Joquina Reed
Creator and Co-Creative Director of the 250 Project
Joquina M. Reed is the curator, co-creative director, and one of the editors of Volume One of the 250 Project: A Black and Indigenous Reckoning. She is a J.E.D.I. (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) practitioner, public scholar, speaker, social entrepreneur and the author of the book, Loving Black People: A Practice & Discipline.
She is also the curator behind the Divesting from Whiteness and The Anti-Blackness Reader platforms, socially mediated spaces dedicated to helping others dismantle anti-Blackness, divest from Whiteness and amplify reparative justice.
Living and working on the unceded territory of the Houma and Chahta Yakni (Choctaw) peoples, her work is deeply rooted in an understanding of historical and contemporary systems of oppression. Her leadership philosophy is informed by the innovations and resilience of Black communities, particularly the Maroons, whose strategies for resistance and autonomy inspire her approach to building strong, community-centered leadership today.
Every day, Joquina is inspired by the words of her cultural ancestor, Anna Julia Cooper, ‘The cause of freedom is not the cause of a race, sect, or class—it is the cause of humankind,’ she approaches her work with a justice-centered commitment to creating shared humanity for all.
PIXIE LIGHTHORSE
Co-Creative Director of the 250 Project and Co-Editor of Volume 1
Pixie Lighthorse is the author of eight books centered on healing ourselves and communities through cultivating intimate relationships with nature and reclaiming prayer. She is a tribal member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. She writes as Lighthorse to honor the unheard voices of her Choctaw and Cherokee ancestors who were forcibly removed from our homelands on the first of many Trails of Tears during Indian Removal.
Her work with The 250 Project grew through kinship with Kina Reed as part of her commitment to cultural stewardship and People’s medicine, including the stewardship of relationships. One of the most important relationships that exist for her is reconciliation between Choctaw people and African kinfolk. Her devotion to repair is deeply familial, relational, and cultural. Her practice is deepened by weaving an extra large basket to hold in her body and communities the realities and results of systemic oppression.
Pixie Lighthorse currently raises food and makes medicine for communities in the Pacific Northwest on Klamath, Paiute, and Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs territories.
Contributors
The 250 Project consists of a collection of 250 different artists who submit their work to be included in the volumes or, someday, various online channels. Most of these contributors are not involved in the project overhead, but rather in the creative production of their art and the emotional labor that went into creating it. We would like to take a moment to honor their work and partnership. Check back soon for a list of our consenting contributors!
Volunteers
The 250 Project includes a network of primarily white volunteers who support the project as an act of reparative justice. If you fill out the volunteer form, donate, or contact us, you may get a response from a volunteer. To apply to become a volunteer, e-mail thetwofiftyproject@gmail.com or check back soon for a volunteer application form!