Our History & Process for Today

MK, Abbi, Anna and Cox - Soil Sisters of R.O.S.A. Land

 

Kristen Cox founded the Respite in 2020, with the intention to grow the Respite into a sanctuary for activists, artists and cultural workers and share the house and land with those who wanted to come.

As a queer white ‘race traitor’ who was trained as a social worker, anti-oppressive organizer and politically educated through a myriad of social change groups, she approaches this lifelong personal, reparational work from a frame of collective liberational, intergenerational wealth transfer of land and assets.

Cox met Anna and Abbi Jeffries, members of Handewa Farms and Citizens of the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, during a Wild Forage led by Cazimi Healing / Ricky Bratz in Spring 2019.  They have been trust building and growing their relationship ever since. 

In 2021, Cox invited trusted friends, artists and lovers-of-the-land to join a Respite Advisory Crew (RAC) as advisors and thought partners to help guide the work of the Respite. 

2022 Respite Advisor Crew

“Collective liberation emphasizes how our fate is bound up with each other.   Oppression strips all of us of our humanity, keeping us disconnected and alienated from each other and the planet.

Within a collective liberation vision, white people work to end racism not for or on behalf of the interests of people of color, but because our lives and humanity depend on the eradication of racism as well. Collective liberation is a vision to move towards and a practice to help get us there. Love is crucial to a practice of collective liberation because it involves extending ourselves for someone else’s growth. As opposed to the traditional concept of solidarity, which can involve a rational calculus of interest between groups of people, love allows for an expansive generosity of spirit that opens the space for mutual transformation.”
— Catalyst Project

Adopting an entrepreneurial, experimental, and reparational frame, Cox lives in the Steward’s cabin and provides radical hospitality to guests - approximating 30 residencies per year plus numerous campers, workers and visitors - who come to stay in the Roundhouse, or on the land. 

Cox is also accountable to ensuring this place is a peaceful, harmonious and safe haven for all who come. We enacted a Code of Conduct and Grievance Form out of accountability to this practice.

Cox added Kisha Jeffries, also known as MK, (Mother of Abbi & Anna) to the deed of the land in Summer 2022 in an effort to begin rematriating the 23 acres of Occaneechi Saponi floodplain forest and farmland to her and her seven children. 

The Respite is a sole proprietor business - for now - that operates on a solidarity scale to pay its expenses.  Anna Jeffries and Steven Smith, two cultural, creative collaborators, are newly helping govern and direct the Respite.  We are working towards building a model of self-sustainability.

Currently, Handèwa Farms and Respite co-habitate on R.O.S.A. (Rare Occaneechi Saponi Alluvial) Land together and invite folks to book the Roundhouse, host special events, and to come camp on the campgrounds or visit during land or farm work days! 

Cox decided to pause the experimentation of adopting an Advisory Crew Summer 2023 for several reasons: 1) many members did not reside close to the land 2) there were unclear agreements/by-laws since the Respite is not-a-501c3 entity and 3) values and trust levels among new members were not aligned.

With Anna and Steven as collaborators, The Respite is in the throws of figuring out how to morph into a more cooperative model moving in step will all co-habitants on R.O.S.A Land together.