My Soulforce co-youth leader & friend Blaine and I led this 10-day food & nonviolence course for middle schoolers in early 2019. I had never published this blog but had intended to last year, and recently discovered it when I was teaching a new community lesson on Cesar Chavez online to children during this Coronavirus time. It feels a bit odd to publish now more then a year later and also during coronavirus time, but also sentimental to reflect back on that, and see that this work has continued as a thread in my life, and to also consider what future offerings to young people might look like. Blaine and I wrote this together.

Food Revolution: An experiment with middle schoolers….

What does it look like to explore self-transformation and justice with middle school students?

Blaine and I were sitting there asking ourselves.

There was an opportunity to apply our Soulforce curriculum and teach nonviolence, inner transformation, justice, and systemic change to middle schoolers.

Lately in my life, themes were emerging. A strong theme of food was emerging. Understanding how to support boys in their emotional awareness and regulation was also a strong theme. Food happened to be the biggest area of self transformation work I have been doing this past year, for me personally. I had realized I didn't have the greatest relationship with food and begin to understand my body and eat better.

Kids love FOOD!!!! That was our first big a-ha that me and Blaine had!!!

Let’s provide a two-week offering for middle school students centered around FOOD!! We’ll cook, explore nonviolence, and sit in circle.
Let’s survey them and give them a few choices and see if food will resonate, so we did.

We gave the middle schoolers 4-5 options to choose from for what they wanted to learn about in this experience with us. We felt it was important they had options, and so we asked them whether they wanted to focus on activism or understanding themselves or doing something more theater based and of course, had the food option Food won! We would call the class Food Revolution.

Blaine and I sat together and discussed what is sacred to us as we began planning our 10-day offering. We are intergenerational and intercultural friends who have worked together for years. We said many things-- we want to learn and get better at our craft. We want to know what it feels like to be with middle school kids doing this work we have been together now for a few years. But there was something that was more important than all of this--- our relationship.

We don’t know what life holds for us in the future--so we said even though there are other things happening--let’s take this opportunity to work together.

So it was both-- the inner work and the relational work that was so deeply sacred to us.

On the first day a group of 10 students came together to be with us in circle for a 2-week course. We were at a beautiful campus in Menlo Park that has so many trees and a lake at the center of it! It looked more like a camp site in the redwoods then a school!

Blaine and I had a plan sketched out and a lot of jitters and readiness for this beautiful group that showed up wondering what food revolution was about.

We did a mindfulness exercise and explored the BLUEBERRY. There were over 88 types of blueberries once that grew in the WILD in nature in NORTH AMERICA. In the 70’s it became one blueberry variation when it showed up in the groceries store. What medicinal values and taste did we lose in this transition?

We also explored the CACAO bean and made chocolate from scratch. UMM. Some were quite interesting. Strong tasting.

These foods had super powers!!!!

We learned about the VIOLENCE of the cacao bean--learning the story of the slave trade. Learning how the hershey bar is cheap but can take all the flavor and the medicinal properties of the caco.

We did a gallery walk with the history of children and youth leading change, particular about food. Blaine taught us about the Coalition of Immokalee Workers movement. This movement of tomato farmworkers out of Florida got all of the youth talking!
We learned about Cafe Ohlone in Berkeley!

We learned about the man who wanted to say thank you to every person who was involved in making his coffee!

There were also a lot of dynamics that came up in the group. It was clear to us: we must learn to respond to the emotional needs of our boys. There is content and then there are the humans in front of us having experiences. We were learning to be responsive to that.

At the end of our 10 days, the student prepared a beautiful meal for the teachers. They chose the group they wanted to serve. They designed the meal - fried rice, salad, and fresh strawberries - based on the values of nonviolence and suitability. They chose a sacred space on campus and decorated it with creativity and love. They implemented the meal and it was a beautifully touching meal where we sat in silence and shared our gratitudes.

One teacher shared during the meal that it was unusual for her to sit down with others and actually enjoy her lunch in the middle of the day. She was used to working through lunch or grabbing something quick to eat on the go. This stood out as a special gift to offer the teachers: Not just a delicious and sustaining meal, but a moment to pause, be present, and connect.

One of my absolutely favorite moments of this experience was a groundskeeper who also came to the final meal and shared “If we can serve food like this, we can serve all of the children in the world.” This beautiful groundskeeper would greet me personally every day when I came to campus.

Another favorite moment of mine is when a young boy who was usually pretty cool (and sometimes distant) asked where I was and wanted me to be included. I felt deeply touched by this.

If I could do it again I would want a bit more time with them to get a bit more intense and really build that relationship with the children.
But I’m happy we were able to plant some seeds of food and justice and love!!!!

And I am most grateful that I got to do this with my friend Blaine that I got to continue to explore my own relationship with food!!!