Kyra Jones- Mia Madison – Executive Director of Memphis Tilth
- Memphis based, Executive Director of Memphis Tilth, Mia Madison focuses on “urban agriculture, environmental justice, youth advocacy, equitable access, and minority participation and engagement in urban affairs.”
- Memphis Tilth is an organization with the mission “to cultivate collective action for an economically sustainable, socially equitable, and environmentally sound local food system.” Learn more about who they are and get involved.
- Karen Washington – “Food Apartheid” & Rise and Root Farm
- New York-based Karen Washington has long been dedicated to increasing New Yorkers access to fresh, healthy food. For decades, Washington helped turn empty lots into community gardens. She also co-founded Black Urban Growers (BUGS) to connect growers. After retiring from a 30+ year career as a physical therapist, Washington started Rise and Root Farm in 2014. Additionally, she has championed using the term “food apartheid” in place of ”food desert.”
- In an interview with Guernica (a non-profit magazine dedicated to arts and politics), Washington says: “What I would rather say instead of “food desert” is “food apartheid,” because “food apartheid” looks at the whole food system, along with race, geography, faith, and economics. You say “food apartheid” and you get to the root cause of some of the problems around the food system. It brings in hunger and poverty. It brings us to the more important question: What are some of the social inequalities that you see, and what are you doing to erase some of the injustices?”
- Winona LaDuke – Indigenous Activist
- A member of the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) people (located in northern Minnesota), Winona LaDuke is a world renowned Indigenous activist. She is a champion of a Just Transition and sustainable food systems. Additionally, LaDuke is a leader in protecting Indigenous foods and plants from genetic modification. She co-founded White Earth Land Recovery Project and currently serves as the executive director of Honor the Earth, an organization supporting “frontline Native environmental groups.”
- Diane Wilson – Executive Director of Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance
- An enrolled member of the Sicangu Oyate, a branch of the Lakota people located in present day South Dakota, Diane Wilson is the Executive Director of NAFSA, an organization dedicated to revitalizing Native food systems. Wilson’s work is contributing to the Indigenous food sovereignty movement, which returns to communities the power and ability to feed themselves.
- Joann Lo, Co-Director, Food Chain Workers Alliance
- As co-director of FCWA, Joann Lo deeply believes in creating a “healthy, just, and sustainable world.” Her work with FCWA focuses mostly on workers rights within the food system, something often ignored. The Food Chain Workers Alliance is based in the ideas of “social, environmental and racial justice, in which everyone has access to healthy and affordable food.”
- Dolores Huerta – Co-founder of United Farm Workers
- In a list of Women of Color working towards a more just food system, we would be remiss to not include the seminal Dolores Huerta. Huerta co-founded United Farm Workers with Cesar Chavez in 1962. UFW is the country’s largest agricultural union and has been critical in securing rights for farm workers. Huerta’s activism is founded in a deep connection to community, women’s liberation, and ending hunger and worker exploitation.
There are so many more incredible women and organizations working toward a just food system, so please check out these more comprehensive guides to learn about food justice and how to get involved:
Kyra Jones is a Just Eats TN Food Justice Fridays Contributor.