Jazmin Burdette ’28, 3.9.25
During the duration of this class, I’ve learned a lot about myself, the world around me, and the world where I grew up.
I had never really questioned where my food came from before attending Bucknell, being from California I knew it was more local than imported and that the food was almost always fresh, no matter the season. Who knew moving across the country can cause your perspective to change? This question started to be asked in my first semester of college, wherein I was in the Residential College program and I took a class called Sustainable Harvest. This class inspired me to try to pursue a minor in food systems, and it introduced me to this course.
Food, Faith, and Justice has been one of my favorite classes at Bucknell. Although I am still a first year so there’s more time for other classes to take that place, I think it’ll be a hard class to top. It’s really made me question where food comes from, where does it go, and who benefits the most from its creation. Food has always been integral to my culture and personal beliefs, I view it as sacred and a communal activity. Eating alone is something I only do for breakfast, as I fortify myself for the day ahead. Learning about systemic racism and redlining is always troubling, as it can lead to feeling trapped in a system that’s stacked against “us” (that is, BIPOC). But I believe that learning about issues is the only way to truly understand and fix them.
During our conversation with Pastor Brown, he dropped diamonds like the planet Neptune, in abundance and frequently. Two of the phrases that stuck with me were “Focus is fruit” and “Critique what is, create what isn’t.” I’ve recently been restructuring my focus in life and priorities, doing my best to live in a way that aligns with my faith and that will help me achieve what I’ve been called to do- medicine. I hope to create a learning environment in my community focused on the importance of nutrition and the effects it has on health and get to the root of the cause of the many health issues in America today that relate to diet.