Food, Community, and Resilience
Erin, Cooper, Brendan
Reading:
Reese, Ashanté M. “Come to Think of It, We Were Pretty Self-Sufficient: Race, Segregation, and Food Access in Historical Context.” In Black Food Geographies: Race, Self-Reliance, and Food Access in Washington, D.C. University of North Carolina Press, 2019. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5149/9781469651521_reese.
What is the purpose and main arguments of the article?
Ashanté M. Reese’s chapter "Come to Think of It, We Were Pretty Self-Sufficient" explores how Black communities in Deanwood, Washington, D.C., built self-reliance through food production, small businesses, and strong social networks. The main argument is that despite racial segregation and economic barriers, residents created a thriving food system that met their needs. Over time, this self-sufficiency was disrupted by the rise of supermarkets, urban disinvestment, and the loss of Black-owned grocery stores, leading to food insecurity in the neighborhood. Reese challenges the idea that food insecurity in Black neighborhoods isn’t simply about a lack of grocery stores. Instead, she shows how it’s tied to a long history of racial inequality, systemic disinvestment, and the changing nature of Black-owned businesses. She also highlights the resilience of Deanwood’s residents, who found creative ways to feed their families and sustain their community, even as outside forces made it harder.
How does the article highlight or explore the course themes?
The article ties most closely to the theme of identity and resistance. Reese explores how Deanwood’s Black residents forged a strong sense of identity through self-reliance, food production, and local commerce. The community’s food system was more than just a way to survive—it was a reflection of cultural heritage, Southern roots, and the resilience of Black life in the face of systemic barriers. Deanwood’s history shows how Black communities resisted racial and economic oppression by building their own networks of support. Residents grew their own food, bartered with neighbors, and supported Black-owned businesses to maintain independence. Even as segregation limited their options, they found ways to sustain themselves. This act of self-sufficiency was a form of resistance against a system that often excluded them from economic and social mobility.
How would you describe the “vibe” of the text?
The vibe of Reese's writing blends considerate reflection, perceptive analysis and an inspiring outlook. Reese explores the many ways several Black communities in Washington, D.C. coped with an important degree of food insecurity and her research points out the large effect of systemic racism and segregation. She studied several aspects of gardening, and she also researched the many local food-sharing networks and the multiple community-based food systems developed by these excluded communities. Reese's study of the historical roots of food insecurity and the self-sustaining practices used by these communities for change and resistance points out a key approach to understanding the problem. Reese's deeply perceptive work challenges the widely held belief that sufficient food access is universally available, and it reveals how deeply secured segregation forced many Black communities to devise remarkably resourceful alternative solutions to fulfill their important nutritional needs. These communities show large resourcefulness, self-reliance, and resilience and this conveys an empowering message. Their remarkably resourceful strategies for food access and powerful acts of resistance and solidarity generated wide-ranging networks of care and survival and these networks flourished despite important systemic barriers.
How does this playlist complement the vibes of the text (somatically, sonically, taste, tempo, genre)?
This playlist complements the article both thematically and sonically by highlighting the deep connections between music, culture, and resistance. The songs speak to the perseverance of Black communities in the face of systemic oppression, much like how Reese portrays Black foodways as a form of cultural survival and self-sufficiency. The playlist serves as an auditory reflection of the themes of empowerment, resilience, and the constant fight for justice and equity woven throughout Reese’s writing. The combination of soul, blues, hip-hop, and gospel creates a diverse yet unified soundtrack to the history and contemporary relevance of Black self-reliance and resistance in America.
How did each of you go about finding songs to include in the playlist?
Each member went about selecting the songs in the playlist by listening to songs that match and convey the themes of the reading. Some of the criteria included the vibe/emotions portrayed in the song, tempo, instrumentation, and the lyrics. For example, the lyrics in the song“I’m Almost There” are about having ambitions and working hard towards achieving a dream and better life. This relates to the text in terms of the Great Migration, where black Americans migrated towards urban centers for better opportunities. Additionally, the song “A Change is Gonna Come” conveys the mood and emotions of the attempts to restore food access after the large supermarkets left Deanwood with Super Pride and the push now for urban farming and initiatives.
Which song(s) reflect your critiques of the text?
A song that reflects a critique of the text would be “Hard Times” by Baby Huey. The reading talks about how the food insecurity in Deanwood is primarily due to external structural forces such as gentrification, urban decline, and systematic racism. Although these factors indeed did cause the food insecurity, the text does not fully explore additional factors that contributed toward the food insecurity in Deanwood. One such example being socioeconomic shifts that contributed towards the loss of self-reliance. The reading discusses how the rise of supermarkets displaces small Black-Owned grocers but does not mention how consumer preferences may have shifted towards convenience. Additionally, as the integration of black communities into the neighborhood progressed and access to mainstream markets increased, Black individuals would have more purchasing power as their socioeconomic status increases. The enables them to shop outside their communities, hence, resulting in less preferences for the smaller Black-owned grocery stores. The song “Hard Times” reflects this shift as the song not only reflects financial struggle but also conveys themes of disillusionment and frustration like how Deanwood lost the economic autonomy that they once had.
How did you decide on the order and transitions between each song, including how to begin and how to end?
We structured the playlist to follow a narrative arc reflecting the themes of the article—beginning with hope and resilience, moving through struggle and resistance, and ending with reflection and perseverance. “People Get Ready” and “Almost There” set a tone of optimism, mirroring Deanwood’s early self-sufficiency, while “Move on Up” embodies ambition and growth. The transition into struggle begins with “I’m Black and Proud” and “Manish Boy,”representing self-reliance and racial pride, followed by “Hard Times” and “Alright,” capturing economic struggles and modern resilience. The climax brings a call for change with “Rise Up”and “A Change is Gonna Come,” acknowledging both hardship and hope. Finally, “RedemptionSong” offers reflection, “Freedom” reinforces ongoing resistance, and “Home” closes the playlist with a sense of belonging and resilience, much like Deanwood’s enduring community strength.
Were there ethical concerns or debates that came up while creating this playlist?
There are several ethical considerations with this playlist, most of which have to do with cultural appropriation, representation, and intent. It is a concern that these powerful songs will be simplified or appropriated by white creators without a full understanding of the historical context in which they were created. While this may be intended to uplift Black voices, it can be regarded as performative allyship-reducing serious racial struggles to a trendy, politically correct gesture. Most notably, the playlist's heavy reliance on mainstream artists like Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar raises questions regarding the representation of the diversity in Black experience, potentially also silencing voices from more minor representatives. Finally, there is a concern that these songs, born from deep pain and resistance, could be exploited for commercial or entertainment value rather than to spur meaningful reflection regarding systems of oppression. The ultimate challenge is finding a balance between respect for the struggles these songs represent and the risk of oversimplification or commodification.