Ashia S. Ajani is a storyteller, environmental educator, and author of the poetry collection "Heirloom." They visited Cambridge to share their creative nonfiction debut explores the lives and histories of plants considered nonnative or invasive as metaphors for the Black experience in America, joined in conversation by Maria Pinto, local writer, editor, and educator.

In "Tending the Vines," Ajani illuminates how eight unique plants tell the story of the Black diaspora in America. Each chapter is a deep dive into one plant, including eucalyptus, passionflower, wild mustard, and kudzu, exploring their significance in African tradition, their role through the Middle Passage and chattel slavery, and their enduring importance in modern households and communities. Their stories challenge our notions of “invasive” and belonging, by contextualizing how plants move, are moved, and, of course, move us.