Wildlife and nature

Animal shelters and rescues

Theater and dance

Rivers, parks and trails

Hunger and food

Schools and learning

Housing and homelessness

Community health

Mental health

Mentoring and foster care

Legal help and rights

Jobs and money help

Atlanta

The Triangle

Everywhere

The Collective Workshop

Royal Animal Refuge

Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta

Georgia Advancing Communities Together

Atlanta Writers Club

Jewish Fertility Foundation

Alternate ROOTS is an organization based in the Southern USA whose mission is to support the creation and presentation of original art, in all its forms, which is rooted in a particular community of place, tradition, or spirit. As a coalition of cultural workers, we strive to be allies in the elimination of all forms of oppression. ROOTS is committed to social and economic justice and the protection of the natural world and addresses these concerns through its program and services.
Alternate ROOTS was founded in 1976 at the Highlander Center in New Market, Tennessee in order to meet the distinct needs of artists who work for social justice, and artists who create work by, for, about, and within communities of place, tradition, affiliation, and spirit. Originally an acronym for “Regional Organization of Theaters South,” ROOTS quickly established itself as a thought leader in the field of community-based arts and the only regional collective of artists committed to social and economic justice. In response to the needs of the growing field of community-based arts, ROOTS evolved to a multidisciplinary member-based and artist-driven organization.

Porch Sit

Give

Mapping a North Star

Elly MAB

Nicole Gurgel

Deisha Oliver

Mel Cardona

At ROOTS Week 2026, we cracked open the first shipment of Stories from Alternate ROOTS: It’ll Take Some Tellin’ and celebrated with cake! Not gonna lie, tears were shed. This is such a monumental effort, and we are so proud! Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed to this monumental undertaking, especially the book’s editors and architects: Yvette Angelique, Kathie deNobriga, Ashley Minner Jones, Ron Ragin, MK Wegmann, and Nicole Gurgel-Seefeldt. ATTENTION ATLANTA FOLKS: Atlanta ROOTers: get a copy of the book on Sunday, November 15, 3-5pm at our party at The ArtsXChange! Enjoy refreshments, socializing, and live readings from co-editors Yvette Angelique Hyater-Adams and Kathie deNobriga; Elise Witt; Alice Lovelace; Normando Ismay; Ashley Walden; Ashlee Haze, and our Executive Director Wendy Shenefelt. The event is free, but please REGISTER in advance at our 🔗LinkinBio. (Hit the bottom arrow next to “The ROOTS Book is here!”) When you register, you have the opportunity to purchase your book ahead of time and have it waiting for you! You can also buy books at the event from our partner, Charis Books. @yvette_angelique_writer @lovelacealice @hasandavis @poetdjkingshakur @solsta999 @mizvickisue

📣 📣 PLEASE VOTE 🗳️ 🗳️ and then enjoy the calming effects of the natural beauty that surrounded us at ROOTS Week. 🛶🍃🪺 A prominent feature of ROOTS Week 2026 was the lake. The lake was visible from many different meeting points during ROOTS Week. We could gaze on this water during business meetings if our eyes needed a break. We could walk around it or canoe on it. We could congregate under a huge shelter right on the lake. During ROOTS Week, we are nourished by nature. Give thanks for the waters.

Alternate ROOTS is our members, and our members are artists. ROOTS members make everything and anything: plays, paintings, songs, sculptures, beats, body art, percussion, performance, drawings, dances, and so much more. ROOTS Week is filled with art folks can experience as audience members, participants, students, and casual observers. The art at ROOTS Week included performances, installations, workshops, and ROOTS After Dark. And there are always a few rogue art experiences that never make it to a program book, but contribute to the wild creativity of ROOTS Week nonetheless. devonknightner @lovelacealice @aimeedenova @abuelitaladona @redsbodyart @multibandstudios @lisaqmount @carolburchbrown @stillon_thehill @ashleehaze @hannahburt

One thing that makes ROOTS Week different from other conferences is that we incorporate body movement of many kinds into the flow of the days. ⁠ ⁠ We celebrate “making a decision” with a dance break. (Yes, we ask the sound folks to have some dance music queued up). ⁠ ⁠ In between performances, someone teaches a line dance. ⁠ ⁠ Early risers get their stretch on lakeside. ⁠ ⁠ Afro-Caribbean dance class with Marquetta DuPree is a perennial favorite, and accessible to many kinds of bodies. ⁠ ⁠ We love to see anyone and everyone moving! ⁠ ⁠ We remind ourselves to breathe, roll our shoulders, and let go of our tight glutes. We remember that we have bodies that need care, in order to do the good, hard work with each other. ⁠ ⁠ @md_wellness⁠ devonknightner

