Alison Alkon spoke about the concept of radical empathy in her Ted talk and how food ties into that concept. She made the point that food is something that we all have in common and I really like that idea. Food is a huge part of our lives, we literally cannot live without it. It doesn't matter where you come from, everyone has to eat and its something that we as people can bond over. Breaking bread together can bring people from all different backgrounds together no matter where you are.
I think its really sad that over processed foods are cheaper than fresh, more healthy options. It seems like a way to keep lower income people unhealthy. When all you can afford is fast or over processed food that definitely is gonna take a toll on your brain and body. I think people need to be more aware of the food that we are putting in our bodies everyday. Food really is fuel for our bodies and if you're only ever consuming low quality food you're not going to feel your best. Not to mention all the chemicals and preservatives in most processed foods. I think better food should be more affordable and accessible to all people. We as people just need to be smarter about the corporations and places we spend our money at when it comes to food.
I never really considered food as a form of radical empathy before but now I think I understand. Food is a basic necessity for people to live and putting ourselves in the shoes of people who are lacking in access or ability to buy food can help us to create solutions. I really like the last quote she put up that said "It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, celebrate those differences."(-Audre Lorde) I think a lot of time we as people get distracted by our differences instead of seeing them as a potluck lunch in terms of food. How boring life would be if we all brought the same dish to the potluck. We should be celebrating all the different things we can enjoy because we all are different and have different gifts to share.
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My partner goes to Temple University, which is located in the North Philly area. He rents an apartment off campus, in a predominantly lower-income and minority neighborhood. Visiting him frequently left me keenly aware of just how difficult it is to even find fresh produce, let alone organic food, in North Philly without traveling over 20 minutes. The few food options around are convenience stores or fast food, with very little healthy and nutritious options. It is an extremely stark difference to the area that I live in, where I have multiple farmers markets within 10 minutes of me. It made me realize just how lucky and privileged I am to even have the option to make healthy choices.
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