Journey Magazine: Health & Wellness Edition, Spring 2017

Florida A&M University’s Campus Magazine

Collector’s Edition

HEALTH Honest. Goodness. & wellness Issue

Earley’s Kitchen does soul food right

The New Sephora

How to use kitchen items to revamp your beauty regimen

Let’s Get Physical!,

A sit down with FAMUs most popular trainers

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ATHLE Celeste Stephens

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online editor

ON THE COVER: Featured: Na’amah Johnson, Andre Hayes Photographed by: TyLisa C. Johnson Designed by: Monet Corbett

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Karyln Sykes

asst. copy desk c hief Alexias Brasfield

Printer: Gandy Printers Adviser: Francine Huff Contributors: Davondra Alston, Kishanda Burns, Alicia Bush, Kayla Elliott, Yayri Hazell, Jade Jacobs, Marsae Johnson, Karlyn Sykes, Marissa Weaver Photographers: Jocelyn Brantley, Nallah Brown, TyLisa C. Johnson, Ricki “Rich” Moore Models: Alfonso Barber, LaToya Lovett, Dymone Robinson, Krystin Roker, Crystal Sheffield, Coleshia Shelton, Natalie Underhill, Jessika Ward Special Thanks: Touched by TAG, Victor Jones, Robert Lee McMillion-El II, Racquel Deeds, Boi.Jeaux, Aquarium Studios, Dean Ann W. Kimbrough, YourGirlWantMeFitness, The New You Bootcamp, Splack Fitness

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EISURE T H E JO U RN EY STAFF

Monet corbett

art director

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multimedia editor

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Asst. art director

LaRhonda celestin

Dominic hill

nall ah brown

fashion director

asst. fashion directo r

photo editor

PHOTOS BY: Nallah Brown

Styled By: Touched By TAG

4 MAKE-UP BY: Victor Jones

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table of contents 6 Health Hacks Taste of Tally 9

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LET’S GET PHYSICAL

A sit down with FAMU’s most popular trainers

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THE NEW SEPHORA

How to use kitchen items to revamp your beauty regimen

HONEST. GOODNESS.

Earley’s Kitchen does soul food right

Fad or Fake 29 31 A Local Desert

Copyright 2017 by Florida A&M University. All rights reserved. This issue of Journey magazine was produced by the student organization Journey with essential support from the School of Journalism & Graphic Communication. Journey is funded through the student activity and services fees, as allocated by the Student Senate of Florida A&M University. For more information on Journey or the Magazine Program, contact the Division of Journalism at 850-599-3379, 510 Orr Drive, Room 3078, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL 32307

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Health Hacks

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When it comes to your health and wellness, your smartphone can easily be your best resource–if you know to use it. With a simple click of a button, downloading these apps can help you stay on top of your mental, physical and emotional health.

Words by: Karlyn Sykes

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Nike+ Run Club: If you’re already a runner or are trying to become one, Nike+ Run Club tracks

mileage, matches a playlist to your pace and offers a social network of other runners to share your progress with.

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My Fitness Pal: This all encompassing app offers a diet and

exercise tracker to count calories and keep you on track for reaching your fitness goals.

Headspace: When your go-to person isn’t answering, Headspace is your best bet as your go-to pocket therapist. It offers a curated list of meditations to help build focus or calm anxiety.

Sweat with Kayla: Created by fitness expert, trainer and social media phenom Kayla Itsines, this app

offers all of the tools you need to get the body you want. It serves as your personal trainer and dietitian with daily workouts, meal plans and fitness challenges to push you to live your best life.

Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock: Sleep is an essential part of your physical and mental health. Not only has the app revolutionized the alarm clock–by tracking your sleeping patterns, but it also monitors your quality of sleep given what factors may have impacted your tiredness during the day.

Fooducate: This app focused on teaching shows how to eat better using a feature that scans

foods at the grocery store and helps you make healthy choices that keep you on the path toward your fitness goals.

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Daily Yoga: The name says it all. Find daily yoga practices for the beginner and

the yogi master. The app also has a variety of alternative exercises including pilates, HIIT workouts as well as meditation routines.

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Design By: By:Monet MonetCorbett Corbett

Think Dirty: For all those who make conscious efforts to live environmentally friendly–even in beauty

regimens–Think Dirty will be your lifeline. The app scans beauty products and warns you of chemicals that are potentially harmful to the environment and your body.

