L.A. exists as a microcosm displaying the best and worst facets of our country. Some of society’s largest blemishes are on full display in our city, alongside our beloved boundary-pushing artistry, harmonious culinary-cultural melding of different communities, and activism working to claim a better future for subsequent generations.
Attached to the city’s underbelly are regions that teeter on food desert status despite belonging to metropolitan L.A. and the fact that race remains a determining factor in the quality of healthcare and education doled out to Angelenos.
Black-owned businesses throughout the county have been combatting these issues, utilizing education and joy in tandem.
In God’s Hands (IGH) Gardens is a non-profit in Long Beach operating within the intersection of race, food, and homelessness. “It is our mission to provide educational services to the underserved communities . . . in the instruction of sustainable living from organically raised food,” they write on their website.
South Central-based SUPRMARKT, a community grocer aiming to end what they call “food apartheid,” is one of L.A.’s food activism giants, focusing on offering affordable fresh produce. They recently announced a temporary hiatus, but we have four more organizations for you to visit, whether that means attending a curated farmers market on wheels or visiting a local community garden event.