race, food, class and history

I began work in community food systems in 2001 after Illinois’s first food security summit, attending at the time, as a manager of a family resource program that operated a food pantry and other emergency programs for families. At the conference, I began to see the potential of intersecting food security programs with economic development and sustainable agriculture, beginning to see the potential of impacting the lives of at-risk populations, youth and ex offenders at the forefront of this vision.

My father, a farmer and the Director of Growing Power (the organization I work for as projects manager) shared his vision for community food centers, places where people learn to grow, distribute and market healthy food in the community. Everything fell into place for me, the big light bulb, and I began to learn about this community food movement and the impacts it could have on the communities struggling for survival by working for his organization. While away at art school (SAIC – School of the Art Institute of Chicago) and graduate school in the 90’s, my father created a working model of the community food system, on a 2-acre farm, in inner city Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This achievement, aligned with my personal realization that this was the field that would allow me to fuse my talents, education and thirst for justice and equity was a surprising gift and legacy that was totally unplanned, and to this day still inspires me by how it all came together, a story I am eager to share with others of my generation who may miss the boat on their family legacy.

I plan to draw from my experience and that of others in the movement to give voice to issues of race and class and would like to do so in a framework that provides solutions and a fresh perspective, for those seeking to better understand the issue of food access and economic opportunity. I am also interested in better connecting those in the land conservation movement with those of us in food systems.

 I believe this exploration of the history of institutionalized racism in agriculture history and the misuse of land and resources could be of use to others in parallel movements. This will be explored using public art in partnership with other artists, youth and elders and shared with the national community using this space.

These stories are important to capture, the stories of how communities have been isolated and controlled via food deserts and as a result are reflecting the devastating effects of poor diets – obesity, diabetes, blood pressure and overall lack of wellness, post civil war into the present day. This timeline fascinates me and deserves exploration, not from an overly academic perspective but from a rigorous, well-planned, folk anthropologic approach in the tradition of Zora Neale Thurston and other authors who infused culture, history and folklore. These stories of how disconnected people are from their cultural food heritages, ranging from traditional dishes, seasonal eating and food preparation are themes of interest and need to be told from the perspective of the community.

Broadening the voices sharing perspective and engaged in policy, ranging from the farm bill to how resources are allocated on the city level for new businesses, grocery stores, schools, etc. will also be a goal during this fellowship.