Celebrating Black History
Image: Biddy Mason, center, featured in a 1930s mural by Bernard Zakheim titled "The History of Medicine in California"
We're grateful for the opportunity to celebrate the important lessons Black History Month offers. It's important to evoke the legacies of Black heroes like Biddy Mason (midwife, nurse, philanthropist, founder and real estate entrepreneur who fought for and won her own freedom in the 19th century), Mary Ellen Pleasant (deemed the "Mother of Civil Rights in California"), Fannie Lou Hamer (Civil Rights Leader, Women's Rights Activist, Vice-Chair of the Freedom Democratic Party), George Washington Carver, Henry Blair and so many others.
It's also important to take a hard look at where we are now. And the immediate reality is startling. It is intense to confront the actual IRL effects of hundreds of years of harmful, deliberate injustice. But learning and recognizing difficult truths is an important part of our work.
And so, a few short, yet loaded stats on the side of the Farmers for context:
🥬 The Percentage of Black Farmers in America according to 2021 reporting by McKinsey is around 1.4% (Compare that to the Percentage of Black Farmers in America 100 years ago at 14%. Yikes.)
🥬 The Percentage of Black Owned Farms in California, according to the USDA’s 2017 Agricultural Census is estimated around 0.34%
A few short, yet loaded stats on the side of Food Seekers for context:
🍅 2022 Rates of Food Insecurity in Los Angeles for Low Income Residents worsened from pre-pandemic levels, where around 1 in 3 (37%) reported experiencing food insecurity in surveys conducted in July 2022 and December 2022. See USC’s recent findings.
🍅 2022 Rates of Food Insecurity in Los Angeles disproportionately affect Black residents. According to USC’s recent findings, “rates of food insecurity were 3 times higher among … Black/ African American (33%) residents compared to white residents (11%)."
We've got a lot of work to do. In the spirit of solidarity with Black farmers and food seekers, in solidarity against the systemic racism that continues to enable disparities, we take a moment to meditate on the specific challenges Black Americans face in relation to food and nutrition justice.
While we at Farm2People examine the ways we can increase awareness, equity and justice, we offer recommendations on groups outside our organization for you to follow and support.
🍊 GROUPS TO FOLLOW & SUPPORT 🍊
African American Farmers of California
https://www.africanamericanfarmersofca.com
Their mission is “to increase the awareness within the African American Community as a whole of the importance of applied resource management, through the promotion of sound farmland management, technology, community marketing, and outreach to urban and rural areas.”
Crop Swap LA
https://www.cropswapla.org/
“Founded by Jamiah Hargins in 2018, Crop Swap LA™ has grown from a small monthly neighborhood swap of fruits and vegetables, to a globally recognized institution and movement. The Crop Swap LA™ mission is to grow food on unused spaces, creating sustainable jobs and local, nutrient-rich food in communities affected most by food insecurity.”
Feed Black Futures
https://feedblackfutures.org/
They "provide organic produce to Black mamas & caregivers impacted by incarceration, & support Black farmers. Tongva and Ohlone (LA, IE, Oakland)"
Logans Gardens
https://www.instagram.com/logansgardens/
“Over 1000 varieties of rare and heirloom edible plants. Available Wed/Sat Santa Monica Farmer's markets & Sundays at the Hollywood Farmer's market”
National Black Farmers Association
https://www.blackfarmers.org/
Their mission is “to encourage the participation of small and underserved farmers in gaining access to resources of state and federal programs administered by the United States Department of Agriculture, while communicating and educating our community through effective outreach and technical assistance.”
Prosperity Market
https://www.prosperitymarketla.com/
“By providing a platform for black farmers and food producers who have long been marginalized, [They] are creating jobs throughout the entire supply chain, strengthening our ecosystem, and stimulating the economy. [They] are creating an equitable solution to an age old problem.”
Scott Family Farms
https://www.scottfamilyfarms.net/
“Based in Fresno California, Scott Family Farms is a 2nd and 3rd generation family run organic produce distributor. The farm is operated by Will Scott Jr. and his family.”
SÜPRMARKT
https://suprmarkt.la/
Olympia Auset, LA Native and Howard University Grad, started SÜPRMARKT in 2016 to eliminate food deserts. “SÜPRMARKT exists to ensure that the best foods are no longer limited to privileged areas. Everyone needs quality food to have a quality life, and food is a gift from the earth that belongs to all of us, yet 24 million Americans lack access." Their mission is to end Food Apartheid.
And here are a few resources to inspire us all to create a more equitable and just future for growers and food seekers alike.
🍎 READING & LISTENING LIST 🍎
NPR’s Code Switch “Black History’s Family Tree” by Sandhya Dirks, B.A. Parker, Kumari Devarajan and Dalia Mortada, February 2023
NPR’s Code Switch “1 Side Owned Slaves. The Other Side Started Black History Month. How A Family Heals” by Sandhya Dirks, B.A. Parker, Kumari Devarajan and Dalia Mortada, February 2023
FarmAid Blog “How Heirs’ Property Fueled the 90 Percent Decline in Black-Owned Farmland” by Jennifer Fahy, Feb 2022
Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) “Timeline: Black farmers and the USDA, 1920 to present” by Jared Hayes, February 2021
“Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farms Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land” by Leah Penniman
“Stewarding our own land, growing our own food, educating our own youth, participating in our own healthcare and justice systems,” Penniman writes, “this is the source of real power and dignity.”