Black labor Built mutual aid movements.
We can’t discuss or practice mutual aid effectively without understanding that the spread of mutual aid across the country and across the globe was made possible by the efforts and labor of Black people. When we practice mutual aid it’s important that we look to the past and present to see how people have created social safety nets in times of need. Efforts like “Seniors Against a Fearful Environment (SAFE),” “Free Food Program,” “Breakfast for Children Program” & “Free Health Program,” addressed these issues head on by finding real and immediate solutions to community struggles. These programs were led and organized in majority by the Black Panther Party in the 60s through the 80s. These programs not only created templates for organizers of mutual aid to learn from, but even influenced national standards in care, like setting the national standards for paramedic training, CPR, and ambulance design with the Freedom House Ambulance Service in Pittsburgh and by putting pressure on the government by highlighting government inaction when they created the Free Breakfast for Children Program, which was the first national community run program of it’s kind. Although these accomplishments were huge for the time, the people involved in making these programs possible were more often heartbreakingly persecuted and criminalized and rather than celebrated.
In our Tucson community, Black people STILL experience the realities of covert and overt racism daily. This is always impacting their ability to receive adequate medical care, find jobs where they are safe and respected, and exist in public spaces without harassment (something we all deserve). As a result of these realities, their ability to access food, medical, and survival resources is severely impacted. This means there may be extra layers of trauma surrounding food insecurity for Black people. To read more about how food insecurity trauma presents check out our infographic on Facebook and Instagram.
To read more on why food insecurity impacts Black people at greater rates visit: https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/black-communities
Trauma surrounding food insecurity can look like, but is not limited to food hoarding, extreme anxiety around meal times, eating very rapidly, sneaking food, severe pickiness, etc. Sometimes when people observe these behaviors out of context, it can be easy to jump to judgement and search for a “Why?” for example “Why is this person taking more food than they need?” When we understand that these behaviors are a normal response and direct result of prolonged or severe food insecurity, we walk through the world with an understanding that the solutions to these behaviors is not confrontation or punishment, but long-term food security.
It is crucial that we work intentionally to create better outcomes for Black Tucsonians in our day to day lives. One way you can do this is by supporting local Black-owned/organized organizations with your money, your time, and your energy. And remember being genuinely kind, taking an extra step to help someone out, or at the very least minding your own business when someone is just existing in public are all real and practical ways you can help make this a safer city for Black Tucsonians. If you work in a medical setting, resource center or other service environment your individual kindness, patience and helpfulness can make a much greater difference in someone's life than you know.
https://www.atabeyoutdoors.com/
https://www.blackandbrowngirlwellness.org/work
https://www.thedunbartucson.org/
