Community Village Building: Blacks in Green

With global warming, access to fresh, healthy food and economic disempowerment ravaging our communities, it's easy to get overwhelmed by the problems that face us. Thankfully, organizations like Blacks in Green (B.I.G.), a Chicago-based community education and trade organization founded by Naomi Davis, are digging deep for lasting solutions that will save our planet and our neighborhoods.

Born in Chicago on Earth Day 2007, B.I.G. aims to empower the African American community by incorporating green job skills into its education program in order to expand employment opportunities for this historically marginalized community. Through this education program, Blacks In Green seeks to create and sustain environmentally conscious neighbor-owned businesses in black communities throughout the country, and inspire these communities towards social, psychological and economic empowerment through the burgeoning green economy.

In order to create these “self-sustaining African diaspora communities,” B.I.G. sets forth eight founding principles for building green villages. First, each village should have its own measures, exchanges, and sources of wealth. Second, each village must locally produce energy for personal and public uses. Next, basic goods and services are supplied and recycled within the village. Each village will also provide low-income housing and green gardens that produce high quality food. Within the village, neighbors will celebrate their shared heritage through both news and entertainment. Each village will have interdependent local ties and perceptible borders. Village hubs will be epicenters for green training, development, and lifestyle transformation. Lastly, neighbor-owned businesses invent, invest, manufacture, and merchandise locally in order to circulate wealth throughout the community.

B.I.G. founder Naomi Davis cites her own childhood in the sixties and her legacy as the granddaughter of Mississippi sharecroppers as sources of inspiration for Blacks In Green. For Davis, the notion of green villages is a modern twist on the family farm. Rather than leaving land stewardship as a figment of the past, Davis sees green villages as a way to push the African American community forward.

To keep the community connected and informed, B.I.G. hosts numerous educational and networking events throughout the year. The third Friday of each month on the traditionally African-American South side of Chicago, it holds Environmental Education Afternoon Workshops and Evening Programs for both youth and adult members. Each Third Friday program features a different environmental theme, such as water use, renewable energy, green media, and environmental legislation. Blacks In Green’s next Third Friday event will be held on August 21, 2009, and will address green communication media and introduce the organization’s weekly media roundtable.

To learn more about Blacks In Green, check out their website and events page at www.blacksingreen.org.

Eco-Fashion That Gives Back: Do-Ni Shoes

Before you run to the mall for a new pair of flats that was more than likely sewn by child laborers in a third world country, think about ordering a pair of Do-Ni shoes. Designed by Nancy Dong of Kailia Shoes and Carlotta Fiorini, Do-Ni is a vegan footwear company that aims to “create great looking shoes that are eco-friendly and help those without a voice.”

The Nobilia ballerina slippers from Do-Ni’s 2009 collection put that very promise into action. Using only non-animal materials, European artisans handcraft these slippers and add ribbons and embroidery for adornment with the aid of water-based glues. Although the shoes are leather-free, they provide the same comfort provided by leather shoes and come unlined with a padded insole. Do-Ni’s artisans also maintain the company’s environmentally friendly practices through the use of pre-consumer recycled components.

Do-Ni’s efforts to make this world a better place do not stop with the ecological construction of its shoes. Italian for “gift,” Do-Ni joins forces with six non-profit organizations that receive 100% of its retail profits. These NPOs include Animal Acres (a farmed animal sanctuary that promotes kind living and participates in rescue and refuge efforts), Four Legged Friends Foundation (an organization that helps needy families pay their veterinary bills), Go Vegan with Bob Linden (a radio program dedicated to animal-liberation and vegan education), Medicines Global (an organization of adventure travelers who donate basic first aid supplies to the destinations), Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (an organization that promotes compassionate medical research and practice), and A Home Away From Homelessness (an organization that seeks to meet the needs of homeless children in shelter programs). Each customer may choose which beneficiary receives the profits of their purchase.

The shoes themselves come in the following colors: champagne, a satiny gray; grass an olive green; amethyst, a deep purple; ruby a rich red; and black. Above the toe, each shoe features a knotted, matching ribbon. The champagne and black styles are also available with a crystal medallion cinching the middle of the ribbon for a dressier look.

We at Conscious Living are huge fans of Do-Ni shoes (Bianca loves them!) and believe fully in their ecological and social mission. To check out these sustainable and beautiful shoes and learn more about Do-Ni and its founders, visit http://www.do-ni.com/main.html. Or, to see co-founder Nancy Dong’s Kailia shoes in action, watch our “Chicago Eco-Fashion Cafe” or “Winter Fashion on the National Mall” episodes on the www.ConsciousLivingTV.com style page.