50 years worth of stories, over 50 contributors, almost 150 interviewees, more than 400 pages – “the ROOTS book” (as it has been called through its decade of development) is finally here. And just in time for our 50th anniversary! Stories from Alternate ROOTS: It’ll Take Some Tellin’ can be ordered directly from our publisher at our 🔗LinkinBio, or wherever books are sold! *AND* if you are in Atlanta, you can get a book directly in your hands on Sunday, November 15, 3-5pm at the ArtsXChange! We’ll have an amazing crew of Atlanta ROOTers in the house! Co-editors Yvette Angelique Hyater-Adams and Kathie deNobriga will be reading their work. You’ll sing with Elise Witt and enjoy readings by Alice Lovelace, Normando Ismay, and Ashley Walden. Your Emcee for the afternoon will be Ashlee Haze, and Executive Director Wendy Shenefelt will share some words. The November 15 party is FREE, but we ask you to register ahead of time. When you register, you have the opportunity to purchase your book ahead of time and have it waiting for you! You can also buy books at the event from our partner, Charis Books. Register for the November 15 Book Release Party at our 🔗LinkinBio. (Hit the bottom arrow next to “The ROOTS Book is here!”) This fall the book tour starts, and it will continue alongside our 50th Anniversary celebrations. @yvette_angelique_writer @abovebeyondbully @ashleyminnerjones @newvillagepress

Children and young people are not only welcome at ROOTS Week—they co-create the culture of ROOTS Week. At ROOTS Week 2026, folks under 30 were organized into three formations: YOUTH VILLAGE: children 0-10 had full day child care and creative programming led by The Bee Collective, who design their work with children around nature, literacy, arts and culturally rooted learning. ROOTeens: (founded by Mah Kouyate and Zaire DuPree) BROUGHT DOWN THE HOUSE on Saturday night when they showcased their art, music, and dance. ROOTeens was born out of a need for space and programming for young people who have aged out of child care, but are still under 18. ROOTeens were led by poet and teaching artist Jonathan Samuel Eddie. YOOTS: a strong cohort of young people 19+ have been organizing for several years. They taught a workshop on the Appalachian practice of broom-making, and led an intergenerational dialogue about arts activism that was so rich it had to be continued the next day! @beecollectivesc @jonsamedd @affrilachiancowboy @hannahburt

ROOTS After Dark is the special sauce of ROOTS Week. It’s our late night open mic cabaret / dance party drenched in chaotic creativity. We take a few photos of ROOTS After Dark, but mostly what happens at ROOTS After Dark stays at ROOTS After Dark. Regardless of whether you are programmed into ROOTS Week with an entry in the Program Book, you have an open stage and an audience of generous souls at ROOTS After Dark. You can bring the song you are afraid to sing anywhere else. You can write a brand new poem based on that thing that happened in the afternoon, and read it at ROOTS After Dark. You can listen and try to understand all these other people at ROOTS Week by paying attention to their art. Attention to each other’s art is a form of revolutionary love, and we work it during ROOTS After Dark. @redsbodyart @multibandstudios @lovelacealice @shmoo_dance @carolynreneeheals @abovebeyondbully @lisaqmount @abuelitaladona

ROOTS stays guided by is founders and elders—because they keep showing us the way! ⁠ ⁠ As we celebrate our 50th Anniversary as an organization, we count ourselves lucky to have so many former executive directors present at ROOTS Week. They are witnesses to our journey—the highs and the lows. We know we can call on them when we need perspective. We are so proud of the ways they continue the legacy of Alternate ROOTS in their artistry, their organizing, and their lives. ⁠ ⁠ ROOTS Week 2026 had its very first Artist in Residence: Alice Lovelace, former executive director of Alternate ROOTS and current poet, performer, author, teacher, presenter, publisher, and executive director of the ArtsXChange in Atlanta. During ROOTS Week, Alice delivered a keynote on her history as a revolutionary artist, taught a writing workshop, and brought the house down with a fiery performance of her poetry. That is what we mean by LEGACY! ⁠ ⁠ @artsxchangeatl⁠ @sippculture⁠ @whenshen7⁠ @solsta999⁠ @carolynreneeheals⁠ @lovelacealice⁠

🔒 Applications for Artistic Assistance Project Development are now closed. ⁠ ⁠ 🫶🏽 THANK YOU to everyone who applied. We know it is not easy writing proposals, calculating budgets, and agonizing over work samples. Every grant cycle gives us the opportunity to understand the amazing justice-infused art projects our members are involved in, and we don’t take that for granted. ⁠ ⁠ 💎 We continue to raise funds in order to distribute even more support to activist cultural workers all over the US South. ⁠ ⁠ 💌 Applicants should expect to hear about the results of the selection process by the end of November. ⁠

We gather for ROOTS Week in order to struggle together, but also inspire each other with our stories and our art. These are just some of the words that uplifted us at ROOTS Week 2026. Incredible video of ROOTS Week by @chattam. A friend of mine once told me that the only thing that we ever really have to teach with, or talk about, is our lives… -Yvette Hyater For me, art has always been the most revolutionary thing that you can do because there is nothing more revolutionary than being yourself and then putting your view, your view of the world, out there for everyone to see. One thing I firmly believe: you can not free other people, you can only free yourself… -Alice Lovelace A person must open themself to the possibility of bein whole: that’s what healin’ is… -Jo Carson, as performed by Cece Daratany Using culture, art, history, organizing, all of the tools that they can find to save their communities, to heal the wound… -Bob Leonard It is the individual, once they are free, who can join in community with others, who then begin to build a communal path for others to be free—and that’s Alternate ROOTS. That is ROOTS. -Alice Lovelace

🎇 TODAY is the DEADLINE for Artistic Assistance Project Development applications. All applications must be submitted by Monday, October 5, 11:59 pm ET. 📞 Final proposal support office hours with Program Manager Elly MAB are from 5 – 6pm ET TODAY: Monday, October 5th. This is your last opportunity to receive application support from the program manager. After 6pm ET on Monday, October 5th, staff will not be available to provide support. Register for Office Hours at 🔗 linkinbio “Office Hours Registration”

🪘 ONE MORE WEEKEND to write your proposal, craft your budget, and gather your work samples for your Artistic Assistance Project Development application. 🗓️ Monday, October 5, 11:59 pm ET: Application & Membership Deadline 📧 End of November: Award Notifications Artistic Assistance Project Development provides direct funding to ROOTS members to support community-focused projects and collaborations. Project Development awards range from $500 to $6,000. These grants can be used to support live performance, exhibitions of visual art, workshop presentations, and much more. Program details at our 🔗 linkinbio under “Artistic Assistance Project Development” 📲 Final proposal support office hours with Program Manager Elly MAB are from 5 – 6pm ET Monday, October 5th. This is your last opportunity to receive application support from the program manager. After 6pm ET on Monday, October 5th, staff will not be available to provide support. Register for Office Hours at 🔗 linkinbio “Office Hours Registration” 📸 slides 1, 2: mel cardona. slide 3: Eric Michael Ward

“HARD WORK: that’s what we do! Though it may not look like work to you…” —the first original Alternate ROOTS song, written by John Hadley ROOTS Week is the Annual Meeting of the 150-person board of directors of Alternate ROOTS. Every year we gather for many hours of business meetings to deliberate and make decisions on behalf of the organization. Business meetings are HARD WORK! They require time, attention, patience, listening, hydration, grounding, and emotional fortitude. We are tackling issues directly related to Alternate ROOTS’ future existence, financial health, values alignment, and staff well-being. Members bring proposals forward. Staff and Executive Committee people make presentations. We try to remember to take song and dance breaks. Producing ROOTS Week itself is HARD WORK! Full-time, part-time, and contract staff are all helping folks register, getting them into housing, tracking dietary needs, driving golf carts, and distributing bubble machines. Our amazing colleagues at @multibandstudios make sure that everyone can be heard as well as facilitating live video calls. We are lucky to have both artists who have documented ROOTS Week for many years, and new folks who bring a fresh eye to the documentation task, turning it into an art form. Big thanks to everyone whose HARD WORK made ROOTS Week 2026 a success! 📸mel cardona @melisacardona @redsbodyart @ashleehaze

🎨 ROOTers! You have just under ONE WEEK to complete your application for for Artistic Assistance Project Development! Now is the time to write your proposal, craft your budget, and gather your work samples! Here are SOME of the things Artistic Assistance Project Development Supports: ✦ Live Performances ✦ Filming of Performances ✦ Motion Picture Production ✦ Photography ✦ Audio Recording Projects ✦ Podcasts – Video or Audio ✦ Publishing / Book Projects ✦ Workshop Presentations ✦ Gallery or Visual Art Exhibitions ✦ Conference or Festival Production ✦ Artists’ Retreats ✦ Archiving Projects Artistic Assistance Project Development provides direct funding to ROOTS members to support community-focused projects and collaborations. Project Development awards range from $500 to $6,000. These grants can be used to support live performance, exhibitions of visual art, workshop presentations, and much more. Program details at our 🔗 linkinbio under “Artistic Assistance Project Development” 🗓️ Monday, October 5, 11:59 pm ET: Application & Membership Deadline 📧 End of November: Award Notifications 🆘 Proposal Support! Every Monday during the application period, Program Manager Elly MAB will hold office hours from 5 – 6pm ET. This is a great way to get your questions about the Artistic Assistance application and selection process answered while connecting with other ROOTS members! Register for Office Hours at 🔗 linkinbio “Office Hours Registration” 📸 slides 1, 3: mel cardona. Slide 2 courtesy of elisewitt.com

Relationships are the center of everything we do at ROOTS Week.⁠ ⁠ Old friends fall into each other’s arms at the registration desk. New folks wander around looking lost until someone hands them a lemonade and urgently introduces them to someone they just HAVE TO KNOW. Colleagues from different worlds meet in the cafeteria line and piece together the journeys that brought them together at ROOTS Week.⁠ ⁠ Sometimes folks come to ROOTS Week with a hurt on their heart because of a difficult ROOTS relationship, and maybe they find some comfort in being held by community. We are all given the opportunity to meet conflict with grace at ROOTS Week. We help each other remember the centrality of our relationships, and we work to help each other move through sticky stuff.⁠ ⁠ At ROOTS Week, our relationships are tools of the revolutionary solidarity we need in order to dream and build a just and humane world. 📸mel cardona @melisacardona @dirt_femme @priscillagaysmith @macpeach2510 @lovelacealice @clear_creek_creative @lindaparrisbailey @whenshen7 @christine_gautreaux_msw @abuelitaladona @mdwellness @nikki.b1997 @lisaqmount @carolburchbrown

