Having conversations, spreading the word, and sharing resources are critical ways to support the Black community, but it’s not all we can do. We’re starting with highlighting organizations to donate to and Black-owned businesses to buy from in major cities near Getaway Outposts. We encourage you to support them in the coming days.

If you’re looking to continue the conversation and educate yourself more, we found this reading list  of 20 recent non-fiction books, memoirs, and histories written by Black American authors to be a great place to start. 

Find Your City:

• Atlanta
• Austin
• Boston
• Charlotte
• Cleveland
• Dallas
• Houston
• Los Angeles
• New York
• Pittsburgh
• Portland
• Raleigh
• Washington DC

Atlanta

Organizations to Support

• Atlanta Solidarity Fund: Contribute to this bail fund to help ensure that folks targeted for arrest are able to get out of jail quickly.
• Campaign Zero: Organization taking deliberate action focused on ending police violence in America.
• Metro Atlanta Mutual Aid Fund: Created by metro-Atlanta community members during COVID19 to support their community through disruption, uncertainty, and unemployment. 

Artists in the Community to Support

• Andrea Mckenzie Award Winning Mixed Media Artist born in Trinidad and Tobago now living in Atlanta. Visit her website here to shop. 
• R-KI-TEKT: Modern bohemian lifestyle and accessories brand by Kel Cadet celebrates color, rich texture, and patterns. Shop her site and Etsy.
• The Pink Locket: Modern minimalist jewelry handmade by Kamilah Campbell to empower women. Shop her site or Etsy. 

Bookstores to Shop

• Medu Bookstore: Specializing in culturally significant and often hard to find books, Medu has been around for more than 20 years. Shop here.
• Nubian Bookstore: Located in Southlake/Morrow, Nubian Bookstore is one of the largest Black-owned bookstores in Atlanta. 
• The Listening Tree: Over 100+ titles of Black-authored children’s books in Decatur. Shop here.

Restaurants to Order from

• Chef Rob’s Caribbean Café: Chef Rob cooks memorable food that brings the Caribbean right to your table. Visit the location, truck, or site to order. 
• Slutty Vegan ATL: Unbelievably tasty, cheat day vegan food truck. Visit their truck or site to order. 
• VBQ: Atlanta’s 1st plant based BBQ joint, boasting full flavor, local ingredients, and a whole lot of flare. Visit their website here.
• Virgil’s Gullah Kitchen and Bar: Virgil’s menu gives a taste of the Gullah Geechee cuisine & culture. Visit his site here.
• Want more Atlanta flavor? Here’s a longer list to pursue.

Austin

Organizations to Support

• 400+1 Bail Fund: All donations go to a bail fund to get demonstrators out of jail and  renew the faith of the most vulnerable. 
• Austin Justice Coalition: A racial justice group that educates and builds community power for people of color who live in Austin.
• San Antonio Freedom Fund: All donations go directly to the bail of arrested demonstrators.

Artists in the Community to Support

• Chris Rogers: Originally inspired by comic book art, this passionate Austin-based muralist embraces color and drama in his work. Shop his site. 
• Divine Luxury: Natural and organic bath and body brand created by Nikitra Jackson-Sagirius. Visit her shop here. 
• Plant + Vessel: A collection of pottery, jewelry, ceramics and plants. Shop here.

Bookstores to Shop

•  Black Pearl Books: An independent bookstore with a focus on diversity, inclusion, and equality. Shop their site.

Restaurants to Order from

• Baby Greens: Healthy fast food restaurant serving delicious, made-to-order food for carnivores, vegetarians, and vegans alike. Order here. 
• Bird Bird Biscuit:  Restaurant that focuses exclusively on biscuit sandwiches. Order here.
• Habesha Etheopian: Ethiopian fare served family-style. More info here. 
• Wasota Vegan paradise: Vegan Nigerian & West African Food. More info here.
• Looking for more? Here’s a longer list to pursue.

Boston

Organizations to Support

• BLM Boston:  focused on ending police violence, mass incarceration, economic disparities and the school to prison pipeline
• The Massachusetts Bail Fund: committed to freeing individuals serving pre-trial sentences, and to abolishing pre-trial detention in the long-term. 

