RACE/RACISM
Food Insecurity Linked to Gun Violence; International Swimming Federation Bans Swim Caps for Black Hair
Catch up on the race and racism news you might have missed.
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If there were a theme for this week’s roundup of race and racism news, it could be “the problems behind the problems.” There are stories about how lack of access to healthy food can be a factor in gun violence, how policies about acceptable swim gear can make Black people feel othered, and more. Stick around until the end, though, and you’ll be rewarded with the tale of how a Black-owned Caribbean resort is defying stereotypes about Black locals’ role in tropical travel.
How hunger and gun violence overlap
Preventing gun violence isn’t just about who has access to firearms — it’s about preventing the circumstances that lead to shootings. That philosophy is inspiring interventions that tackle gun deaths as a public health issue that can be treated with better access to healthcare, housing, opportunities for education and jobs — and food. An analysis by the Kansas City Star found that nearly 70 percent of the city’s 2020 homicides happened in low-income areas where residents would have to travel at least half a mile to access a grocery store or supermarket. “Lacking a complex nutritional diet can harm brain development in childhood, according to public health experts,” Hurubie Meko writes for the paper. “That can cause later problems dealing with peers, handling authority and responding to situations of extreme stress.” The article goes on to illustrate how some community urban farms are trying to bridge the gap, providing healthy fruits and vegetables in neighborhoods where gunshots are more common than groceries.
Sending a message that Black hair doesn’t ‘fit’ in swimming competitions?
The international body that regulates gear for swimming and diving has ruled that a swim cap designed to fit voluminous hair types and styles common to Black women cannot be worn by athletes competing in the Olympics, reports Metro UK. FINA, the International Swimming Federation, told cap maker Soul Cap that “athletes competing at the International events…
