“姑娘，这是你的吗??保安问. The tone was inquisitive, the body language hostile, the familiarity stinging. 你可能以为我是在入店行窃时被捕的.
事实是布莱克在丹佛的时候我在园艺上被抓了个现行. I had just stepped into the community garden near my West City Park apartment to check on my nearly 3-month-old crops. 就在几分钟之后, the guard appeared out of nowhere and asked if the bed of vegetables I was tending to was mine. Although the community garden program I took part in is administered by a local organization seeking to cultivate community in urban spaces, 该地块属于圣约瑟夫医院，就在附近. The guard was on patrolling duty for the hospital at the time of the incident.
园艺是我皈依科罗拉多的最后一个阶段. 一个在阿比让出生长大的黑人妇女, 西非, 我无法理解在阳光下剧烈运动的吸引力. Friends teased me about my coquettish ways, including donning delicate earrings while hiking. My immigrant father made fun of my habit of taking too many showers during hot summer months; after all, 这里不再是非洲. My fastidious hygiene rituals meant that I drew the line at camping because hot showers were not always available.
Knowing this about me, I was the first surprised to find out how much I enjoyed dirt. 那就是播下种子，培育它们，看着它们成长. 我虔诚地爱上了园艺, 这项活动在COVID期间提供了巨大的安慰和治疗. My pandemic related 焦虑 melts during the hours spent tending to the plot I shared with a friend.
直到那个星期三早上十点半.m. 直到保安开始审问我. My carelessness evaporated and the usual reflexes I have adopted to survive U.S. 反黑人种族主义开始出现. 几乎是下意识的, I began devising a new gardening schedule that would take place only during day hours to protect me. 我还想好好打扮一下去挖根. But then, I stopped in my tracks; I was already doing these things.
被进一步追问, the security guard hinted at vague criminal activity and explained how some of the neighboring residents had complained about the gardeners. 我所知道的是，其他一些园丁是黑人和布朗人, 社区花园离惠蒂尔和五点街仅一步之遥, 历史上的黑人社区被中产阶级化了. This gentrification contributes to the expansion of “white space” in the city and the policing of Black bodies in mundane practices like gardening.
The expansion of white space affects needed restorative and 疗愈 spaces during COVID, 比如社区花园. 此外，将这一讨论与反黑人种族主义联系起来也很重要. 在这个过程中, I wish to debunk a common idea that has floated around since the beginning of the pandemic. 在2019冠状病毒病期间，园艺的更新和蓬勃发展, people have assumed that gardening is an easily accessible activity that provides solace, 疗愈, 和快乐.
《博彩平台推荐》最近的一篇文章题为《博彩app推荐》. 你也会的.”
别着急. COVID博彩app推荐园艺的叙述需要细致入微. 想想底特律一位黑人2017-2018年的传奇故事. He started an urban farm in his neighborhood, prompting repeated harassment by three white women. The women called the police “a dozen of times” to make serious false claims against him, 包括对他性侵犯的指控. 园丁被逮捕并上了法庭. As a result, he lost sources of employment and income during that time period.
Shifting our focus to the dangers of gardening in public for Black bodies is especially important as we consider issues of access to 疗愈 during COVID. Statistics show that the median household income for Black people is about $44,000美元与67美元相比,为科罗拉多州的所有白人群体提供1万美元. In addition, Black people have been disproportionately affected by unemployment during COVID. 综上所述, a lower household income and a lack of access to employer-covered health benefits can limit access to mental health resources, 包括治疗. 此外, the historical mistrust of medical institutions due to racism and the lack of Black therapists further curb access to mental health resources.
在这方面, 社区花园可能为黑人提供一种非正式的治疗方式, 是疫情期间特别脆弱的群体. 澄清一下, I am not advocating for gardening as a cure-all that would replace therapy and medication. 而, 研究表明，园艺有治疗作用，可以减轻压力, 焦虑, 和抑郁. 出于这些原因, we need not only provide access to urban gardens to Black people but also guarantee that they are
不受社区监视和警察骚扰.
最后, I complained to the organization in charge of administering the community gardening program. They took me seriously and are following up with the hospital and their security company. 我继续种花，但这件事浇灭了我的热情. This is also how racism works; it robs us of safety 和快乐.
Joelle克鲁兹 is a Denver resident and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at CU Boulder. 她在空闲时间喜欢烹饪和写作.
