Remaking the Economy: Black Food Sovereignty, Community Stories

 

What does the struggle for Black food sovereignty look like at the local level? In this webinar conversation, five Black food justice leaders share their experiences. In this Remaking the Economy webinar, participants discussed the many interconnections between food sovereignty, racial and economic justice, health justice, climate justice, and community building.

All five panelists were all article authors of NPQ’s fall 2022 series on Black Food Sovereignty: Stories from the Field. On this panel, the authors expand on their arguments and engage in active conversations with each other.

The five webinar panelists are:

• Pastor Keith Davis, President and CEO of the Camden Dream Center Technology Training School in Camden, New Jersey.
• Demetrius Hunter, founder, owner, and operator of Black Farmers Hub operating in Raleigh, North Carolina, and also in nearby Warren County.
• Julian Miller, founding Executive Director of the Reuben V. Anderson Center for Justice at Tougaloo College in Mississippi.
• LeeAnn Morrissette, Communications and Culture Director of the National Black Food & Justice Alliance.
• Brielle Wright, board member of Black Farmers Market, which operates in the cities of Raleigh and Durham in North Carolina.

Among the many topics covered in a wide-ranging, 90-minute conversation among the panelists, are the following:

• How has the movement for Black food sovereignty developed over time? What are some leading movement priorities in the current moment?
• How can a network of farmer co-ops develop to support Black food sovereignty in the Deep South?
• How is today’s movement connected to previous generations of Black farmers?
• How do Black farmers markets not only provide markets for Black farmers to sell food, but change mindsets and contribute to liberation?
• How can urban agriculture not only promote healthy food but further community agency and economic self-sufficiency?
• How does Black food sovereignty advance sustainability?
• How can partnerships expand the reach of Black food sovereignty work?
• What is the role of education and policy advocacy in Black food sovereignty work?
• What steps can nonprofits and philanthropy take to support the movement for Black food sovereignty?

 

Resources 

Akeem Cheek and Brielle Wright, “A Growing Movement for Black Food Sovereignty,” NPQ, December 7, 2022.

Steve Dubb, Malik Yakini, Darnell Adams, and Dr. Jasmine Ratliff, Remaking the Economy: Organizing for Black Food Sovereignty, February 14, 2022.

Pastor Keith Davis, “From Food Pantry to Urban Farming: Food Justice Lessons from Camden,” NPQ, December 8, 2022.

Demetrius Hunter, “Honoring Our Ancestors and Restoring Black Land: A Black Farmers Hub Story,” NPQ, December 14, 2022.

Julian D. Miller and LeBroderick A. Woods, “Black Co-op Farms: Building a Worker Strategy in Mississippi,” NPQ, December 15, 2022.

LeeAnn C. Morrissette, “Towards Thriving: Building a Movement for Black Food Sovereignty,” NPQ, November 30, 2022.