Mindbody: For the person that likes mixing up their workout, Mindbody is the one-stop-shop to find a variety of different workout classes in your area. If cycling is your jam, or you’re looking to try out barre for the first time, this app will help you book your next class and keep you updated on local deals for you next fitness adventure.

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Work Out Playlist SHUFFLE PLAY Sometimes getting the energy and motivation to exercise is harder than the actual workout itself. With summer just around the corner, we’re all striving to show off the new beach bodies we’ve worked for all winter. From electronic to trap music, Journey staff rounded up our favorite tracks to help you stay pumped throughout your session.

The New Workout Plan

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Kanye West

21 Savage

Hey Ya!

Pour it Up

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Stay Fly

Tambourine Eve

Hold Me Back

Power

Humble

Awwsome

Kanye

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Photoshoot

Work Out

Get Your Freak On

Ruff Ryders Anthem

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2Chainz

Kanye West

Shy Glizzy

Azealia Banks Gucci Mane

Missy Elliott Kanye West

Rihanna

Three 6 Mafia

Rick Ross

Kendrick Lamar

Famous Dex

Nicki Minaj

J. Cole DMX

Drake

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MODELS: LATOYA LOVETT DYMONE ROBINSON KRYSTIN ROKER COLESHIA SHELTON

PHOTOGRAPHER: RICKI "RICH" MOORE AQUARIUM STUDIOS

MAKEUP: BOI.JEAUX

BEAUTY.

Styling by: Larhonda Celestin & Dominic Hill

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Sephora Crusty lips and frizzy hair? Have no fear! Here are five beauty regimens using common kitchen items that will help make your, hair, face and body flourish in 2017.

Words By:: Yayri Hazell

Design By:: Monet Corbett

When it comes to taking care of your body, most times, natural is the best way to go. Most beauty products can be very expensive, and many of them contain ingredients that can irritate or damage your skin. As a solution, many of your beauty products can come directly from your kitchen and not the beauty counter. These are five natural beauty tips and tricks that will help make your skin, nails and hair look more radiant than ever.

Mangoes Mangoes are rich in antioxidants like vitamin A, which helps to repair acne and blemishes. When your skin is vitamin A deficient, pores can begin to open, making your skin look dull and lead to bad acne. Eating mangoes replenishes the skin’s vitamin A and causes your complexion to clear up, leaving your skin radiant and acne free.

Mangoes are a great source of vitamin C and promote healthy hair. If you ever have dull hair and want to make it shiny include some mangoes to your diet.

D IY Lip Scrub You know it’s time for an exfoliator when your lips become cracked and scaly. I searched for a reasonably priced lip exfoliator and found nothing but my roommate suggested that I DIY a lip exfoliation. Challenge accepted. After doing some research for DIY lip scrubs, I found out that majority of lip scrubs are made from sugar to exfoliate and oil to moisturize. This quick, sweet and easy recipe takes no more than five minutes, and costs nothing more than ingredients already in at home.

Ingredients:: Sugar white, raw, or brown, 2 tbsp Coconut Oil or any natural oil of your choice, 1 tbsp Honey, 1 tbsp

Instructions: 1. Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl using a plastic spoon until well blended 2. Apply a small amount to your lips and scrub until the sugar dissolves completely 3. Gently wipe off the excess with a warm paper towel or you can just lick it off and you now have soft butter lips that taste delicious!

D IY Aloe Vera Gel Mask Aloe Vera Gel is an amazing moisturizer for the face that will help fade away acne scarring as well as reducing acne and inflammation. It prevents dandruff for the hair and promotes healthy hair and eyebrow growth. As a bonus, it lessens the visibility of stretch marks.

Ingredients Your favorite facial cleanser Paper towels or towel Aloe Vera Gel or Aloe Vera Plant Your favorite moisturizer

Instructions: 1. Wash your face with your favorite cleanser 2. Dry your face off with a clean paper towel (better for the skin than a towel) 3. Use your aloe Vera gel plant (should already be cut in half) and rub it all over your face 4. Let dry 5. Add your favorite moisturizer

Baking Soda For Teeth For whiter teeth, look no further than your own refrigerator! Baking soda is one of the oldest tricks in the book, usually tucked in the back of the fridge, can brighten teeth in just a few weeks.

WARNING: This should not replace regular brushing.

Ingredients Baking soda, ½ teaspoon Water

Instructions: 1. Mix to create a paste 2. Scoop paste up with your toothbrush 3. Brush your teeth for about two minutes 4. Rinse your mouth, and the toothbrush 5. Repeat every other day for one to two weeks for optimal results

Squash For Blemished Skin This mask packs a big anti-acne punch with the help of squash to boost collagen production, tea-tree oil to fight blemishes, and honey to brighten the skin. Apply it once a week for a glowing and more even complexion.

Ingredients 1 butternut squash, pureed in a food processor Honey, 1 tbsp 2 drops of tea tree oil

Instructions: 1. Mix the ingredients together and apply to your face 2. Rinse off after 10 to 15 minutes 3. Apply once a week

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HAUTEDame

Photos By: Racquel Deeds Make Up Artist: Robert Lee McMillion-El II Models: Crystal Sheffield & Natalie Underhill Styled By: LaRhonda Celestin & Dominic Hill 20 On Crystal: Vain and Glory by Kayla Hart

Models: Jessika Ward & Alfonso Barber

On Jessica: Vain and Glory by Kayla Hart

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The Last Time YS u Ate Words By: Kishanda L. Burns & TyLisa C. Johnson Design By: Monet Corbett

Eating disorders are one of the most serious health issues, and are often overlooked, especially in the Black community.

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t wasn’t until her doctor asked her when was the last time she ate, that she realized she didn’t know.

“The first question he asked was “When was the last time you ate something?” and I couldn’t remember. I didn’t realize I’d lost 60 pounds in three months,” said Elaine Jean, a long-time Tallahassee resident.

Jean has struggled with anorexia nervosa, one of the most serious eating disorders, since 2004, but for a long-time didn’t realize that what she was struggling with was an eating disorder.

“I didn’t even know I had an eating disorder,” Jean said. “All I knew was that I’d just had a child and my husband at the time was very mentally abusive.”

Eating disorders are a severe and traumatic experience for the almost eight million Americans who suffer, a traumatic experience that could eventually lead to death. Ten to 15 percent of Americans suffer from some type of serious eating disorder, according to Mirasol, an eating disorder treatment facility in Tucson, Arizona. Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any mental disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

Jean first started dealing with her eating disorder in 2004, eventually she returned to eating normally, but the eating disorder resurfaced in 2010. Jean said any time she was prompted to eat; she would instead just drink water and hide that she didn’t eat. Jean didn’t notice her severe weight loss from lack of eating until her doctor’s visit.

According to the National Eating Disorders Association, anorexia, what Jean experienced, is the third most common chronic disease among young people, after asthma and type 1 diabetes. Aside from anorexia nervosa, there are two other main categories of eating disorders: bulimia nervosa and Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS).

Anorexia nervosa is people who see themselves as overweight even when they are underweight. People who have anorexia nervosa often weigh themselves repeatedly and compulsively, while eating small quantities of foods or restricting the amount of food they eat.

Some symptoms of anorexia nervosa include thinness, fear of gaining weight and a distorted body image, while people who suffer from bulimia nervosa have recurrent and frequent episodes of eating a large amount of food, sometimes later forcing themselves to vomit, exercise a lot, or use excessive amounts of laxatives.

Other eating disorders include binge-eating disorder, purging disorder, night eating syndrome, atypical anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa with less frequent behaviors.

WORDS BY: KAYLA ELLIOTT

Photo Credit: Google

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DESIGN BY: DAJAH DORN

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fter a year of hesitation, Kiandra Brooks, senior political science student at Florida A&M University, finally visited a therapist at FAMU’s Sunshine Manor. Her yearlong stint of hesitation came from a fear of judgment, which she eventually overcame to accept counseling that could change her outlook on life.

“I was very reluctant to start therapy because I’ve always had a fear of being judged or perceived as unstable or weird for the way I feel at times,” said Brooks. “But my counselor was amazing, she helped me to work through everything and to discover myself, and she never made me feel ashamed.”

Misconceptions about therapy and what it could mean about someone’s character often discourage people from seeking help.

In 2002, a survey on mental illness showed 82 percent of Americans perceived a stigma attached to mental illness, according to the Roper Center at Cornell University. These same misconceptions contribute to the stigma surrounding mental health issues, and prevent people from learning more about or utilizing the services of trained mental health professionals.

