Upliftment Through Media: Visualizing Black Fiber Futures
bftn is first and foremost a community for our members—a space to share resources, exchange ideas, collaborate, learn from one another, and be in relationship with like-minded folks. We support regional ecosystems by strengthening the nodes across the U.S. and the globe that are producing in reverence of the earth. In addition to this primary purpose, bftn is premised on uplifting the work and practices of our members. We do this through media that centers their work as both present-day examples of regeneration and as local, micro-models for Black fiber futures and sustainable supply networks.
As we work to strengthen these ecosystems, we also pay close attention to whose knowledge is most visible—and whose is not. Often, when one searches the internet for natural dyeing, dyeing with plants, sustainable agriculture, or regenerative textiles, the results are dominated by videos of White people sharing and teaching these practices. We know and acknowledge that this work is—and has always been—a practice of all humans, especially Indigenous peoples in the southern part of our hemisphere. We seek to broaden and expand the images and stories that surface when people search for knowledge, information, and inspiration around these topics. This work of shifting representation is not just about visibility—it is about access, agency, and who gets to shape the narratives that inform our collective futures.
This work is tactile, hands-on, and deeply rooted. Many people do not have the ability to visit our members’ farms, studios, and businesses to witness their creativity firsthand. Offering visuals and short videos of their work is one way we invite people into these possibilities—especially those who might not otherwise have access. While visual media cannot fully capture the depth of what it takes to grow, produce, and make another way of being, it does hold the power to convey a feeling of possibility—one that alternative fiber and dye futures can inspire. Visual media also allows us to archive this crucial and innovative work.
Uplifting our members is an act of remembrance and repair. Black fiber, dye and textile practitioners hold living archives of knowledge—carried through crafting, land stewardship, and generations—yet are often overlooked within dominant narratives of sustainability and agriculture. By amplifying our members’ work, bftn creates space for these practices to be recognized not as trends, but as continuities. This visibility is a form of care: a way of returning honor, resources, and possibility to those cultivating regenerative futures rooted in place, relationship, and collective survival.
This year we are opening up our Youtube Channel so people can engage with videos featuring members of our network, their work, and our collective vision for supporting Black regenerative futures. While our primary commitment remains supporting our members, we recognize the power and importance of documenting our shared fiber futures and those who are making them possible. We hope this channel can serve as one of many guides toward agricultural, artistic, economic, and communal regeneration.
We are grateful to share that our short documentary, Woven From Nature, has been nominated for a Wildseeds Fund Impact Media Award. This nomination affirms the importance of this documentation work and reflects the power of sharing a collective vision for Black regenerative futures. We invite you to use this link to vote before February 13, 2026. We are deeply thankful for everyone who continues to support our media-making, our members, and the futures we are building together.
