The History of B.A.G. & Company

In 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered the ”Other America” speech at Stanford University, in which he highlighted the contrast between economic opportunity and the spectrum of inequality in America. He noted several hardships faced by the “Other Americans’ (the black population), including a lack of access to sufficient food, housing, and occupational security. More than half a century later, this remains a reality for people of color.

Other America Movement (OAM) was founded to take action in 2020 when city officials voted to fund the police department $70 million while working-class residents and children suffered from extreme food insecurity during the pandemic. Not only did the organization mobilize hundreds to block major highways and commerce, bringing attention to the cause, but OAM also camped out, occupying the Durham police station, sacrificing comfort, their freedom, and reputation for 37 days. Being accosted and arrested regularly while selflessly feeding and supplying hygiene necessities to the less fortunate and children in the surrounding neighborhoods.

When negotiations with city officials for an economic development zone failed, founder and activist Skip Gibbs decided that this form of protest had reached its climax and sought other means to achieve economic security for the underserved people of Durham.

The Organization embarked on a mission to educate and empower through sovereignty. In 2021, a local scientist-professor and his entrepreneur wife were fortunate and forward-thinking enough to see the vision Skip had for his people. To further the mission, the couple decided to donate a small land grant to the organization.

From the acquisition of the land until 2022, OAM took a hiatus to cultivate a space of sovereignty and to formulate a plan. The almost 4-acre homestead and base of operations, better known as BRIGHTWOOD AGRICULTURE GROUP, that stewards the land has grown immensely in regard to infrastructure and purpose during that time.

In 2025, Other America Movement began doing business as B.A.G & Company, a shift that reflects both growth and inclusivity. While our roots are deeply grounded in the struggle for Black liberation and justice, our mission has always been about more than one community. We are fighting for all of Durham’s underserved and overlooked residents, Black, Brown, working-class, and beyond, because food insecurity, housing instability, and economic neglect do not discriminate.

The name change honors our foundation while widening the table. We chose B.A.G, short for Brightwood Agriculture Group, to represent the land we steward and the legacy we’re building. “& Company” is our way of saying: this is for all of us. Our mission remains unchanged; we continue to fight for a food-secure Durham through food fellowship, sustainable living, and local self-determination.

We’re not just feeding people, we’re planting systems. We’re not just creating jobs, we’re growing futures. We believe Durham can serve as a national model for how equity, sustainability, and community care can thrive when everyone has a seat at the table.