Why an inclusive democracy is essential to end hunger
Coauthored by: Ami McReynolds, Chief Equity Officer at Feeding America and host of the Elevating Voices, Ending Hunger podcast, and Dr. Ruth Jones Nichols, Chief Movement Officer at Feeding America
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “I have the audacity to believe people should have access to three meals a day to feed their bodies.”
At Feeding America, we share this audacity to believe all people have the right to access nourishing food to feed their minds, bodies and spirts. Food is a basic need for survival. Yet, in one of the richest countries in the world, 38 million people, including nearly 12 million children, face hunger. How is this possible?
To end hunger, we must build upon supply and demand solutions and focus on equity. Food insecurity exists today because of deep systemic issues that create MORE barriers, particularly for Black, Native American and Latino communities, preventing access to the same resources as others.
Equity is at the core of our vision for an America where no one is hungry. If we address inequities faced by people most impacted by food insecurity, everyone facing hunger benefits. To refine our strategies for reducing food insecurity, we need to prioritize and raise the voices of people experiencing food insecurity. It’s not enough to simply invite individuals from communities with high rates of food insecurity to the table. These individuals and communities deserve the ownership of the table and control of the decisions directly impacting their lives.
One of the most powerful tools for communities to have a better chance to succeed is voting. Dr. King also said, “The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by human beings for breaking down injustice.” Ensuring every community member’s voice is heard, particularly on anti-hunger policies like food assistance and child nutrition programs, is imperative to ensuring people also have access to three meals a day.
For people looking to do more to advance voting rights, we encourage you to learn more from the many organizations doing incredible work in this space, including the National Urban League, Non Profit VOTE and League of Women Voters.
Together, we can realize the dream of Dr. King to secure and protect personal liberties, such as access to nourishing food, in order to build an inclusive democracy.
