Our 5 year birthday celebration continues with Radical Self Care series as shared by 5 of our NOTO faces, in celebration of 5 years of NOTO ! You may recognize DJ Freedem from our PRIDE TALKS, Curated Playlist, as well as being one of our beloved NOTO FACES. We've got them back for more, sharing what Radical Self Care means to them and how he's been practicing It through this last year.
I am DJ Freedem aka Freedella De Vil, DJ & founder of The Underground Plant Trade, which was conceived in the summer of 2020 through spontaneity & empathy. The UPT has become a place for Black people to get rerooted to the earth & nature despite constantly being uprooted & torn down. The UPT’s platform is a way for privileged White people to make reparations in the form of plants, money for plants, & other resources to help keep the community grounded and fed. I’m also a producer of the Trap Gardening web series.
How have you practiced Radical Self Care over the past year?
I’ve connected with my truest self in 2020 by finding peace, balance and time for rest & developing a routine for self care. Rest is a tool that is often overlooked and underestimated. Rest is radical on it’s own, ESPECIALLY as a black person or a person of color. You have to find time to recharge & heal so that you can carry on because somebody has to do it. Yoga, meditation and skincare have been my go-to routes for self care. 
• If you’d like to donate to The Underground Plant Trade, kindly send your donation to:
Cashapp: $theupt
Venmo: @theupt