This year has been challenging for many reasons. It has also become a year about shining a light on many of the issues and injustices in our society. 2020 has therefore also become about challenging ourselves and our current systems to do better, to be better, and to move forward--not backward--as individuals, as communities, as a whole.
Across the United States and Canada people have come out to demonstrate in response to the continued police brutality towards Black Americans after the murder of George Floyd last week.
Racism, and specifically Anti-Black racism, is just as prevalent in Canada as in other countries. According to Statistics Canada, one percent of the population of B.C. and 3.5 percent of Canadians identify as Black. This population, as well as Indigenous populations, are often disproportionately targeted by police.
Black households are 3.6 times more likely to be food insecure than White households and 36.6% of Black children live in food insecure households. A ten year study released in 2019 found that overall, nearly half of First Nations families struggle to put food on the table.
Growing Chefs’ vision is a world with healthy, just, sustainable food practices. We believe we aren’t effectively enacting this vision if we don’t actively contribute to the work to bring down the injustices and inequities in our society.
We acknowledge that healthy, just food systems cannot exist without economic, social, and political justice on a societal level. Growing Chefs! intends to do the work to become better allies and vocal anti-racists, not just for today and this week, but on an ongoing and continuous basis.
We are grateful for all of the support from our community for our work to teach kids where food comes from and support increasing access to healthy food. At this time, we encourage people to direct their energy and support toward organizations that are working to dismantle systems of Anti-Black racism and support the Black community.
Here is a list of organizations to consider. If you have others to suggest, please let us know.
Additionally, this is a list of local Black owned restaurants and food related businesses to support in Metro Vancouver. Again, if you know of more (and as more are established), please share them with us! We will happily keep this list updated.
We will continue to share learning resources both internally and externally and encourage you to share with us. Here are some useful resources we have been reading and following this week: