HEALTH
How The War Against Free Lunch Targets Black School Children
Americans can't afford to ignore this racist crusade
The goal of any cruscade is to make a sweeping societal change. However, when a group makes it their goal to deprive impoverished children of meals, it's safe to say they have ill intent. And given America's gaping racial disparities, any attack on people experiencing poverty disproportionately impacts Black people. How can we tell that a policy is racist without the presence of explicitly racist language? By evaluating the populations who are most affected. For instance, Black children were found almost "three times as likely to face hunger than White children." So, it's safe to say that conservative-led attacks on free school breakfast and lunch programs around the country signify an unspoken cruscade against Black students, who would undoubtedly be the group most impacted by a policy shift.
A wealthy nation ensuring children have access to meals while attending school should not be controversial. As I wrote before, "Children who do not eat regularly are at higher risk for chronic illnesses like asthma, anemia, and malnutrition. Focusing on a teacher's lesson can be exceedingly difficult for hungry children. They are much more likely to display behavioral abnormalities such as anxiety…
