JoElle Thompson’s family owns the historic Four Way Soul Food Restaurant in South Memphis.
A couple of years ago, Thompson, as project lead, along with community members, launched Soil 2 Souls, an initiative with an original goal of creating a community cookbook. But the project evolved into something that addresses generations of environmental injustices across South Memphis.
Thompson describes Soils 2 Souls today as an “intergenerational cultural enterprise and collective of South Memphis residents transforming themselves and their neighborhoods through storytelling. [It] is rooted in the pillage of love, legacy, and land.”
By encouraging individuals to create more gardens and sustainable planting at home, they’re able to combat food insecurity in the area. The group’s overarching goal has been to develop a neighborhood-based food system that is supported by home gardening and collective economic and sustainable strategies.
“The Soil 2 Souls team combines visual artistry, cultural capital, initiatives, and public health strategies to address food and environmental justice in their communities,” Thompson says.
Environmental justice is one of the leading causes of Soil 2 Souls, and it includes preserving tradition, culture, and recipes by putting on various events in the neighborhood, most notably producing the Soul Table mini-docuseries and the Sunflower Soul Jam community festival.
All in all, Soil 2 Souls hopes to target food insecurity and shift the narrative given to South Memphis and the people living in it.
Food deserts are rampant in South Memphis, forcing many to leave their neighborhoods to buy groceries. The closest place to grab necessities and leisure items is Southgate Shopping Center.
The public health aspect of Soil 2 Souls emphasizes the community’s determination to “make sure the resources are in the neighborhood.”
Dr. Andrea Jacobo’s public health work is “to make sure we are educating the people and also elevating the knowledge that already exists in the community.” This includes creating third spaces for Memphians that involve educating, researching, and understanding the individuals living in the area and reminding them that they are “walking legacies.”
“Reclaim the space as something to be viable as a cultural asset in the community,” Jacobo says. “We’re trying to make sure we’re actually doing something that’s going to be impactful for the people, and creating a form of safety.”
Safety is intertwined in the “social fabric” of Soil 2 Souls that Dr. Jasmin Jeffrey describes.
“Thinking about the concept is really important to me when we think about how people succeed and do well in life and live a full, happy, and healthy life. The world is about the ways we’re interconnected,” she says.
She says it’s about creating a system of wellness for those who are desiring to preserve rituals around gathering. Having a third space like this be rooted in love, fellowship, and harmony means being able to target the needs of those who often feel undervalued.
Soil 2 Souls hopes to inspire South Memphis to continue building connections and making it a community that is truly for the people and respecting the land that has provided so much for many years.
The group includes not only those who grew up in the area, but also allies who believe in its mission. Each of them brings something fresh to the table that allows everyone to showcase their own passions and love for their community.
As a musician born and raised in Soulsville, Dame Smith (also known as DameMufasa) enjoys giving back to the place that shaped him throughout his upbringing.
He describes his role as a producer and community coordinator in Soil 2 Souls as fulfilling, especially because he can engage the community in a way that raises awareness of a plethora of issues, including the health and wellness of food-insecure South Memphians.
“I’m just super proud of being from Soulsville,” Smith says. “I think it’s important that we preserve the community, preserve the legacy around [it] in a real way.”
Since the initiative started two years ago, Soil 2 Souls has been developing a community cookbook and documentary that will serve as cultural artifacts. Their work and dedication are only the beginning of something special happening in the neighborhood they all love and care about.
Glenn Vaulx III, the group’s archivist, is learning how to preserve items he collects so they can not only be seen on display, but also used daily.
Most of what he has collected has been articles, books, old recipes, photos, and various historical documents. He views Soil 2 Souls as an investment that grants younger generations the opportunity to “impact and contribute” to a neighborhood that raised him.
Brandon McCoy (also known as BNodd) is the videographer, cinematographer, and everyone’s “favorite sunflower” at Soil 2 Souls.
“Soil 2 Souls to me is literally home,” he says. “I was born in South Memphis. I grew up going to Alton Elementary.”
He, along with their photographer and videographer, Wynton Hawkins, documents the group’s events, including the Sunflower Soul Jam and Soul Table series, in order to eventually make a documentary about their journey as a voice for the undervalued.
“I wanna kind of neutralize the stigma or at least help break the stereotype that South Memphis has,” McCoy says.
Hawkins shares the sentiment. “The part that’s the most valuable to me is being able to tell our own stories,” he says. “Instead of being told by somebody else who ain’t from here [and] don’t do what we do every day. Don’t see what we see every day. What does it mean to control the narrative in your own words?”
