Juneteenth Reflections
FACT’s Ongoing Commitment to Racial Equity in the Food System
By Harry Rhodes, Executive Director
Four years ago on June 19th, 2020, FACT made a commitment to racial justice and equity in the food system. We asked some serious questions about our work and about the inequitable food and farming system.
We declared that:
1. We must dedicate ourselves to reaching out and listening to BIPOC farmers throughout the country.
2. We must address our lack of diverse leadership, starting with our board of directors.
3. We must examine our programs and policies to identify how they can reflect and sustain broader societal inequities and take corrective steps.
We have made progress in the past four years. Our programs reach many more BIPOC farmers than they did previously. Our board of directors is more diverse and inclusive. We have joined organizations such as the HEAL Food Alliance that are working nationally for "people to have the right and means to produce, procure, prepare, share, and eat food that’s nutritionally and culturally appropriate, free from exploitation of themselves and others."
We were encouraged at the time that so many of our partners and allies, especially within the not-for-profit and philanthropic worlds, were making similar commitments, and positive change was happening.
Sadly, as often happens when there is progress towards a more equitable society, there has also been a backlash against this work. Gene LaMarch wrote this insightful opinion piece in The Chronicle of Philanthropy.
"What began as a long-overdue reckoning with America’s racial history following the murder of George Floyd four years ago has now led to assaults on affirmative action and almost any other measure aimed at increasing the representation of individuals from underrepresented backgrounds — or of even giving an honest accounting of our nation’s complicated past."
We must continue moving forward in our effort to create a more just and equitable food and farm system. This Juneteenth we are committing ourselves at FACT to continue this important work.