Grace Gathers for Food & Justice Event

With the intersections of the food industry and social justice at its center, the event provided a venue for community members to learn about sustainable practices they could adopt in their own lives, how communities of color are impacted by different elements of food production and how the culinary industry is changing in the face of the climate crisis.

The program featured several presentations, including one from the Dean of Sustainability, Kim Chaloner, and was ultimately headlined by a panel discussion featuring Grace parents Barbara Sibley and King Phojanakong, and alumni parent Jason Silbeck, all of whom work in the culinary industry. Moderated by the Dean of Equity and Inclusion, Jean-Robert Andre, the discussion highlighted their individual perspectives on how topics like climate change, the displacement of indigenous populations and the rise of local farming impact their line of work. The panel ended with a Q&A session, where attendees asked questions ranging from how government policy affects national agriculture to simple tips on keeping plants alive.

Food & Justice also aimed to spotlight food and its ties to community. After the panel, student affinity groups including Yeladim el Chesed (Jewish affinity), HOLA (Latinx/Hispanic affinity), Amazing Grace (Black affinity) and Asian Affinity offered samples of different gastronomic favorites from their respective cultures, ultimately sparking conversations about family, heritage, tradition and belonging. Local organizations, such as BigREUSE and A Sustainable Village, also stopped by to provide information on the importance of composting, recycling and switching to sustainable home products.

The OCE thanks all the student leaders, alliance spaces, student groups, panelists and guests who were able to come and make Food & Justice a night to remember.