Op-ed: 4 Solutions to Make Urban Ag Policies More Equitable

Every morning, Janet McDurly, a 60-year-old resident in South Seattle, Washington, walks half a mile to catch her bus to work. On her way, she routinely passes Jimi Hendrix Park, a 2.3-acre community park located in Seattle’s Central District.

McDurly and other volunteers in this primarily African American community have spent many weekends planting seeds and tending crops in the park’s community garden, established in 2020 by Black Star Farmers, a local activist group fighting for land and food sovereignty.

But in July 2021, McDurly stumbled upon an unexpected scene during her routine walk: the garden had been bulldozed. Together with its police and parks departments, the City of Seattle had violently leveled the vibrant and inclusive garden that had nourished food- and nutrition-insecure residents.