A review by kawooreads
Freedom Farmers: Agricultural Resistance and the Black Freedom Movement by Monica M. White

informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

Growing your own food is an Act of Resistance. In 2022, with crippling inflation hitting our grocery stores, I want nothing more than to grow my own food for my family and build a firm relationship with the land. In this book, the author provides a brief history of the legacy of Black people who have fought oppression through horticulture. Drawing from the efforts of George Washington Carver, W. E. B. Du Bois, and Fanny Lou Hamer,  The Freedom Farmers Movement inspires Black people to renew their relationship with the land, that through the political power of cooperatives and community gardening, they can continue to dismantle systems of oppression. It gives a history of how Black grassroots organizations  have established successful systems to fight for overall wellness in their communities. The information contained in this book is important because it gives credit to the ways that Black food knowledge has been both exploited and disregarded. A great quote from the conclusion: "If pain is all there was, how can we explain the Indigenous roots of the current urban farming movement spearheaded by Black people?" I recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about political action through food.