let's talk about the house COMMUNITY CONVERSATION
A monthly conversation series every 4th Monday, 6:30-8 PM CT via Zoom.
Let’s Talk About the House is Blondena’s HEIRS flagship storytelling and education program that helps families navigate the emotional and practical realities of property inheritance. Originally launched as a virtual series and conference, it combines lived experiences with expert guidance and prescriptive tools to support informed, long-term decision-making. The program partners with community-based organizations to expand access to trusted resources and meaningful conversation.
Intergenerational discussions featuring guest speakers
about Black Property Inheritance and Generational Wealth-Building
Monthly Topics include:
• How to position yourself to receive heirs’ property?
• Property Taxes, Probates, Power of Attorney
• Making Peace with the Past, Healing Toward the Future
• How to Have Challenging Conversations with Family
roots & roofs
Summer youth workshop series for students ages 9-12.
2-hour workshops facilitated by Evin Marie at Chicago + suburban libraries.
Students explore the concept of home ownership, family legacy, and community preservation — with a special focus on divested communities of color. Through storytelling, engineering, and design, students learn how homes hold history, memory, and opportunity. They work in teams to design and build model homes (using LEGOs, recycled materials, cardboard, or craft supplies), and record personal or imagine stories about why homes matter.
If there's a will, there's a way
A program dedicated to empowering African American families to create wills and estate plans, in collaboration with a network of trusted organizations, companies, and legal professionals.
Blondena's HEIRS initiative aims to reduce the number of properties that enter probate within Black and Indigenous communities by promoting proactive estate planning.