Artists in the Community to Support

• Graceful Print Shop: Creates canvas prints perfect for your kids rooms, nurseries, or playrooms. Shop on Etsy. 
• Liana Farmer:  An artist, educator, and mom. For Liana, art has always been a means of communication and a way of self expression. Shop her site here.

Bookstores to Shop

• Frugal Bookstore: Located in Roxbury, they have a passion for promoting literacy for children, teens and adults. Shop here. 
• Million Year Picnic: Long-running comics shop specializing in independent & alternative comic books & graphic novels. Shop here.

Restaurants to Order from

• BRED gourmet: Burger bar serving gourmet patties & toppings, plus smoothies, salads & more. Order here.
• MIDA: Italian neighborhood restaurant located in Boston’s South End by Chef/Owner Douglass Williams . Order here. 
• The Coast Cafe: Home to the best fried chicken and mac & cheese in New England. Order here.
• The Urban Grape: Not a restaurant, but award-winning wine, beer, and spirits store. Order here.
• More restaurants featured here.

Charlotte

Organizations to Support

• The National Coalition of 100 Black Women:A network of women committed to improving the lives of Black women and their families by creating programs focusing on family, education, health and finances.

Artists in the Community to Support

• Monique Luck: An award-winning international artist and muralist. Visit her site here. 
• Tariq Mix: Known for bold color, abstract shape and textures. Shop his site. 
• Whitney Austin: A painter passionate about Black beauty, culture, and history. Shop her site.

Bookstores to Shop

• Shelves Bookstore: Owned by Abbi Glen, this independent shop is a pop-up mobile bookstore. Shop online here.

Restaurants to Order from

• Veltree: A vegan, plant based, soul food experience. Order here. 
• Jazzy Cheesecakes:The bakery specializes in cheesecakes but also offers a wide range of sweets including brownies, cakes, pies, cobblers.  Explore the menu.
• Cuzzo’s Cuisine: Famous for lobster mac & cheese but offers a wide variety of comfort foods. See the menu.
• Explore more Charlotte spots here.

Cleveland

Organizations to Support

• Cleveland Pandemic Response: Group created to facilitate community preparedness and recovery in the wake of COVID19.

Artists in the Community to Support

• The Blacker the Berry: A husband and wife team that produce quality, handmade items that reflect Black culture. Shop their Etsy store and site.
• Lauren Pierce: Artist Lauren Mckenzie-Noel creates work that focuses on diversity and bridging her Black and white identity. Shop her site here.

Bookstores to Shop

• Elizabeth’s Bookstore: Based in Akron, Elizabeth’s Bookshop + Writing Centre, created by academic and activist Rachel Cargle amplifies and celebrates marginalized voices.  Shop here.

Restaurants to Order from

• Angie’s Soul Food Cafe: Famous for homestyle Southern favorites with three locations around Cleveland. See their menu here. 
• Browns Corner Restaurant: A comfort-food breakfast spot that’s been in Cleveland for more than 35 years. 
• Empress Taytu: One of just two Ethiopian restaurants in Northeast Ohio with authentic African food. See their menu here.
• Explore more Cleveland eateries here.

Dallas

Organization to Support

• Dallas Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression : calling for action to support protesters wrongfully arrested by Dallas police.
• Faith In Texas: a multi-racial, multi-faith grassroots movement of Texans working for economic, racial, and social justice is bailing out protesters
• The Texas Organizing Project: working to bail out protesters in Harris, Dallas, and Bexar counties.

Artists in the Community to Support

• GabeJad: African Fabric Ties, Bowties and Headwraps made by Ade Ogbomo. Shop her Etsy and site. 
• Jeremy Biggers. Fine-artist, designer, photographer and filmmaker. Shop his website here.

Bookstores to Shop

• Pan African Connection: Bookstore, art gallery, and resource center. Shop here.

Restaurants to Order From

• Peace Love & Eatz: Inside Desoto Marketplace for plant-based smoothies, bowls & sandwiches. Order here. 
• Roots Chicken Shack: Famous for duck-fat fried chicken and owned by Tiffany Derry, Top Chef competitor and All-Star Chef finalist. Order here.
• Two Ponders Bar B Que & Seafood: An area staple for fried catfish & ribs. Order here. 
• Williams Chicken: With 38 locations in N Texas, this fried chicken spot is still open for drive-thru and delivery. Order here.
• Looking for more options? Check out this comprehensive list. 

