America the Beacon of Hope

Fifty-seven years ago, Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream that encompassed some basic ideals of humanity. That all people regardless of the colour of their skin should be treated equally and fairly based upon their character. In today’s America this dream has yet to come true. Hate and division are drenched in fear and ignorance. It begs the question, where do we go from here? This year’s presidential election has further deepened the undeniable divide in the midst of a pandemic. It’s almost as though 2020 has placed a giant magnifying glass on all of the social injustices plaguing the country.

Now more than ever people appear to be listening and paying attention. I mean thank God right? Citizens have voted making their voices heard. But does that guarantee an end to police brutality, sexism, racism, xenophobia and the rest? More people of color are disproportionately dying from COVID-19 every day compared to white Americans which is no coincidence. These are the essential workers putting their lives on the line because they have no choice.

They need to work long hard hours in often underpaid jobs in order to support their families. And if they don’t do it, who will? Families are being evicted from their homes while also facing the harsh reality of food insecurity. Millions of Americans have been living in poverty well before the pandemic arrived with the problem now further exacerbated. This is something that I wish politicians would speaking of more with specific plans to act. I personally know what it’s like to grow up with little means. My family was never rich. With two parents raising four children on pretty modest incomes, they did their absolute best to ensure that we could survive.

I am grateful for their sacrifices and the way in which I was raised. They taught me to value and prioritize my health and wellbeing which goes hand in hand with food for nourishment. I personally believe in the Food Justice Movement because it recognizes that there are inequalities to food access in minority communities. Limited resources in relation to healthy food is what can often lead to illness and or disease which can severely impact health. The movement views access to healthy food as a human right and deconstructs the structural barriers which hinder that right.

Food Justice analyzes the history of control through food in communities where there are mainly people of colour and how food has been used as a weapon to gain power over vulnerable persons. Minority communities across the country have been utilizing Food Justice to create their own access to healthy food while simultaneously addressing racial inequality and discrimination in order to build stronger and better communities for generations to come. I really want to support the Food Justice Movement by giving my time to the farmers in my community. They work hard cultivating healthy foods for the community and could always benefit from more people willing to lend a helping hand. I would also like to help the movement spread the word about what they do by educating others in my community and possibly bringing fellow peers on board who are interested in helping with this cause. Poverty and food insecurity are very real in America.

I feel as though sometimes we try to pretend that it does not exist. However, the sad reality is that it does. Children and their families in marginalized communities are the ones often left hungry and shamed because of it. As a country we need to do so much more to address this problem so that all Americans can feel a sense of dignity when they have equal access to healthy food.