is a question we've been pondering lately, in relation to our own Whiteness. 

As a business owned and run by White women, we can be conscious of when we are making decisions that center us, i.e. that center Whiteness, or our White framework.

For example, in choosing not to post unpaid internships on GFJ, we had to ask ourselves: are we making that decision from a place of White people believing we know what's best for marginalized people?

We, ourselves, were once prime candidates for unpaid internships: young, Ivy League educated, backed by generational wealth, free of college debt, and supported by our families but not limited by children or spouses of our own. Our privilege and our power as business owners means we can risk taking a clear stance on the value of labor, but who benefits from our risk? And: in what ways do we benefit? 

As a business founded on intersecting values of food culture, sustainability, and social justice, we will continue asking these questions in relation to each step forward.

One possible solution to avoiding centering ourselves, or our Whiteness, in every decision is to bring Black leadership to GFJ. Never has this seemed like a more relevant aspect of progress, for ours or any other business to consider. In the many questions we face in such a decision, one thing we know for sure is that moving slowly will help us to do less harm, and to ensure we are building relationships authentically, those that hold equitable meaning and value on both sides.

In See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love, Valarie Kaur writes, "Deep listening is about drawing close to someone's story." Through the stories that we share on GFJ, we aim to listen as individuals, as business owners, and as a community. We are here to listen to the voices of people who have been oppressed or marginalized, particularly in the food world.

Why is food inseparable from these issues? When land was stolen, or labor was forced through enslavement, Black and Indigenous people of color felt their connection to food and livelihood harmed in unique and lasting ways. Through the centuries, that harm has been variously healed through celebration and joy, and it has also been further wounded by the perpetuation of White supremacy in kitchens, in the media, through food deserts, and other impacts of colonization. 

Are you a person of color with something to say about your experiences with food, sustainability and social justice in America? You are invited to share your voice with us. We will undoubtedly benefit from listening to you, and we want to offer our willingness to absorb some of the risk associated with stepping up to the mic. Please consider this call for voices as a starting point.


In food, justice, and food justice, 

Dor + Tay

PS: We are working through the inspiring quantity of responses we received to our call for feedback about Americorps service. We'll be sharing more about that soon. In the meantime, if you would like to reach out, and haven't yet, we are all ears.

Photo by Michael A. Estrada for GFJ Stories