By Ajani Husbands aka Esface Black

I used to live maybe four blocks from Howard University, on 9^th and U street.  It’s an area where, a few years ago, taxi drivers would hesitate to take you there, or just say no altogether.  The yearly Caribbean Parade would be eagerly attended, along with murmurs of “don’t stay past dark.” And now, almost the entire length of U Street is considered urban chic; it’s the place to be.   Every other establishment is a lounge, night club, or overpriced (but appropriately atmospheric) restaurant.  Patrons walk the streets day and night and everyone stops by Ben’s Chili Bowl (rest in peace) for a late night meal.

On U Street, there are two CVS stores, one 7-11, and one Rite Aid.  There is also a grocery store maybe 15 minutes away walking.  Yet, every couple of months I rented a Zipcar and made the cross-state trek down to Pentagon City, VA to shop for groceries at Costco and the nearby Harris Teeter grocery store.  Why?  Quite simply, I like healthy-looking fruits and vegetables.  I like having a variety of bread.  I like being able to buy ingredients I need to make varied, and healthy, meals.  This isn’t to say that the grocery store near Howard University did not have stocked shelves, but the produce was often set in pitiable quality.

Regrettably, inner city grocery stores are not havens of healthy food options.  Candy bars, potato chips, and juice substitutes (aka drink) reign supreme.  And quite frankly, those items are far cheaper than whole wheat pasta or brown rice.

Thankfully, there is a budding movement that aims to change all of this. I recently read about the Cleveland Corner Store Project, which is actively working to replace junk food with health food in inner city communities.

The lack of viable grocery store options in urban communities has rightly been termed a “food desert.”  It’s no wonder then that diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and a host of other issues that plague poor and minority communities are directly linked to a lack of healthy food options.

But health is just one part of the issue.  If you put a $4.99 bottle of grape juice next to a 0.99 bottle of grape drink, the juice will lose every time.  Even though the grape juice is pure nutrients, it’s five times the cost of the grape drink, which is often much larger in quantity as well.  Poor families cannot afford to be healthy at these prices.

The Cleveland Corner Store Project encourages local retailers to switch to low-cost, healthy food options, earning them the label as a “Healthy Food Retailer.” Although the program admittedly takes some work to pitch to local residents (for instance, fresh fruit needs to be sold in a timely manner, unlike a candy bar), it is a needed step in the right direction.

Being Esfac’e And Healthy
The junk food to health joint initiative is a hot idea and needs to be expanded in all low-income areas.  What can we, the young, idealistic consumer, do to promote this movement?

• Partner with like-minded individuals and talk to grocery or convenient store owners in urban areas.  Try to come up with a plan of mutual benefit that will a) encourage them to sell healthy food and b) encourage residents to purchase the food.

• Create information brochures to distribute in low-income areas that explain a healthy diet and how it can be achieved at the local grocery/convenient stores.

• Commit yourself to leading by example.  Forgo chips in place of healthy snacks (almonds, raisins, honey nut cheerios, etc).  Blog about healthy meal options that use simple ingredients.

• Sponsor a contest for healthy cooks and invite the community for free.  Anyone can enter, as long as they a) live in the neighborhood and b) prepare a healthy meal.

The options are endless.  The key, though, is that one needs to be aware and involved.   If you’re looking for an example of one person that is doing exactly this, check out Lea Webb, City Councilwoman in Binghamton, who is leading the charge to build the county’s first grocery store in over 15 years right where an abandoned McDonald’s used to stand!!  Now THAT is Esfac’e.