b'HEALTHForty Acres, a Mule, and Black MinistersBy Karen "RayeQueen" Scott, D.Msc gives our bodies the mix of nutrients, vitamins,andmineralsweneedto bocnews.com Healing African Americans hasnowprevent,treat,andreversedisease. 40acresandamulewoulddothat. I \'vespentlonghourscontemplatingWouldnt it? Of course, it would. So, the health of African Americans. I\'vethe question becomes, how much land spent even longer hours contemplatingdoesittaketofeedonepersona thesystematicracismthatsteady, healthy diet for one year? manifested in the form of food. Theanswer,initsclosestapproxi-Communitiesofcolor,particularlymation,isoneacre.The40acresof thoselivingintheinnercityandtillableland,aswritteninSpecial urban neighborhoods, find it difficult,Field Order 15 by President Abraham if not impossible, to access fresh foodLincoln,indeedwouldhaveprovided regularly.Full-servicegrocerystoreseconomicsustainability,providedthe offering organic and/or locally sourcedfoods needed to prevent disease, and produce or farmer\'s markets are rarelycreated generational wealth.spotted in our communities. However,Once Abraham Lincoln was assassi-with minimal effort, you can find high- nated, his successor, Andrew Johnson, ly processed foods, foods high in car- overturned the order and returned the cinogens,fats,andsugars,andfastlandtotheconfederateswhoowned food chains offering a wide variety ofit before it was confiscated during the pseudofoodsforaveryreasonableCivilWar.Theterm40acresanda price.mule has become a mere euphemism As a result, healthy food options haveforBlackliberation,socialinequal-been reduced to dreams our ancestorsity,politicalinjustice,andthename had for us. And never mind the argu- forSpikeLee\'sproductioncompany. ment that inner-city residents wouldn\'tMost Blacks have resolved that we will purchase healthy foods options if theynevergetour40acresandamule. weremadereadilyavailable.DataPerhaps it\'s time to mobilize contem-showsthatmostinner-cityresidentsporary Black ministers to address the shop at stores closest to them becausefinancialandhealthdisparitiesborn of many economic barriers, includingof broken promises and constitutional the lack of transportation, not becauserevisions.Butuntilthen,wehave they don\'t want to serve their familiesto fight with the fork, even when it\'s better quality foods. inconvenient. If you have to travel an Afterthecivilwar,twentyAfricanextrafivemilestopurchasebetter Americanleaders,agroupofBlackquality foods, do it. If you have to cook ministers in Savannah, Georgia, con- more often to reduce the fast foods you vened with General William T.Shermanconsume, do it.todiscussthebestwayforBlacksUnfortunately,wearestilldealing tosecureandenjoytheirnewfoundwith food injustice and structural ineq-freedom.Inalloftheirinfiniteanduities that are the primary reason for spiritual wisdom, the clergy agreed thehealth disparities in our communities. bestwaywouldbelandownership.We can continue to wait for politicians The ownership of land offered a chanceand legislation to do something about to be economically self-sufficient, buildit,orwecandoitforourselveslike andpassonwealth,andprovideamany of our ancestors did.means to feed their families.Considering that a diet rich in fresh producecanlowerbloodpressure, reducetheriskofheartdiseaseand40 acres of tillable stroke, prevent many cancers, reverse digestive problems, and regulate bloodland, as written in sugarlevels,itmakessensethat40 acres and a mule had the strong pos- Special Field Order 15 sibility of eliminating the high rates of disease that inflict African Americans.by President Abraham Becausewedonthaveaccesstoor proper education about healthy eating,Lincoln, indeed diabetes is 60% more common in Black AmericansthanWhiteAmericans.would have provided Blacksdevelophighbloodpressure earlier in life, with more than 45% ofeconomic sustainability, Black women aged 20 and older having highbloodpressure,andBlackmenprovided the foods have a 40% higher cancer death rate than white men. African Americans areneeded to prevent 3 times more likely to die of asthma, and strokes kill 4 times more Blacksdisease, and created than white Americans.It is common knowledge that eatinggenerational wealth.a variety of fruits and vegetables that representthecolorsoftherainbow 2 MARCH 2022 BOCNEWS.com'