As part of this week's Hunger Awareness Week, a small group of students gathered in Afrikan Heritage House lounge on Thursday night to discuss hunger and health issues within the black community. The discussion dealt with the culture of food in the black community as well as the lack of adequate nutritional education.
The group began by discussing traditional African food. Participants said that this cuisine dates back to the slaves who received food like turkey necks, ham hocks and pigs feet. In this culture, there was more emphasis placed on feeling full than on eating well, and more on taste than nutrients.
According to senior Amy Silveri the same is true today in many urban areas. Senior Joy Williams said that "it goes back to slavery, but if you look at the big picture it's economics. You can't use what you don't have."
According to some participants, foods common in poor African-American households today follow the same patterns as the food of slaves. According to 
Silveri, these households primarily eat fatty meat, such as hot dogs or fried chicken and vegetables, commonly overcooked or cooked in lard, which removes their nutrients.
Foods which are affordable are usually unhealthy, according to Williams. She pointed out that 20 packages of Kool-Aid are about the same price as a bottle of juice, and lard is much cheaper than vegetable oil. Neither of the two cheaper options, however, are healthy. Williams also explained that because of their traditionally high fat, high cholesterol diet African Americans are much more susceptible to breast cancer and hypertension.
"We, as a community, are too reactionary instead of proactionary," Charles Edwards, a college senior, said. "We wait until we are diagnosed with hypertension before we are willing to change our diets."
Students who attended the forum agreed that education is an effective catalyst for change. "America, in general, has been miseducated about nutrition," said Edwards.
But while education increases awareness, it is not always successful in promoting change, members of the group said during discussion. Silveri pointed out that hunger and malnutrition do span all status and racial groups. "Wilder Snack bar is a prime example that you do not need to be poor to be malnourished. They use grade F meat," a participant said.
To conclude the forum, Silveri stressed that "tradition transcends class," and that many affluent black families still use foods commonly considered poor because that is what they were raised on. While education is vital, the issue of health does not always overcome tradition. However, Willaims and Silveri agreed that nutritional information at least presents the choice to eat healthily.
Silveri concluded "I think we should be more conscious of how our food affects our bodies, as opposed to how we would like it to affect us."
Food forum: students gathered to talk about food and hunger in the black community as part of Hunger Awareness Week. (photo by photo by Keri Marcovic)
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