A 2016 survey by the Jed Foundation and the Steve Fund found that 51 percent of black students reported feeling overwhelmed most or all of the time, compared to 40 percent of white students reporting the same feelings.

The survey also found that 75 percent of black students in the survey admitted that they keep their struggles and hardships in college, and their feelings about their situations to themselves.

On average, White Americans are two times more likely to go to counseling than their African American counterparts. This trend is also seen in the African American college population, too, despite easier, and cheaper access to mental health resources.

The financial burden of mental health treatment is a barrier that affects everyone, however, therapy centers are located on the campuses of many colleges and universities, and the cost of counseling sessions are typically covered in tuition expenses.

At FAMU, students are entitled to 12 free, one-hour therapy sessions per semester at Sunshine Manor, the home to the Office of Counseling Services. Sunshine Manor offers individual, group, and couples counseling, as well as psychiatric consultation.

Active Minds is another FAMU organization under Sunshine Manor that focuses specifically on mental health issues in African Americans.

Monnica T. Williams, clinical psychologist and associate

professor at the University of Connecticut, who has been studying psychology since 2000, believes African-American students often don’t seek therapy because of time management.

“Work, family responsibilities, school commitments, and transportation issues all can overshadow the need for therapy,” Williams said. “This troublesome reality suggests that despite struggling with a mental disorder, many are reluctant to take time for themselves to get better.”

At Sunshine Manor, the top five reasons students seek services are: relationships, depression and anxiety, stress, academics, and trauma. Adjusting to major life changes, experiencing grief, processing anger, improving relationships, and working on self-esteem, are all examples of common issues which bring people to therapy.

The most common reason people avoid seeking the help of a therapist is the belief that it means they are fragile and incapable of solving problems on their own or that they are “crazy.”

Most African Americans choose to opt for religion instead of therapy. Religion is a very important aspect of life in the African American community. In times of trouble many African Americans turn towards their religious leaders, pastors, reverends, bishops or deacons, believing that prayer can help through tough times.

In an interview with Vice Magazine, Pastor Victor Kirk of Sharon Bible Fellowship Church said the Bible showed cases of people being healed by the word of God and that is why many African Americans turn to religion.

"The church is a safe zone and therapy for a lot of people,” Kirk said. “Prayer works and the Bible works. Church plays a prominent role when it comes to healing."

Shawntell Delice, a senior political science student, said her family straddles the fence on their views of attending therapy.

“On one hand, my mom has always told me to go to therapy.

She’s very accepting.” Delice said. “On the other, my dad believes that I shouldn’t go, because therapy is a ‘waste of money.’”

I think back on my friend and her sudden decision to seek therapy and I realized that I had fallen victim to these negative myths and stereotypes all of my life. I realize that support from me would’ve have been more of an aid to her than my disdain.

Ultimately, a cultural shift is needed to foster a climate in which friends and loved ones can seek non-judgmental support for a mental health condition or even just a talk with a counselor about normal things that plague them. This could make the difference in helping others feel empowered to get the help they may need.

Honest.

Goodness.

Words by: Alicia Bush

Design by: Ebony Gibbs Photos by: Tylisa C. Johnson

When flex bucks can no longer sustain, pockets have become hollow and the top cafeteria menu at Florida A&M University brings waves of nausea, just steps from FAMU’s campus lies an alternative option: Earley’s Kitchen.

Upon entering, visitors are immediately transported into a homey environment. The front wall displays two words that describe both the food and ambiance: “Honest. Goodness.” The wooden tables and chairs stationed throughout the building contribute toward the kitchen look, and one long table extends to accommodate a family brunch or group outing. On these tables are mason jars filled with flowers and vintage salt and pepper shakers. Adorning the walls are bright acrylic paintings of roosters and black-and-white photography by Tallahassee photographer Richard Baas. The lights hang from the ceiling, which are covered by large mason jars, further creating the southern home presence.

Resembling a traditional southern home, Earley’s Kitchen serves hearty breakfast and lunch to Tallahassee’s community from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Monday to Friday. The Savannah-style restaurant invites anyone whose appetite requests fried chicken, pork chops and other country favorites like shrimp and grits. An additional bonus to the food is the reasonable prices. The menu even offers a student discount, which includes meat, two sides, bread and a drink for only $6.50, with proof of a student identification card.

