All social movements need a variety of voices, but I argue that food reform requires this diversity even more urgently because it is so universal in its reach. And if we can reach all those voices, then think of all the activists we will have as allies—feminists, anti-racists, interfaith leaders, and so on—interested and involved because food justice speaks to the needs of their communities and their call for action (activists: this is on you too—get on board!). As consumers of this kind of liberal rhetoric, we need to demand that the powers and big hitters in the food world diversify their representations. The food movement can only grow more powerful for it.
We’ve been criticized a bit for being mean lately, which, I mean—I guess the blog is called Shut Up Foodies, but I think that what we’re more interested in is holding up a mirror to the food movement. OK, that sounds arrogant and half the time we are just having some fun. But in reading this piece at Racialicious, this is what I chose to reblog: not a call for the food movement to stop doing what it’s doing, but a call for it to make sure that it’s truly accessible to everyone. That it doesn’t fall into precious lectures about personal responsibility and becomes a true social movement.
But I’m just a hippie pinko commie at heart, after all.