Since the dawn of the United States, Black and Indigenous people have been stripped of their land, rights, and power. However, with the rise of the food justice movement, BIPOC community members are reclaiming that power by becoming self-sufficient farmers. Instead of allowing White men to control the food system, food justice leaders are tapping into their roots and reconnecting with the land to control their own local food and economies. The USDA Census of Agriculture found that 95% of all agricultural producers are White (2017). By shifting the power back into their own hands, BIPOC farm owners and food growers can control their wages, working conditions, and access to fresh, nutritious, affordable, culturally relevant food.

Today you will learn how BIPOC community members are reclaiming the power of food and dismantling food injustice through urban agriculture and land ownership.

“To free ourselves, we must feed ourselves.”, Leah Penniman, James Beard Leadership Award winner, co-founder of Soul Fire Farm, author, and food justice activist.