North Carolina Botanical Garden 
The registration period has closed for this event.
Saturday, March 29, 2025
9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Venue: Hayti Heritage Center in Durham, NC
This event will also be live-streamed
Free; preregistration required.
PRE-SYMPOSIUM EVENT: Join us at the Hayti Heritage Center on Friday, March 28, 2025 at 6 p.m. for a screening of the documentary film Family Tree, which will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Alton Perry and Tyrone Williams, with Savi Horne moderating.
The African American Legacy in Gardening and Horticulture Symposium explores the unsung historical legacy of African American plantspeople, horticulturalists, residential gardeners, and gardening clubs. These personal narratives and generational gardening practices have all too often been ignored, overlooked, or not fully appreciated within the framework of American landscape history, global ethno-botanical viewpoints, and contemporary environmental writing.
This one-day symposium brings together a cadre of horticulturalists, historians, beautification advocates, and plantspeople to celebrate the contributions made by these gardening innovators and modern-day practitioners, while further educating and enlightening the public and future generations of plant lovers.
Event organized in partnership with:
The registration period has closed for this event.
Registration open until 3/29/2025 7:00 AM.
ASL interpretation will be available during all speaking sessions
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9:30 - 10:00 AM |
Welcome, Overview, Introductions |
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10:00 - 11:00 AM |
Plenary Session One The Wisdom of Trees: Urban Forestry and Black Land Ownership in the Subaltern South |
Alton Perry Michael 'Gibby Siz' Gibson
Moderator: Dr. Darrell Stover |
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11:15 AM - 12:15 PM |
Plenary Session Two Beyond Borders: The Ethno-Botanical and Horticultural Influence of Africans, African Americans and Immigrants on the American Landscape |
Wambui Ippolito
Teresa 'Teri' Speight Derek Haynes
Moderator: Justin Robinson |
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12:15 - 1:30 PM |
Lunch Break
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1:30 - 2:30 PM |
Plenary Session Three Centering African American Narrative Stories in Contemporary Environmental Literature and Media |
Dr. Jarvis McInnis Dr. Chérie Rivers
Moderator: Dr. Zelda Lockhart |
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2:30 - 3:00 PM |
Concluding remarks and call to action |
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3:00 - 4:30 PM |
Symposium Social: Seed Exchange and Networking and refreshments! |
Join fellow participants to swap seeds and stories while enjoying light refreshments. |
The organizing committee would additionally like to thank the following organization for their contribution and support of this event:
Perry, Perry & Perry, P.A.
In-person option:
Hayti Heritage Center
804 Fayetteville Street
Durham, NC
Virtual option: We will stream the event live. Links for accessing the program will be emailed to registered participants in advance of the program.