Conscious Living TV Goes Rooftop for the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at Uncommon Ground's Certified Organic Garden (the first in the U.S.)!

It was a gorgeous day when we shot our latest episode from the rooftop of the Uncommon Ground restaurant in Edgewater! We came to Uncommon Ground this past weekend, along with other members of the press (and Mayor Daley!), to cover the ribbon cutting ceremony of the nation’s first certified organic rooftop garden at Uncommon Ground.

Upon our arrival at Uncommon Ground restaurant (1401 W. Devon Ave), we climbed up the stairs to the roof, which houses a multitude of luscious, green plants that allow the restaurant to grow its own organic vegetables. Besides being gorgeous and green, the rooftop offers a beautiful view of the local Edgewater community and Loyola University.

Before the ceremony began, Bianca interviewed Uncommon Ground owners Mike and Helen Cameron. To catch this interview, look out for our upcoming episode on Conscious Living TV!

After our interview with Mike and Helen, Mayor Daley arrived! Chicago’s Commissioner on the Environment, Suzanne Malec-McKenna was also among the guests at the ceremony. After a brief period of schmoozing, the ceremony began. Natalie Pfister, Uncommon Ground’s Farm Director, was the first to speak. Natalie discussed the advantages of urban agriculture in making food more accessible, claiming, “There is nothing more local than climbing your own stairs and harvesting tomatoes.” Tomatoes, we soon found out, are the main crops grown in the garden along with other vegetables such as peas and squash.

The next to speak was Alderman Patrick O’Connor, who admitted that a feat such as the organic rooftop garden has been discussed as more of a novelty than a way of the future. For O’Connor, urban organic gardens represent a return to the basics, allowing us to grow, pick, and eat vegetables in a short time. O’Connor also praised Mayor Daley for his well-known efforts toward sustaining and beautifying the environment. “Not only have we beautified the city,” O’Connor said, “but we have also taken a little of the economy and are growing on our own.”

After O’Connor’s introduction, Mayor Daley spoke about his long-held belief that “nature can coexist in urban communities.” With the organic rooftop garden at Uncommon Ground as a precedent, Daley cited the plethora of flat roofs in Chicago as an “opportunity to bring nature back into our city.” By growing our own produce organically, we can cut down the costs of shipping as well as reduce pollution and congestion throughout the city. Daley sees Uncommon Ground as the future of restaurants in Chicago.

Next, Uncommon Ground owner Helen Cameron recalled a rush of excitement when she first climbed on the roof and told her partner and husband Michael, “We can grow food up here!” From that moment, Helen and Michael knew that they would build a farm on their roof. Before they could create the garden, the Camerons had to reinforce the building’s foundation with a lot more cement and traded wood beams for steel in order to support the weight of the farm. Helen cited an overall theme of “support on many levels” as tantamount to their success. In addition to the support of Mayor Daley, Helen thanked the city of Chicago and the surrounding Edgewater community for their help and support. She recalled how many of the restaurant’s neighbors devoted much time and work to installing the garden.

For Helen, the memories of helping with her family vegetable garden as a child served as an inspiration for her to become a chef and restaurant owner and gave her the knowledge of how to operate a garden. With this knowledge in place, Helen dedicated space to as much organic food as possible for both use in the restaurant and as an educational platform for urban agriculture. Once the farm was installed, she found out about becoming certified organic. As a result of her eventual success in becoming certified, Uncommon Ground now offers the community a number of green jobs, including those held by Farm Director Natalie Pfister and her seven interns.

After Helen spoke, we heard from Steven Walker, the Certification and Compliance Manager of the Midwest Organic Services Association (MOSA), who reviewed Uncommon Ground’s application for organic certification. Walker emphasized the many standards that must be upheld in order for a farm to be organic. With the national organic program still being relatively new, Walker also stated that “regulatory boundaries continue to be defined.” Walker said, “The organic community has roots in thinking outside of the box, innovation and creativity.” Eco-preneurs like the Camerons are using just this kind of innovative thinking and hard work to help people understand the importance of eating organically grown, locally produced food.

Walker then spoke about the numerous advantages of organic food production in building safe and healthy communities. Organic food production transcends the “physical, mental, and emotional health” benefits of those who consume it. More than one billion pounds of pesticides are released in the United States each year due to non-organic practices, and conventionally produced agriculture is more likely to contain pesticide residues than organically produced food. With this in mind, Walker believes that Uncommon Ground is succeeding in its original promise and said he is proud to certify it organic!