Earley’s Kitchen was a pre-existing business before Jay and Anita Morrell, FAMU Alumni, purchased it in 2008. As inspired by the South, the sentiment behind southern cooking makes the guests respond well, Even Jay Morrell knows that.

Troy Mclanahan, Tallahassee resident and customer of over 15 years opted for “some of that good old bacon,” a fluffy biscuit and a generous helping of grits. He remembered when Earley’s Kitchen was located down the street from the new site. The food and southern hospitality has secured his patronage for nearly two decades.

Customers steadily trail into Earley’s Kitchen and claim their spots in line, peaking over counters and pointing toward their selections, each guest unknowingly asserted their familiarity with the menu.

While some guests are leave with white carryout trays, others receive their meals on ceramic plates and head toward an empty table.

The soft atmosphere mixes with the constant clicking of silverware and lively conversation.

Malkia Peterson, sophomore graphic design student at FAMU, ordered breakfast with a friend. On her first time ordering the sausage and egg biscuit, she became an Earley’s fan.

She especially enjoyed how the ingredients complemented each other.

“The biscuit tasted really good. It was fluffy and buttery, which is impressive. You know, everyone doesn’t know how to make biscuits, but [Earley’s] is good,” Peterson said.

from FAMU, and their youngest son, who graduates from high school soon, will be attending in the fall of 2017.

Tayler Farrington, sophomore business administration student at FAMU had bacon with grits, eggs and potatoes as her sides.

“Although it’s serve and go, the food is hot, and the flavor is all there. The potatoes are very well-seasoned, which I was impressed with,” Farrington said.

Both the food and the service made her experience memorable.

“I liked [Earley’s Kitchen] because it seems like a hidden place, but it’s worth going to find. It’s very simple but nourishing at the same time. Plus, the people are really nice,” she said.

Local restaurants showcase the community’s cultural value. Aside from offering more original and diverse options than hamburgers and french fries, these businesses present personable atmospheres and offer chances to support hometown businessmen and women. Instead of seeking bland meal options at the everyday establishment, hungry spenders should visit the community’s men and women who include good ingredients and heart into their menu options.

The Morrell family’s business has an extensive history with FAMU and they consider themselves true FAMUans.

Both owners attended FAMU for undergraduate degrees, and Anita Morrell received her Master’s degree from FAMU. Their eldest son graduated

Located at 1458 S Monroe St, Earley’s Kitchen is open from 7 a.m. until noon on Saturdays and closed on Sundays. Follow the restaurant’s social media, which is @EarleysKitchen on Twitter and Instagram. Visit their website at http://www.earleyskitchen.com

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New-age remedies, and old-school fix discussion as people search for their ow craving to lose weight fast, tone up, an Instagram models flaunt their coke-bottl companies promise quick weight los Words by: Jade Jacobs

Apple Cider Vinegar Apple cider vinegar is an old, home remedy in the weight loss world, however, many are just now finding out about its effects and power. According to many doctors, apple cider vinegar has been proven to lower cholesterol levels, improve bowel movements, reduce glucose in the blood stream, burn fat, and fight infections.

Raw apple cider vinegar includes potassium, which can prevent brittle teeth, hair loss and excessive allergies. There is also malic acid and it helps fight viruses, bacteria and fungus.

Pectin is also a major ingredient and it helps regulate blood pressure and reduce bad cholesterol.

Apple cider vinegar has also recently become a trend for quick weight loss. Many suggest that the apple cider vinegar can be taken with hot or cold water, in the measurement of a tablespoon or even mixed with honey or lemon to make the taste tolerable for cleansing and eventual weight loss.

Jacobi Peavy, a second year healthcare management student from Palm Beach, Fla. consistently used the liquid for three weeks and was able to shed 25 lbs. “I took a shot of the apple cider vinegar followed by a bottle of water every morning and the weight immediately started to fall off of me. The taste is terrible but the results made it worthwhile,� Peavy said.

Peavy said that the only side effect that she experienced was gas in her stomach, so it was completely worth it to her.

The amazing, proven results from apple cider vinegar are accessible to all for less than $10 at your local grocery store.

**JOURNEY MAGAZINE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EFFECTS OF THESE DIETS/PRODUCTS**

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ol fixes have been a constant topic of r own personal physical perfection. The p, and look great has only increased as ottle bodies. Many new, popular start-up t loss, but how many are legitimate?

