Karen Washington knows it’s not possible to talk about food systems and sustainability without addressing the race and gender dynamics of who has been and is tending to the land. She emphasizes that food is at the intersection of environment, education, labor and health. In the 1980s, with no former farming experience, Washington transformed an empty lot into an urban garden with guidance from elders and from Mother Nature herself. One of the most difficult hurdles she came across was buying land as a woman of color. She went to on to be one of the leaders of the black farming movement in the United States after working hard to dispel stereotypes around black farming. Today she’s a pioneer and leader in the black farming movement and is co-founder of the Black Farmer and Urban Gardeners Conference. Photo credit: Karen Washington/SeedStock
