Does Your Neighborhood Have More Fast Food Restaurants than Grocery Stores?

Recently, I was driving home and I began to reflect on what I saw. There are more fast food restaurants, liquor stores, and churches in my neighborhood on the West Side than grocery stores.

There is one grocer in my neighborhood a Save-A-Lot and if I am not mistaken they do not carry fresh fruits and veggies. There is a Food 4 Less about a mile and a half from my home as well. I had to drive over 10 minutes to go to a Jewel in the Brickyard area. However there are 4+ fast food restaurants in walking distance of my home.

I think more now about the plight of African Americans, minorities, and the poor, the disadvantages and how the odds are stacked against us very early. I think what if I didn't have a car, I would either have to take a cab, call for a ride or take 2 buses to get to the grocery store.

Its a wonder why African Americans have high blood pressure, diabetes, and other diseases. Fast food is more accessible than a grocery store. So its easier to take the kids to McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, Harold's, Uncle Remus etc. than to trek on the bus to the grocery store. Then once in the store with the price of fresh fruits and veggies I see a lot of people with chips, snacks, and juice in their cart with some meats but few nutritional foods. As the saying goes when you know better you do better however, there are those that do not know so how can they do better?

To my surprise, this morning I open up the Red Eye and read the article "Chicago's grocery quest." The title on the front page Chicago's Food Desert. The article states in 2006 Chicago-based researcher Mari Gallagher mapped areas in the city where fresh produce was scarce when compared with fast-food locations. On the city's West Side: a Pete's Fresh Market, expected to open this fall at Madison Street and Western Avenue, according to Charles Poulakis, a spokesman for Pete's holding company. "This is an area that has not had a grocery store inn 40 years," Sullivan said. "So to get that store there is a huge achievement."

I disagree that it is a huge achievement for the area. In the last 5/10 years the area has drastically changed. What was once known as Rockwell projects that covered the area from Van Buren to Madison, and from Western a few blocks East ward was torn down and replaced with multi family unit apartment buildings for low income and working families. Nevertheless there are also condos and homes that have been built in that area. Just East of Western off of Madison are 1/2 million dollar town homes. So I don't see Pete's as an achievement I see gentrification in action and the response to those middle/upper class residents with the need of a grocer in their neighborhood.

I think of Michael Jackson's song and the words they don't really care about us. We have to start taking care of each other and ourselves. We have to take a stand and take the veil from over our eyes. It is not enough for you to get a college degree and leave the neighborhood behind with a good riddance attitude. Once you have achieved you need to reach back, educate, and advocate for those who cannot do it for themselves.

For those who live on the West Side, South Side or in an area populated by minorities, low, and working class families how far do you travel for fresh fruit and produce?

Be a blessing and be blessed,
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