Food Justice
- shelbyshelb
- Aug 24, 2025
- 3 min read
Before going to DC, discover what our students are learning about government, food systems, and the power of grassroots movements.
“Mike, if you and your little cousins clean up the whole house, I will give you a book of food stamps,” said my auntie, Deneen. “Deal,” I yelled with excitement. Yeah, I said a book of food stamps - this was way before the physical EBT cards which allow some degree of discretion. This conversation plays repeatedly in my mind as we face a potential government shutdown that could impact SNAP benefits for thousands of Americans across our country.
I grew up on food stamps, and at times it was truly the lifeline for either my mother or my aunts to feed our family. I remember getting those book stamps and heading straight to the Dairy (or UDF) on my bike with my cousins to buy frozen meals and sometimes candy, if the cashier was cool. I share this personal story to bring attention to how government decisions directly affect families’ ability to eat - and to show why we’re teaching our youth at GrassRoots Middle about how government and food are interconnected through food policies, agriculture, regulation, and grassroots organizing.
This summer when we began planning for this session, the only thing we had in mind was our students’ curiosity after our work at the Food Bank and our session on service. Our students - many of whom think deeply about food - wanted more, and so we wanted to create a program that explored all the ways that government, grassroots organizations, food justice, and food subsidies worked. We wanted to create a program that took many of their loves - art, business, engineering, food science, culinary work, horticulture, and gardening - and showed how these passions can be used as solutions to some of the big issues in our 🌍 world.
However, who would have known then that our conversations would have to move from history, theories, and the American food insecurity crisis to a full-on potential disaster. As adults, we are partnering, talking, and problem-solving - while our children create, discuss, and play (because joy is not an option, it’s a requirement).
What We’re Learning:
Our students are diving deep into the connections between government systems and food justice through three main units:
1. Unit 1: Government systems (parliaments, presidents, federal vs. state power)
2. Unit 2: How governments control food access (Civil Rights, segregation, lunch counter sit-ins)
Coming up: Grassroots organizing, community solutions, and taking action
Why This Matters Now:
Understanding government systems isn’t just history - it’s essential knowledge for navigating the present moment. When SNAP benefits are threatened by government shutdowns, when food deserts persist in our communities, when families struggle to access healthy food, our young people need to understand HOW these systems work and WHY grassroots organizing matters. The same government structures that created segregation laws are the ones that decide food policy today. The same organizing strategies used in lunch counter sit-ins can address food justice issues now. We’re teaching our students that they have power - through understanding systems, through creative expression, through collective action, and through building community.
Community Resources & Support:
Hurricane Melissa Relief:
State Representative Segun Adeyina is encouraging residents to give whatever they can “Everything from water to food items to clothes—anything people want to donate is important," Adeyina said.
Follow our journey on Instagram @grassrootsmiddle. Watch our students grow as thinkers and community builders who understand that food justice is about dignity, equity, and the power we all have to create change.
In Solidarity,
Shelby, Mike & The GrassRoots Middle Team
