As an African American woman from the south (shout out North Carolina), everything about me is political: my skin, my hair, and even my diet. Growing up I always ate traditional southern meals: fried chicken, rice, sweet potatoes, collard greens, pork chops, and other tasty foods. And when we visited my extended family in Alabama or Mississippi, we ate even more southern cooking. We had freshly hunted squirrel with breakfast, chitterlings, and every other part of the pig. In my family, not one part of the animal went to waste. Maybe it is because my family has direct ties to farmland and hunting. It is important that my grandfather could raise and hunt chickens, pigs, and wildlife so my mother's generation had meat to eat. Likewise, it was my grandmother's responsibility to feed her children and any extended family each night. These traditions did not pass away with my grandparents. The southern cooking is alive and well in both sides of my family.
However now as a young college student living in Los Angeles, I have joined my sister on her path to veganism, which is a huge cultural shift. I can no longer eat during Thanksgivings at home because EVERYTHING has meat. Well I can eat the sweet potatoes and yams, but that is not much of a Thanksgiving. On top of that, I face ridicule from family about getting too thin, allowing Los Angeles living to change me, and being a "grass-eater". While I do not mind the jokes, it did open up a new perspective about how food is political.
The south is a staple of good eating. But many of these delicious meals include unhealthy components like fat-back, grease, and other cholesterol and blood raising ingredients. After talking with my peer, she brought to my attention how deeply connected food is to slavery for the African American community. You see, in the south, African Americans were fed scraps of animals during slavery. And because of this, unhealthy eating filtered its way into present-day African American eating habits. In addition, fast food craze is making unhealthy options easily accessible and financially easy. Also, large fast food industries like McDonalds and others are strategically placed in low-income areas where many African American people live.
Don't believe me? Let's take a look at their menu. A hamburger consisting of who knows what is 99 cents versus a salad that is $6.00 or higher. Thus, making unhealthy eating even more accessible. This is the same for grocery store shopping. Processed food is much cheaper and easier to find in the store than organic fruits and vegetables.
Knowing this, I wanted to start my journey into veganism. But finding vegan-friendly food is not the easiest thing to do in the south. To even bring vegetarian or healthier options into the southern home is a discipline that is difficult for many families to adjust to -- especially for African Americans. However given we are in this age of health, awareness, and yogis, I have faith that these dietary adjustments and disciplines will soon come to all people soon.
