Black Food Matters, Ashante M. Reese
Black Food Matters, Ashante M. Reese
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Black Food Matters
Racial Justice in the Wake of Food Justice

Author: Ashanté M. Reese, Hanna Garth

Narrator: Allyson Johnson

Unabridged: 8 hr 39 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 01/26/2021


Synopsis

For Black Americans, the food system is broken. When it comes to nutrition, Black consumers experience an unjust and inequitable distribution of resources. Black Food Matters examines these issues through in-depth essays that analyze how Blackness is contested through food, differing ideas of what makes our sustenance "healthy," and Black individuals' own beliefs about what their cuisine should be.

Primarily written by nonwhite scholars, and framed through a focus on Black agency instead of deprivation, the essays here showcase Black communities fighting for the survival of their food culture. The book takes listeners into the real world of Black sustenance, examining animal husbandry practices in South Carolina, the work done by the Black Panthers to ensure food equality, and Black women who are pioneering urban agriculture. These essays also explore individual and community values, the influence of history, and the ongoing struggle to meet needs and affirm Black life.

A comprehensive look at Black food culture and the various forms of violence that threaten the future of this cuisine, Black Food Matters centers Blackness in a field that has too often framed Black issues through a white-centric lens, offering new ways to think about access, privilege, equity, and justice.

About Ashanté M. Reese

Ashante M. Reese is assistant professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Systems at University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She is the author of Black Food Geographies: Race, Self-Reliance, and Food Access in Washington, D.C.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Fred on April 26, 2021

This collection of academic essays was interesting but uneven. Some of the essays were so bogged down in academic jargon it was hard to read them. But on the other hand some where very accessible and excellent at at bringing out the key points. Overall the book was good at bringing to light issues l......more

Goodreads review by Parker on February 28, 2021

I read this book with a school book group and it was extremely insightful. I’m so glad to have experienced this book accompanied with insightful discussions from my peers. I highly recommend picking this book up if you have any interest in food justice, environmental justice, and/or racial justice.......more

Goodreads review by Karen on February 08, 2021

I don't know much about the food justice movement, but this collection of essays wasn't too advances for me to follow, while still having a lot of depth, so it really hit the mark for a book on a specialized subject that's still accessible to a more general audience who wants to learn about that sub......more

Goodreads review by Wendy on April 05, 2022

Really interesting book but I read it based off of a list the New York Times published about great books to read and expected personal essays rather than an anthropology text book. The essays were personal but were so filled with quotes and citations that it didn't draw me in or motivate me to read......more