One of the things that really stood out to me in this reading was the complex relationship between the black community and farming. Although farming has memories of exploitation and trauma, it was also a means of self-reliance and preserving southern culture in D.C. The trauma still prevents many Black Americans from farming, because according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, only 1.4 percent of US farmers identify as black. This number is incredibly disproportionate, and it also has a lot to do with land ownership. Many of the Deanwood residents purchased six plots, as opposed to the two necessary for a house, so that they had sufficient space for a small garden. These gardens and family-owned grocery stores were spurred by the ideas of generational wealth and upward mobility, things that Black Americans had not previously had much access to. I really enjoyed reading this book, because I live an hour away from D.C., but this story is one that has been overshadowed by other histories prioritized by the Smithsonian and other institutions.
Week 6 Blog Post- Black Food Geographies
