The Abolitionist’s Apothecary, an outgrowth of Solitary Gardens, is a social practice project dedicated to abolition, health-care sovereignty and collective healing that began in 2018. Since then, artist jackie sumell has developed several traveling iterations that have been shown in museums, galleries, universities, non-profits and other spaces across the US. See an archive of projects here.

The apothecary is built with plant medicine grown in collaboration with incarcerated individuals from around the country. Now permanently housed at the John Thompson Legacy Center for Abolition and Beyond, we offer low-cost, sliding scale herbs, remedies, and plant medicines for people directly impacted by the criminal justice system, and for all visitors to the JTLC.

We make new recipes based upon what’s available in the gardens, curated by our Solitary Gardeners (and the seasons and growing patterns of New Orleans). We offer teas, tinctures, glycerites, oxymels, salves, and other products, all grown in deep and loving collaboration with our incarcerated loved ones, with the mission of not just teaching abolition, but letting the effects of the plants and wellness supports settle deep in our bodies to integrate those lessons.

You can find our free and sliding-scale apothecary offerings at the John Thompson Legacy Center, and at Planting Justice’s El Sobrante farmstand.

For fascinating reading on the ways plants speak to abolition, visit the Growing Abolition Library.