Black History and the Fight to End Hunger

Black History Month offers an opportunity to highlight and celebrate the foundational role Black leaders played in the movement to end hunger — and the vision and leadership that remains critical to our mission today.

Origins of Black History Month

Founded by Carter G. Woodson in 1926, what we now know as Black History Month was initially observed as “Negro History Week” during the second week of February to honor the lives of Fredrick Douglas and Abraham Lincoln. In addition, Woodson wanted to create a time specifically to recognize important figures and events within the African American community, and it has since evolved into so much more. Recognized internationally in countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, 

Black History Month provides the opportunity to showcase the vast contributions to society made by Black people — including many of the foundations of our hunger relief network as it exists today. Though we honor these roots year-round, February is a time to dedicate even greater attention to African Americans’ foundational role in the movement to end hunger, as well as the policies and systems that necessitated such incredible resilience.

Foundations of the Movement to End Hunger

Black leaders and organizations have played a foundational role in advancing food security and shaping the broader movement to end hunger in America. From mutual aid networks formed during and after enslavement to Black church–led food pantries, cooperatives, and school feeding efforts of the 20th century, Black communities have long addressed hunger where public systems failed. Just a few of examples:

Freedom Farm Cooperative

Founded by Fannie Lou Hamer in 1969, the Freedom Farm Cooperative began as an effort to support sharecroppers in the Mississippi delta who had long been excluded from agrigultural networks and government services. The cooperative grew to an incredible movement that supported local agriculture, provided food assistance, housing, and educational opportunities for area families. Mrs. Hamer's work is widely credited as the precursor to modern-day community autonomy and resilience movements.

 Free Breakfast for Children Program

Beginning in Oakland, California, the Black Panthers established a community service initiative that provided free, nutritious meals to children in under-resourced neighborhoods. They knew that the children can't learn and succeed academically on an empty stomach, and started the free breakfast program in 1969 to help ensure kids had a healthy start to the day. By 1971, the Black Panthers had implemented programs in 36 cities across the country — serving thousands of children each day in church basements, community centers, and cafeterias. Their efforts ultimately inspired the National School Breakfast program, which expanded to all schools by 1975. 

Black Farmers & Food Justice in the South

For generations, Black farmers have been essential to feeding local communities — particularly here in the South. Black-owned farms and cooperatives have long sustained regional food supplies through small-scale farming, cooperative land ownership, and direct farm-to-table relationships. 

Despite historic discrimination and exclusion, Black farmers have strengthened rural economies, preserved agricultural knowledge, and maintained culturally rooted foodways. Ongoing efforts are critical to protect Black land ownership, support viable farming operations, and preserve these vital farm-to-table connections for future generations.

Black farmers have also been central to the modern food justice movement in the South, challenging inequities in land access, agricultural policy, and food distribution that disproportionately harm Black and low-income communities. By advancing models rooted in stewardship, community-based control, and local markets, Black farmers have helped reframe food justice as both a civil rights issue and a pathway to economic and environmental resilience.