✍🏽 TODAY is a great day to start your application for Artistic Assistance Project Development! 👨🏿‍💻 Starting your grant application EARLY is a great way to identify any questions or sticking points and get full clarity before you submit. ☎️ Proposal Support Office Hours TODAY! Every Monday during the application period, Program Manager Elly MAB will hold office hours from 5 – 6pm ET. This is a great way to get your questions about the Artistic Assistance application and selection process answered while connecting with other ROOTS members! Register for Office Hours at 🔗 linkinbio “Office Hours Registration” Artistic Assistance Project Development provides direct funding to ROOTS members to support community-focused projects and collaborations. Project Development awards range from $500 to $6,000. These grants can be used to support live performance, exhibitions of visual art, workshop presentations, and much more. Program details at our 🔗 linkinbio under “Artistic Assistance Project Development” 🗓️ Monday, October 5, 11:59 pm ET: 🔚 Application & Membership Deadline 🗓️ End of November: 📧 Award Notifications 📸 Ariston Jacks

🏋🏿 Crafting a grant proposal might feel like a lot – but don’t worry, we’re here for you. 💸 Artistic Assistance Project Development provides direct funding to ROOTS members to support community-focused projects and collaborations. Project Development awards range from $500 to $6,000. ☎️ Every Monday during the application period, Program Manager Elly MAB will hold office hours from 5 – 6pm ET. This is a great way to get your questions about the Artistic Assistance application and selection process answered while connecting with other ROOTS members! Register for Office Hours at 🔗linkinbio “Office Hours” Other Important Dates: 🗓️Monday, October 5, 11:59 pm ET: 🔚Application & Membership Deadline 🗓️Late November: 📧Award Notifications Questions about Artistic Assistance? Reach out via our contact form at our link in bio. 🔗 Through our funding programs, we live into our mission of supporting artists and culture bearers while striving for social and economic justice.

🔋Today we open the Project Development round of our longest-running funding program, Artistic Assistance. 💸 One of the BIG ways we champion the work of Southern, justice-loving artists and culture bearers is by getting money in the hands of our members. Artistic Assistance Project Development provides direct funding to ROOTS members to support community-focused projects and collaborations. Project Development awards range from $500 to $6,000. Program Timeline: 🗓️ Thursday, September 10: ✍️ Applications Open 🗓️ Mondays in September + Monday, October 5th, from 5 – 6pm ET: ☎️ Office Hours with Program Manager Elly MAB. Register at 🔗linkinbio “Office Hours” 🗓️ Monday, October 5, 11:59 pm ET: 🔚 Application & Membership Deadline 🗓️ Early December: 📧 Award Notifications Interested? Read all about the program details at our 🔗linkinbio under “Artistic Assistance”

Alternate ROOTS honors the artists and cultural workers whose labor shapes our world! Alternate ROOTS is closed Friday, September 4 - Monday, September 7, reopening on Tuesday, September 8.

Thank you, ROOTers for this meaningful time of connection, collaboration, and creation. Thank you for helping us kick off our 50th celebration of art, community, and justice. And we’re just getting started – cheers to many more anniversary festivities through 2027! We purposefully stayed offline this week – photos and stories from ROOTS Week will be coming soon. Our deep gratitude for everyone who made ROOTS Week possible. And now: we rest. The ROOTS Office will be closed from August 10th-16th. We’ll reopen on Monday, August 17th. Get home safe, everyone!

⭐ 🌠 If a trip to Little Rock is not in the cards this summer, we still hope you will join us August 4-8 from the comfort of your own home. 🌠 🥁 Virtual ROOTS Week participants will have access to ALL Annual Business Meetings (including online voting!) as well as performances, music, visual art discussions, and workshops. A full schedule of Virtual sessions is available at our 🔗 Link in Bio. You CAN register next week, but it helps our hard-working event organizers A LOT if you register today! It only takes a minute. 💲So get your sliding scale ($1-$50) tickets right now! Register for VIRTUAL ROOTS Week 2026 at our 🔗 Link in Bio. 💲

☑️ The Proposed Alternate ROOTS 2026-2027 Executive Committee Slate was announced earlier this month!⁠ ⁠ 🙋🏽‍♂️ With over one hundred Voting Board Members, the Executive Committee (affectionately called ExComm) is the body of 9-15 representatives that Alternate ROOTS Voting Members elect to offer governance and oversight throughout the year.⁠ ⁠ All Voting Members are encouraged to vote! You can do so as either an in-person or virtual participant of ROOTS’ Annual Business Meeting, held during ROOTS Week (August 4-9, 2026). ⁠ ⁠ 🪇 For more information about Voting on the ExComm Slate, check your July 7 email or find the Contact Us button at our 🔗 Link in Bio.

