Above: Amira Iwuala (left) and Morgan McKinney, 28th Class Emerson Fellows. Born and raised in Boston, I have unfortunately been blinded to the realities that Black farmers have faced in the U.S. Accustomed to urban poverty and food insecurity due to my … Read more
No One Develops Equitable Policies Alone: Researching Senior Hunger in Washington, D.C.
Above: Fleurian Filkins, 28th Class Emerson Fellow. When I first learned that I would be working with the DC Office of Planning Food Policy Division and DC Food Policy Council for my field placement, I was excited and nervous. For … Read more
Recognizing an Overlooked Population: CalFresh Outreach at UC Irvine
Above: Michelle Fausto (left), 28th Class Emerson Fellow, with Sandra Cuyuch, CalFresh Manager at the FRESH Basic Needs Hub. The day that field placements were announced, I remember opening my email to see “University of California Irvine – FRESH Basic … Read more
Centering the Human Experience: Creating a Storytelling Program in Cortland County, New York
Above: Elaine Zhang, 28th Class Emerson Fellow. As a California native, I have witnessed devastating droughts that lasted for years and raging wildfires that have increased in severity and frequency–scenes that are manifestations of climate change. In California there is … Read more
Assessing Community Needs: Food and Gardening School Programs in Washington, D.C.
Above: Robbie Economou, 28th Class Emerson Fellow. I’ve learned an essential lesson about nonprofits from Alex Boyd, my supervisor at Kid Power, Inc.: “Sometimes you’re so busy doing the work,” he says, “that you don’t have the time to think … Read more
Moving Toward Radical Inclusivity: Participants as Partners in Decision-Making in Colorado
Above: Alexandrea Wilson, 28th Class Emerson Fellow. As a first-generation college student I sought out academia as a way to legitimize my experiences with food insecurity and growing up in a low-income household. I recall sharing my personal stories in … Read more
Aren’t We All Eaters?: Creating an Equitable Food Policy Agenda in Central New York
Above: Paige Clay, 28th Class Emerson Fellow. Being a true Coloradoan I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I found out I’d be moving to Syracuse, New York, for my field placement. Having never been to Syracuse or New … Read more
Fruitful Yields: Mapping and Re-Shaping Chicago’s Food Landscape
Above: Artis Trice, 28th Class Emerson Fellow. As my father and I drove through the last tollbooth between northwest Indiana and northeast Illinois, the expansive Chicago skyline appeared before us. An eleven-hour drive led us up to that point: arriving … Read more
Hunger and the Homelessness Crisis: Researching Affordable Housing in Oregon
Above: Nitan Shanas, 28th Class Emerson Fellow. I remember how it felt when I heard that I would be working with the Welcome Home Coalition in Portland, Oregon. I alternated between being nervous about being so far away from my … Read more
Realizing our Interconnectedness to the Land: A Path to Food Sovereignty in Arkansas
Above: Julie Noreene Bautista, 28th Class Emerson Fellow. During my last semester of college I interned for the Congress of Nations and States, a newly established international organization where Indigenous Nations and State governments participate in dialogue on an equal … Read more
We are Witnessing the Institutionalization of Race in Food Advocacy: Analyzing Approaches to Equity in Maryland
Above: Sofia Charlot, 28th Class Emerson Fellow. In the words of Director Michael J. Wilson, “at Maryland Hunger Solutions (MDHS), we don’t touch food; but we do touch systems, policy, and people.” MDHS pride themselves in doing work that goes … Read more
28th Class of Emerson National Hunger Fellows Announced
We are pleased to announce the latest class of Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellows and their field placements. These 18 young leaders will spend the next year supporting anti-hunger and anti-poverty work at the local and national level and developing … Read more