Demanding Better Access to Quality Food for Our Black Neighbors

Demanding Better Access to Quality Food for Our Black Neighbors

The outcries from our black friends, neighbors and communities has been calling out loudly for centuries. Hopefully the acknowledgment and action towards remedying these injustices is alive and intimate enough to reverberate amongst us all right now. We need to finally step up and take action to remedy the very real existence of a delusional racial hierarchy.

I have struggled to find meaningful words to say in the wake of such despicable and heartbreaking racial prejudice, which happens to represent only a small snapshot of the hundreds of years of oppression and systemic discrimination against black people in this country. In fact, it is this exact racial oppression upon which our country was built (and still runs) - a reality that we must admit and own up to in order to effectively move forward in creating a society that is lightyears better and more equal than the one we currently live in. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say that it is our human responsibility to do the hard work to change ourselves to remove this dark history from the depths of our DNA in an effort to not pass this lineage along to our children and the ones who come after us.

I realize that it’s not merely my responsibility to simply say loving and supportive words in acute phases of racial persecution (although they can certainly be helpful and appreciated); but rather to not only admit to my own deep rooted racial biases, and then identify and act upon authentic and tangible ways in which I can utilize my expertise and passion as a tool in the fight for equality for my black friends and other minority communities.

For me, that is in food and nutrition, which is a foundational pillar that dictates a human’s ability to live healthy, fulfilling and successful lives. The access to quality food and nutrition education is a fundamental human right that has been denied to our black neighbors. As a Dietitian and healthcare practitioner, it is crystal clear to me that intrinsic discrimination still runs rampant within our food system. To better understand what this looks like (and eventually how to fix it), we must first understand some history and other important, demographic and economic facts about our black communities that are a direct result of the white supremacy that has pervaded since the dawn of our country’s existence.

America has a long history of redlining in this country (dating back to the 1930s), where the Federal Housing Association (FSA) strategically sectioned off portions of cities in which they deemed “areas of poor investment.” As a result, housing loans were incredibly challenging to obtain for people living in these parts of the city, which (not surprisingly) also happened to be predominately black and minority communities. The cascade effect of redlining on these black neighborhoods has had a long-lasting impact not only on lack of home ownership, but on the quality and availability of education, segregation of job opportunities, investment by other businesses in these neighborhoods for economic growth, and (most important for the purposes of this article) on the access and availability of quality food and nutrition.

Black and African Americans are more than twice as likely as white Americans to live in poverty. One in eight Americans are black, and yet this population makes up more than one fourth of our nation’s poor population. If you’re not sure what it means to live in poverty in the U.S., that means making less than $25,700 for a family of four. A single individual living in poverty makes less than $12,700 annually. If you’re not among the 6.3% of African Americans who are unemployed in this country (a number that has essentially stayed the same since the 1960s), you may be among an additional 30% of people (of which blacks are, again, more than twice as likely than whites, especially between the ages of 18 – 34) living near or close to the poverty level. This means living with incomes only two times greater that of the official poverty threshold. Let that all sink in for a moment. 

Black people, especially, are disproportionately targeted by the fast food and “junk” food industries not only via physical restaurants near and around their homes, but through marketing and targeted ad campaigns as well. Recent studies published by the Rudd Center last year (2019) 2 noted that between 2013 – 2017, total food-related advertising actually declined by 4% overall (from $11.4 billion to $10.9 billion); however, food-related ad spending on Black-targeted TV increased by more than 50% during this same time period (from $217 million to $333 million).

These disparities equated to 86% more ads viewed by black children compared to white children, and 119% more ads viewed by black teens than white teens. And sadly, we aren’t referring to health food companies who are investing this type of money into the black markets to promote their wholesome, nourishing food products. Big food brands like PepsiCo, Yum! Brands (who operate restaurants like KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and The Habit Burger Grill) as well as Hershey spend more than $19 million in advertising directly on black-targeted TV.

With all of this targeted marketing, advertising and celebrity endorsements, it’s no wonder that low-income black neighborhoods have significantly higher exposure to unhealthy, fast food outlets and a significantly lower accessibility of healthy bodegas where nutritious food alternatives are available and sold.

Over the course of black history in America, much of the food choices of black people have not been “choices” at all; but rather, a matter of what has been available and affordable and accessible in these communities. In modern-day, much of the affordable and accessible food options offered in black neighborhoods are loaded with simple sugars, refined carbohydrates and saturated fats – all well-documented to contribute to a variety of chronic health conditions. 

Diet-related diseases like obesity, heart disease and diabetes are considerably higher among our black community. According to the CDC, nearly 38% of black men and 56% of black women over the age of 20 are obese.  Obesity is an independent risk factor believed to account for 80-85% of those who end up developing Type 2 diabetes, a condition that affects 80% of black Americans. And black people are three times more likely to have amputations as a result of their Diabetes than their white neighbors even though there are ample medications available to prevent this from happening, which points to more healthcare discrimination.

Hypertension, which is known as the “silent killer” because of its lack of obvious symptoms, affects approximately 40% of both black men and women, among the highest rates in the world. There is absolutely some genetic predisposition that can be argued about why these health disparities are so staggering; however, these three health conditions specifically (obesity, heart disease and diabetes) are directly related to diet, food and nutrition. And the fact that black communities and groups of color have higher risk of these health diseases is a systemic social injustice that needs to be acknowledged and addressed.

