Gardening as a Path to Justice with Marcus Bridgewater

Welcome back to another inspiring episode of “Embodied Justice,” where we unearth the deep connections between the environment, well-being, and social justice. In today’s episode, our host Dr. Judy Lubin has a vibrant conversation with Marcus Bridgewater, also known as the “Garden Marcus.” Marcus, a life coach and motivational speaker, shares powerful insights about how gardening can be more than just a hobby—it can be a pathway to collective well-being and personal growth.

In an age where the hustle and bustle of modern life often lead us to neglect our mental and physical health, Marcus’s insights are a breath of fresh air. He explains how gardening not only serves as a therapeutic practice but also teaches us invaluable lessons about patience, resilience, and community. His message is clear: just like a garden, our communities thrive when we nurture every part of them.

Marcus uses the metaphor of tending to the berries in a garden to highlight how we should approach our communities and policies. It’s not enough to care for one ‘berry’ while neglecting the growth conditions for the others. Instead, a holistic approach focusing on an environment where everything can thrive is essential.

Here are three pivotal takeaways from the discussion:

1. Fostering Collective Growth: Marcus emphasizes the need to address communal and historical wrongs for the betterment of society without excluding any group from the greater good. He implores us to embrace kindness, patience, and positivity in our interactions to uplift humanity as a whole.
   • [04:08]: They’re they were aloof. I found myself a teacher and an administrator at a private preparatory. And while I was there and I’m working with my students and I’m working with my colleagues, all of the studies that I’ve been doing on the side, which is in the wee hours of the night taking notes and reading books and just studying with whoever I could spend time with about mind, body, and spirit, started to formulate into something bigger than itself because I started taking those little gems and using them where I could when I was interacting with people. But in that whole process, I, myself, was losing touch with my own center, my motivation, my ability to wake up in the morning and still feel passionate and enthused about what I was doing. And in my reflection, I started to realize this is a common trait across the world. You know, the 9 to 5 becomes a very difficult thing to go through, and the next thing you know, you need more and more coffee. You need more and more sugar.
2. The Significance of Representation in Gardening: Dr. Judy Lubin highlights the importance of Marcus’s presence as a Black man in the gardening space. Representation is crucial, especially in sectors like gardening and farming, which have deep historical roots and significant cultural impact. Marcus’s journey adds a layer of richness and inclusivity to these often overlooked aspects of heritage.
   • [45:15]: Well, there are so many things to note in this sequence. 1, I have been challenging the idea of black and white, challenging the idea of race in general, especially because as I’ve grown up and I’ve been put into a space where I’m considered a black gardener, I’ve had to reflect on what that means. And as I talked to my grandmother who I lost last year, at 96, reflected on her experience of what it meant to grow up a black woman in our country in the 19 center. I have to question whether or not the idea of black means the same thing universally. So instead, I tend to talk in terms of the Melanation scale because, in fact, the only reality that exists is how much melanin you have in your skin. And the amount of melanin that I have is substantially more than, say, my wife or my son or many of the people I see in the gardening space. So what does that mean? And as you said, it’s I’ve inherited this. I don’t I didn’t get a choice.
3. Gardening as an Analogy for Life and Justice: Through gardening, Marcus draws profound lessons on balancing personal growth with communal stewardship. He contrasts living life for incentives with living for collective growth and emphasizes the importance of making choices that benefit everyone, promoting biodiversity both in our gardens and communities.
   • [43:29]: We don’t appreciate how much we have to offer, And I see that translate into the youth where so many of them feel unappreciated, unwanted as if there is no purpose for them. And I’m like, oh, well, literally, just you being you has purpose, but you have to be applying yourself to something. That’s where purpose comes from. Now why aren’t you applying yourself? That’s a disconnect from your drive. And so then and if I analyze that, more often than not, your drive has been stripped from you and replaced with incentive.

Take Action:

Engage your neighbors in a communal gardening project. It’s a fantastic way to foster relationships, teach children about nature, and share the fruits (and vegetables) of your labor. Starting a community garden could be just what you need to invigorate both yourself and your community. Like all good things, growing a garden takes time, and so does nurturing your community and personal well-being. Focus on long-term goals and take small, consistent steps toward achieving them.

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