Written and transcribed by Daphne Hines in collaboration with Chris Gillespie.
Known to some as Jubilee Day, this June 19th marks the 158th anniversary of the first Juneteenth Celebration in 1865. We celebrate Juneteenth in remembrance of the long-fought battle to emancipation, while also celebrating the culture that inspired and maintained hope in achieving equality and equity for all. In our shared legacy and history, we take this day to appreciate those in our past, present, and future that continue the work of creating more equity, equality, and inclusion throughout our communities. Catch up with CEFS CORE Fellow, Chris Gillespie, as we learn more about his research, perspective, and his thoughts on Juneteenth as it relates to food systems.
Chris Gillespie was born in Champaign, Illinois and is a 2023 CEFS Committee on Racial Equity in the Food System (CORE) Fellow.
As we celebrate Juneteenth, in what ways do you think that the past struggle to legitimize Juneteenth reflects our current reality?
It reflects our current reality because like many initiatives that make moves to vindicate, such as the two year period of freedom before the enslaved people knew they were free – it’s too late. Things come too late. Things are started, and set back and start again, and are set back further. Once they finally come through the pipeline, it’s too late. The act you’re trying to prevent has already been established, or the thing that we wanted to stop is in full swing.
We can look at the time and say, now’s the time to figure out what is equitability in food systems. Now is the time to figure out how to address redlining and make that place revitalized economically because later – it’s going to be too late.
Historically speaking, just like Juneteenth, people found out far too late. They were free and they were freed far too late. So I think that’s a big, big parallel there is – It’s late. Usually the issue is that things are too late and we still see things happening too late today.
What are some equitable ways we can all celebrate Juneteenth?
We can all celebrate Juneteenth by recognizing that in the same way that air, biology, and time are shared by all of us, so are problems (i.e., pandemics, social inequities, natural disasters).
In my role as a Policy Entrepreneurship Fellow (PEF) with the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), I was presented with a startling realization. As unwritten policies continue to plague disenfranchised people within historically-redlined communities (i.e., food access, gentrification, housing access, etc.), there exists not a single federal program that gives special consideration to historically-redlined communities.
In June 2023, I conducted a policy project in Greater Kansas City called, “Redlined Reimagined.” The goal of this project was to demonstrate a bottom-up and artistic method to policy analysis and dissemination that maximizes the benefits of inclusive ecosystem building.
I conducted video street interviews, communicating directly with people from historically-redlined communities within their historically-redlined community.
During this project I was presented with one of the most interesting perspectives on historically-redlined communities—and equity. A person, who appeared to be unhoused, on top of a pile of their belongings, which were covered in a brown tarp—on which they sat—directly in front of a replica of the statue of liberty.
While they declined an invitation for a video interview, we began an off-camera discussion of our origins, beliefs, and exchange knowledge. When asked about how their life would be different without redlining they said “trying to solve one problem presents new problems, the man who decided to steal the land to solve their ‘problem” inherited new problems, then they stole people to solve those problems—and now that man’s problem is our problem.”
After a brief pause the nearly 70-year-old community member ended with these words, “the land is only at peace when no one disturbs it.”
One way to equitably celebrate Juneteenth is to consider the many elements that make up a solution—and ask “is this solution equitable at every level, or will it ultimately result in the production of more problems?”
What is the significance of Juneteenth as it relates to racial equity in the food system?
Juneteenth demonstrates the role of de jure (written) and de facto (unwritten) policy in maintaining systems of oppression—and in ushering their nullification.
The Emancipation Proclamation was legally enforceable in 1863, yet some regions remained under Confederate control. As a result, the Emancipation Proclamation was not implemented ubiquitously. In fact, enslaved people in the state of Texas would not be “free” until 1965.
While enslaved peoples were declared free on paper in 1863, an onslaught of unwritten policy, designed to maintain their oppression, would begin before over 250,000 enslaved peoples even heard the news of their freedom on June 19th, 1865. Even worse, unwritten policy continues to threaten the freedom of the people and the union.
Yet, Juneteenth as a celebration is a brazen objection to a food system built upon racial inequity. As we (the people) continue to reject, replace, and realign our notions of how we celebrate independence in the U.S., we invite a new era of equitable food systems—through both unwritten and written policy.
What aspects or projects in the food system would you describe as an “essential element” necessary for an equitable food future?
When we talk about food systems and thinking about my research in alternative Agronomic ecosystems. I talk about how black people, specifically in between 1910 and 1990, through both written and unwritten policy that was pushed by the U.S. government and by individuals of power in the U.S. – black farmers lost 90% of their land. In that short time period, black people lost 90% of their land. We can look no further than segregation policies in the New Deal and in the 1940s. We see that those policies also segregated and isolated black communities in certain areas. Some people lost their land, other people lost some of their land, and some who hadn’t have land were also in isolated communities where they had no access to even use it, let alone own land.
So, one aspect I see as part of revitalization of a food system that is equitable is that people are able to produce their own food and know how to. An essential element for an equitable food future is the ability to be able to create an environment where food, subject, of course to physiological constraints, can be produced anywhere.
As someone who works in this space, policy-wise and who does ecosystem work, I do think it’s attainable. I do think it’s possible for people to know how to create food anywhere. I do think we have the capability and the resources to do that. I think an equitable food future will have to be a future where people who grew up in my neighborhood also know how to produce corn; how to identify corn; what a bushel of corn is; and are knowledgeable when they see sorghum to know the difference.
From your perspective – why do you think initiatives like CORE are important? Or, how has it influenced your perspective on Racial Equity?
I think it’s interesting because CEFS is important in itself. In many ways it does create this conflict between traditional agricultural practices that may have been outlined before or during the assumption of the Morill Act when land grants started and how they viewed farming systems very differently than how CEFS is utilizing them with more sustainability. I think that conflict is very important.
CORE in itself exists within CEFS, but creates a very unique and dialectical connection and interface between CEFS and between CORE, and in-between institutions – and I think that’s exactly why CORE is important.
It creates conversation, it creates conflict, because if you want to see something be ratified, or you want to see something be synthesized – you need elastic dialectic, you need an impact of back and forth, back and forth, contrast, contrast.
And you need both perspectives to come correct, come with what they have individually. You can then see the result as something new and better based on that conflict. So I think CORE is great as a means for dialectical dialectics.
How do you perceive equity (in general) or in the food system?
When I think of how I perceive equity in food systems, I’m not sure if I perceive equity in the same way I would see equity in the housing market, right? Equity in housing would be like, if you can’t see out your window, we’re going to make sure you can see out your window – whatever that takes. What I will say is when I perceive equity in the food system it’s simply a step towards people understanding their role in what they eat and how they eat. I’m not sure if that’s equity in the same way that we talk about equity in other ways because there’s so many things about equity. And it’s a hard question for me because in one way, equitable food systems means everyone can have access to a food system. I have to look at what is a food system and I’m not trying to get down just to semantics – but truly, our food systems, the foods we’re growing, how we perceive that, how we gather those seeds, how we process that food.
When it comes to equity in the food system it’s so much more nuanced. For example, we could give everybody a place to grow, but where are these seeds from? How are they seeds acquired? Are these seeds owned by someone else? Is bringing a seed back to its original soil equity? If we planted that seed somewhere else, is it less equitable than putting the seed back in it’s original soil? Or, Is that our standard for equity?
If we were to give everyone a food system. There is still a need for laborers. There’s still a need for people to figure out what they want to eat. And the question to me is how do we connect ourselves? How do we produce food that is relevant to us? How do we have a connection with that food? And I think at the local level, equity in food systems have to be defined in some sense at the local level, at the house level.