’t have to be for me. I have talents and gifts that can help me create a new space. That’s what the mobile market is about, that is what my event “Not Just Talk” was about. It was about me saying “fuck it” I can create an alternative for my folks that will feed us and pay us and celebrate us and allow us to flourish. 

Colored Girls Hustle: You’re a mother, an Executive Director, and active on social media, among other things. What are the ways you successfully manage your time and how do you prioritize self-care?

Tanya Fields: For me, getting through the day and doing one important thing is a successful use of my time. If I can feed my kids before 10pm, I have successfully used my time. And if I can take 30 minutes to have a meal and not answer an email or phone call, then I have successfully used my time. I made a choice to have 4 babies, shit is tough most days. When I made that decision I also decided I wouldn’t use them as the reason for me not to be as ambitious as I have always been. I want more kids believe it or not lol. I’m loco, I love being a mother and I reconciled with the fact I am living the life I want.

I like the craziness, I like the grind, I like deadlines and the constant ripping and running but I do get weary. I have days where I eat emotionally and where I give my kids cereal for dinner because I am too damn tired to make the nutritious meals I fight for. I used to get really stressed and then crash and burn. It was a vicious cycle. I started learning to forgive myself, realizing I didn’t have to do everything all the time. I am a human being. I may be ideologically a super woman but not literally. Black women think they have to take care of the whole world and we receive those messages everyday from our own folks and others. We have accepted martyrdom as part of our DNA. Shit, not me. That’s not my narrative. I have forgiven myself for being vulnerable and learned to ask for help and understanding. I don’t have to take on other people “stuff”. Therapy has helped tremendously, taking time to love my body has helped. Freeing myself from the shackles of a patriarchal and sexist view of sex and seeing motherhood as radical has liberated me. I make sugar scrubs and I tell my children that they have to take care of their own needs when I am in the bathroom scrubbing myself down. I explain to my older girls what it means for me to have this time and that our household is one of cooperation and that we all can take turns being the “leader”.

I also learned the power of “no”: saying no to opportunities that will stress me out, keep me from my kids and aren’t a priority. I also learned that when I felt like the walls were closing in on me because the kids were fighting or the house was a mess or I got a rejection letter for a proposal or a relationship wasn’t working out, to just STOP. To breathe, to put my hand over my heart and listen to my heartbeat. I started a shrine to my great-great-grandparents and offer them water and light. I talk to them. I learned the power of ritual.  Once, I liberated myself from this idea that I needed to be everything all the time and that I needed to “win” everyday, self-care got easy.

Writer Wall from DNAinfo.com provides a continuation of the TEDxManhattan saga surrounding Fields who was replaced by Redmond on Feburary 16th.

In the article, Wall reports LaDonna Redmond, a food justice advocate was scheduled to speak both at TEDxManhattan and Field’s Bronx event. She sympathized with the FreshDirect critics’ concerns, but thought their anger at TEDxManhattan was unproductive.

“At the end of the day, the issues they’re talking about, that won’t change because somebody’s speaking at TEDx,” said Redmond, a senior program associate at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. “That will only change because people come to the table and negotiate.”    

The question is what are the terms of negotiation and how to negotiate without compromising core values. Or a favorite class line: how do you keep skin in the game?