🪑 Join us TODAY Thursday, July 23 on the virtual porch! 🪑⁠ ⁠ ☕ We gather at 6:30pm ET / 5:30pm CT. Porch Sits are our low-key way of staying connected and talking through what’s going on at ROOTS. ☕⁠ ⁠ At this Porch Sit, we’ll discuss the two votes we anticipate at this year’s Annual Business Meeting – the proposed bylaws amendments and ExComm Slate. ⁠ ⁠ All members are welcome! Voting Members are especially encouraged to attend. ⁠ ⁠ 🪻 So come on out Today Thursday – bring your favorite beverage, comfiest chair, and a curious mind.🪻⁠ ⁠ 🪧 Check your July 20th email for registration link. 🪧

⭐ Virtual ROOTS Week Registration Open Now! ⭐⁠ ⁠ 🌠 Enjoy ROOTS Week August 4-8 from the comfort of your own home. 🌠 ⁠ ⁠ Virtual ROOTS Week participants will have access to ALL Annual Business Meetings (including online voting!) as well as performances and other cultural offerings. ⁠ ⁠ 🗺️ This year’s theme is ROOTS Underground: Pathways to Liberation. We are gathering our community to share tangible tools for waymaking. We remain inspired by the roots of trees who do so much vital work underground. 🗺️⁠ ⁠ 📨 ROOTS Members: check your July 14 email for full details on how to register for Virtual ROOTS Week, or find VIRTUAL ROOTS Week 2026 at our 🔗 Link in Bio. 📨

It’s time to get ready for ILI Year 8! 2027/28 - Apply by 8/21/26 - https://mailchi.mp/5a021d9161f5/announcing-year-8-guidelines - Spread the word!⁠ ⁠ We at ROOTS are proud to be a founding partner of the Intercultural Leadership Institute and encourage all our members and friends to apply for ILI Year 8!⁠ ⁠ 🧐 Learn more at www.weareili.org⁠ ⁠ 🥳 Apply by Friday, August 21!

⭐ Virtual ROOTS Week Registration Open Now! ⭐ 🌠 Enjoy ROOTS Week August 4-8 from the comfort of your own home. 🌠 At ROOTS Week 2026, we launch the 50th Anniversary celebration of Alternate ROOTS! As our Board Co-chair Keryl McCord says: “This gathering is more than an anniversary. It is a celebration of a living community carried forward by generations of artists, organizers, culture bearers, and dreamers.” Virtual ROOTS Week participants will have access to ALL Annual Business Meetings (including online voting!) as well as performances and other cultural offerings. Growing our Virtual ROOTS Week programming reflects our commitment to increasing multiple forms of accessibility and strengthening our network across the US South. Whether you’re new to ROOTS or have been around since the beginning – if you’re a justice-loving cultural worker, you are welcome in the Zoom Room. 🗺️ This year’s theme is ROOTS Underground: Pathways to Liberation. We are gathering our community to share tangible tools for waymaking. We remain inspired by the roots of trees who do so much work underground. 🗺️ 📨 ROOTS Members: check your July 14 email for full details on how to register for Virtual ROOTS Week, or find VIRTUAL ROOTS Week 2026 at our 🔗 Link in Bio. 📨

☑️ The Proposed Alternate ROOTS 2026-2027 Executive Committee Slate has been announced! 🙋🏽‍♂️ With over one hundred Voting Board Members, the Executive Committee (affectionately called ExComm) is the body of 9-15 representatives that Alternate ROOTS Voting Members elect to offer governance and oversight throughout the year. All Voting Members are encouraged to vote! The vote is on the entire slate rather than each individual member. You can do so as either an in-person or virtual participant of ROOTS’ Annual Business Meeting, held during ROOTS Week (August 4-9, 2026). 🪇 For more information about Voting on the ExComm Slate, check your July 7 email or find the Contact Us button at our 🔗 Link in Bio.

Need space for your love, disappointment, anger, rage, hope, grief, frustration, (and everything in between!) on this 250th anniversary of the US? Then join us and our friends at @breakup_250 – we’re reflecting on our relationships with the US through the familiar metaphor of the breakup letter. What do you need to say to this country? What shifts are you making in your relationship to/with it? What opens up for you through the act of writing a breakup letter to the US? Visit breakup250.com to share your letters, or post them directly to your socials and tag @breakup_250

⚽ 🙌🏾 We’re celebrating the World Cup AND we’re also celebrating the @noiceinthecup2026 campaign 🙌🏾 ⚽ Throughout this year, we joined with cultural organizations across the country to dream up this campaign and we’re thrilled to see ROOTS member @thefaztastic as one of the featured artists ✨ There’s still time to get involved! Visit www.noiceinthecup.us to ⚽ Submit or download artwork ⚽ Host a #noiceinthecup soccer tournament ⚽ Find an event near you ⚽ Learn your rights when it comes to dealing with ICE agents

