Defending the truth: The fight for Black history in 2026

‘Reverse-gentrify the country’: how Black and Indigenous intentional communities are reclaiming land

<p>From California to Alabama, people of color are building communal spaces rooted in care and tradition</p><p>Zappa Montag steps outside his home to a thicket of redwoods, Pacific madrones and oak trees. Dozens of fruit trees dot the 76 hectares (189 acres), along with a large garden replete with squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, beans, corn and peppers. Nearby, a small stream runs through a valley surrounded by hills. At <a href="https://www.blacktotheland.com/">Black to the Land</a>, the ecovillage in Boonville, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/california">California</a>, Montag and five other Black people steward the land off the grid, relying on well water and powered solely by solar panels. The intentional community, as it’s called, is located in a rural area 115 miles (185km) north of San Francisco. Montag said it was an effort to “reverse-gentrify the country”.</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/black-us-culture">Black Americans</a> and <a href="https:...