Sixteenth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

Throughout human existence food has been used as a tool for bringing people together. A part of our daily lives, food is often an invisible yet common thread in connecting people, sharing ideas, and creating change. Food can be found woven throughout the history of black music, film, art, and literature from the Chitlin’ Circuit to Soul Food. Yet, food continues to be an understudied area as it relates to Black community mobilization and social change. Through archival research centering on food’s role in the ongoing contributions of the Black Panthers, this study looks to better understand how food is used to cultivate community and advocate for change. Looking at food and activism in Black Panther history this research informs Black food studies in the social sciences from a sustainability lens. Findings reveal three common themes related to Food and Activism in the Black Panthers; (1) food as a tool for community mobilization, (2) Panther Food Justice Activism, and (3) Food as a form of resistance to oppressive environmental structures. This work also illuminates the themes through diblack art and news articles pulled from the Black Panther Newsletters. Archival research was facilitated in connection with a student-driven sustainability course project that required engagement with the original copies of the Black Panther Newsletters, Black food activism, and how they shape the experiences of communities advocating for environmental change today. As this work illustrates, by centering food as the unit of analysis learning opportunities in sustainability are made easier and more accessible.