REFS Reflections : Dr. Marcus Coleman
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EmailMeet Dr. Marcus A. Coleman, a professor of practice at Tulane University and a member of Racial Equity in the Food Systems workgroup.
Dr. Marcus A. Coleman is a Professor of Practice on Strategy, Leadership, & Analytics + Economics at Tulane University. He is a member of the Racial Equity in the Food Systems (REFS) workgroup. Learn more about his background and perspective in his reflection!
Growing up in Louisiana’s rural delta region, this upbringing helped me to understand the disproportionate nature of agriculture and food system opportunities available to socially disadvantaged communities. My community and many surrounding communities had economies primarily driven by agricultural production; this production did not equate to food-secure environments for everyone. Additionally, as technology and innovative ideas in agriculture production became prominent, the jobs that many relied on were no longer available due to the adoption of the available technologies by larger producers and other agribusiness stakeholders.
My personal and professional experiences, coupled with a background in Agriculture Economics and Agriculture and Extension Education and Evaluation, have provided me with an understanding of the vital role that education and the food system can play in the overall health, economic, environmental, and social development of individuals and communities.
Racial equity-centered food systems leadership is not a theoretical concept for me. It is a lived experience. As a Black man who grew up in a rural agricultural community and has three degrees in agriculture, my journey is an equitable practice. Agriculture and food systems are not something I “fell into” as a career; they are my lived personal and professional journey.
A personal challenge for me is getting the average person to understand the necessities of all aspects of the food system. How a ¼ acre urban agriculture operation is just as necessary as a 2000-acre cotton operation. How a community garden is just as essential as a supermarket. As a result, the tricky question for me is how all of these equitable things co-exist in a highly complicated food system context. How do small urban producers receive equitable support to scale in the same way that large commercial producers do?
For me, transformation does not involve one or the other; it involves how we foster a system where all entities sustainably and economically co-exist to feed a growing population.
Bridging the gap is simple; it requires education. However, the educational systems we have in place for community education related to agriculture and the food system have proven unwilling to diversify their thoughts, hiring, research, and practices regarding equitable food systems for all. This, namely, speaks to the land grant system. This void has allowed non-land grant institutions to play a role in equitable food systems education, engagement, and sustainability.
To be successful in this regard, emerging food systems leaders need to pursue nontraditional agriculture and food systems education paths. They should seek out educational systems that truly believe in community engagement, where community voices are paramount to the often exclusionary ways of the ivory towers.
