The food deserts of Memphis: inside America's hunger capital | Divided Cities

The Guardian
20 Nov 201913:12
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRThe video script highlights the issue of 'food deserts' in South Memphis, where 23.5 million Americans lack access to quality food. Residents face challenges with transportation and the absence of supermarkets, often resorting to convenience stores with unhealthy options. The script also touches on historical redlining policies, the impact of white flight, and efforts like the South Memphis farmers market to address food insecurity and promote healthier eating habits.

Takeaways
  • 🌾 There are 23.5 million Americans living in 'food deserts', areas with limited access to nutritious food.
  • 🛒 The South Memphis area lacks high-quality food options, with the nearest supermarkets being 2.3 to 2.5 miles away.
  • 🚶‍♀️ A significant portion of residents in South Memphis do not have personal transportation, making grocery shopping a challenge.
  • 🏚️ South Memphis has experienced a decline in grocery stores, with many vacant buildings and an increase in liquor stores instead.
  • 🍖 The available food options in convenience stores are often unhealthy, with a focus on processed and sugary items.
  • 👩‍💼 Dolores Bateman's story illustrates the difficulty of accessing healthy food without a car and the reliance on others for transportation.
  • 🚌 Michelle Williams' experience highlights the time-consuming and stressful journey to the grocery store when relying on public transportation.
  • 🏘️ East Memphis, in contrast, is affluent with multiple access points to fresh food, showing a stark difference in food availability.
  • 💼 The economic viability of grocery stores in South Memphis is questioned by operators, who are hesitant to invest in the area.
  • 📊 Historical redlining policies have contributed to the lack of investment in areas like South Memphis, affecting both housing and business opportunities.
  • 🥦 The South Memphis farmers market was established to address the need for access to fresh food in the community, indicating some positive steps towards change.
  • 🌱 There is a call for more community involvement and change in the environment to improve health outcomes, rather than solely blaming individuals.
Q & A

  • What is the term 'food desert' referring to in the context of the script?

    -A 'food desert' refers to an area where the majority of residents do not have access to a supermarket, which is typically due to a lack of transportation and sparsely populated areas that are not attractive to grocery stores and retailers.

  • What challenges do residents of South Memphis face regarding access to quality food?

    -Residents of South Memphis face challenges such as the absence of high-quality food options, the need for transportation to reach distant supermarkets, and the prevalence of unhealthy, processed food options in convenience stores.

  • How does the lack of grocery stores in South Memphis impact the daily lives of its residents?

    -The lack of grocery stores forces residents to travel long distances, often relying on public transportation or asking for rides, to access basic food items, which can be time-consuming and stressful.

  • What is the role of Dolores Bateman in the script?

    -Dolores Bateman is a resident of South Memphis who works as a janitor at an elementary school. She shares her personal experience of the difficulties in accessing quality food due to the absence of nearby grocery stores.

  • What are some of the quick food options that Dolores Bateman mentions she buys for her family when she can't get to a grocery store?

    -Dolores mentions buying corn dogs, burritos, and other quick food options when she can't make it to the grocery store, which are not ideal for providing a nutritious meal.

  • How does the script describe the situation in East Memphis compared to South Memphis in terms of access to fresh food?

    -East Memphis is described as a majority white, upper middle-class, and wealthy area with multiple automobile owners, having abundant choices and access to fresh food, including upscale grocery stores and markets, contrasting sharply with the food desert situation in South Memphis.

  • What historical policy is mentioned in the script that has contributed to the current situation in South Memphis?

    -The script mentions 'redlining,' a federal policy from the 1930s, which involved mapping areas deemed high-risk for investment, often correlating with areas where moderate and poor people, as well as black and minority populations, lived.

  • What are some of the health issues commonly seen in the South Memphis community due to limited access to healthy food options?

    -Common health issues include pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and elevated blood pressure, which are now being seen even in children as young as eight to ten years old.

  • What is the South Memphis farmers market, and how did it come about?

    -The South Memphis farmers market is a community initiative in its 10th season, established as part of the South Memphis revitalisation action plan to address the need for access to fresh and healthy food in the neighborhood.

  • How does the script suggest that the blame for health issues related to poor diet should be attributed?

    -The script suggests that the blame should not be placed on individuals but rather on the environment and societal structures that make it difficult for people in certain areas to access healthy food options.

  • What is the significance of the poem at the end of the script?

    -The poem emphasizes the social stigma and challenges faced by those who rely on food assistance programs like EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer), highlighting the need for empathy and understanding in society.

Outlines
00:00
🏘️ Food Deserts in South Memphis

This paragraph discusses the issue of 'food deserts' in South Memphis, where 23.5 million Americans lack access to high-quality food. The residents face challenges due to the absence of supermarkets and the lack of transportation. The narrator, Dolores Bateman, describes her personal struggle with accessing nutritious food options and the prevalence of unhealthy, quick food alternatives in convenience stores. The paragraph highlights the socio-economic disparities and the impact of white flight and urban sprawl on the availability of grocery stores in the area.

