Kristi Rangel has many facets: By career she is an educator, public health official, and artist. By passion she explores African American connections to the land in Houston.
When she talks, you quickly learn that her rootedness in nature runs deep. It starts with a three-times great grandfather who, although African, owned a large piece of property in Mississippi. It continues with her childhood adventures in family gardens and her adult efforts to bring raised vegetable beds to Kashmere Gardens Elementary School.
In this episode Kristi tells her story. She also shares her thoughts on property ownership, the conflicted history that connects black Americans to the land, and the need to find healing in nature.
Resources on Kristi Rangel’s Interview:
- Kristi Rangel’s website:
- Homepage.
- Information on the “Witness” series.
- Locations we mentioned:
- Kazi Shule: Former middle school on 3815 Live Oak. It opened in 1996, served students in grades 4–6 in Houston’s Third Ward, and closed in 2006.
- SHAPE Community Center.
- Kashmere Gardens Elementary School.
- Organizations with which Kristi Rangel collaborated to provide Kashmere Gardens Elementary with services:
- Organizations she worked with while at Kashmere gardens:
Kristi Rangel Reclaims Space and Place – Episode Transcript
To view the episode transcript, click here to open the pdf file.