Healthy Eating and Physical Activity 

Healthy Food Is a Right for All, Not a Privilege One person standing up for food justice can cause a domino effect. The Hunnicutt Foundation is dedicated to creating equality and access to food and physical activity resources for all in our community.

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Historically, oppression and systemic injustices have been a collective experience among Black people living in the United States. The United States was built on indigenous land on the backs of Black people. This is not new information. Yet, this inherited trauma is still influencing our present-day lives. Simply put, what’s required to be well and thrive isn’t available for all people. Foods that are commonly associated with Black American culture are often unfairly deemed as unhealthy.

Today’s fast-food versions of fried chicken and cured meats are a distant cousin of the delicacies that were enjoyed on special occasions throughout the old agricultural south. Home cooks of the past were creative and seasoned greens with the ends of cured meats or slow-cooked the less desirable cuts because this is what they had access to. It’s no accident that today our neighborhoods are flooded with the fast and processed versions of soul food.

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Racism feeds social injustices like lack of access to jobs, safe housing, personal safety, and quality education. These factors are fundamental determinants of health and well-being. Across the country, Black communities are disproportionately underfunded, resulting in a significant gap. Racism affects nutrition as a social determinant of health that has a major influence on Black people’s access to healthy food. There are major structural and systemic inequities, and the nutrition and health-related impact within the Black community has been devastating.

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Black communities in both rural and urban areas are more likely to experience food insecurity. Markets are also redlined — the practice of excluding entire geographic areas from receiving resources — resulting in decreased access to full-service grocery stores. On the other hand, Black communities often have excessive access to dollar stores and liquor stores that provide nutrient-poor, inexpensive shelf-stable items. These are known as food swamps and food deserts. Access to basic, essential needs varies widely. It’s greatly dependent on environmental factors, including employment opportunities, safe and affordable housing, education, healthcare, and support through local policies. These issues, compounded with decreased availability and a lower intake of nutrient-dense foods, increase the risk of noncommunicable diseases. We offer a comprehensive range of programming to address all of these factors.

Our nutrition workshop series will guide participants through the essential steps of developing a healthy eating pattern that matches their health goals, food preferences, and lifestyle demands.  Each workshop introduces a simple nutrition message and includes a hands-on opportunity to learn how to prepare a simple recipe for a meal or snack. We will partner with local agencies and CBOs to ensure well-rounded resources.

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The Hunnicutt Foundation is working to advocate for the BIPOC communities for better access to food, better resources for physical activity, and better access to healthy resources - better access to ALL resources to be happy, healthy, and well-rounded community members.