We celebrated Black history, Black farmers, and the second grade poetry unit this week. In the classroom, we learned that the number of Black farmers in America has fallen from nearly 1 million in 1920 to fewer than 50,000 today. In response, a few U.S. Senators have recently introduced the Justice for Black Farmers Act, which focuses on ending race-based discrimination at the USDA, protecting Black landowners from losing their land, and granting land to new Black farmers and Black farmers who have lost their land as part of the renewal of the Farm Bill in 2023. We then listened to two poems read by their authors, “Conflict” by Jordan Chaney and “A Love Letter to Future Generations” by Naima Penniman.
In the kitchen, we made a vegan version of hot tamales, a dish historians believe arose out of friendships between migrant Mexican farmworkers and African American sharecroppers in the American South during the early 20th century. Hot tamales are made with cornmeal instead of masa harina and are cooked in a spicy, tomato-based sauce. Traditionally made with pork, our recipe includes nutritional yeast and seasoned tofu for extra umami. This is a labor-intensive recipe that is well worth the effort and a perfect activity to do together with friends!
