Today we’d like to introduce you to Latiayna & Pamia Tabb-King; Hilliard.
Hi Latiayna & Pamia, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
The founders’ gardening journey and the beginning of Black Girls With Green Thumbs started with a simple gift. In spring 2014, Pamia gifted Latiaynna a box of seeds (and a cute dress!) for her birthday. That same year, they both began gardening at home.
As they experienced the benefits of growing their own food and connecting with nature, they began sharing their journeys with family, friends, and neighbors through social media. What started as a personal hobby and a way to connect with their community eventually grew into a nonprofit serving the Greater Philadelphia region.
Today, BGWGT uses gardening, wellness, and environmental education to help children, families, and communities experience the transformative benefits of nature.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
While our journey has had its challenges, we have remained grounded in our mission. Like many nonprofits, we navigated the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, shifting funding priorities, and changes in philanthropic giving.
These experiences reinforced the importance of staying adaptable while remaining focused on the communities we serve. As a small, nimble organization, we are intentional about our scope, the partnerships we build, and the impact we want to create. We prioritize deep, community-centered relationships over expansion for expansion’s sake, allowing us to stay connected to the needs of the people and communities we serve.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Black Girls With Green Thumbs?
Black Girls With Green Thumbs is a nonprofit organization founded by two friends and mothers, Pamia Hilliard and Latiaynna King, who share a deep love for all things green, the outdoors and nature. BGWGT has used that passion to ensure that children, families, and communities have access to the transformative benefits of nature.
Through gardening, wellness, environmental education, and hands-on workshops, BGWGT creates opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to connect with the earth, grow their own food, develop life skills, and cultivate healthier lifestyles.
Our programs go beyond gardening. We specialize in making the outdoors accessible, engaging, and empowering. From our Green Thumbs In Your School program, which combines gardening, plant-based cooking, and trauma-informed yoga for students with developmental and behavioral support needs, to community gardening initiatives, teen leadership opportunities, and wellness experiences, we use nature as a tool for education, confidence-building, and personal growth.
What sets Black Girls With Green Thumbs apart is our belief that gardening and access to nature should be available to everyone. While our name reflects our roots, our programs welcome people of all backgrounds, ages, and abilities. We are especially intentional about creating inclusive outdoor experiences for individuals with diverse sensory, communication, physical, and developmental needs.
Our work extends beyond gardening. Through hands-on programming that combines gardening, plant-based cooking, wellness, environmental education, and leadership development, we use nature as a tool to help people build confidence, develop practical life skills, and strengthen their connection to themselves, one another, and their communities.
We are most proud of the community we have cultivated over the years and the relationships that make our work possible. By creating spaces where people can learn, grow, and feel a sense of belonging, we are helping make environmental education and the benefits of nature more accessible to the communities we serve.
We want people to know that you don’t need gardening experience or a green thumb to get involved. All you need is curiosity, a willingness to learn, and a desire to grow. At BGWGT, it’s about more than growing plants; it’s about cultivating healthier people, stronger communities, and a deeper appreciation for the world around us.
At our core, BGWGT is about more than growing plants. We are growing confidence, cultivating community, nurturing wellness, and helping people build a deeper connection to themselves, one another, and the earth. We want readers to know that you do not need a green thumb to get started. All you need is curiosity, a little space to grow, and a willingness to get your hands dirty.
What matters most to you?
What matters most to us is helping people understand that we are all connected to one another and to the world around us, and that we each have a responsibility to care for both. We believe that being a good steward of the earth begins with recognizing that our individual choices have a collective impact. How we nourish our bodies, care for our communities, use our resources, and interact with the natural world all contribute to the health and well-being of future generations.
Through BGWGT, we want to inspire people to move beyond simply appreciating nature to actively taking responsibility for protecting and nurturing it. There is something powerful about planting a seed, growing your own food, understanding where your meals come from, or witnessing firsthand how healthy soil, clean water, pollinators, and biodiversity sustain life. These experiences help people recognize that environmental health is not separate from human health. The food we eat, the air we breathe, the spaces where our children play, and the communities we call home are all interconnected.
We are particularly passionate about helping young people develop this awareness early in life. When children learn to grow food, make nutritious choices, care for living things, and understand the impact of their actions, they are developing more than practical skills. They are cultivating empathy, self-sufficiency, accountability, and a sense of responsibility to something greater than themselves. We want them to understand that caring for the earth is not someone else’s job. It is a shared responsibility, and every person has a role to play, no matter how big or small their contribution may seem.
For us, this work is also about personal responsibility without losing sight of collective action. We know that environmental challenges and health disparities are influenced by larger systems, and individuals cannot solve them alone. But we also believe that meaningful change begins when people recognize their agency and take intentional steps toward healthier, more sustainable ways of living. Small actions, when practiced consistently and shared across communities, can create lasting change.
Ultimately, we want to help cultivate a generation of thoughtful, compassionate, and environmentally conscious individuals who understand that caring for themselves, their neighbors, and the planet are all part of the same responsibility.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.blackgirlswithgreenthumbs.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackgirlswithgreenthumbs
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackgirlswithgreenthumbs
