EquityBlog

Over 900 participants tuned in to the PolicyLink Equitable Strategies for Growing Urban Agriculture webinar on February 16 to listen to Mary Donnell of Green City Growers, Ian Marvy of Added Value, and Malik Yakini of Detroit Black Community Food Security Network discuss the process of starting up and maintaining their successful but very different urban agriculture models.

Urban agriculture—from school gardens to small farms planted on underutilized land—represents an innovative approach to improving access to healthy food for many low-income communities and communities of color. Urban farms spring up for a variety of reasons: to improve access to healthy food, to revitalize neighborhoods, and to create new economic opportunities through job creation and job training programs.

The Detroit Black Community Food Security Network addresses unmet food needs for its community by growing over 30 different fruits and vegetables that are sold locally at the farm itself and at three farmers’ markets each week. Using food as a vehicle for economic improvement, Added Value empowers youth by developing their skills through involvement with the farm and farmers’ market and pays them a monthly stipend that can expand their families’ incomes by as much as 30 percent. Similarly, Green City Growers expects to create more than 40 living-wage jobs for local low-income residents, revitalizing both the economic and health prospects of the neighborhood.

The speakers also shared many of the challenges they face including land insecurity and funding.  Each offered strategies for addressing those challenges such as working with city council to secure long-term leases; forming strategic partnerships with city government and other nonprofits; and incorporating youth volunteers and youth training for young people living in the surrounding low-income community. These three organizations highlight the innovation, location-specific solutions, opportunities, and exciting momentum surrounding urban agriculture in America.

This PolicyLink webinar was the first of a three-part series in current work to improve access to healthy food for low-income communities and communities of color. To learn more about urban agriculture, visit the PolicyLink Urban Agriculture and Community Garden tool and look out for the release of our urban agriculture report this spring.  You can sign up to stay informed about the PolicyLink urban agriculture webinar miniseries at www.PolicyLink.org/KeepMeInformed/HealthyFoodAccess.

Photo credit: Tim Wagner Photography for HEAC

Major news today out of the Motor City as Whole Foods announced its plans to move to Detroit’s Midtown in 2013. The news was met with mixed reactions, as some applauded the move while others expressed concerns about food costs and other matters.

Write John Gallagher and Zlati Meyer at Detroit Free-Press:

Angela Kiel, 25, a hotel chef who lives in Midtown, was delighted that Whole Foods will be close to where she lives, although she wondered about Whole Foods’ reputation as being relatively high priced.

“I’m super-excited. … I’m totally geeked about it,” she said, although she wondered about the price tags on those long-coveted groceries. “I’m a little worried. It might be too high priced, so for the average person, it’d be a negative if it’s as high-priced as in Troy.”

Go here to read the full article. Then come back and tell us what you think about Whole Foods’ decision in the comments.

Today, the Obama Administration announced the launch of the Strong Cities, Strong Communities initiative, a groundbreaking program aimed at helping local communities become economically empowered. In a press release, the White House announced six U.S. cities – Detroit, Memphis, New Orleans, Cleveland, Fresno and Chester, PA – that will work directly with federal agencies during the pilot program.

Here is a statement from PolicyLink Founder & CEO Angela Glover Blackwell in response to today’s announcement:

“Today, the Obama Administration demonstrates commitment to building communities of opportunity across America by launching the Strong Cities, Strong Communities Initiative. This new federal pilot program marks an important step towards ensuring that the most challenged communities have a chance to thrive and compete in today’s global economy.

“At a time when so many of our nation’s cities and communities are struggling to survive, programs like this  will help spur local development, entrepreneurship, and economic growth. The six sites chosen for the pilot’s launch – Detroit, Cleveland, Fresno, New Orleans, Chester, and Memphis – all face serious issues, but with strengthened capacity to compete for resources (which this initiative will provide) these places can become models of innovation and progress.”

For more information on the Strong Cities, Strong Communities Initiative, visit here.

This November 8-11, PolicyLink is bringing equity to Detroit by the thousands for “Equity Summit 2011: Healthy Communities, Strong Regions, A Prosperous America.”

The summit promises to be a dynamic and energizing event for the national Equity Movement, bringing together community advocates, policymakers, private sector leaders, and foundation officials to advance a truly inclusive policy agenda.

Here are some helpful tips for how you can be a part:

• Register now through July 15 to receive the early bird registration;
• Visit the Equity Summit website for updates on confirmed speakers, site visits, and workshops; and
• Follow us on Twitter for the latest summit related news.

We look forward to seeing you in Detroit!

Visualizations are great to help put onto paper what’s often hard to even put into words. As the Equity Summit 2011 approaches in November in Detroit, it’s worth looking back at our last Summit — which drew more than 2,000 advocates and activists to New Orleans.

What did we talk about? Well, a word cloud of the 2008 Summit framing paper — “Regional Equity and the Quest for Full Inclusion” — is a good place to start:

So, if you like “strategies” for “equitable” “community” “change,” you’ll love the Equity Summit 2011. And if word clouds don’t do it for you, check out this terrific slideshow of the 2008 Summit in New Orleans:

Two PolicyLink staffers were among the 15,000+ advocates and activists at this year’s US Social Forum in Detroit. Below are Erika Bernabei’s reflections on the event. For Amber Washington’s reflections — and a terrific video she shot — click here.

Envisioning a new America at the U.S. Social Forum

–Erika Bernabei

Last week I was fortunate to participate in the U.S. Social Forum – and I participated in the truest sense of the word in envisioning a different America.

Nothing about the Social Forum is ordinary – 15,000+ participants made up a body that pulsated with a fervor towards justice and change. Instead of sessions by topical area, workshops were designated according to the type of change the workshop aimed to address.

Musicians, poets, protestors, and community members converged to continually create a rich environment that was not only intellectually and strategically stimulating, but spiritually and personally empowering. Being in Detroit, attendees saw firsthand both the issues that disinvestment, racism, and poverty can bring to a city, but also the power and hope that individuals and groups with a new vision for the city and the country can bring to place.

I attended sessions on movement building, social justice pedagogy, racism, and many others; but most inspiring were the conversations I had with dozens of people – all different, all committed to a movement of equity, justice, and solidarity with all disenfranchised people. I ended the week dancing together with 10,000 people at a huge Leftist Lounge gathering!

“Another world is possible,” and it is happening.

Last week, two PolicyLink staff members — Amber Washington and Erika Bernabei — joined more than 15,000 advocates and activists at the U.S. Social Forum in Detroit. Above, you can see a video Amber shot of the event. And below, you can read her reflections on the event. (And stay tuned tomorrow for Erika’s take!)

Amber Washington:

“A Change Gone Come”

This past week I had the opportunity to participate in the US Social Forum (USSF), held in Detroit, MI June 22-26.  The USSF brought together grassroots organizers and social justice advocates from across the globe to share, listen, and learn.  A projected twenty thousand participants traveled to Detroit to offer their solutions to the challenges facing our global community.

There were people everywhere; Inside, outside, and around Cobo Hall-the main location for workshops.  Other sessions took place at nearby Wayne State University, and roughly ten other venues around the city.

The thing about the USSF that has resonated with me the most was that there was always a thoughtful and meaningful conversation to be had, and a mutual willingness to have it.  For example, instead of leaving the room to find another session when the facilitators of a workshop I attended failed to appear, we held our own discussion.  This direct exchange of experiences is what movement building is all about.  Organizers, activists, funders, and policy advocates learning from one another to collectively create unified networks for change.

It was truly inspiring to see and be a part of such a racially diverse, multi-generational, international, and inclusive movement of people.