Samantha Foxx Winship, Mother’s Finest Urban Farm
Samantha began farming in 2017, in part to grow a family business and to reconnect with her ancestors that sacrificed so much to provide for their families in the shadows of systematic racism. American Black farmers had lost millions of acres of family-owned farmland during the 50’s when they were often disenfranchised by white America.
In an excerpt from her website, she describes herself as “farm mother, queen and visionary of illuminating light. A Native of North Carolina and the daughter of Indigenous People. Her education and experience has lead her innovative path on a journey as one the leading healing forces of Holistic Remedies, Farming and Beekeeping. Servicing the community with authentic love and support for the healing and growth of her family, friends and village. With strong loving arms she embraces the challenges of life; standing for the education, empowerment and the promotion of women and people of color in beekeeping, agriculture and the arts innovation. Samantha is a shining example of determination, will power and innovation. Through her life's work to Save the Bees, provide Safe Healthy Food and Formulate Top Quality Holistic Products”.
Her story “Lipstick Queen of Farming” was published in the Bitter Southerner December of 2019 and as the pandemic swept over the country in early 2020- with fears of food insecurity- She found herself an essential business. She used her voice to call attention to racial injustice- calling to attention the lives lost to police brutality and a system build on white supremacy. She has been featured in the New York Times, Martha Stewart magazine, Southern living and her story has been featured in local, state and national news. She is currently finishing a documentary “ Believe in Ghosts” that will travel around the country in 2021.
Winston-Salem Police Chief Catrina Thompson
Catrina Thompson knew struggle as well as grace growing up in Detroit MI.
Thompson and her three sisters were raised by a single mother, but they had the blessing of support from her Grandparents. Her Grandfather still remains one of her biggest mentors. He was a veteran of WWII even though he never had more than a third-grade education.
“To find out her wasn’t educated was kind of like finding out Santa Claus didn’t exist. But he used to have this saying “I can’t read, write or spell, but I can count my money very well.” Thompson recalls.
He retired from Chrysler after thirty- two years, he owned three homes in his lifetime and he owned a small business.
He used the money from that business to put his grand- daughters through private schools. He wanted to give them a foundation of education that would propel them out of poverty and give them the chance to be whatever they wanted to be.
After traveling and earning a degree in criminal justice, Catrina Thompson landed in Winston-Salem and worked her way through the WSPD from a rookie to the Police Chief.
She has used this opportunity to bring a different perspective of police officers.
“I try to use my platform and my time, talent and resources to make a difference, a positive difference. But it takes all of us.”
“It's so important to me because I was one of those children growing up inner city- Detroit. Had it not been for the love of my grandparents, had it not been for the encouragement of my mother and a village, if you would, that she brought in to help us.”
Catrina Thompson is also a wife and mother. She sometimes fears for the safety of her son, who is autistic. And she still knows what it is like to be a Black woman when she is out of her uniform and traveling back into Detroit.
“When I go to Detroit, I'm just another black female. That's who I am. And so I have the same challenges, the same concerns that other African American and people of color experience in our country.
She uses that experience to soften the perception of her profession.
“George Floyd may be just one case in some of my employees minds because they haven't had to live the experiences that my grandmother and grandfather lived through.”
“I realized that I sit at the intersection of of being a African-American woman in 2020 and a Police Chief.
I don't believe in de-funding the police. But I'd be I'd be totally disingenuous if I said I didn't understand it.”
Chief Thompson used that understanding to keep peace during the BLM marches last summer by respecting protestors and walking along with them in support instead of using force.
She stopped traffic on Hwy 52 when protestors took to the highway and she decided to close I-40 when protestors blocked 40 several days later.
“Yes, you were inconvenienced for 45 minutes on I 40, but people took I-40 because of the pain and inconveniences that they’ve had for over four hundred years”.