Mary Mitchell Family and Youth Center- Food Apartheid Affecting Bronxites

Food Apartheid Affecting Bronxites: Who is Rising up to Fight

As a Bronx native, I cannot tell you how many bodegas reside on every block. What I can tell you, being inside these shops, lies a treasure trove of snacks and sugary drinks stacked along the aisles of this tiny shop. Alongside bodegas, primarily selling unhealthy foods and snacks, are also countless amounts of fast-food restaurants such as Mcdonald's, White Castle, Popeyes; you name it. In New York City, life is fast-paced and always on the move. But does this mean local food sources should be produced and provided along the same vein? Fast and unhealthy? In reality, local community organizations and grassroots groups are fighting against this "norm" in their communities, strengthening their food system and increasing access to fresh, healthy, affordable produce in the West Farms, East Tremont, and Crotona communities of The Bronx.

Bronx community activist Karen Washington coined the term "food apartheid" to describe the conditions in the Bronx. This term reflects the lack of access to healthy, affordable food options in a community and acknowledges factors that are in play, such as economics, geography, and race. I think about the bodegas and all the fast-food restaurants in my neighborhood. There is a source of food present, but does it promote a healthy lifestyle? There is a lack of access to nutritious food options and educating the local community of its benefits. Ironically, the Bronx is the central food hub for NYC's Produce Market houses over 50 food merchants, and can feed a population of "over 22 million people within 50 miles of the market". It is clear who benefits from this produce overflow and what communities are neglected. On the internet, articles describe the Bronx as a food desert where food is not accessible. But this isn't true at all. We have access to food, but are we considering fast-food restaurants healthy? It is time for the press to mention the reality that is happening in the Bronx. The fact is that healthy food is limited and inaccessible, specifically for people of color living in low-income communities.

It is time for the press to mention the reality in The Bronx. The fact is that healthy food is limited and inaccessible, specifically for people of color living in low-income communities.

 In order to understand the lack of healthy foods, it's crucial to look at other factors at play, starting with the environmental impact in the Bronx. Two miles away from the Mary Mitchell Family & Youth Center (MMFYC) are the Cross Bronx and Sheridan Expressway. These highways release large amounts of air pollution throughout the nearby community. The South Bronx is known as "Asthma Alley" due to the trucks that pass through daily of the Sheridan Expressway. This results in children hospitalized with asthma 70% more than the rest of the city. As a result of car congestion, tiny particles are released into the air that can penetrate lung tissues causing cardiovascular complications. These particles contribute to more than 2,000 deaths and more than 6,000 emergency room visits and hospitalizations yearly.
Along with environmental issues that impact Bronx families, an economic disadvantage must also be acknowledged. The West Farms and Crotona sections of The South Bronx are neighborhoods in which MMFYC resides. Currently, unemployment is at an all-time high of 36%. Nearly a third of its residents live in poverty. This community is predominantly made up of Hispanics 60% and Blacks 26%. Clearly, we see a systemic racial divide that leaves these individuals to struggle to make ends meet and survive such harmful environmental conditions. With the lack of access to job opportunities in The Bronx, how are residents supposed to provide for themselves or their families when they are involuntarily being pushed down? As a result of environmental and economic impacts, the quality of life for residents has been affected, causing an epidemic of obesity and malnutrition, diabetes, hypertension, and other nutrition-related diseases. These nutrition-related diseases can be avoided by incorporating healthier eating habits. 
The lack of healthy food and the environmental and economic crisis may make The Bronx look bleak, but there is a silver lining. With the assistance of non-profit organizations like the Mary Mitchell Family & Youth Center, The Bronx can and is fighting against these issues with its programs, such as Heidi's Healthy Canasta. Through this program, Bronx residents can purchase bags filled with vegetables, grains, and proteins in the form of legumes. Participating residents can buy these bags on a sliding scale fee and receive enough healthy food to feed at least a family of four. This program was expanded during COVID-19 to be called Emergency Heidi's Healthy Canasta, providing canned goods and non-perishables to residents in need. These bags were delivered straight to residents' doors for contact-free delivery. During this time, the program served over 500 families weekly. Furthermore, in a continued effort to meet their "Zero Tolerance for Crappy Food mission," the center provides a fresh, hot meal to each student who participates in their after-school program. Each meal includes vegetables, grains, and protein for a well-balanced diet. Through these programs, MMFYC fights against food insecurity and strengthens The South Bronx food system by filling in the existing food gaps. Their focus on providing a healthy lifestyle to the community will be a catalyst for change for future generations.

 Bronx Community Garden: Garden of Youth

After college, I recall returning to The Bronx and seeing better-quality food products in supermarkets and restaurants serving nutritious meals. I also discovered that The Bronx has local community gardens and urban farms that are growing produce for farmers' markets and families in the communities. Community gardens in the West Farms, East Tremont, and Crotona neighborhoods formed a coalition called La Familia Verde. Their mission is to build a strong relationship with its residents through education and horticulture. It was inspiring to see these beautiful green spaces utilizing limited space to grow fresh produce that benefits their local community struggling through economic and environmental turmoil. Through the Mary Mitchell Family & Youth Center, we see how La Familia Verde can encourage youth to become more aware and engaged with The South Bronx food system and how they can assist in increasing accessibility for everyone.

Community gardens have a longitude of benefits for communities, from filling in the food gap but by also offering environmental benefits such as; decreasing storm runoff by absorbing water into the soil. Reducing the heat island index caused by the concrete and buildings absorbing heat from the sun. Community gardens also act as a habitat for native birds and wildlife, increasing pollinators through planted and cared-for pollinator gardens. 

Communities in The Bronx, like the community Mary Mitchell Family Youth & Center is located in, is an example of a food apartheid neighborhood and how non-profits working with Bronx community gardens can be part of the solution to end food insecurity. Fresh, affordable, healthy food options should be accessible to all. It is crucial to continue having these conversations about who receives the abundance of nutritious food and what groups are left out of the picture. Community gardens provide a haven to educate and welcome those to learn the significance of The Bronx food system. As Karen Washington stated, "You lose diversity, and it will truly end up a desert because you've never taken the time to nourish that seed, diversify that seed." Future generations and non-profit organizations can advocate for these gardens to continue their work in the densely populated community of The Bronx. 

Jazmine Rodriguez Communications Outreach Intern, (she, her)Graduate student at the University of Denver for Media and Public Communication

Food Apartheid Affecting Bronxites: Who is Rising up to Fight

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