Food access is something that is so fundamental, people don't generally see it until it disappears. For those in economically sound communities, it's usually taken for granted. But our inner cities historically fall short on this measure, and "food deserts"–places where it can be difficult or impossible to find any fresh food–have become an unfortunate staple of many of our urban centers.
Olympia Auset is one person who wasn't ready to settle for that. Determined to help her community do better, the Howard University graduate and native of South Central Los Angeles launched the pop-up grocery concept SÜPRMARKT back in 2016.
"I would be on the bus two hours every time I needed food....it became very clear to me that if I didn't do something, that I would be going to my friends' funerals when we are turning 40 and 50," Auset says. "When you're a child, you kind of don't notice the impact of living in a food desert, but as an adult....it had just become very clear."
To read more about this remarkable young woman's wholesome mission, check out today's Harper's feature.
Posted on 12/16/2020 at 01:13 PM