Uncommon Ground owner Michael Cameron spoke shortly before Mayor Daley took questions from attendees. Mayor Daley said that Chicago is in the process of building a solar field on the South Side. He also emphasized that more help from the federal government and the Department of Energy will be necessary to furthering the city's green initiatives.

At this point, Mayor Daley cut the apple green ribbon and the ceremony was complete!

At the conclusion of the ribbon cutting ceremony, Bianca got an exclusive interview with Mayor Daley! To catch this interview, check out the home page of Conscious Living TV.

Afterwards, guests were invited to move downstairs to the restaurant to mingle with the Camerons while eating a delicious organic champagne brunch, including a menu of organic bellinis, fresh baked melt-in-your mouth banana bread, fresh seasonable seedling farms raspberries, blueberries and cherries, and a summer egg scramble of organic rooftop peas, summer squash, market onions, tomatoes, capriole goat cheese and fresh basil. We were so excited to have been present at this huge moment for Uncommon Ground and for organic urban farming, and we can’t wait to see how other Chicago businesses follow suit. To dine at Uncommon Ground, go to 1401 W. Devon Ave (just off the Loyola stop on the Red Line), or to visit their Farmer’s Market, visit the restaurant on Fridays from 4pm-8pm until October 30.

Special thanks to our crew for doing a bang-up job at the event, including Shu Ling Yong and Karl Geweniger, and Morgan Greenwald for reporting and live tweeting @Conscious TV.

For more tips on organic cuisine and healthy living, watch Conscious Living TV.

Chicago Eco-Fashion Focus Cafe: Hosted by City of Chicago and Conscious Living TV

It was an exciting night of fashion and environmental responsibility recently at the historic Chicago Cultural Center. Hosted by Melissa Gamble, Director of Fashion, Arts and Events at the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, and Michael and Bianca Alexander of Conscious Living TV, the Fashion Café brought home an important message: you can take responsibility for the environment and still dress fabulously!

The event offered eco-fashionistas both a tactile and an intellectual experience: first, guests were treated to wine cocktails while shopping from sustainable vendors and boutiques like Pivot, McLemore’s Closet and Frei Designs. Then, attendees sat down for the main attraction: an exclusive interview with two of the hottest stars in eco-fashion--Lara Miller and Abigail Glaum-Lathbury, both based in Chicago.

First, we heard from Lara Miller, one of Chicago’s most lauded sustainable designers. Her clothes have been worn by celebrities like Angelina Jolie, and were recently featured at the People’s Choice Awards. With a down-to-earth, accessible candor, Lara discussed her philosophy of placing a premium on style, comfort, and being fashion forward. Although she offered a basic education on new options in environmentally-friendly fabrics, including tencel, linen, hemp, and rayon, she prefers to use materials like bamboo, organic cotton, and peace silk, which does not harm silk worms in the manufacturing process.

Lara is a huge proponent of fair trade, which means paying fair, livable wages to all workers involved in the design and textile process from beginning to end. Perhaps the most unique aspect of her design aesthetic is the fact that all of her styles are reversible and can be worn flipped upside down, which allows the wearer to style each garment in a variety of ways and make it their own. As a whole, Lara sees Chicago as a great city for designers, and is happy that eco-fashion is not only making Chicago more sustainable, but also making it a generally cooler city in the process. To check out Lara’s designs, visit www.laramiller.net.

Then, we heard from Abigail Glaum-Lathbury, voted best designer this year by the Chicago Reader. Inspired by a more organic, body-conscious approach to design, Abigail initially began her design career by working with remnant fabrics, then worked her way into using more environmentally friendly, natural fabrics. Almost all of Abigail’s work is inspired from shapes and organisms found in nature, which she incorporates thematically into all of her garments to create a futuristic, organic feel for the wearer. Abigail also uses lots of screen printing in her work to set each piece apart, and believes that true fashion should transcend season and age. During the interview, she also stressed the importance of supporting fair trade design which allows workers to be paid a living wage, an idea that has not been stressed enough in the eco-fashion industry. Feel free to learn more about Abigail’s designs at www.abigail-glaum-lathbury.com.

During the conversation, both Lara and Abigail emphasized the importance of using recycled fabrics as a solution to our global climate crisis. By using mill-end or remnant fabric, the leftover fabric from another designer, we can more effectively keep fabrics out of landfills. It was also noted that even plastic can be recycled and made into fabric. Both designers see recycled fabrics as the future of eco-friendly fashion.