💥 Register for ROOTS Week by Friday, June 26! 💥 🛌🏿 Double- and Triple-Occupancy Tickets for ROOTS Week Now Available for $1,000 Each 🎈August 4-9 in Little Rock, AR we launch the 50th Anniversary celebration of Alternate ROOTS. Subsidized on-campus tickets for ROOTS Week ($200-$750) are sold out, but there are full-price tickets available for on-campus housing. Those tickets are $1,000 for double- or triple-occupancy rooms. We are still maintaining a waitlist for subsidized on-campus housing and will release subsidized tickets as they become available. 🚗 Off-campus tickets are also available, both full-price and subsidized for ROOTS Members. 🪘 To Register, find ROOTS Week 2026 at our 🔗 Link in Bio. 🪘

In honor of Juneteenth, the ROOTS office will be closed Thursday, June 18 and Friday June, 19. ✨ We'll be back at it on Monday! ⁠ In these times, we know that joy, rest, and community are vital and we hope you get a little (or a LOT) of all three this holiday weekend. ❤️ 🖤 💚⁠ ⁠

💥 More On-Campus Tickets Available for ROOTS Week! 💥 🛌🏿 Double- and Triple-Occupancy Tickets for ROOTS Week Now Available for $1,000 Each! 🎂 August 4-9 in Little Rock, AR we launch the 50th Anniversary celebration of Alternate ROOTS. Subsidized on-campus tickets for ROOTS Week ($200-$750) are sold out, but there are full-price tickets available for on-campus housing. Those tickets are $1,000 for double- or triple-occupancy rooms. We are still maintaining a waitlist for subsidized on-campus housing and will release subsidized tickets as they become available. 🚙 Off-campus tickets are also available, both full-price and subsidized for ROOTS Members. 🌀 To Register, find ROOTS Week 2026 at our 🔗 Link in Bio. 🌀

🪕 The Alternate ROOTS office will be closed Friday, May 22-Monday, May 25 for the Memorial Day holiday. 🚲 Wishing you all a restful, creative, and fun weekend! 📞 ROOTS staff will respond to your messages on Tuesday, May 26. 📷 mel cardona

🪇 HUGE THANKS to all of the ROOTS members who made our FIRST EVER Virtual Business Meeting a SUCCESS! 🪇 🛠️ Our participatory governance includes art, committee reports, breakout discussions, staff updates, and voting! It’s hard work! And it takes all of us. 🛠️ 📊 Do you want to get more involved in the work of Alternate ROOTS? Here are some ways you can plug in: ☎️ Register for the next Cross-Regional Call on Monday, May 11 at 7:00pm ET / 6:00pm CT. Check your May 1 Member News Email for the link to register or reach out via our contact form at our link in bio. 🔗 ✉️ Read your Member News email (every month!) –the May 1 Member News features a report-back with future actions! ✉️ 🙋🏽‍♂️ Check Member News email for a list of all of the active Work Groups and how to join! 🙋🏽‍♂️ 🛝 Join us for the Annual Business Meeting during ROOTS Week in August. If you can’t make it in person, join us in the Virtual Business Meeting space. Details coming soon. 🛝 📷: mel cardona

🪇 Virtual Business Meetings are FUN at Alternate ROOTS! 🪇 🎨 Our participatory governance includes ART! 🎨 ☑️ (And breakout discussions, and grounding, and voting) ☑️ 📊 Friday, April 24, 4:30-7pm CT / 5:30-8pm ET 📊 Saturday, April 25, 9:30am-2pm CT / 10:30am-3pm ET ✉️ Check your March 25 email for full details and a link to register! ✉️ The Virtual Business Meeting that will include brief reports from staff as well as Work Groups including Heal/Teal, ROOTS Week, Fundraising, 50th Anniversary, YOOTS, and UpROOTing Ableism. ROOTS members have been hard at work all year guiding important initiatives. 🛝 We will still hold the Annual Business Meeting during ROOTS Week in August. 🛝 🙋🏽‍♂️ Join us in April as we re-connect with community and engage deeply with our vision for the future of Alternate ROOTS! 🙋🏽‍♂️ ✉️ Can’t find the link to register in your March 24 email? Reach out via our contact form at our link in bio. 🔗

☎️ Reactivating Our Regional Reps Model with Regional Warm-Up Calls ☎️ ROOTers! We are reviving our former model of regional representation and kicking that process off with some Warm-UpCalls anchored by @poetdjkingshakur and Omari Fox! We are building a membership collective to anchor our regions. At the moment, our regional template is comprised of the following (though these are soft outlines to get the momentum flowing): ⬆️ The Upsouth: Virginia, West Virginia, Washington DC, Maryland ↩️ The Mid-South: Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky ↘️ The South East Coast: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia ⬇️ The Gulf Coast: Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Florida, Alabama 📞 Join us for the first set of Warm-Up Calls this April! 📞 ⬆️ & ↘️ The Upsouth & South East Coast: Regional Warm-Up Call Thursday, April 9 Members in Virginia, West Virginia, Washington DC, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia please join Omari Fox on Thursday, April 9 at 6:30pm ET / 5:30pm CT. ↩️ & ⬇️ The Mid South & Gulf Coast: Regional Warm-Up Call Thursday, April 16 Members in Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Florida, and Alabama please join King Shakur on Thursday, April 16 at 7:30pm ET / 6:30pm CT. 🖥️ REGISTER NOW for these calls! Find registration links in your April 13 email from Alternate ROOTS. Can’t find the link to register in your email? Reach out via our contact form at our link in bio. 🔗

