The Black Heritage Tree Project is a living tribute to Black communities and our ancestral connection to trees and the natural world. We are a collective working across multiple sites to document the trees that have carried our stories across the African Diaspora throughout time. These trees have stood through generations as living archives to Black history. Some are Witness Trees, silent observers of injustice, resistance, and loss. Others are Spirit Trees, providing a place for ancestral reconnection, spiritual guidance, and protection. Collectively, these trees tell powerful stories rooted in Black heritage. This project honors those stories—and the storytellers behind them.
The Black Heritage Tree Project is rooted in place. Each of our project sites—Greenwood, Galveston, Houston, and St. Croix—holds unique histories and powerful stories shaped by the land and the people who lived there. On this page, you’ll find sections dedicated to each location, featuring the trees, events, and legacies that define them. These stories remind us that history lives not just in books, but in the landscapes that have witnessed it all.
Check out our new guidelines 12 Ways to Show Love to Nature’s Oldest Storytellers. This published set of guidelines were co-created by The Black Heritage Tree Project, The Black Earth […]
Check out this feature on the work we are doing in St. Croix, Virgin Islands. We hosted a community listening session in July and are now looking forward to our […]
Land Justice Convening hosted by the Southern Poverty Law Center This week we are heading to Atlanta for the first ever Land Justice Convening hosted by the Southern Poverty Law […]