After all, it’s not that these communities don’t want to be healthy. In fact, working with low-income families in South Los Angeles myself, I don’t experience a lack of motivation at all! Wealth disparities, the lack of access to healthy and affordable food, and limited nutrition education resources within these communities are all important areas that we need to address in order to see real change.

As a Dietitian, we cannot turn a blind eye to these food inequalities that ultimately stem from economic and racial prejudices. And it’s important that we educate ourselves on how our food system affects these communities in order to better serve them.

While federal change is so desperately needed for better nutrition for all, I do believe that Dietitians can have a very real effect on helping minority communities overcome the challenges of food inequality they face. I’m still figuring out how I can be a better advocate for change for my black because I know that I still have a lot to learn. From my time working for low-income families in South LA and in other parts of the South Bay of LA, I have learned a few things that I’d like to share with my non-black Dietetic colleagues:

1.     Check any “white savior” attitudes you might have – consciously or subconsciously – at the door. Yes, you have a knowledge base in nutrition that can help to better serve communities of color, but that doesn’t mean that you can assume you know everything about their lives, lifestyle, stressors, or food-based traditions. This is true for any patient and population-base! Be open to learning as much as you are open to sharing what you know. This is relationship building 101 in general, but an important point to remember.

2.     Get to know these neighborhoods before you head in. It’s one thing to know that kale and quinoa are healthy foods and could make for a great addition into someone’s diet. But maybe those foods aren’t even available at the grocery stores where you are planning to work. Take a moment, visit the stores and restaurants and see what is available and served. This is part of understanding your demographic, and a critical piece in being a more effective advocate and nutrition educator.

3.     Partner with community centers and local churches to provide nutrition education courses. Understand that if you are new to a community, you must first build trust in places that community members already trust! Make sure you connect with the leaders of these centers beforehand to make sure the subject matter you plan to present is relevant. It’d even be wise to take a health poll of the community’s health interests and current health literacy beforehand so you can cater your education accordingly.

4.     Involve the whole family and involve the kids. Many of the minority and black families that I work with are very family centered. In fact, many live with extended family members under one roof. Create education and messaging that involves the whole family. Also, we all know that starting nutrition education at a young age can have lasting impacts on the development of healthy lifestyle habits. Not to mention, cognitive development largely relies on quality nutrition, so it is even more important to include kids in family nutrition education.

5.     Join existing organizations that are already working to make change. There are already a lot of organizations, non-profits and community supported agricultural (CSA) groups that are in these communities making real change. You’re very likely not the first to want to help or who are already making steps to do so (revisit point #1 if you need to). Consider volunteering at a school or community garden to harvest food or host post-harvest cooking events so kids and the community can taste what they’ve grown. Many urban gardening organizations exists, so look to join forces. Community gardens, as an example, have many benefits both in health and in community-building. They are a great way to help people engage with the earth and get to know potentially new fruits and vegetables. For kids, especially, participating in planting, growing and maintaining a garden gets them excited and invested in the healthy foods that grow there.

6.     Advocate for “voting with your dollar.” Businesses and products go where they are in demand. When healthier food choices are in more demand, more grocery stores, restaurants and even farmer’s markets are more likely to continue to invest in these neighborhoods. If you decide to do grocery store tours within the community, this could be a good way to show people how to shop healthfully on a budget too!

7.     Provide resources on government food subsidies if they are eligible for financial support. For example, the USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is one of the largest governmental nutrition benefit programs for families to purchase healthy foods. Even some farmer’s markets accept SNAP. Educate yourself on these programs so that you can pass along the information and benefits to those that qualify!

8.     Consider getting involved in your local Dietetic legislative programs to start advocating for change on a local level. The California Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics is currently recruiting legislative ambassadors from a variety of Los Angeles cities.  

As Dietitians, we must understand the intricacies of the inequalities of our food system first and foremost. Only then can begin to find ways to be an actual ally and champion for change. But please know that our industry and expertise as Dietitians is needed! And we have the knowledge and expertise to help incite – and drive – this change. But we must always do so with humility, curiosity and generosity. I, personally, intend to make this a mission of mine and will continue to fight for equality in food and nutrition myself. I’m open to any/all ideas on other ways to be an effective advocate, ally and leader of change. So please reach out if you have other thoughts!

References:

1.     United States Census Bureau, 2019. Poverty Threshold. https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/income-poverty/historical-poverty-thresholds.html. Retrieved June 2020.

2.     The Rudd Center, January 2019. Increasing disparities in unhealthy food advertising targeted to Hispanic and Black youth. http://uconnruddcenter.org/files/Pdfs/TargetedMarketingReport2019.pdf

3.     Centers for Disease Control, 2019. Health of Black and African American or non-Hispanic Population. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/black-health.htm

4.     Barnes, Ann Smith, 2011. Texas Heart Institute Journal. The Epidemic of Obesity and Diabetes. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3066828/#:~:text=Both%20obesity%20and%20diabetes%20mellitus,of%20black%20women%20are%20obese.