Of the 47 million Americans facing hunger last year, 23% were from Black households while 9.9% were from White non-Latinx households. In contrast - around 14% of the entire US population identifies as Black, while 58% identifies as White. Hunger disproportionately impacts Black communities in the U.S. at more than double the rate of non-Hispanic White households.
Did you know: food insecurity affects 1 in 4 Black people in America?
For centuries, people of color have experienced discrimination when it comes to education, employment, housing, healthcare, mass incarceration, and food insecurity. The barriers to accessible, nutritious, and consistent food often stem from systemic inequalities in our food systems - from the taking of Indigenous lands to the forced farm labor from enslaved Africans and Indigenous people.
In fact, Black families experience poverty at a rate of 17.9% compared to the 11.1% for the country overall.
With 27% of Black children living in food insecure households, hunger continues to be a critical issue. Over the years, Black leaders have paved the way for activism and policy reform efforts aimed at addressing food insecurity and promoting food justice.
In honor of Black History Month we’re focusing our attention on these changemakers and their contributions. From historical to modern-day, these people are an essential part of tackling hunger in America.
Historical Black Leadership in Food Justice
There’s been a long fight for food justice in the Black community, with key figures playing a vital role in cultivating change. These individuals recognized the correlation between food security and racial equity, and their advocacy laid the groundwork for the movements we see today.
Shirley Chisholm
In 1968, Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress. Also known as “Fighting Shirley,” she’s recognized for her role in establishing the Women, Children, and Infant (WIC) federal program.
Additionally, Chisholm expanded food assistance programs and introduced legislation to protect farmworkers’ rights. As a leader for racial and gender equality, her work in food justice helped ensure that marginalized communities, especially Black families, had access to the resources needed for a healthy, stable life.
Booker T. Whatley
Born in Alabama in 1915, Booker T. Whatley experienced the struggles of Black farm owners firsthand. After dealing with racist policies and land theft on his family’s farm, Whatley decided to pursue a career in agriculture.
According to the USDA, “the number of Black farmers in America peaked in 1920, when there were 949,889. Today, of the country’s 3.4 million total farmers, only 1.3%, or 45,508, are Black.”
Once becoming a horticulturist and educator, Whatley laid the foundation for the Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) model. This connected consumers directly to local farmers and helped promote sustainable farming practices. His approach to food security focused on the importance of community, self-sufficiency, and access to fresh food—principles that remain crucial in farm to table eating today.
Fannie Lou Hamer
Known as a prominent leader in the Civil Rights Movement, Fannie Lou Hamer advocated for food justice and insecurity. Coming from humble beginnings, experiencing hunger herself, she focused her career on ensuring Black families had access to healthy, nutritious food.
In 1969, Hamer created the Freedom Farm Cooperative with a $10,000 donation she received from an organization in Wisconsin, Measure for Measure. With this money she bought 40 acres of land and started the farm. The co-op grew vegetables such as peas, cucumbers, and squash all of which were distributed back to those who worked on the co-op. Eventually the farm expanded, however, once she passed away in 1977 the FFC ceased to exist. Though, Hamer remains a prominent figure in Black voting rights and food justice.
Free Breakfast Program
In January of 1969, the Black Panther Party launched the Free Breakfast for Children Program which served thousands of meals to children in Oakland, CA and other cities. The program addressed immediate hunger and highlighted the widespread issue of food insecurity in Black and low-income communities. By offering free, healthy breakfasts in community centers and churches, it became a model for future federal school meal programs, eventually influencing the expansion of the National School Breakfast Program.
These individuals, among many others, left a legacy of both activism and systemic change in addressing food insecurity.
Modern-Day Changemakers
While the legacy of past leaders continues to inspire, today’s Black leaders are making significant progress in combating food insecurity and creating a better tomorrow for future generations.
Lloyd Wright
With over 37 years of service to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Wright is a longtime advocate for food justice and civil rights. As the Director of the USDA Office of Civil Rights, he worked to address discrimination within the agency and his advocacy continues to influence agricultural policies for a more equitable food system for Black farmers in the U.S.
Christopher Bradshaw
As the founder of Dreaming Out Loud, a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C., Christopher Bradshaw is dedicated to creating sustainable and equitable food systems. In 2008, DOL began with teaching leadership development in DC public charter schools but Bradshaw quickly recognized systemic issues around the food system.
By rebuilding urban, community-based food systems, Bradshaw’s work supports Black farmers by providing resources and education to help them thrive. In turn, it’s also improving the community’s access to healthy food and supporting entrepreneurs.
Karen Washington
For almost 40 years, this Bronx-based activist has advocated for food justice. Known as the “Urban Farmer,” Washington is a co-founder of Black Urban Growers (BUG), an organization that promotes urban farming in marginalized communities.
We know that bad quality food goes into communities of color and the healthy food goes into affluent white communities.- Karen Washington
Also the co-founder of La Familia Verde Garden Coalition, the Black Farmer Fund, and the Rise and Root Farm, her work highlights the importance of land ownership and local food systems. Washington’s advocacy for food sovereignty allows Black communities to have the resources and knowledge to grow their own food and gain more control over their food security.
The Path Forward
Even with all of this progress, challenges still remain with food insecurity in Black communities. One of the main obstacles is the continued discrimination faced by Black farmers and the barriers that prevent them from accessing land and assistance from government programs.
The Farm Bill
The Farm Bill impacts agricultural policy and funding for farmers across the country. With a long history of perpetuated racial inequities, Black farmers have historically been denied equal access to land and resources. This resulted in a drastic decline in Black land ownership from 16 million acres in 1910 to just 4.7 million acres in 2017.
Additionally, applications for loans from Black farmers are approved at a significantly lower rate than those of White farmers. Around 36% of Black farmers' loan applications were approved in 2022 compared to 72% for White farmers. The Farm Bill needs restructuring in order to promote racial equity, expand funding for programs supporting farmers of color, and to protect the land of Black farmers.
To address these disparities, the Justice for Black Farmers Act of 2023 was introduced, aiming to rectify historical injustices by providing land grants, reforming USDA practices, and expanding credit access for Black farmers. Advocates emphasize the need for the Farm Bill to advance racial equity by improving access to USDA programs, increasing funding for initiatives supporting farmers of color, and enhancing data collection to inform equitable decision-making. Despite these efforts, challenges persist, and ongoing advocacy is crucial to ensure that the Farm Bill evolves to support Black farmers effectively.
While confronting food justice continues, Black leaders will undoubtedly remain at the forefront, pushing for systemic changes that will benefit all communities. From Shirley Chisholm’s legislative efforts to Christopher Bradshaw’s work with Dreaming Out Loud, these leaders are paving the way to better food security in the U.S. By committing to racial equity, we can create a more just and sustainable food system for all.
Become a part of the solution to end hunger and learn more about how hunger is a racial equity issue or find 25 ways to get involved with Move For Hunger.
