Dearly beloved, I’m writing today to talk about this thing
called life. It’s an electric word, “LIFE,” it means forever and that's
a mighty long time, but I'm here to tell you…there's something else…
My humble apologies to
the late, great genius, Prince, for sampling the words from his song, “Let’s Go
Crazy.” Prince’s lyrics serve as a perfect segue for this commentary about life.
What gives me a great sense of comfort is the simple notion that we come into
this world with the sole purpose of making life a little bit better than the
way it was when we were born. This philosophy allows me to compartmentalize the
things I can’t control like an immoral, unqualified, orange dictator who seems
content on resurrecting the spirit and mission of Adolph Hitler.
As a black man, a father,
writer and a nonprofit director, I know I can’t stop the regurgitated madness
that surrounds us, like the current rise in racism and down-right, guttural hate.
But, I can, in a small but significant way, write about it and try to teach
young people, who look like me, how to do their part to make the world a little
bit better for their siblings, their peers and themselves.
I have spent a lifetime
as a journalistic voyeur of sorts. I've written about the ills that disproportionately impact
my people but I haven't really done anything concrete to address these conditions. I
have tried to use the experiences and influences of an impoverished, black youth
with an amazing, never-give-up, Mama, to blow up stereotypes. I’ve tried to get
readers, who have not lived my life, to explore the possibilities that we have more
in common than not.
It took me more than 30 years, but I have concluded that I
can’t fix stupid. The impact of more than 400 years of racial oppression and conditioning is
still strong among many and I’m not going to be able to change that in my
lifetime or, sadly, my children’s lifetime.
What I can do, what I have
done, is create something, I believe, that will help my race do-for-self and
become self-sufficient no matter what turbulent wave of racism or hatred consumes
us from coast-to-coast.
Yes, my little contribution is the Sweet Potato Project
(SPP). I stubbornly believe that black
folk must go back to move forward. We must return to that time where
we had no choice but to depend upon and support ourselves. We can no longer
rely on government or the benevolence of sympathetic whites to save us. Oh,
they can help but we must commit to save ourselves. That means we must build new
systems (educational, economic and judicial) that will replace or thwart those
designed to keep us oppressed, depressed and locked into a dependent, childlike,
helpless mindset.
In my last commentary
I wrote about engaging and activating young people in community ownership. I talked
about the progress on this front, by politicians, individuals and organizations
in North St. Louis. Here, I want to elaborate on a new organization I also
mentioned, the North City Food Hub (NCFH) and invite you to explore the
possibilities with us.
On Thursday, June 28th, the NCFH and its
partner organizations, which includes SPP, will host its official grand opening at its headquarters at 1034 North Sarah Street, St. Louis, MO 63113. With initial
funding from the Department of Agriculture (USDA), the agency was established
with a mission of making a local food system (hub) where individuals, particularly
North St. Louis residents, can access resources aimed at increasing their
income potential and turning food business ideas into fruitful economic
realities.
“We’re
looking at ways to address
food insecurity while simultaneously improving personal incomes through growing of fresh
food and food production,” says Milldred
Mattfeldt- Beman, NCFH’s project
coordinator.
During Thursday’s event, NCFH will outline its classes
in legal assistance, land-ownership, “good agricultural practices (GAP)”, culinary
education, food safety, business plan development, food production and much
more. The agency will also unveil its 3,000 square feet food preparation and
storage space which includes a shared-use kitchen where residents will receive technical
assistance, training, oversight and guidance through the food production business.
“We’re looking at ways to address food insecurity while simultaneously improving personal incomes through growing of fresh food and food production.” - Milldred Mattfeldt- Beman
NCFH has partnered with St. Louis University
and local nonprofits such as the Ville Collaborative, Hosco Foods, Good Life
Growing, LLC. And Annie Malone Children & Family Services. Through this unique collaboration, these nonprofits
will offer additional services to the youth and adults we currently serve.
This small but substantial endeavor
compliments the affordable housing and urban gardening work that’s already
being done by organizations like Better family Life, Inc., Gateway Greening,
Friendly Temple Church and aldermen seeking innovative ways to bring new
businesses and robust economic activity back to long-underserved and impoverished
neighborhoods.
Personally, I’m ecstatic about the
possibilities. My students and other North St. Louis residents now have a
one-stop shop to help them gain education in accessing land, growing food, getting
legal advice and small business assistance, making food products and
professionally bring all this to market in and outside their own neighborhoods.
For me, I see a way to activate young
activists, so they can make their neighborhoods a little bit better than the
way it was when they were born into them. Let’s give them land, give them
subsidies for new, affordable homes, give them small business loans to open
storefronts, urban farms, farmer’s markets, coffee, T-shirt and art shops in
one designated area of development. And,
yes, I said “give.” Heck, we’ve been gifting billions to already rich developers
for decades. Let’s try a new, bold, innovative approach. Let’s invest in our
young so they can give us a mighty return.
The NCFH gives us a rare shot at
reclaiming, remaking and reinvigorating what’s ours. Let’s take this small risk,
this grand opportunity to see what can be. Let’s get to that “something else”
Prince spoke of; Let’s go Crazy!
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