Design By: Monet Corbett

Flat Tummy Tea

Body Wraps

Flat Tummy Tea was added to the market in 2012, and has been widely promoted on social media by celebrities, and influencers across the nation. The “100 percent natural tea cleanse” is meant to help reduce bloating, support metabolism and increase energy to help flatten your stomach.

Body wraps are meant to tighten and tone the body from consistent sweating. There are many different types of body wraps can include algae, saran, mud, seaweed, and herbal wraps. Many people use different sorts of body wraps while engaging in exercise, but some wrap their bodies for everyday activities.

Celebrities such as Kylie Jenner, Blac Chyna and Khloe Kardashian are paid to promote the brand based on the number of Instagram followers they have. These same celebrities claim to use the tea and see optimal weight loss results in their stomach areas.

Body wraps are also meant to tighten the skin after the fat has been burned from consistent heat. Losing inches is more common when it comes to body wraps rather than losing pounds.

Camryn Brown, a fourth year business and administration student from Chicago, Illinois, used the tea and said it did not do any of what it claims it is supposed to do. “When I received the tea, I was so excited to use it since people like the Kardashians had such good things to say about it,” Brown said. “Once I began using it, I saw no results nor did it make me feel any differently than I did before using the tea.” Brown said that she stopped drinking the tea after two weeks due to a lack of progress.

Flat tummy tea can be purchased at flattummytea.com.

Nataajah Taylor, a second year computer engineer student from Palm Beach, Fla. said that her experience with saran wrap was very encouraging. She would consistently wrap her stomach while exercising to help tone it down. “The saran wrap was my best friend when I first began working out consistently,” Taylor said. “I immediately noticed progress after just one week of wrapping my stomach.” Taylor also said that she was eager to try other forms of body wraps because of the results she saw just from plastic. A variety of body wraps can be purchased at GNC, Bed Bath and Beyond, or even your local Wal-Mart.

There are some trendy weight loss remedies that have been proven to work, but there are also some that have been seen as ineffective, either way, consistency is the key to obtaining optimal results, especially with losing weight through diet and exercise.

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Words By: Alicia Bush

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t Lucky’s Market on West Tennessee St, a refreshing breeze sprays visitors upon entry. The clean and creative appearance sends shoppers into an inspired mood; one toward informed grocery shopping and healthier eating. Shoppers can even sip wine or beer while they shop.

Customers, both college students and working adults, pace peacefully and purposefully throughout the aisles, searching for their favorite organic food items and scanning nutrition labels. While the produce section boasts colorful fresh fruits and vegetables, the deli and kitchen areas prepare appealing and nourishing hot foods. Even the large containers of candies, filled with modified cornstarch, appear healthier than the packaged sweets found in convenient stores.

“If it was further away, I probably wouldn’t bother to make the trip,” said Lauren Romanzak, a senior international affairs student at Florida State University. Romanzak prefers purchasing her food items in bulk and Lucky’s Market’s affordable prices allow these transactions. In addition to the affordability, she enjoys seeing fresh produce during every visit, but just a few miles away, produce this fresh is nearly inaccessible. Unfortunately, this ideal grocery shopping experience seems farfetched for many Tallahassee residents. ‘ Unlike Romanzak, inhabitants from the south side of Tallahassee

Design By: Monet Corbett

must travel miles to experience non-conventional grocery shopping. The wealth disparity between the north and south side remains visible, and the title “food desert” delivers an accurate description.

In 2015, Tallahassee was found to be one of the most economically segregated cities in the United States, along with Trenton, N.J. Residents’ surrounding food options often limit the availability for fresh produce, quality meats and dairy products. Over 31 percent of Tallahassee’s population is in poverty, according to the US census bureau. As a low-income area with few grocery store options, these qualities contribute toward the long-time food desert existing in the south side.

Food deserts, or low-access communities, are areas where fresh fruits, vegetables and other nutritious items are scarce or widely unavailable, and the reality remains that primarily black communities mainly bear the burden. One in five African-American households is food insecure, while more than one in four African-American children live food insecure, according to Feeding America. Grocery stores and markets are usually too distant for the local people, and fast food

restaurants and convenient are plentiful. In 2007, Leon County had 218 fast food restaurants. Just four years later, that number increased to 257.

P. Qasimah Boston, DrPH has been studying global public health and how food security links to public health since 1990. She has lived in Tallahassee since 2007, and is working to change how people think about food, especially in small and rural communities. Her studies have included research on health inequity based on zip codes, and international research in Ghana on food insecurity.

