Our Story
Sequoia Ascension was built in 1953 by Edward Johnson, who raised his family in the home. Johnson served during World War II as a ground school instructor in the Tuskegee Airmen and later became the first Black licensed master electrician in the city of Atlanta. Ms. Johnson attended Spelman College and became an educator. Before Mr.Johnson’s transition (death) in 2019 he sold the home to the Georgia Trust for historic preservation to build a legacy of affordable housing in Atlanta. Established in 2020, we now call this property the home of Sequoia Ascension. It is now a shared space in which we hold community programming such as movement classes, sister circles for Black and Native Women, and more. Sequoia Ascension also houses our Artist In Residence (AIR) Program. Learn more about the AIR Program (Here).
Mission
Vision
Sequoia Ascension cultivates the well-being of Atlanta’s Black American and Native American communities by way of movement and healing practices. Through our artist residency program and intentional gatherings, we offer community programming to foster the growth and wellness of individual artists and communities.
Through our service to our community we are building a foundation that is creating a new artistic and healing ecosystem. One that bridges the needs of Black and Native people and increases the mindfulness of each other in a way that is ancestrally and socially conscious. On turtle island, we are tethered to each other's liberation and our efforts will continue to build solidarity in order to actualize impactful change.