📢 Attention ROOTS Members! Register NOW for Virtual Business Meeting Friday & Saturday, April 24-25 📢 🛠️ Participatory governance is hard work! And it takes all of us. 🛠️ ✉️ Check your March 25 email for full details and a link to register! ✉️ The Alternate ROOTS Executive Committee will be leading a virtual Business Meeting : 📊 Friday, April 24, 5:30-8pm ET / 4:30-7pm CT 📊 Saturday, April 25, 10:30am-3pm ET / 9:30am-2pm CT. Big thanks to the Membership Development Work Group of 2022-2024 who pushed for more opportunities for members to be meaningfully involved in the work of the organization! 🧑🏼‍❤️‍🧑🏽 We will still hold the Annual Business Meeting during ROOTS Week in August. 🧑🏼‍❤️‍🧑🏽 🙋🏽‍♂️ Join us in April as we re-connect with community and engage deeply with our vision for the future of Alternate ROOTS! 🙋🏽‍♂️ ✉️ Can’t find the link to register in your March 24 email? Reach out via our contact form at our link in bio. 🔗 ✏️ Excerpts of graphic note-taking by @lisaqmount

🌸 Registration open for ROOTS Week 2026: 5 days of dancing, deliberating, drumming, and dreaming! 🌸 ROOTS Week 2026 August 4-9 Little Rock, AR 🔶 Tickets are nearly sold out, so we encourage you to save your spot at ROOTS Week ASAP! Here’s how to do that: 🔶 🎟️ OFF-CAMPUS TICKETS 🎟️ A good number of off-campus tickets are still available! These include three meals per day and access to all programming; you will be responsible for your housing. 🎟️ ON-CAMPUS TICKETS 🎟️ There are a limited number of on-campus tickets available. These are $1,000 for a double/triple occupancy room or $1,200 for single occupancy. 📝 WAITLIST FOR ON-CAMPUS TICKETS 📝 All subsidized on-campus tickets are sold out, but ROOTS members can still join the waitlist for subsidized tickets (priced at $200, $500, and $750). Find the waitlist form in your email or under “Subsidized On-Campus Tickets” on the ROOTS Week web page. If tickets become available, we will contact you. 🟧 Find ROOTS Week 2026 at our 🔗 Link in Bio for instructions on how to register. 🟧 🦌 Whether you’re new to ROOTS or have been here since the beginning – if you’re a justice-loving cultural worker, come celebrate with us! 🦌 📹 Video by @moonlabpictures 📹 @melisacardona, producer & co-director 📹@captain_crazy_productions, co-director, director of photography, editor⁠⁠ 📹 @kaitlin.d.williams, camera operator

💥 PUBLIC Registration now open for ROOTS Week 2026, kicking off our 50th anniversary!💥 ROOTS Week 2026 August 4-9 Little Rock, AR 🌄 Two weeks ago, we opened ROOTS Week registration to our members and have nearly sold out. Today registration opens to the general public – we encourage you to save your spot at ROOTS Week ASAP! There are still three ways you can do that: 🌄 🎟️ OFF-CAMPUS TICKETS 🎟️ A good number of off-campus tickets are still available! These include three meals per day and access to all programming; you will be responsible for your housing. 🎟️ ON-CAMPUS TICKETS 🎟️ There are a limited number of on-campus tickets available. These are $1,000 for a double/triple occupancy room or $1,200 for single occupancy. 📝 WAITLIST FOR ON-CAMPUS TICKETS 📝 All subsidized on-campus tickets are sold out, but ROOTS members can still join the waitlist for subsidized tickets (priced at $200, $500, and $750). Find the waitlist form in your email or under “Subsidized On-Campus Tickets” on the ROOTS Week web page. If tickets become available, we will contact you. 🌀 Find ROOTS Week 2026 at our 🔗 Link in Bio for instructions on how to register. 🌀 🌳 Whether you’re new to ROOTS or have been here since the beginning – if you’re a justice-loving cultural worker, come celebrate with us! 🌳

🪑 Join us TODAY on the virtual porch! 🪑 ☕ Thursday, March 12 at 5pm ET / 4pm CT we gather on the porch! Porch Sits are our low-key way of staying connected and talking through what’s going on at ROOTS. At this one, we’ll be answering any questions you have about ROOTS Week 2026. ☕ 🆘 We will also have a help desk open to provide real time support with purchasing ROOTS Week tickets, getting on the waitlist, or setting up a payment plan process. 🆘 🪻 So come on out this afternoon – bring your favorite beverage, comfiest chair, and best ROOTS Week story.🪻 🪧 Register for the Porch Sit at our 🔗 Link in Bio. 🪧

