Have you ever been so hungry that you could not concentrate on school and work? How long and how often did you go without one or more meals? What stopped you from having breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner?
As I write this, I am eating breakfast and am aware that I am privileged doing so in this so-called land of plenty. I also feel a sense of guilt knowing that millions of children live in food insecure homes where eating a meal is an inconsistent luxury. They reside in food deserts and attend schools where breakfast and lunch are being threatened and ‘trumped’ due to the almighty unjust dollar and increasing disregard for the needs of our most vulnerable population: children.
Since the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), the first permanent program of its kind, was created in 1946, the system has never served each child equally. Years of segregation means that students of color at underfunded schools are underfed. By 1963, according to Levine’s School Lunch Politics, the NSLP reached only 26% of children of color in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Virginia. These are primarily southern states; let’s not ignore northern states and those in other regions. Food must never be political. #Never
In addition to recognizing the NSLP, the Black Panthers must be honored for their humane efforts to feed children. The Free Breakfast for School Children began in 1969 at an Episcopal church in Oakland, California and went from feeding a handful of children to hundreds. Black Panther Party members and volunteers went to local grocery stores to solicit donations, consulted with nutritionists on healthy breakfast options for children, and prepared and served the food free of charge. Ultimately, the Black Panther’s Free Breakfast Program spotlighted the limited scope of the National School Breakfast Program, and played a significant role in pressuring Congress to authorize the expansion of the School Breakfast Program to all public schools in 1975.
Context Matters: Income
Students can qualify for school lunch, depending on their household income. The income qualification is based on the outdated federal poverty line – a flat rate across the 48 contiguous states that fails to account for variable costs of living. This leaves many families—especially those living in high-cost cities—struggling to pay. In the 2019-2020 school year, for example, a child in a single-parent home qualifies for free meals only if their parent or guardian makes less than $22,000 a year. So much for the U.S. being such a wealthy and developed nation.
Context Matters: Food Deserts
