UPDATE: We are heartbroken to share that Ernest made the journey from this life to the next on January 8, 2025. We invite you to join us in praying for and supporting his family during this difficult time.
This Box is about Black fairy tales. Not in general, but the specific story of Ivory and Ernest Levert, Jr., two young adults who hail from Texas, moved to Ohio for college, fell head over heels, married, and built a social and environmental justice centered community together.
To know the Leverts is to love them. To love them is to be welcomed into joining and/or advocating for one or more of the many organizations they have founded or help to lead. It is mind boggling to think that two young people who anticipated vocations in higher education and biomedical engineering instead used their gifts, skills and ability to bless their neighbors down the street and around the world through the following organizations: Black Women in Nature, Black Men Build, Plant the Power, Rise & Bloom Yoga, Zora’s House, The Royal Oak Initiative (ROI), and The Cooperative Chess Cultural Center (The 4C - pronounced "The Fork"). We know!Â
We (my husband Landon and I) came to know Ernest during his undergraduate years at Ohio State, and rejoiced when he showed up at church one week with a young woman who proved to be as kind and generous as she is beautiful. We've continued to walk with them through the years as they married (Landon officiated their wedding ceremony), changed industries, built organizations that aligned with their values, and had two beautiful children. They were mentees who became friends who became family.
This past April the villain in the Leverts' fairy tale appeared. Just a month before Ivory gave birth to their second child, Ernest suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm that led to him being comatose for several weeks. In the months since, there have been a series of medical complications during what promises to be a long road to recovery. At this time, Ernest has been relocated from Columbus to Chicago so that he can receive world class therapy and rehabilitation treatment.
This box is a way for us to continue in our journey with the community of people who love the Leverts while inviting each of you to help us love on them. We've designed three delightful treats that tell the story of the Leverts' love of the outdoors, chess, and plant based living. Together, the cookies tell the story of a s'more studded hiking trip because we believe there will be more to their story. More love, more life, more building, more hikes. More.
The Levert Family Box contains the following three flavors, with two of each flavor in the half-dozen box and four of each in the full-dozen box:
Black King: Dark Chocolate Vegan Graham Chessman Cookie for Ernest Levert, Jr. (Vegan + Gluten-Sensitive)
Blaze New Trailz: Trail Mix Bar Cookie for the Levert Children (Vegan + Gluten-Sensitive)
Queen Ivory: Sweet Potato Casserole Cookie (Vegan + Gluten-Sensitive)
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this box and all cookies in this collection will be donated to the Levert Family in support of their life and expenses as Ernest continues on the long road to recovery.Â
Interested in giving to the Levert Family directly? Click here