Houston

Organization to Support

• BLM Houston:  addresses the issues that affects Black folks and collaborates with partners to build a healthy, educated and financially stable Black community
• Restoring Justice Community Bail Fund: provides legal defense and social services.

Artists in the Community to Support

• Nikkolas Smith, a native of Houston, Texas, is a concept artist, children’s books author and film illustrator now based in LA. Shop his site here. 
• Trini Gee creates gifts that celebrate Black history and culture. Shop her Etsy and site.

Bookstores to Shop

• African Imports Houston: Sells African clothing, books, movies, art, beauty products and more. 

Restaurants to Order from

• Lucille’s Houston: Well-refined Southern cuisine defined by history in the heart of Houston’s Museum District. Order here. 
• Reggae Hut Cafe: Colorful, modern spot serving a mix of Caribbean dishes, such as meat-filled patties & jerk chicken. Order here. 
• Taste Bar & Kitchen: Comfort food restaurant with an elevated twist. Order here.
• Explore more places to dine here.

Los Angeles

Organizations to Support

• Black Lives Matter LA: The chapter is fighting to adopt a “People’s Budget” that reallocates police funding to vulnerable communities.
• Peoples City Council Freedom Fund: Providing legal support, medical bills, transportation, supplies and protective gear to protesters.

Artists in the Community to Support

• Brown Crayons: Products featuring illustrations of powerful brown girls. Shop Etsy and their site.
• Markus Prime is an illustrator based in LA known for his sex positive comic strip, Oh Nah. Shop his site here. 
• Monica Ahanonu is an illustrator known for color theory, vector illustration, and motion design. Shop Etsy and her site. 
• Purple Pineapple Co. was created from a heart for activism, self care, and a love for pop culture by illustrator Devon Blow. Shop here.

Bookstores to Shop

• Eso Won Books: Veteran bookshop spotlighting a range of titles about & written by African American people. Shop here.

Restaurants to Order from

• ABeautifulLife: California inspired traditional Jamaican cuisine located in DTLA. Order here.  
• Bludso’s Bar and Que: Texas style BBQ joint offering classic meats & sides, plus creative cocktails. Order here.
• Munchies Vegan Diner: This Santa Ana favorite is open for takeout and delivery and ships across the West Coast. Order here.
• Honey’s Kettle Fried Chicken: Culver City spot for homemade Southern comfort fare, including fried chicken & fresh biscuits. Order here.
• Explore more restaurants with this comprehensive list.

New York

Organizations to Support

• Bed-Stuy Strong: a group of neighbors helping neighbors by crowdsourcing donations and taking care of vulnerable members of the Bed-Stuy community. 
• Brooklyn Bail Fund: Brooklyn Community Bail Fund is committed to challenging the racism, inequality, and injustice of a criminal legal system.
• Free Them all for Public Health: In the face of COVID19, jails, prisons, & detention facilities have become much more dangerous in this public health crisis.  
• Mutual Aid NYC : Supports local groups leading mutual aid efforts.

Artists in the Community to Support

• xnasozi: Home and lifestyle accessories inspired by a globe without borders. Handmade Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Visit and shop their Etsy store.
• Sophia Yeshi : An illustrator and graphic designer who created Yeshi Designs to shine a light on Black women, women of color, and the LGBTQ+ community. Shop her site.
• Vashti Harrison:  A writer, illustrator and filmmaker based in Brooklyn. Shop her site and books.

Bookstores to Shop

• Cafe con Libros. Brooklyn’s only Feminist indie bookstore & coffee shop. Shop their website here. 
• Sisters Uptown Bookstore: A family-owned and operated Manhattan bookstore and cultural center. Shop their site here.
• Revolution Books: A bookstore focused on the discovery and engagement of revolutionary theory. Shop their site here. 

Restaurants to Order from

• Peaches: Restaurant and bar serving Southern Cuisine and craft cocktails. Explore their menu here. 
• Cheryl’s Global Soul: Chef Cheryl brings her passion for soul food from different parts of the globe to the heart of Brooklyn. See their menu here. 
• Seasoned Vegan: This Harlem fixture uses global flavors to craft creative vegan dishes. Visit their site here for more.
• Explore more of the New York food scene here.

