Chapter 3

 What stood out to me most in Chapter 3 of Healing Grounds was how important land ownership was for Black communities and how much it connected to freedom and independence. After slavery and during Reconstruction, owning land meant people could support themselves, grow their own food, and not have to depend on systems that were built against them. Farming and working together through cooperatives gave people a way to build stronger communities and create opportunities for future generations. But racism, violence, and unfair policies made it really hard for Black farmers to keep their land, which made it harder to build long-term stability. I also thought about how this connects to Latin American communities. In a lot of Latin American countries, land has also been controlled by wealthy landowners or corporations, while Indigenous people and small farmers were pushed off their land. Just like Black communities in the U.S., many of these groups relied on farming, mutual aid, and co-ops to survive and support each other. Land is not just about food, it is also tied to culture, identity, and having control over your own future. This chapter made me realize that food justice is about way more than just having access to healthy food. It is also about who owns the land, who makes the decisions, and who benefits from the food system.