Chris Bolden-Newsome
Farmer/Co-Director, Sankofa Community Farm at Bartram's Garden
Chris Bolden-Newsome, originally from Mississippi Delta, is the oldest son of farmers and community justice workers Demalda Bolden Newsome and Rufus Newsome Sr., the fourth generation in his family to farm free since Mississippi’s emancipation in 1865. Chris studied Anthropology and African American Studies at Howard University while working, living and loving in Black and Latino communities throughout the DC area. In 2010 Chris joined Ty Holmberg in creating what became the Sankofa Community Farm at Bartram's Garden. There Chris co-directs a 3 acre crop field, orchard and 60 bed community garden and an intentionally Spirit-rooted, African Diaspora centered farm and youth development program. Following traditional Natural Agriculture techniques that focus on growing healthy soil for life-giving crops of the African Diaspora while learning and teaching Pan-African cultural practices in traditional farming and foodways in an intergenerational context. In 2012 Chris joined in covenant union with seed farmer Owen Smith Taylor, co-founding the cultural rematriation focused seedhouse “Truelove Seeds."