Pittsburgh

Organizations to Support

• Bukit Bail Fund: A fund started to honor the life of Frank “Bukit” Smart Jr.—who’s preventable death was the result of his treatment in prison—with the mission to abolish all jails.
• Pittsburgh Aftercare Jail Support – A network of people providing aftercare resources for those getting out of Allegheny County Jail with circumstances that make reentry particularly challenging.
• Pittsburgh Racial Justice Summit: An event for Pittsburgh organizers that creates opportunities for attendees to learn, connect, and act on behalf of racial justice.

Bookstores to Shop

• The Tiny Bookstore: Pittsburgh’s smallest independent bookstore. Visit their site here.

Restaurants to Order from

• Aunt Cheryl’s Cafe: Known for serving “food from the heart,” Aunt Cheryl’s owned by Cheryl Johnson offers an all-day breakfast menu. Check out their site here.
• Carmi’s Soul Food: Family-owned Pittsburgh soul food favorite. See their site here.
• Crabs R Us: Specializing in high-quality seafood and local ingredients. See their menu here.
• Explore more Pittsburgh restaurants here.

Portland

Organizations to Support

• Black United Fund of Oregon: An organization created to combat inequality, support communities of color, and channel charitable funds to low-income areas.
• Don’t Shoot PDX: Known for their bystander intervention work and strong community advocacy.
• PDX Protest Bail Fund: Established to cover bail for general police brutality and protesters arrested in connection to protests against George Floyd’s murder.
• Portland Freedom Fund: Donations go toward the end of money bail in Oregon with the goal of helping vulnerable populations navigate the legal system.

Artists to Support

• Jamila Clarke: Fine art, fashion, and cosplay portrait photographer based in Oregon. Shop her Etsy and website here. 
• Jean Pierre: He started Nkossi Boutique in 2015 and has been selling fine West African fashion, fabrics, wearable art, and décor ever since. Shop his Etsy and website here.
• Kayin Talton Davis: A designer and engineer who creates art prints and other household items for children and adults at SoapboxTheory. Shop her Etsy and site. 
• Stephanie Griffin: Artist who crafts “modern embroidery art from a unique point of view” by hand. Shop her Etsy.

Bookstores to Shop

• greenHAUS: A community gallery and boutique that sells artisan-crafted goods,  gifts, industrial salvage, and vintage goods priced for real life. See their site here.

Restaurants to Order from

• Cannon’s Rib Express: Award Winning BBQ Restaurant with authentic hickory BBQ and a secret sauce. 
• Catfish Lane:  Located in Cartlandia, this New Orleans style food cart serves up catfish, jambalaya, and Louisiana gumbo. Explore their menu here.
• Jamaican Homestyle Cuisine: Homestyle Jamaican cooking known for their jerk wings. Explore their menu here. 
• Queen of Sheba: Operating for more than 20 years, this is a city staple for family-style Ethiopian dishes.
• Explore more of the Portland food scene here.

Raleigh

Organizations to Support

• Sisters Network Triangle NC: Their mission is to increase awareness, both locally and nationally, of the devastating impact that breast cancer has in the Black community.

Artists in the Community to Support

• Jason Franklin: He uses painting, photography, and video to focus on American living, particularly in the South. Jason also runs Triangle Cultura Art Gallery with his daughter. Shop his Etsy. 
• Dare Coulter: An award-winning artist, muralist, and sculptor. Her mission is to create positive imagery of Black families. Shop her site.

Bookstores to Shop

• Liberation Station: This local independent bookstore believes in making representation accessible. They carry a wide selection of books written for, by, or about the Black experience. Shop here.

Restaurants to Order from

• Oak City Fish & Chips: This food-truck turned restaurant (with 2 locations) is known for their fish and chips as well as other fried seafood like shrimp and lobster. See menu. 
• Boricua Soul: With a permanent location at the heart of historic American Tobacco Campus in Durham and a food truck, they’re known for Puerto Rican inspired soul food. See menu. 
• Pure Juicery Bar: Raleigh-Durham’s only fully-vegan juicery and eatery. See menu. 
• Explore more Raleigh spots here.

Washington DC

Organizations to Support

• Black Lives Matter DC: A collective of Black artists, infrastructure builders, and strategists focused on Black people most at risk for state violence in DC.
• East of the River Mutual Aid Fund:   This Mutual Aid Network is a grassroots, community focused ecosystem focused on East of the River in Washington, D.C.
• Empower DC:  A city-wide, multi-issue community organizing project focused on enhancing, improving, and promoting the self-advocacy of low and moderate income DC residents.
• Stop Police Terror Project: An advocacy group committed to changing the system of policing in DC and building community-led peacekeeping efforts.

