Canisius conversation addresses food apartheid

by Madison Howard

In commemoration of the May 14, 2022 mass shooting at the Tops Friendly Markets on Jefferson Ave., Canisius University hosted Canisius Conversation: Dismantling Food Insecurity and Restoring Food Access on Thursday, Feb. 26 in the Library Learning Center at Bouwhuis Library. Organized by Spencer Liechty, the event brought together students, faculty and community members to examine the relationship between structural racism and food access in Buffalo, particularly on the East Side. Rather than focusing solely on the tragedy itself, the conversation explored the broader systems that have shaped inequitable access to healthy, affordable food for decades. 

The discussion featured Colin Bishop, chief communications officer of FeedMore WNY, and community organizer Denise Barr, a longtime advocate in the Fruit Belt neighborhood. Bishop outlined FeedMore WNY’s regional role, explaining that the organization formed in 2020 through the merger of the Food Bank of Western New York and Meals on Wheels for Western New York and now serves Erie, Niagara, Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties. He clarified that food banks typically operate behind the scenes, supplying approximately 400 partner agencies such as pantries and soup kitchens that distribute food directly to residents.

In addition to stocking shelves, FeedMore prepares thousands of meals each day for seniors and individuals with limited mobility and supports school backpack programs that provide food for children over the weekend. Bishop emphasized that volunteers are central to this work and noted that workforce development initiatives in culinary arts, logistics and warehousing aim to address employment barriers alongside hunger. According to Bishop, responding to food needs requires both immediate relief and long-term strategies that strengthen economic stability.

Barr expanded the conversation by emphasizing that Buffalo’s challenges should be understood as food apartheid, not simply food insecurity. She explained that the term reflects how historic and contemporary policy decisions, redlining, disinvestment and discriminatory agricultural practices have shaped unequal access to fresh food in communities of color. Barr highlighted the dramatic decline of Black farmers in the United States and ongoing inequities within federal agricultural systems that have limited land ownership and economic mobility. She connected these structural issues to the lived realities of East Side residents, including the trauma that persists after the May 14 attack and the barriers residents faced when the Jefferson Ave. store temporarily closed. Barr stressed that community members organized transportation, distributed food and advocated for sustained mental health support in the aftermath, demonstrating that those closest to the problem are often closest to the solution.

The conversation also addressed inequities exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when East Side neighborhoods experienced prolonged shortages of essential goods, prompting grassroots distribution efforts to fill gaps left by formal systems. Barr underscored the importance of dignity in food access, criticizing instances in which expired or low-quality donations were sent to marginalized communities and arguing that equitable food systems must prioritize quality and cultural relevance. She also discussed partnerships with local and immigrant farmers, community gardens and efforts to expand culturally responsive school meals as examples of community-driven solutions. Both speakers encouraged students to become involved through volunteering, advocacy and supporting local growers.

Throughout the event, a consistent message emerged: addressing hunger in Buffalo requires more than temporary aid. It requires confronting the structural inequities that have produced food apartheid and investing in sustainable, community-led solutions. As Buffalo approaches the fourth anniversary of May 14, the conversation underscored that restoring food access is inseparable from restoring dignity, equity and long-term opportunity.