Here at Backpack Brigade we strive to stay politically neutral. After all, hunger impacts kids whose parents vote on both sides of the aisle. But with the new administration’s recent attention to the elimination of Diversity, Equality, and Inclusivity (DEI) initiatives, we’ve been thinking a lot about demographics, and about the racial disparities among the kids we serve.
To be clear, there is no racial or ethnic group that isn’t impacted by poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity in America. It’s just that some are more disproportionately affected than others.
As we observe Black History Month, we are focused on the issue of systemic poverty among the Black community. While the number of Black citizens living below the poverty line has dropped dramatically since the mid-1960s according to U.S. Census Data released in 2023[1], 17.1% of the Black population lives below the national poverty level, compared to 11.5% of the population as a whole. To us, this means that a significant percentage of the kids we serve are Black.
Happily, our mission is focused on improving short- and long-term outcomes for the students of King County, which has positive impacts on students of color. We partner with a dedicated family support worker at each school we serve to provide consistent access to nutritious food through the weekend. With the help of our school partners, Backpack Brigade is making sure that kids show up to school on Mondays fed and ready to learn.
Countless studies show that kids who are consistently fed are healthier, have increased focus in the classroom, have better rates of attendance, and have more favorable academic outcomes than kids who experience even a single incidence of food insecurity during their upbringing. Kids who do better in school have a higher likelihood of matriculating to post-secondary educational institutions, obtaining better-paying jobs, and ultimately rising out of the ranks of poverty.
By ensuring that all kids – and especially those who cope with systemic racial injustice on a day-to-day basis – have equal access to food, we hope to have some small role in leveling the playing field, so no kid has to suffer a lifetime of impacts caused by hunger and food insecurity. To us, food equality is not a political issue, but a human issue.
While great strides have been made by activists in the past and present, there is still a long way to go before true equality for all people in the U.S.A. will be achieved. We say, “will be”, because we hold onto the hope that, despite the current political climate, this is a country that wants the best for its children – all of its children.
If you’d like to join us in our fight to END weekend hunger, click the button to find out how you can help.
And for more ways to get involved, see our blog post A Troubling Trend: Increasing Student Homelessness and 4 Ways You Can Help.
[1] U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 1960-2023 Annual Economic and Social Supplements (CPS ASEC)
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