Ed. Notes- From all of us at KIDS we wish our readers a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving. If we all practice the wearing of masks, social distancing, etc. hopefully Thanksgiving of 2021 will see us celebrating without those conditions.
Thanksgiving is also a time of reflection. Today's message from our good friends at WhyHunger bring to mind the road Jane and I have traveled for the last 30 years. As often the case in our family, Jane struck out by leaving a career in the computer field to enter a program at Teachers College, Columbia University on her way to earning a Doctorate in Nutrition and Education. At the same time, at the ripe old age of 55 years, I left the field of marketing to join Jane. WhyHunger was the start of our journey leading to KIDS and our becoming a program of iEARN.
We join all at KIDS, WhyHunger, and iEARN in joining our hands in the effort of making this planet a better place for all.
Post-Election, The Fight for Food Justice Continues: A Message from WhyHunger
By Why Hunger Staff
Three weeks ago, we witnessed historic voter turnout and then waited days on edge for election results that have further divided the nation. This week, we saw record-breaking COVID-19 infection rates and WhyHunger volunteers answered more and more Hunger Hotline calls from people struggling to put food on their tables.
In the midst of division, struggle, and pain felt by so many, a clear call for transformation has emerged. A core part of this transformation is ending hunger in America and ensuring the human right to nutritious food for all.
For 45 years, WhyHunger has invested in systemic change driven by the people through community-led action and grassroots social movements. We stand in solidarity with our grassroots partners across the country and around the world for their tireless action and commitment. We also stand with communities of color across the nation—driven by organizing in Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Immigrant and LGBTQIA communities—that spoke out in record numbers to define this election and force a change in power.
However, our work is far from done.
The coming transition of power will change many things, but the deep injustices we are fighting in our food system and society have existed since our nation’s founding. The problems that plague us are not strictly red or blue, they are rooted in our society’s willingness to dehumanize people and exclude whole communities from true prosperity and self-determination, while we prioritize profit-making at the expense of people and the planet.
Over the years, we’ve learned from our grassroots partners and social movements around the globe that big change means thinking less about the individual and more about the collective. What can we do together that will create positive transformation? Regardless of who sits in the White House, we must prioritize our shared humanity—protecting the earth, investing in healthy food and sustainable livelihoods for all, and amplifying the voices of those who have been swept to the margins of our society.
Together with our partners, we are building a movement for a just, hunger-free world where nutritious food is a human right and all people can nourish themselves with dignity. We need to transform our food system. Creating this new world means addressing hunger’s root causes head-on: putting a stop to industrial agriculture and climate change, ending racism and dismantling white supremacy, ending exploitation and demanding a living wage for all workers, and ensuring access to housing and healthcare for all.
For the next four years and every year after, we must hold leaders on both sides of the aisle accountable for implementing policies that will make this vision a reality. We know that change is possible, and hunger is solvable.
WhyHunger will continue to invest in solutions that center the people most impacted by hunger and poverty and follow the lead of the grassroots. Communities of color, Indigenous people, underpaid workers, women, youth, and LGBTQIA communities are the voice of our future. It’s going to take all of us, regardless of race, color or creed, coming together to heal and build an America worthy of the ideals of liberty, equity and justice for all.
Together, we the people can define America. And that definition will ripple across the globe. Let’s continue to strengthen our communities and the collective grassroots movement fighting for the rights of all people to nourish themselves and restore our shared humanity.
With hope and determination,
The WhyHunger Team
P.S. Justice will not be built through elections alone! Learn how you can stay active and connect with our allies at: the Black Urban Growers (BUGS), Climate Justice Alliance, Closing the Hunger Gap, Food Chain Workers Alliance, the Global Solidarity Alliance for Food, Health and Social Justice, National Black Food & Justice Alliance, Poor People’s Campaign, and US Food Sovereignty Alliance.
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