Redemptorists of North America "Racial Equity" Series: Part 1

This month, the Redemptorists of North America began hosting its Fall “Racial Equity” Series. The first two broadcasts, on Tuesday, Oct. 3, and Tuesday, Oct. 10, focused on food deserts. Father Francis Gargani, C.Ss.R., opened both sessions with a prayer (see below).

Food deserts are geographic areas where residents do not have access to healthy foods, such as fresh fruit and vegetables. They are commonly associated with low-economic areas in inner cities, but often can be found in rural areas as well.

Attendees on the Zoom calls watched compelling videos and discussed them, pulling from their own life experiences. 

On Oct. 3, participants watched the CNBC video “Battling Food Deserts”, which described food deserts in metropolitan areas and how some are trying to help. After the eye-opening imagery displayed in the video, attendees were asked to ponder the following:

Some criticize big retail stores like Kroger or Walmart for pulling out of poor neighborhoods. Others criticize “outsiders” who do not live in the neighborhood for owning or working in stores in the neighborhood. Do either or both of these criticisms have legitimacy?
Take a moment to read these four comments from the list following the video posted on YouTube. Do you agree with the authors?
Comment 1)     “As a black man in Minneapolis, I don’t blame the grocery stores, I blame the community who lacks accountability.”
Comment 2)     “I worked as an assistant store manager for a grocery store chain … the store itself didn’t do much business compared to other stores elsewhere and I am pretty sure the only reason it was built in that neighborhood was some cost benefit provided by the state … theft was extremely high.”
Comment 3)     “Years ago, I was a supermarket manager at a small chain … while all stores experience theft, the more urban store experienced 2x the theft. And to add to that, the merchandise mix was poor in the urban stores … doing business in the ‘hood’ is a losing endeavor.”
Comment 4)     “This situation reminds me of when I was in college and I did research on the desertification of commerce in the center of our city, that because of violence and constant thefts, stores began to increase the number of security guards. But upon realizing how expensive it was to maintain compared to profits, many decide3d to simply close … when I presented the statistical data to colleagues, part of the class claimed that statistics were fascist tools and what was happening was purely oppression of the rich over the poor.”

All is not bleak, however – there are people and programs designed to combat food deserts. Former First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign included a vegetable garden at the White House that encouraged children to learn about growing healthy food. Grants exist for programs like the “Healthy Food Financing Program” and others.

While profits are a big concern for grocers, the panel agreed there are inventive ways for individuals, communities, governments, and organizations to help eradicate food deserts.

On Oct. 10, the group watched the following videos: “A Black-Owned Farm Fights Food Deserts in the Bronx” and “PBS Newshour: This Teen-Led Co-op is Harvesting a Healthier Future”. Then the following questions were discussed:

Do you think it is true that poor people eat unhealthy food (processed and junk foods) because they like them or because they have no other choice?

Both of the videos presented self-starting projects in poor neighborhoods. Does such a project need outside, perhaps professional, consultants? Or do outsiders take away from the initiatives of the poor?

Animated discussion followed on the obstacles food deserts present, both in inner city poor neighborhoods and rural areas where healthy options are not readily available.

The “Racial Equity” Series continues next month with the topic “American Prisons: Slavery by Another Name”. Sessions will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 7, and Tuesday, Nov. 14. To register in advance, please visit the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUkf-6rqzouGdxjgEorGbs1y2KmTomQziou