🖌️ Deadline March 16: ROOTS Week thematic artwork Request for Qualifications! 🖌️ 🛗 The theme of ROOTS Week 2026 is: ROOTS Underground: Pathways to Liberation. 🛗 🌀 We are looking for an artist who can visually interpret this theme through bold, resonant, and adaptable design. The selected artwork will serve as the visual anchor for ROOTS Week 2026 across digital, print, and environmental applications. 🌀 🎨 Ideal candidates are ROOTers or artists deeply aligned with the ROOTS ethos and the theme of liberation, movement-building, and collective transformation. 🎨 💰 Compensation: $2,000 honorarium + complimentary ROOTS Week 2026 registration 💰 🖥️ Interested? Please find the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) form in your February Member News email (2/27) or at our our 🔗 Link in Bio. RFQ submissions are due Monday, March 16. You will be contacted by ROOTS Staff if you are invited to create a design for ROOTS Week 2026. ❓ Questions? Reach out to us at rootsweek@alternateroots.org or leave a message at 404-577-1079 ext. 2. 🖼️ Artwork from past ROOTS Weeks: 2018 (detail): Ambrose Rhapsody Murray @01.ambrose 2023: Xavier Payne @xpayne.com_ 2025: Deisha Oliver @deisha_o 2024: Sydney Foster @sydney.a.foster

📣 One more week to submit nominations for Alternate ROOTS Executive Committee (ExComm) before Monday, March 16, 2026! 📣 🫱🏼‍🫲🏾 Who are the leaders in your region who are deeply connected to the work of Alternate ROOTS? 🤝🏿 🖼️ With over 100 ROOTS Voting Board Members, the ExComm is the body of 9-15 representatives that offer governance and oversight throughout the year. We are seeking leaders and learners who can commit to three years of service and will help us build a balance of skills and perspectives. 🖼️ 🙋🏽‍♂️ To nominate yourself or another Voting Member, please check your March 9 email for links to our website and nomination form. Both nominators and nominees must be Voting Members of active status. 🙋🏽‍♂️ 🗓️ Nominations are due Monday, March 16, 2026. 🗓️ 🏹 We need a strategically chosen body of representatives with the capacities, experiences, and qualities required to guide and uplift the organization to achieve our mission. Nominate yourself or another ROOTS Voting Member today! 🏹

🪑 Grab a seat on the virtual porch to talk about ROOTS Week 2026! 🪑 ☕ Thursday, March 12 at 5pm ET / 4pm CT we gather on the porch! Porch Sits are our low-key way of staying connected and talking through what’s going on at ROOTS. At this one, we’ll be answering any questions you have about ROOTS Week 2026. ☕ 🆘 We will also have a help desk open to provide real time support with purchasing ROOTS Week tickets or setting up a payment plan process. 🆘 🪻 So come on out on March 12th – bring your favorite beverage, comfiest chair, and best ROOTS Week story.🪻 🪧 Register for the Porch Sit at our 🔗 Link in Bio. 🪧

🖌️ Attention visual artists! Alternate ROOTS is seeking a creator for ROOTS Week’s central thematic artwork! 🖌️ 🛗 The theme of ROOTS Week 2026 is: ROOTS Underground: Pathways to Liberation. 🛗 🌀 We are looking for an artist who can visually interpret this theme through bold, resonant, and adaptable design. The selected artwork will serve as the visual anchor for ROOTS Week 2026 across digital, print, and environmental applications. 🌀 🎨 Ideal candidates are ROOTers or artists deeply aligned with the ROOTS ethos and the theme of liberation, movement-building, and collective transformation. 🎨 💰 Compensation: $2,000 honorarium + complimentary ROOTS Week 2026 registration 💰 🖥️ Interested? Please find the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) form in your February Member News email or at our our 🔗 Link in Bio. RFQ submissions are due Wednesday, March 16. You will be contacted by ROOTS Staff if you are invited to create a design for ROOTS Week 2026. ❓ Questions? Reach out to us at rootsweek@alternateroots.org or leave a message at 404-577-1079 ext. 2. 🖼️ Artwork from past ROOTS Weeks: 2015: Ariston Jacks art_i_sun 2021: Collaborative art from Another Gulf is Possible @anothergulf.ispossible 2020: Karla Rosas @karlinche_ & Fernando Lopez @fotografi.ando 2019: Angela Davis Johnson @angeladjohnson

As we near the end of 2025 we’re reflecting on the this year’s theme – Mapping a North Star – and how it's helped guide us through these turbulent times. ✨ And you can too! ⁠ ⁠ ✨ Check out MoonLab Pictures' gorgeous ROOTS Week video.⁠ ⁠ ✨ Ask yourself, "What's my North Star?"⁠ ✨ Tell us about it in the comments!⁠ ⁠ 🌕 Big thanks to the @moonlabpictures crew! 🌕⁠ ⁠ 📹 @melisacardona, producer & co-director⁠ ⁠ 📹 @captain_crazy_productions, co-director, director of photography, editor⁠ ⁠ 📹 @kaitlin.d.williams, camera operator

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