By Dana Ferrante for Boston Compass (#125)
July 26, 2020
“Black Farmers and Black Land Matter” —Monica White in Freedom Farmers
“Hunger is a form of violence.” —Michael Twitty, author of The Cooking Gene, in Huff Post 6/15/20
Given this column’s word count, I cannot fully discuss how modern industrial food systems (and capitalism) are directly linked with slavery and systemic oppression. Similarly, I could not, in this small space, do justice to the myriad ways BIPOC, for centuries, have challenged white supremacy through food production and land ownership, collectively strategizing to create resilient, cooperative food systems. With that said, here are some places to donate and people/orgs around Boston to discover.
Donate to...
Theokraproject.com - extends “free, delicious, and nutritious meals to Black Trans people experiencing food insecurity”
Urban Farming Institute - envisioning a Boston where vacant lots are transformed, “food cultures are diverse, and people are excited to grow and share food”
@blackhospitalitycoalition - “aims to preserve the few gathering spaces for [Boston’s] many black residents”
@neweconomycoalition - “Concentration of power in the hands of a privileged few is incompatible with the long-term health of our communities and our ecosystems”
Flats Mentor Farm (WorldFarmers.org) - Donate today or sign up (next year, they’re all full for this season) for a CSA
Check out:
@nailthecocktail - she’s harnessing her mixology expertise to pay tribute to the black lives lost to police violence
@barnoirboston - if you are (or want to be part of) the Greater Boston restaurant/hospitality industry, see her June 11th call to BIPOC community (“We don’t need seats at the table anymore. We build our own.”)
Equity at The Table - a database of “food industry professionals featuring only women/gender non-conforming individuals and focusing primarily on POC and the LGBTQ community”
Got empty space around your house? Contact the Cambridge City Growers, a group looking to turn empty lots into collective food gardens in the Cambridge area
—Dana Ferrante
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