Land Acknowledgment

As an African American, Indigenous, and people of color-led organization committed to social justice and equity, it is essential for us to name the systemic harms caused by colonization and to follow the lead of Indigenous leaders.  

A land acknowledgment is one way to recognize the Indigenous peoples who have stewarded the land for generations. It is a way to honor their ongoing relationship with the land and the cultural practices they have sustained for millennia. At LeaderSpring Center, we offer this acknowledgment as an act of solidarity with Indigenous communities, as we commit to transforming systems of oppression in partnership with those who have long resisted colonization. 

As a fully hybrid organization, we recognize that when our leaders gather in-person, we are on Huichin, the ancestral land of the Lisjan Ohlone people in Oakland, California. 

The Lisjan Ohlone people have cared for and lived on these lands since time immemorial. They have survived over two centuries of attempted genocide and colonization and continue to resist the colonial project. Despite the violence of displacement and attempted erasure, they have preserved their sacred practices, maintained their sacred sites and are revitalizing their languages. We commit ourselves to following the leadership of the Lisjan Ohlone people and other Native stewards as we work to co-create systems of liberation. 

We encourage everyone to pay land taxes to honor the ongoing stewardship and preservation of this land. The Shuumi Land Tax for Foundations, as outlined by Justice Funders, encourages us all to contribute to the land back movement by providing reparative funding to Indigenous peoples. This is a way to acknowledge our responsibility and actively support the revitalization of Indigenous cultures and traditions. LeaderSpring commits to following this model and invites others to join us in taking responsibility for the lands we occupy. 

Learn more about the history of the Lisjan people: https://sogoreate-landtrust.org/lisjan-history-and-territory/  

We encourage everyone to learn more about the land they occupy, as well, by exploring resources such as Native Land. 

Labor Acknowledgement 

We acknowledge the stolen legacy, labor, and lives of Africans in the Americas and their descendants throughout the diaspora through chattel enslavement. We recognize that the historical wealth accumulation of individuals and the foundation of political and business institutions in the United States was built upon centuries of colonial exploitation, exclusion, and the dehumanization of Black people through a racial caste system. Despite enduring these intergenerational crimes against humanity, enslaved Africans and their descendants have survived, resisted, and led the charge for human and civil rights for many of our communities. As an organization, who has witnessed the harms caused by anti-Black systems and practices, we commit to following the leadership of Black people. We will use our position at LeaderSpring to heal relationships between our communities and co-create Pro-Black structures, practices, and policies that uplift us all.  

We credit N. KAMÉRON AKHÉRU for inspiring this iteration of the Labor Acknowledgement: “A Ritual Acknowledgement Ceremony and Statement of Atonement for the Stolen Legacy, Labor, and Lives of Enslaved Africans in the Americas and their Descendants throughout the Pan-African Diaspora.” By N. KAMÉRON AKHÉRU, published Sunday, May 9, 2021. 

Last Updated on April, 2025.