This week’s assigned texts explore food justice, an issue that has gained new dimensions of significance during the COVID-19 pandemic. But before this virus brought some disruptions to our grocery supply chains and exacerbated food insecurity throughout the nation, as well as in north Texas (Links to an external site.), food has been a site where we can perceive social dynamics of power and privilege. This week we learn about some of these dynamics— historically and in the present moment— that have shaped the ways certain individuals and communities can access food.
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Select one prompt option to respond to, and be sure to write the prompt number at the top of your post.
Prompt option 1
Select a specific idea or example from one of the following two articles that explains a systemic or structural factor in food injustice and briefly describe what this factor is.
- “We Don’t Farm Because It’s Trendy”
- “Birmingham’s Hot Restaurant Scene Won’t Fix Its Food Deserts”
How does We Over Me Farm at Paul Quinn college or Leah Penniman’s work at Soul Fire Farm offer a way to resist or transform this form of food injustice? Be sure to describe a specific example from one of these two food justice project (you can also discuss both!)
Prompt option 2
This prompt involves learning more about your own local “foodscape,” or the types of food you have access to and have easy access to. If you respond to this prompt, please address the following questions:
- What are the 4-5 closest places where you can get food (any place that sells food: grocery store, convenience store, restaurant, farm stand, etc.)?
- What “grocery store” is closest to where you live, and how far away is it?
- Based on specific ideas from at least two different required texts for this week, what does this foodscape tell you about your community? Or, what do you learn about your community by thinking about it in relation to food justice?
Extra Credit— post by Thursday, April 15 (up to 2 points added to your week 14 participation grade)
For this extra credit option, write a response post for the prompt that you didn’t select for your response post. So if you selected option #1 for your response post, you’d select option #2 for your extra credit post. To ensure your posts are graded correctly, write “Extra Credit Post” at the top.
