Annual Impact Report 2023
Learning Through Building, Growing Through Resistance, Thriving Through Healing
We are thrilled to announce the release of our 2023 Annual Impact Report, centered around the theme "Learning Through Building, Growing Through Resistance, Thriving Through Healing."
This comprehensive report showcases NBFJA's endeavors, contributions, and collective achievements throughout the past year. Key highlights include the release of the Market Study Research Project, providing valuable insights into inequities in funding for Black-led food co-ops. We are especially excited by the launch of the pilot program for the Resource Commons Investment Fund, marking a crucial step in supporting Black farmers in our network in defending and preserving their land and advancing their impact in their local communities. All this and so much more inside.
This year’s report was beautifully crafted by designer & social media strategist, Amarie Baker
Impact Reports 2021-2022
From soil to soil, our 2022 annual impact report is an ode to the journey of a seed and an in depth look into the body of work the National Black Food & Justice Alliance has held over the last year. Like a seed, our organization continues to sprout new shoots while strengthening our roots through the nourishment of community and member-led campaigns and initiatives.
This report covers the growth of our membership, programs, campaigns, and national impact in the year 2022. From surpassing our goal of training 100 emerging land stewards to distributing over $700,000 in Mutual Aid Resource Council Grants to 87 farmers and land stewards forwarding our collective work of Black food sovereignty and land justice, we are continuing to equip grassroots organizations around this country with the resources and fortification to strengthen and sustain our fight towards Black food sovereignty and land justice. We invite you to learn more about what we’ve been up to and to reflect on how you see yourself in this collective work.
Designed by MARGARETT MCBRIDE
2021 was a year of manifestation, but also grief, loss, and deep transformation. Communities continue to grapple with a global pandemic, and institutional violence continues to plague Black people in so many ways including food apartheid, land theft, housing displacement and the egregious carceral system. While many during this time period have started asking themselves what "the new normal" will be, grassroots Black-led organizations around the country (and world) have been building it.
This report shares an overview of the budding and growing collective movement work the National Black Food and Justice Alliance members have been inside of over the course of the past year.
Designed by LC Morrissette
Report: Rethinking Market Studies Research Project
providing strategies to aid Black co-ops in advancing community development and Black food systems
A report that investigates the scope and pitfalls of traditional market studies research
A Toolkit for black cooperators
We're excited to share recommendations and strategies from our Rethinking Market Studies Research Project with our Black cooperative community and beyond. We’ve provided 7 different tools to engage with and to share our findings,
recommendations, and materials.
Guide to Food Terms
This guide was curated by Communications & Culture Coordinator, isis amusa
The Black Food Justice Glossary stands as a dynamic resource, continually evolving to meet the needs of Black curious minds invested in understanding and engaging with the Black food movement. It serves as a comprehensive guide, illuminating the diverse perspectives, organizing efforts, and terminology integral to this vital work.
The significance of a shared language within our community cannot be emphasized enough; it serves as a bridge that connects us, fosters understanding, and enables effective collaboration. By making commonly used terms widely accessible, we aim to democratize knowledge, empower individuals and organizations, and cultivate a deeper awareness of the complexities and nuances inherent in Black food justice work.
This living, breathing guide is a testament to our commitment to inclusivity, education, and the ongoing pursuit of justice and liberation in the realm of food sovereignty.
Recent News & Announcements
NBFJA Newsletter
Subscribe for our newsletter to receive emerging updates about our collective work
NBFJA Book Club
Our work is rooted in connecting our hearts and whole selves in creating political space together. Check out our reading list below from our virtual book club, hosted by lauren m. jones of yes, please.
additional Readings
Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice
A Dream Foreclosed: Black America and the Fight for a Place to Call Home
Films/Videos
Detroit Urban Agriculture Movement Looks to Reclaim Motor City
Taking over, Taking back (Password: “homes”)
Webinars
Striving for Black Food Sovereignty – Stewards for the Land
Today, we’re talking to Dr. Jasmine Ratliff, who goes by Dr. Jas, and is an applied food systems research and policy specialist, and co-executive director of the National Black Food and Justice Alliance. She believes that your zip code should not determine your life expectancy and that building relationships are essential to creating a sustainable and just food system.
Sanford School of Public Policy Podcast at Duke July 14, 2022
Black Feminist freedom dreams - NBFJA co-founder, dara cooper
“Black Feminist Freedom Dreams: Food Sovereignty and the Urgency of Intersectional Movement Building” What will it take to truly transform the food system? What is ultimately our north star within the food movement? During this presentation, food movement activist and organizer Dara Cooper, National Organizer for the National Black Food and Justice Alliance, calls on the brilliance of Black feminist theory and praxis to ground us in imagining a path forward towards food sovereignty. Leaning on historical and contemporary examples, we will explore why race, class and gender is essential to understanding our work towards justice in the food system. We will also explore how we understand food justice and food sovereignty in the context of our ultimate goal---freedom.
University of Michigan | Food Literacy for All | April 9, 2019
What's Land Got to Do with It? The Role Land Plays in Our Social Movements: Past, Present, & Future
This session sought to make space and learn from frontline leaders working at the intersection of climate justice, sovereignty and land justice. The conversation acknowledged the history and current work of the Land Justice Movement while exploring the relationships on the ground that are paving the way for future generations to advocate for transformative change as we face systemic racism and the dire realities of climate change.
November 17, 2020
New Communities is one of the first community land trusts (legal structures) in the country and continues the legacy today on a 1600+ acre retreat and confer...
An Evening with Mrs. Shirley Sherrod and Dr. Monica White
New Communities is one of the first community land trusts (legal structures) in the country and continues the legacy today on a 1600+ acre retreat and conference center. See this pre-recorded discussion on exciting new leadership opportunities with New Communities and Southwest Georgia Project and all of the incredible work they're up to. Mrs. Shirley Sherrod was joined by Dr. Monica White to discuss some of the historical legacy and contemporary visions and plans forward.
November 19, 2020