February is Black History Month, a time to learn about, reflect on and celebrate the contributions of the Black community in America and their central role in this country’s history.
The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) designates a new theme for Black History Month each year. For 2023, the theme is Resistance. And, for Black people in America, food has long been one means of resistance, as well as a resource of comfort and strength.
From organizing the nation’s first free breakfast program for kids in Oakland, to continuing to ensure their neighbors have equal access to healthy food in communities across the country today, Black Americans have long been leaders in the fight against hunger. And here in Contra Costa and Solano Counties, that work and leadership continues as well. Here is just a small sampling of the many Black and African American leaders in our community who are heading up the mission to end hunger.
Building community through food
The inspiration for Community Villages came only a few days after Tanya Jacobs moved to the Bay Area from North Carolina.
“My first week I saw people actually stepping over human beings that were laying on the streets of the Tenderloin in San Francisco,” she recalls. “It was a culture shock… and it wasn’t just the Tenderloin, it was in Oakland, it was in Richmond.”
Guided by the question of what she could do differently – and how to invite others to do the same – Jacobs launched Community Villages with a focus on mental health support, reentry services for the formerly incarcerated and serving the unhoused community around El Sobrante. When the pandemic hit in 2020 and the need for food in the community became clear, Community Villages expanded its offerings further. It now operates a weekly food pantry in partnership with the Food Bank.
“Food is our opening window,” Jacobs says. When neighbors visit the pantry, or receive a sandwich during one of Community Villages’ outreach sessions at local encampments, it’s an opportunity to connect them to other services, or to encourage them to get involved in community service projects themselves.
“It becomes a family for a lot of our participants,” she says. “I know at least 100 members by name and face, and I look forward to seeing them. It’s not just food, it’s a community building network for our organization.”
Meet another partner:
Sisterhood and service
Each year, the Food Bank is proud to host the Tau Upsilon Omega Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority – America’s premier Greek-letter organization for African American women – on Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. The Tau Upsilon Omega Chapter includes members from across Solano County.
Chapter president Leslie Brady said participating in our annual Day of Service food sorting event is a way to honor Dr. King’s legacy and his fight for Civil Rights, as well as Alpha Kappa Alpha’s own motto of “service to all mankind.” The sorority also participates in other community service projects around Solano County throughout the year.
Further reading
Want to learn more about Black hunger leaders, and how hunger affects Black communities today? These resources and articles can start you on your journey.
