Hey Garden(ers),
This weekend a roast was had! Special thanks to Mo for organizing and hosting this weekend's Garden's Roast Wanted! From Dungeons and Dragons drama, to White Leftists who say obnoxious shit, to how Christopher Columbus and Bartolome de las Casas is trash, we all felt the rage, the laughs and revolutionary spirit!! You can see the itinerary here. For those who missed out, we will post videos soon and announce it in the newsletter.
As we move through the summer, Black August is on the horizon! For those unfamiliar with Black August, it is a time to commemorate the struggle and movement for Black Liberation. We'll have a slate of events for that, and if you would like to propose or host an event for Black August, the event proposal form can be found here.
Also, as a follow-up to the Anti-Blackness sessions GenDoc facilitated with us a few weeks ago, she has graciously provided this Notes on Anti-Blackness write-up which shares some key takeaways about how Anti-Blackness shows up in BIPOC spaces and what non-Black folks can be doing to support dismantling that.
🌈 Gather around Queers, we will conclude watching the Queer Ultimatum by streaming episodes 9-10 (season finale and the reunion) of Season 2! Will love conquer all? Will the couples survive? Come thru, tune in and find out tomorrow Thursday July 10th at 5pm PT. Don't forget to print out your cheat sheet here!
📺 Based on Issa Rae's acclaimed web series Awkward Black Girl, Insecure is a show about the awkward and messy experiences of a young Black woman. Join us every other Friday starting Friday July 11 at 6pm PT to stream and chit-chat about Issa and her crew's hilarious moments, relationship drama, bad decisions, breakups and glow-ups. Issa watch party at The Dunes!
🫂 The next session of Chronic Illness and Long Covid Support Group will be Thursday July 17th from 5:30pm-7:30pm PST with Chanelle! Navigating everything that comes with chronic illness can be difficult - from managing symptoms to experiencing grief over missing your pre-illness life. This is a peer support space where we can share our feelings about living with any chronic/long-term illness, including long COVID, during an ongoing pandemic. RSVP here!
🎨 Craft & Yap 🦜 will take place Sunday, July 20th at 11am PST. Come hang out and make stuff! Whether you’re journaling, stitching, collaging, or just vibing, this is a space for creativity and connection. Bring a project or come to get inspired and maybe learn something new. All crafts, all Gardeners welcome! Hosted by Deeda. RSVP!
🎤 Come join the Open Mic on Sunday, July 20th at 1pm PT. This open mic is a collaboration between TranscendAsian Pride Collective, Q-WAVE, and Garden. This Open Mic is a freeform setting for folks to read/sing original work or excerpts from published content that resonates with them at this moment. No writing or prior open mic experience is required to participate! Be sure to RSVP!
😱 If you love some good horror movies, we want to watch with you! Chanelle & J Mase will be hosting Horror Head Movie Marathon Part 3: Garden's Revenge! From niche films that make you squirm to more pop-culture horror comedies, we love all the subgenres of horror! Join us Saturday July 26th starting at 1pm PST! RSVP here
🎨 Let’s unlock our creative spirit together! Garden's Way a 12-week meetup where we’ll discuss chapters, share progress, and encourage each other as we move through The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. Open to anyone (writers, painters, musicians, dreamers, etc.) looking for a supportive space to grow and express themselves. 🌱 Sundays at 11am PT starting July 27 through Sep 28, hosted by Deeda & Mo & Dan. Meeting weekly at Garden and yapping asynchronously in our Signal group. DM a host to be added to the Signal group, or join us at their weekly meeting! RSVP here
🫁 Want to increase your lung capacity? Come to Breathing in the Knowledge Nursery! Every weekday at 9am PST. RSVP here!
💃🏾 Join Caroline for Co-Twerking on Tuesdays at 3pm PST! We will follow video(s) with a warm-up and cool down sequence, with dancing in between. This is meant to be an aerobic exercise, so bring water and items that will provide you comfort while dancing your butt off! Video suggestions welcome. Duration: ~30 minutes. RSVP here.
📔 Quiet-ish Reading Club / Connect (QRC) 💜💛📚 meets Tuesdays at 6pm PST! QRC - Garden Edition is where we chill together in mostly quiet company of 45 min reading blocks. Bring your own: book, audiobook, article, magazine, comic book, training manuals, graphic novel, paperwork/forms, poetry, etc. anything you’d like to or need to read. Most of the time will be us practicing sustained silent reading (SSR) in cozy, quiet company together. We will take occasional breaks to chat and socialize - mics optional. Learn more about QRC - Garden Edition. Like to be kept up-to-date on QRC meet-ups in Garden? Fill out this interest form. RSVP here
🎥 Name That Movie (Night!) is Wednesday at 5:30pm PST! Tonights movie is a 2025 comedy about three improv comedians who find themselves using their stage skills to infiltrate an underground network. Think you know what it is? Come thru and find out! RSVP via the visit page.
🪷 Stretch it out as Caroline leads us in another weekly afternoon Yoga sesh Fridays at 3pm PST by streaming a yoga video from YouTube and following along. Videos will be between 25-45 minutes long between easy to moderate pace. Drop ins are always welcome! RSVP via the calendar on the visit page.
😷 Hang out, chill and play games with Black folks who take COVID precautions at Bonfire in Garden is every 3rd Saturday! The next Bonfire will be July 19th at 5pm PST. RSVP here.
🦾 Self Defense Discussion Series with Caroline will be Sundays at 8am PT. Each group includes reading, discussion and (potential) movement on self-defense principles! In these politically challenging times, it is especially important for our collective liberation and self-care to learn self-defense. RSVP via the visit page!
💻 Do you work from home and sometimes feel a little too isolated from others? Come Co-Work with us in Garden! We are a 24/7 drop in space for folks to join to co-work silently, listen to music, play a game or chat amongst each other in the chat box.
🏆 The Suzi Bass Awards, whose mission is to celebrate and promote artistic excellence in Atlanta’s professional theatre community, seeks a remote part time (5-10 hrs per week) Administrative Director to help lead the organization’s events and fundraising. Compensation is $1k a month for 6 months. Please email a resume and cover letter to suziawardsjobs@gmail.com. Resumes will be collected through July 23rd with interviews beginning July 25 or after.
🌍 Mama Cash, an international funder rooted in feminism, will begin accepting applications in August for their Spark Fund. The fund supports initiatives by and for structurally excluded communities working on urgent and contested issues, especially those rooted in feminist practices. Ranging from €5,000 to €7,000 per project, grants are awarded to formalised groups as well as those that may not have formal, long-term plans, but where a grant can provide the group with the needed resources.
🍉 Centering Palestine has a zoom every Tuesday at 5pm PST, along with other resources to show up for Palestine available here.
😷 World Health Network has a weekly call to organize community members against mask bans every Friday at 12pm PST.
🌻 We are looking to open Garden up to more community orgs who would like to share space with us here. If you are part of an org that may benefit from office/event space here, please email info@meetatgarden.com
💌 Don't forget, we can design and host non-Garden virtual events too.
Until next our avatars meet,
🪄Al, 😻Gata & 🪻J Mase
PS: Have a one-time-event or a recurring event and need a place to host? Email us at info@meetatgarden.com!
Garden is a free 24/7 space, but it does cost money for us to maintain it on Gather.Town. If you'd like to donate to this work, consider throwing some money in the pot here. To send donations directly through our 501c3 fiscal sponsor, email us!