Artists in the Community to Support

• AllVeryGoods: Ama Schulman’s bandanas feature joyful patterns inspired by West Africa and DC. Shop her Etsy and site.

Bookstores to Shop

• Loyalty Books:  The Mid-Atlantic’s neighborhood spot for wonderful books and unique home goods, gifts, and programming. Shop their site here.
• Mahogany Books: Mahogany Books promotes reading, writing, and cultural awareness as tools to improve communities. Shop their site here. 
• Sankofa: A place where consideration happens through books, films, and programming generated by and about people of African Descent. Shop their site here.

Restaurants to Order from

• Ben’s Chili Bowl: With 61 years in business, they’re known for favorites like burgers, chili, and hot dogs. Order at their location or on their site here. 
• Oohhs & Aahhs: A beloved soul food spot, the inception of which came from chef-owner Oji Abbott’s late-night cooking sessions in culinary school. Visit their site here.
• Nu Vegan: A hip soul food restaurant that turns traditional vegan food upside down. Check out their menu here.
• Explore more Black-owned DC restaurants here.

We’re excited to share that The Getaway Podcast is back for its second season. This season, we’re turning the mic over to you, our guests, and your incredible stories.

One of our favorite programs here at Getaway is the Artist Fellowship. The gist of the program is that artists can apply and share with us what they would want to create on a Getaway. If accepted, we send the artist on a free 1-night escape to nature to create to their heart’s content – our only request is that they share with us what they create, so that we can share that with you.

We’ve seen it all – photographers looking to capture something outside of studio light. Digital projectionists who create light art on the cabins. Chefs getting ready to make their next great meal. New Yorker cartoonists who are constantly inspired by the idiosyncrasies of their environment.

In episode 2 of The Getaway Podcast, we meet 4 artists and talk about how the imperfection of nature – the way a tree’s stump may be gnarled, or how the sun sporadically lights a surface, or periodic bouts of rain or snow or wind – gave them permission to feel less stress towards perfection.

We think Artist Nicole Polletta, featured in this episode, says it best:

“There’s obviously so much complexity in nature and perfection but there’s also a lot that is not perfect if you will, you know, the bark on the tree and the leaves on the tree, you know the forms are perfect but some are crumpled, some ants are eating, some of the bark’s falling off. It’s just a lot to look at and take in. And I don’t feel that obsessive need for perfection. Like when I think about my collage work in the recent series I’m doing, it’s like perfect perfect perfect. And one of the things I love about drawing and one of the things I love about what I did at Getaway is that it’s like observing and recording the imperfect. And in that there is its own beauty. And I really enjoyed that. I think you have more of a creative license, when you’re not as focused on this perfection.”

Listen and subscribe to The Getaway Podcast here.

We’re excited to announce that The Getaway Podcast has returned for a second season.

This season, we’ve turned the microphone over to you and your stories – stories about connection, transformation, relationships, finding balance, and of course, nature.

Throughout the season you’ll hear from Getaway guests, staff, experts in their fields on how taking some time away from the daily grind and giving themselves the time, space, and permission to be off helped them see things a little more clearly.

In our first episode, “New, But Familiar,” our Founder and CEO Jon Staff discusses his journey to Getaway – one that involves a good dosage of burnout, an Airstream trailer, and a lot of nights spent thinking about what’s next.

Then we chat with Sharon, who caught our attention when she wrote us that she’d been to Getaway Chattahoochee three times in six weeks. When we first got on the phone with Sharon, we were struck by her story. In a moment of incredible transition in her life, she used the canvas of nature to contemplate what was at stake. The simple moments of the campfire and getting back in touch with a sense of play allowed her to make a pivotal move.

In our second episode of the season, we’ll meet a few of our Artist Fellows and discuss how time outside of the studio gave them permission to stop striving for perfection. And in that imperfection that only nature can bring, they sparked creativity.

You can listen and subscribe to The Getaway Podcast here.If you’re ready to book your escape, use code SEASON2 at checkout for $20 off your Getaway. Thanks for listening.