Shortly after a heartfelt prayer blessing the land, the food, and the photographers' eye, community members—including executive directors of art programs, health clinic owners, school administrators, models, and community organizers—gaze at the camera. They understand the power they have to reimagine their community in a time when hopelessness can sometimes catch fire.  

Fueling that sense of power is the 1,200 acres of Black-owned farmland that the Bland family has maintained for four generations.