Black Food Sovereignty: Decolonizing the Food System

Black Food Sovereignty: Decolonizing the Food System

Join us for a powerful evening featuring prominent voices in Black Food Sovereignty and Food Justice in North America. This engaging event will delve into the movement to decolonize our food systems, highlighting the leadership and resilience of Black communities in reclaiming Black Food Sovereignty. The evening will provide a unique platform to explore the historical roots and ongoing challenges of food injustice, including how colonial legacies and systemic inequities have limited food access and health outcomes in Black communities. Through meaningful discussion, we’ll examine how Black-led, Black-Focus & Black Mandated initiatives are pioneering change, fostering sustainable food systems, and empowering communities to define their own paths to Black Food Sovereignty and well-being.

Speakers & Moderators:

Malik Yakini – Former Executive Director of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network, will moderate this essential conversation, drawing on his legacy as a pioneering leader in Black Food Sovereignty and justice activism.

Dr. Shakara Tyler - Co-Executive Director of the Detroit Black Food Sovereignty Network, Dr. Tyler is a returning-generation farmer, educator, and organizer who engages in Black agrarianism, agroecology, and food sovereignty as commitments to abolition and decolonization. She is also co-founder of the Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund (DBFLF) and a member of the Black Dirt Farm Collective (BDFC).

Dr. Jasmine Ratliff - Co-Executive Director of the National Black Food & Justice Alliance, Dr. Jasmine is a policy-based food systems specialist. A New Orleans native and farmer, she brings a unique perspective on food access and advocates for a world where zip code doesn’t determine health outcomes. Her experience spans partnerships with academic, philanthropic, and community institutions to combat food system inequities.

Zakiya Tafari – Executive Director of the Afri-Can Food Basket (AFB), Zakiya’s visionary leadership in championing food justice and Black Food Sovereignty within Toronto’s African, Caribbean, and Black communities is deeply invested in the mission of AFB, and has been instrumental in pioneering a progressive food movement that underscores the importance of cultural diets, sustainable urban agriculture, and collaborative efforts to advance health, wellness, and social enterprise.

Nicole Austin - Programs Coordinator at the 3B Black Food Sovereignty Initiative: Harvest Collective and Learning Circle at Toronto Metropolitan University Urban Farm. The HCLC programs engage Black students, faculty, staff and the broader community by sharing food from farm to table. The HCLC grows a variety of crops and medicines that are culturally significant across the African diaspora and supports food sovereignty through innovative African-centered urban farming and educational initiatives.

Dr. Melanie Knight – Associate Professor and Advisor on Black Diasporic Education at Toronto Metropolitan University, will provide an introduction, situating Black Food Sovereignty within broader frameworks of Black liberation and educational empowerment.

Event Highlights:

Panel Discussion: Engage in an insightful dialogue on the challenges and transformative potential within Black Food Sovereignty, moderated by Malik Yakini.

Networking Dinner: Enjoy a vegan dinner by Vital Life Vegan, offering a unique opportunity to connect with attendees and esteemed speakers.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Daphne Cockwell Health Sciences Complex, 288 Church Street, Toronto, Canada