Dara Cooper, co-founder of the National Black Food and Justice Alliance, is focused on advancing food sovereignty, land justice, and racial equity in the food system. She challenges White-dominated power structures by redefining problems and creating community-based solutions. Cooper advocates for the end of “food apartheid,” usually discussed as “food deserts,” to highlight systemic violence against Black communities in food access. Her work addresses the historical and ongoing injustices that separate Black people from land and she promotes cooperative approaches such as land trusts and co-op grocery stores to reclaim agency. Cooper critiques capitalist food systems which prioritize profit over health and sustainability and calls for a reimagined food system that moves away from extraction, working instead towards a more community-centered and sustainable system.
