Black Food Geographies: Race, Self-Reliance, and Food Access in Washington, D.C.

As a 12 year resident of wards 7 & &, and one who studies global food insecurity, it was important for me to read this book. Though gentrification continues to change demographics of Wards 7 and 8, still, compared to the other wards in D.C, 7 & 8 are “overwhelming black, and are ecologically isolated and disadvantaged.” Only 3 supermarkets serve nearly 150,000 residents east of the Anacostia River. Often the term “food desert” is used to explain this glaring inequity. However, the term food desert, is arguably inaccurate and racist. As Dr. Ashanté M. Reese explains, food desert “often obscures the processes that led to unequal access and reflects a long-standing interest in uncritical and negative evaluations of Black communities and people.” She argues that a more appropriate term is “food apartheid” which not only challenges us to unpack false assumptions about Black communities, but also examines the intersectionality between Blackness and structural divestment of grocery stores. Food access is not just about the addition of grocery stores. “Individuals’ and communities’ desires for their own foodways are critical components for creating sustainable, equitable interventions.” I highly recommend this resource.

Book itself is fine but I received it and it was all sticky and gross, can’t return cause I need it for school

This book was so good. I'm from PG County (which is relevant if you know the area) and I've always been interested in DC history. In fact, that's been the focus of my graduate studies so this book was definitely on my radar but I bought it for a class. This book revealed the residential history of the city as opposed to most books on DC that focus on the federal government. I really appreciated the terminology used and the discussion around Black food entrepreneurship and disinvestment in the city. Long story short: poverty is largely constructed by the government and you should buy from small businesses (ironic since I bought this through Amazon but as a student i needed the cheapest/fastest option at the time). I can't wait to see what Dr. Reese writes next!

Black Food Geographies provides a fresh and nuanced perspective on food access in urban spaces, examining both the structural frameworks and ideologies that perpetuate food insecurity (segregation, displacement due to gentrification, ideas around individual responsibility, etc.) and the interpersonal/community-level ideologies and active choices around food/nutrition, community sustainability, and self-reliance.This ethnographic account masterfully details the everyday decisions that residents of this community must make to navigate food insecurity by offering converging race, gender, and class analyses that complicate often generalized notions of Black community building and foodways. This is a necessary read for those involved with or interested in foodways and food justice.**And if nothing else, readers will receive a SWIFT education on the problematic use of the passive and one-dimensional "food desert". You'll never use those two words in the same sentence again.

‪In Black Food Geographies, Dr. Reese masterfully breaks down complex issues related to racism & food access in a DC community. This same story plays out all over the US. (I see it in Dallas.) Reading about the systemic issues & historical context just blows my mind. ‬I felt like I was walking through Deanwood with her, hearing the stories from community members. It’s crazy to consider the big picture of how racism touches every aspect of society. I’ve used the term food desert before—without considering its meaning. This is yet another story about survival in spite of the myriad barriers and obstacles put in the way.

I had to read this book for a class but it definitely taught me things I never even thought to think about. It makes connections to systems of oppression and racism that we were never taught as connecting. Very edifying

Great resource tool.

Not only do I love this book because the author was one of the most life-changing professors for me, but it beautifully illustrates just how food is such a political tool. As an instructor of cooking classes, food justice is centered in the work that I do. I often come back to this book as it grounds me and reminds me of so many of the nuances of food access and how racialized the systemic issue is. I love how the book dances between interviewing/storytelling and the explanation of the various themes and concepts. I also appreciate how the text takes us from the historical to contemporary underpinnings of Black Food Geography. Although this text is centered in DC, its stories transcend into so many spaces and places where Black folks are making a way through their foodways. I absolutely love this book and highly suggest anyone interested in understanding food on a more sociological level to get it! You won't regret it!