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| ISSUE NO. 608 |
| JUST ONE YEAR AGO . . . in June 2021, we wrote about the meaning of the word 'commemorate': "I have listened to folks express their desire for joy and celebration in the history of Black life in America, and it's painful to see that pitted against the realities of how enslavement continues to impact our daily lives through the inequities of systemic racism, as if it is an either/or situation. I believe we need an experience that recognizes both, and that only through commemoration of our true history can we be in community with one another, as human beings, today." Lately I find that I only feel truly myself, or at peace, or in community, with people or in spaces that are open and welcoming to both joy and grief. Notice that I didn't say I feel comfortable in those situations, only more human. In fact, it's a level of discomfort I seem to be seeking out, an alternative to numbness, and therefore a way of feeling alive in the midst of seemingly endless forces that attempt to make us feel otherwise. As I have read about the act of dehumanization in myriad books over the course of my lifetime, I came across one recently that added a completely new dimension. In How the Word is Passed, Clint Smith writes on the reality that human enslavement is dependent on the very human capabilities of labor and production, so the idea of dehumanizing enslaved people is somewhat incomplete. Smith writes, “…oppression is never about humanity, or lack thereof. It is, and always has been, about power.” When you are feeling powerless, it seems like the need for a balance of both extremes is more important than ever. To that end, we wanted to share something we've noticed as we put out this newsletter each week. Our readership has been steadily growing over the last twelve years, and in 2020/21, as we finally acknowledged the personal in the political and began to run our business with more focus and clarity on that reality, the average number of weekly subscribers almost doubled. Now that we are approaching a community of eighty thousand readers, we have noticed that the percentage of people opening this mailing each week has increased, from an average of 15-20%, to an average of 35-40%. In other words, we are not only growing an audience, but those folks seem to be more engaged than ever. To us, this is an example of the Barack Obama quote we shared last week, that "Justice grows...out of recognition of ourselves in each other." We remain committed to using the power of this community to uphold the humanity in everyone. Yours in food justice, |
tidbits...resources on anti-racism, environmentalism and food culture AKA stuff we're reading / listening to / watching / noticing / thinking about / captivated by this Tuesday . . . |
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