WANDA at GW: Advancing Black Food Sovereignty

Washington, D.C. — (September 25, 2025) At a time when the nation is reckoning with persistent racial inequities in health, wealth, and access to opportunity, the question of who controls our food system is as urgent as ever. Recent USDA data show that Black farmers today make up less than 2% of America’s farmers—down from 14% a century ago—largely due to discriminatory lending, land dispossession, and systemic barriers. Meanwhile, in cities, Black households continue to face higher rates of food insecurity, worsened by rising food costs and cuts to federal nutrition programs.

Against this backdrop, the George Washington University Global Food Institute is hosting an important conversation:

Event Highlights:

Rural & Urban Food Sovereignty: Black Communities Taking the Lead

📅 Thursday, September 25, 2025 | 5:30–8:00 PM ET

📍 Science & Engineering Hall – Lehman Auditorium (B1220), George Washington University, Washington, DC🔗 RSVP Here

• Opening Remarks: Tambra Raye Stevenson, MPH, MA, PhD Candidate (WANDA)

• Panelists: Cicely Garrett (National Black Food and Justice Alliance)

• Qiana Mickie (NYC Mayor’s Office of Urban Agriculture)

• Ashley C. Smith (Black Soil KY)

• Dion Dawson (Dion’s Chicago Dream)

• Series Host: Dr. Mya O. Price, Assistant Professor, Global Food Institute, George Washington University

  
  

• Networking reception with refreshments provided by DC Central Kitchen

• Virtual participation option available

  
  

Together, panelists and participants will explore:

• The legacy of Black agricultural expertise and its impact today

• Shared and divergent challenges for rural and urban producers

• How grassroots efforts are reclaiming land and advancing food justice

• Strategies for cross-regional partnerships to build resilient food systems

  
  

This event offers a powerful opportunity to reimagine sovereignty not as an abstract principle, but as a lived reality—rooted in self-determination, equity, and cultural pride. This gathering will highlight how Black farmers, growers, advocates, and organizations are reclaiming power over land, food, and health—from rural family farms to urban gardens and community markets. The dialogue will center the leadership, cultural knowledge, and grassroots strategies that are creating more equitable food systems and building stronger local economies.

Opening Remarks: Tambra Raye Stevenson of WANDA

To set the tone for this timely conversation, Tambra Raye Stevenson, Founder and CEO of WANDA: Women Advancing Nutrition, Dietetics, and Agriculture, will deliver the opening remarks. A fifth-generation Oklahoman with agricultural roots and a former FFA member, Tambra brings decades of lived experience and leadership at the intersection of food, health, and culture.

“For generations, we as Black people have been feeding ourselves—even in the face of systemic oppression that exploited our labor while erasing our agricultural legacy. From my Fulani heritage in West Africa to the Black cowboy culture of my Oklahoma roots, our ingenuity, intellect, and physical labor have long nourished America. Yet our story is too often reduced to food apartheid and loss, rather than resilience and creativity. Places like Boley and Rentiesville—historic Black farming towns where my family lived—remind us that we’ve built thriving food economies before, and we can again. Food sovereignty is about reclaiming that narrative, restoring our rightful place in the food system, and ensuring future generations inherit both the land and the legacy.” – Tambra Raye Stevenson

Dr. Mya O. Price, Assistant Professor at the GW Global Food Institute and host of the series, shared why Stevenson was chosen to open the event:

“We invited Tambra Stevenson to deliver the opening remarks because her leadership and lived experience embody the spirit of this conversation on food sovereignty. From advancing equity-driven food policy to uplifting the voices of Black women across the food system, Tambra brings both vision and authenticity. Her journey connects the local to the global, making her the perfect person to set the tone for a dialogue about Black communities taking the lead in shaping resilient food futures.” – Dr. Mya O. Price

About WANDA

WANDA: Women Advancing Nutrition, Dietetics, and Agriculture is a nonprofit organization inspiring a new generation of women and girls to lead the way in building healthier communities through food, nutrition, and agriculture. Founded by Tambra Raye Stevenson, WANDA educates, advocates, and innovates to advance food justice, nutrition security, and cultural heritage in the U.S. and globally. Through initiatives like the NOURISH Maternal Food as Medicine program and the WANDA Scholars pipeline, WANDA empowers Black women and communities to transform health outcomes and reclaim food sovereignty.

About GW Global Food Institute

The George Washington University Global Food Institute leverages education, research, policy, and engagement to create food systems that are sustainable, equitable, and healthy for people and the planet. Bringing together scholars, practitioners, and policymakers, the Institute drives solutions at the intersection of food, health, climate, and justice.