Uplifting Food Legacies and Investigating Equitable Futures

February is Black History Month, a time to honor, celebrate, and recognize the contributions of Black and African American people nationally and within our communities. At Seward Co-op, we strive to celebrate Black history, past and present, year-round. This Black History Month, we want to highlight the legacy of African diasporic foodways within American food culture and shed light on the continuing systemic discrimination of Black farmers’ access to land. It is our role as a co-op not to turn away from the uncomfortable realities of white supremacy that still continue to shape our food systems. Instead, we aim to work collectively as a co-op community to support Black and African American-owned farms. It is in pursuit of our Ends to invest in inclusive, socially responsible practices. While taking small steps toward uplifting Black farmers cannot undo generations of discrimination, it can help us move toward a more equitable food system both within our stores and beyond.

American Food: Rooted in Resilience and Adaptation

In 1619, the people who’d been enslaved and survived the harrowing trip through the Middle Passage arrived in the United States. Along with them came their food traditions, seeds from beloved African crops, and a deep creativity to adapt in a new place under severe conditions. Okra, greens, yams, black-eyed peas, and knowledge of rice cultivation—expertise that was exploited by enslavers for profit—were introduced to the Americas. Despite dehumanization and forced assimilation, many of those who were enslaved preserved their cultural and food traditions. Food access was severely restricted and limited to the scrap “rations” or small garden plots permitted by enslavers. Corn, native to the Americas, and salted, preserved pork became prevalent in African American cooking during the Antebellum period as crops and recipes changed. From necessity came innovation, and foods designed for survival emerged. Soul food began to take shape—adaptations of stews from back home were created, cultural ingredients like sweet potatoes were turned into pies, and new desserts like cobblers were invented from using pie dough scraps and bruised fruits. The evolution of American food culture was born from resilience.

Black Farming Then and Today

During the Reconstruction period in the late 19th century, about 90% of enslaved African Americans were freed, but the grip of white supremacy held strong on their ability to access upward mobility. Many were presented no alternative to sharecropping due to systemic denials of access to education during enslavement, places to live after being “freed,” and a lack of access to federal food assistance programs. Later, during the Great Depression when farmers were offered access to subsidies, white farmers kept much of the cash while African American sharecroppers did not benefit. Only in the 1980s did the USDA begin to be held accountable for discriminatory practices.

Yet inequities persist today, as Black farmers still struggle for equal access to funds. As of the 2022 Census of Agriculture, only 1.4% of the 3.4 million farmers in the United States are Black. Due to that lack of access, Seward Co-op is limited in our ability to stock Black-grown crops on our shelves, but we try to whenever possible. We work with local farms like Kilimo MN, Black farm co-ops like Mileston Farmers Cooperative and the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, and food hubs like The Good Acre that collaborates with diverse, small-scale farms. We also strive to stock Black and African American-owned products on shelves throughout our stores. While there is still much work to be done, when you shop at Seward Co-op, there are many opportunities to uplift and support Black-owned businesses this Black History Month, and year-round.