Reframing the story of Black Farmers with Karen Washington
In this conversation with Karen Washington we unpack the narrative of Africa’s descendants and their agricultural past. We also tackle the biggest misconceptions that the public has about food access in communities of color. We talk about the racial inequities in the food system, and how food apartheid is an economic and power issue. We also learn about the new Black Farmer Fund and the work they are doing to create social capital and communal wealth in Black communities.
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SHOW NOTES AND LINKS
KAREN WASHINGTON
Since 1985, I have worked to make New York City a better place to live and grow. As a farmer and food justice activist, I feed people body, mind, and spirit.
As a longtime member and former board president of the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, I have fought for justice and fostered resilience in my borough and beyond through the power of organized community. And I bring my fierce, compassionate leadership—as well as my commitment to develop others—everywhere I go.
As a community gardener and board member of the New York Botanical Gardens, I work with Bronx neighborhoods to turn empty lots into community gardens. As an advocate and former president of the New York City Community Garden Coalition, I stand up and speak out for garden protection and preservation. And as a co-founder of the La Familia Verde Garden Coalition, I helped launch a City Farms Market, bringing fresh vegetables to the Bronx community.
In 2010, I co-founded Black Urban Growers (BUGS), an organization supporting Black growers in both urban and rural settings. I am a board member of Why Hunger, a grassroots support organization, and Farm School NYC, which leads workshops on growing food and food justice across the country. I am also board president of Greenworker Cooperatives, which builds and sustains worker-owned green businesses to create a strong, local, and democratic economy rooted in racial and gender equity. Additionally, I am on the Board of Directors of Soul Fire Farm.
In 2012, Ebony magazine voted me one of their 100 most influential African-Americans in the country. And in 2014, I was the recipient of the James Beard Leadership Award.
Since retiring from physical therapy in 2014, I have been a co-owner and organic grower at Rise & Root Farm in Chester, New York. I stand on the shoulders of my ancestors and sow seeds of love, healing, and liberation for future generations.
PRODUCTION NOTES
Host and Writer: Melony Edwards
Executive Producer and Writer: Audra Mulkern
Producer: Joe Mulkern
FFP Theme Song: Written and Performed by Joe Mulkern
Episode Song: Snowflakes
Written By Dean William Palya, Jr.
Performed By Ghost Beatz
Produced By Ghost Beatz