Dr. Alicia Odewale:

How Trees Remember Us: Stories of Black Heritage, Healing and Joy

In this deeply moving episode, Marion meets diaspora archaeologist, Dr. Alicia Odewale, to explore an extraordinary idea: trees remember us.

Alicia is the creator of the Black Heritage Trees Project, a groundbreaking effort to map the trees who have become witnesses and companions to Black heritage, belonging and joy around the world. 

Together, Marion and Alicia explore:

🌳 What makes a tree a Black Heritage Tree
🌳 Who are Spirit Trees and how they protect and accompany Black communities
🌳 What Witness Trees have seen across generations of Black life
🌳 What trees can teach us about healing, belonging, and intergenerational memory
🌳 Why safety matters for trees and Black communities in the current times of extremist politics. 

Tune in to understand how trees are not separate from Black history but our living archives and oldest companions.

🌍 Listen and subscribe to Black Earth wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

🌱 Connect, contribute and support the Black Heritage Tree Project - https://blackheritagetrees.com/

💌 Connect with Black Earth team for partnerships, speaking and media requests: https://www.blackearthpodcast.com/contactus 

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Episode time stamps

00:00 Intro and Alicia's journey to creating the Black Heritage Trees Project

08:30 - Who is a Black Heritage Tree?

13:10 - Who are spirit trees and how they connect to black heritage?

19:00 - Who are witness trees and how they connect to black communities?

27:00 - What witness trees teach us about love, joy and healing

34:00 - How Black Earth is reconnecting across diasporas and our place in the Earth

35:00 - Why safety matters for black people reconnecting with nature

42:30 - What do we do with the legacies of structures we have inherited but no longer want to live in?

43:30 - How to support Alicia and support Black Earth

Links