“People think the food movement just started, but the food movement has been going on forever,” Boston said. Boston has organized many programs and movements both locally and nationally for affordable, quality food. Boston believes strategies created by small, rural communities could be used on a widespread scale to help end food insecurity.

“The people in small and rural communities are able to overcome household level food insecurity, and one of the things that they do is have side-yard or backyard gardens and somehow they’re able to organize themselves where one person will focus on one type of food to grow, and a neighbor will focus on another food to grow,” Boston said. “When harvest time comes, they both have everything. That is a great strategy that perhaps we can use in other urban areas that are dealing with food insecurity, and perhaps the strategy can be used globally.”

Previously, Boston created focus groups in Tallahassee to learn how people think about food. These focus groups resulted in providing hands-on food training to young mothers, so their children could receive proper nutrients through proper meals. Boston herself was once a young mother struggling with providing healthy food for her children.

According to Mari Gallagher, the principal researcher at Mari Gallagher Research and Consulting Group, fringe food venues, or fast food restaurants, convenient stores and liquor stores, usually become the primary food source in food deserts. Single streets congregate a McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s and several other chains that corrupt plans to decrease obesity rates and other health problems. Mari Gallagher Research and Consulting Group is a national firm focused on helping food deserts.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Gallagher said that in urban and rural locations, people of all income levels have difficulty accessing healthy food, but “poor families and communities suffer most.”

“The fundamental causes of health disparities—including but not limited to obesity—are chronic socioeconomic disadvantage, and, in turn, chronic stress,” Gallagher said in the interview. “For the poor, the problem has less to do with food deserts and more to do with income deserts, education deserts and quality-health-care deserts.”

A study conducted at the University of Georgia found that almost 66 percent of stores surrounding the Leon County area are convenience stores. These stores are also heavily saturated with the processed,

sugary and fatty foods that contribute toward health failures in the community.

Shontea Lewis, a junior nursing student from Madison, Fla., noticed that black communities always suffer the consequences of poor dietary habits. She attributed this to the pricey food costs that stifle healthy eating. Born and raised in a Southern household, she also acknowledged that many appetites are shaped during childhood, and most parents cook food that keeps their pockets sustainable.

“In black neighborhoods, we don’t often have grocery stores with fresh produce. We have a lot of liquor stores,” Lewis said.

“Not much good can come from that because those are processed foods. Until I came down here, I had never even seen farm share.

That was a bit of a culture shock for me—a good one.”

The south side community is considered low income and low access, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

With a poverty rate of approximately 30 percent, the food access research atlas shows that most of Leon County, but especially the south side, is “low-income” and “low-access,” meaning there is an inability for one reason or another to access quality food and water.

In an attempt to combat the food insecurity currently existing in Tallahassee, certain efforts such as the Tallahassee Food Network have been created. Boston helped start the Tallahassee Food Network, with six other people, which provides activities around food, develops policy, and understands neighborhood food.

“It’s a diverse group of people who have all kinds of ideas and activities around food. Some are educational, some are around growing food, some are helping create policy, and some are around teaching leadership, which is what I do,” Boston said.

The Tallahassee Food Network houses initiatives such as “iGrow”, a youth empowerment and agriculture program and garden focused on growing healthy food locally. The iGrow garden is in Frenchtown, a historically black neighborhood in Tallahassee. The TFN was created from efforts of the Health Equity Alliance of Tallahassee, a partnership with the University of Florida and Greater Frenchtown Revitalization Council, according to the TFN website. There are other local community gardens that have also been created in efforts to combat local food insecurity.

Feeding Tallahassee and extending healthier options to the communities presents a serious public health issue. If decreasing obesity and dismantling remains an important initiative, then action must begin to keep food insecurity from remaining normal for predominantly black communities.

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DEAN ANN W. KIMBROUGH GINA CHERELUS DONOVAN HARRELL MEN’S WAREHOUSE VOCELLES BRIDAL SHOPPE YOURGIRLWANTMEFITNESS VICTOR JONES TOUCHED BY TAG JARIS HARRISON BCO STUDIOS BRANDON OATTS TREE TO TREE ADVENTURES FAMU’S STUDENT SENATE

AND COUNTLESS OTHERS

Thank you to every person who made this magazine issue possible

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