05:01
🚌 Access to Healthy Food in South Memphis

The second paragraph focuses on the difficulties residents of South Memphis face in accessing healthy food due to the lack of nearby grocery stores. Michelle Williams shares her experience of using public transportation to reach a grocery store, which is time-consuming and stressful. The contrast is drawn between the affluent East Memphis, where fresh food is abundant, and the food deserts of South Memphis. The paragraph also touches on the historical context of redlining and its lasting effects on the community, as well as the challenges faced by grocery store operators in deciding whether to establish stores in these areas.

10:02
🥦 The Impact of Food Deserts on Health

This paragraph delves into the health implications of living in a food desert, with a focus on the rise of diet-related health issues such as pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension among children and adults. The speaker advocates for a shift in perspective, recognizing that the environment plays a significant role in health outcomes rather than individual responsibility alone. The South Memphis farmers market is introduced as a positive initiative aimed at improving access to healthy food options in the community.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Food deserts
Food deserts refer to areas where access to affordable and nutritious food is limited, typically due to the absence of supermarkets or grocery stores. In the video, it is mentioned that 23.5 million Americans live in such areas, emphasizing the significance of this issue. The script describes the South Memphis area as a food desert, highlighting the lack of quality food options and the impact on residents' health and daily life.
💡Access to food
Access to food is a critical aspect of public health and well-being. It involves not only the availability of food but also the ability to acquire it in sufficient quantities and with adequate quality. The script repeatedly mentions the lack of access to food in South Memphis, where residents struggle to find high-quality food options and must travel long distances to reach supermarkets.
💡White flight
White flight is a historical phenomenon where white residents moved out of racially mixed urban areas to more racially homogeneous suburban areas. In the context of the video, white flight is linked to the decline of certain neighborhoods, leading to the abandonment of businesses like grocery stores and contributing to the creation of food deserts.
💡Vacant buildings
Vacant buildings are structures that are unused or abandoned, which can contribute to the decline of a neighborhood's vitality and attractiveness. The script describes how small family-owned grocery stores in South Memphis have become vacant buildings, symbolizing the loss of essential community resources and the challenges faced by residents in accessing fresh food.
💡Transportation
Transportation is a key factor in determining access to resources, including food. The video highlights the issue of transportation in South Memphis, where a significant portion of the population lacks access to an automobile, making it difficult for them to reach supermarkets that are miles away.
💡Convenience store
A convenience store is a small shop that offers a limited range of products, often including snacks, beverages, and some basic food items. The script contrasts the offerings of convenience stores in South Memphis with those of supermarkets, pointing out the predominance of unhealthy, processed foods and the lack of fresh produce.
💡Grocery store
A grocery store is a retail store that primarily sells food, but also a variety of other household items. The video emphasizes the importance of grocery stores for providing a wider range of healthier food options. The absence of such stores in South Memphis is a central issue in the narrative, affecting residents' ability to maintain a balanced diet.
💡Economic viability
Economic viability refers to the ability of a business or project to be financially sustainable and profitable. The script discusses the challenges of establishing grocery stores in South Memphis due to concerns about economic viability, as operators may not see a profitable return on investment in these areas.
💡Redlining
Redlining is a discriminatory practice where certain neighborhoods are denied access to financial services, such as mortgages and loans, based on their racial composition or perceived economic status. The video connects the historical policy of redlining to the current disparities in access to food and other resources, illustrating the long-term impacts of such policies on communities.
💡Health issues
Health issues in the context of the video relate to the diet-related diseases that are prevalent in areas with limited access to healthy food options. The script mentions conditions such as pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension, which are increasingly common even among children in food deserts.
💡Farmers market
A farmers market is a place where local farmers and vendors gather to sell fresh produce and other goods directly to consumers. The South Memphis farmers market, as mentioned in the script, was established to address the lack of access to fresh food in the area and is seen as a positive step towards improving the community's health and food security.
Highlights

23.5 million Americans live in 'food deserts', lacking access to high-quality food options.

South Memphis identified a critical need for improved food access in their area.

The abundance of fast food and lack of quality food contributes to health issues in the community.

Economic disparity in Memphis is evident through the contrast in food availability between affluent and impoverished areas.

Vacant buildings and lack of retail attraction are symptoms of food deserts in South Memphis.

Transportation limitations exacerbate the difficulty of accessing supermarkets for many residents.

Dolores Bateman's story illustrates the daily struggle of living in a food desert and the impact on family meals.

Convenience stores in the area offer limited healthy options, promoting a reliance on processed and sugary foods.

Michelle Williams' experience highlights the time-consuming and stressful journey to access a grocery store.

The disparity in food access between East Memphis and South Memphis underscores systemic inequalities.

Integration and subsequent white flight have left behind communities with limited resources and food options.

Grocery store operators often deem areas like South Memphis as economically unviable for new stores.

The historical policy of redlining has lasting effects on investment and development in minority communities.

Health educators emphasize the importance of community-based solutions to address dietary health issues.

The South Memphis farmers market represents a grassroots effort to improve local food access and quality.

Poetry reflects the social stigma and emotional impact of relying on food assistance programs.

The transcript calls for a shift in perspective, recognizing that individual health is influenced by environmental factors.

The need for more healthy food options and less reliance on fast food is a recurring theme in the community's desires.

Transcripts

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Related Tags
Food DesertsSouth MemphisHealthy EatingGrocery AccessUrban SprawlEconomic InequalityTransportation IssuesCommunity HealthRedlining PolicyFarmers Market