Little Bear talks about his organization’s food pantry project, which he leads, and through which they distribute fresh produce and prepared foods to marginalized community members, such as unhoused people and residents of West Oakland (California, United States).
On certain days of the week, Chef Green sets up his portable food stall at the corner of 7th Street and Peralta, a once bustling part of West Oakland (California, United States).
Chef Green talks about the importance of the church in his life and about how he shows appreciation to his customers: he conducts polls on menu items on his social media and cooks whatever polls highest.
Gayle “Asali” Dickson explains the historical context of Jim Crow, which, according to some, came about from the ‘redemption movement’ led by plantation owners in southern United States, who were unhappy with the ascendancy of black leaders during reconstruction.
Figure 1. Original Art by Kakoli Mitra: 'Community (cluster of 5-30 villages within a 5-15 km radius) before implementation of a FiveBecomings project,' digital (2025).
The enclosure of the commons began almost 600 years ago, causing the widespread loss of community self-reliance and resulting in inequity and ecocide. FiveBecomings projects aim to reverse the enclosure of the commons, thereby (re)establishing ecology-rooted integrated community self-reliance.