After the presentation, attendees were encouraged to once again shop to their hearts delight with eco-vendors like Organik Revolution and Elise Bergman. Here’s a recap of highlights from some of the incredible eco-friendly fashions and designers featured at the event:

Bryant McLemore Smith, a Chicago-area vintage stylist, showcased his collection of retro clothing and accessories for men and women. Bryant’s items date back to the decades of the forties through the seventies and come from a variety of sources including estate sales and vintage boutiques from around the country. His designs have also been featured in award-winning films. To learn more about Bryant’s vintage collection and his styling services, feel free to contact him at Bryant.mclemoresmith@gmail.com.

Mountains of the Moon is a line of organic fashion for women, whose styles range from casual, everyday wear to chic, comfortable dresses. A highlight of the collection is the coco dress, made of organic cotton, hemp, and tencel that comes in a range of vivid colors. To check out the coco dress as well as the rest of the collection, go to www.mountainsofthemoon.com, which now features a 30% discount with the coupon code WA30.

Pivot Boutique is the #1 eco-boutique in Chicago! Eco-fashion pioneer Jessa Brinkmeyer selects the hottest clothing, jewelry, purses and body products by a variety of sustainable designers, including the purple, hemp, futuristic Nature vs. Future shift dress Bianca wore during the discussion. Check out their website, www.pivotboutique.com, or check them out on twitter, pivetcofashion, to stay up to the latest on eco-fashion in Chicago.

Julia Failey hopes to inspire ecological appreciation and awareness by handcrafting beautiful, high quality jewelry made from reclaimed, deoxidized sterling silver to reduce the need for destructive mining. Deoxidized sterling is 92.5% silver alloyed with tin rather than copper, making it tarnish resistant and easily recycled. A highlight from her collection are the dragonfly earrings, and the little rose vine ring, which was recently ordered by actress Kate Bosworth. You can find these pieces along with the rest of Julia’s collection at www.juliafailey.com.

Frei Designs by Annie Novotny featured a dramatic array of dresses, tops and skirts made from voluminous feminine fabrics with sleek men’s tailoring. Annie prides herself on avoiding mass-manufacturing in the production of her line, which is fair trade, 80% organic, pesticide-free and made from renewable resources using no/low-impact dyes. Frei Designs has been featured in many publications and can currently be found in the following Chicago area boutiques: Robin Richman, Pivot, Florodora, and Asinimali in Evanston. Annie is also planning to open a new store in August at 818 West 18th St. in Pilsen. For a look at Frei Designs' Fall '09 Collection and to locate one of the many boutiques across the country where Frei Desgins are sold, check out www.freidesigns.com.

Organik Revolution has set out to prove that it is possible to produce a clothing line without the detrimental effects to the Earth’s soil, water, inhabitants and climate without compromising style or comfort. Designed by co-owner Kristin Hassan, Organik Revolution’s offers a modern, affordable approach to being green with ethically made pieces like the Cassidy dress, now $24.99, a versatile three-quarter sleeve soy jersey dress with a zipper in the front that comes in a variety of colors such as black, blue, red, yellow, and maroon. Bonus: Organik Revolution is now offering a 15% discount on everything on their website, www.organikrevolution.com/shop, with online code FC609, and offers a free t-shirt with every purchase.

Elise Bergman also believes in multi-functional outfits made from sustainable materials like luxurious silks, organic cottons, hand-dyed and hand-woven materials, and rare vintage fabrics. Her signature multi-wrap can be styled a whopping twelve different ways including a strapless dress with either a straight or a sweetheart neckline, a one shoulder dress, and a high-waisted skirt. The multi-wrap also comes in a variety of different colors and prints, including bronze, metallic purple, turquoise (which Elise modeled so beautifully for us at the Fashion Cafe), and yellow. Check out Elise’s entire collection and bridal couture at www.elisebergman.com.

Thanks so much to everyone who attended the event. A special thanks to Melissa Gamble, Pivot Boutique, Kailia Footwear, and Fanta Celah Creations jewelry for donating their designs, and to the Conscious Living TV crew, including Production Coordinator Morgan Greenwald, for helping us to report live from the event!

For more information on Chicago Fashion Focus, visit www.chicagofashionresource.com. To watch highlights from this Fashion Cafe, visit the Conscious Living TV style page at http://www.consciouslivingtv.com/style.htm.